How to build an aero setup

as far as pumps are concerned, i bought an 1100 gph pump(1/6 hp) at the home depot for $64.00. it is probably more than i need, but it sems to help make smaller h2o droplets w/ the extra flow.

realisticly, you need to spend a couple hundred dollars to build the most basic of set-ups. i'm about $400.00 in to mine, BUT i'm also looking at 2+ lb. harvests every 60 days. i have enough room to set up another system so i'll be able to do 2 lbs. a month. well worth the investment!! you cannot expect something for nothing!!!

F.F. YOU DA MAN!!! THIS IS FOR YOU...

In this setup: Are the mister lines sitting on the bottom of the fence post, or are they somehow attached to the top like in the aerosite setups? and what direction are the sprayers pointed. I was trying to find a pic of the inside to get a good idea of how to lay everything out, but no luck.

They sit on the bottom. In that picture the lines arent inside yet but the 1/2 inch pvc line runs the length inside with the misters inserted inside.$400 is alot for one of these types if you built it yourself. Mine cost about $150 to build myself and yields about 148 wet ozes per harvest every 5 weeks so thats roughly 3-4 lbs dry under 2 600 watt lights

From what I understand those roots grow pretty big :

how do those misters or sprayers, etc not get clogged. how do the roots not block them from spraying. I'm trying to get a mental image of how this system works and in my mind i don't see it working. someone please let me know what i'm missing here!

I don't understand why you can not see the spray jet is a long way from the roots.
Why do you think it will get clogged?

If you use shitty nutes, then the very small hole in the spray jet can become plugged up.


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Earl said:

I don't understand why you can not see the spray jet is a long way from the roots.
Why do you think it will get clogged?

If you use shitty nutes, then the very small hole in the spray jet can become plugged up.

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Click to expand...

NO, I understand that in your system because your sprayers are up top. But in FF's setup he has the mister lines sitting on the bottom of the square pvc post. Like this :


I don't see how those can be effective once the roots get as big as in that other pic i posted cause the roots will eventually cover up the misters if the mister line is sitting on the bottom, would they not?

Oh, sorry.

I think fletch's design basically becomes an NFT,
after the roots cover the spray jets.

Does he have any root shots?

Does he have any finished grow pix?

He claims 148 oz wet.

I guess you guys must have a lot of sunleaves,
and stems in your finished bud,
because when I finish my budz
they drop by a factor of 8
and not 3
like fletch figures for his wet bud.

148 wet = 1.15 lbs
which way better than I do with my system,
so here's an "atta boy" fletch.

Let's see some pix of those buds growing in your machine.

Show us some root porn pix in the 4 inch tubes.

That'll help you sell them.

.

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Have you guy ever heard of TAG? I have been looking into it and decided to fire something up. I am unable to get pics right now because I have enough money for a digital camera or a C.A.P. repeat timer not both. The camera is for my GF or else I wouldn't even have to think which to buy lol.
I will make a thread here and try my best to get some pictures up on the web. As for right now all I can say is that this was the thread that started my aero journey.

Edit after reading through a few post I did come to terms that this is truly more of an NFT system. Not that there is anything wrong with I am just pointing out that I am using a different type of system. In fact it is very different indeed. I am using a 5.7GPM/340GPH pump and 55 micron misters (not sprayers). These put out a very fine mist and produce a micro fine water environment withing the root chamber. Although the pump has a slow flow (5.7GPM) it pumps at 60PSI far more pressure than a sump pump (and a LOT quieter). Tune in when I start up the thread... I will try and get my GF's moms camera to start some pics.

I AM NEW IN THIS, But I will try to build a set up like yours. I have some 5 x 5 post fences.
I do not understand how to lay out the feeding pipe and what kind of spray do you use
I will like to know the brand and How to keep it without cloging.
I will appreciate your respond.
Thanks.

HOW TO KEEP THE MISTERs from cloging?

Buy the camera.

You don't need a cap timer.

A regular walmart timer will do 30 on 30 off for $15

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I need to have 30sec on and a 3min off cycle. This is not a sprayer system, the roots are entirely exposed , and the misters do not saturate the roots, they create a 100% humidity within the root area. I did however buy a camera and will take pics right away so look out for my thread.

In these pictures you can see the whole box that is still in the build stage. You can also see that small little pump that I am using. It has a smart flow regulator built into it so that I do not need a pressure tank to maintain 60PSI. I put unions on so that I can have a quick release. The last picture you can see the misters and believe it or not they are on full blast. You can see what I mean when I say they "mist" a micro fine spray.

Where did you get those particular misters? I have found the fine micron misters similar to the grocery store produce misters but at $8-25 a piece and they require steel piping as the pump presure is above 200 psi on them so I had thought about using htem but just for misters and pumps was over $700..My system is aero and NFT secondary. My misters are not under the netpot but off to each side of each net pot.They are on top of the half inch pipes inside then the mister rises about anoter half inch so the misters are almost an inch high inside. The roots dont grow over the misters and they continue to mist the entire grow only way they clog is if you dont use filter bags or israeli inline filters.The mist keeps misting then the roots sit and soak in the run of which is the secondary NFT part so I get benfits from both. The roots grow to the needed mass and stop when they no longer need to search or stretch out since they are provided all they need and can take from the upper aero spray and then the NFT providing the extra the plant wants so they dont need to get giagantic. My roots tend to flow down the pipes in a flat tight mat formation about an inch thick pile by about 4-6 wide and tend to slightly go up each flat side and have lengths of about 5-8 feet each. The square post has more are for the roots to lay flat then a round pvc pipe which is one reason not to use the round pipes if possible as its surface area is much greater allowing more room.As far as root pixs I cant really get any while growing as once the roots fill in the netpots rootball mass makes them to big to remove from the holes in the pipes they wont come up and the roots intertwine and wrap around the mister lines holding them in which stops fall overs another benefit of the mister line is it adds that stability to the plants.Yeah I 2 stage harvest my large setups so I get 2 harvests per grow.I take all the bigger stuff first then trim back and move branches and let the lower buds fill in and form for the second harvest.Now as far as bud pictures I have done grow journels for this setup from day 1 clone til harvest showing the outcome so pictures of the full grow are there. I even posted harvested pics of the plants hanging drying and the cured buds by the bowls and jar fulls so all the proof is there.If I had a larger scale Id show some total all at once pics of the weight but I use a fine gram scale so about 1/2 lb is all that it will show at one time.But I have shown all the grow,the harvest, they hanging, the drying,the cure,and the final buds so its all documented just havent shown pics of the roots as my end caps dont come off as they are sealed water tight. I can next time when I harvest show the roots after I cut the plants possibly. I usually have to let them dry a few days so they shrink up enough to start to lift them up enough to cut some away to get the net pots out then I pull chucnks out little by little til empty so Ill try to show that next time. The next journel is going to be a 4x8 tent with a 4x8 flood table 2 600 watt lights 1 400 watt light and co2 tank injections. I just found a guy who will wholesle me 4x8 tents at $200 each so grabbed a few and will show the works.

earl. i would like to know how much you yield off your 4 plant system also. i know well it depends on this and that but like homie asked you your last yield dry what was it.? so we can have some inspiration

Hey there FF you can get these misters CHEAP (like less than 2.00/mister). Dripworks - Misters for Drip Irrigation systems all the way at the bottom you will see the ones called "Super fine misters" and they cost 1.55 each. They have a built in filter as well, but you will need to buy the "T" fitting as well which are .90 each. My pump cost me 155.00 new from eBay like a year ago. Like I said it is not design for flow but for high PSI. Here is my exact pump that you see in the picture. http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|51|299222|121271|567586&id=153197

Fletch, you should put a link to your grow journal in your signature
so we can find your pix.

Can't you remove the end cap,
and take a pix of the inside with roots?

My roots grow just like you describe yours,
about 5-6 feet long and on the bottom inch of the tube.

I haven't had any problems with the plants falling over.

Sorry huero, but i haven't weighed most of my harvest,
and I wouldn't bother this time, except for the HGS contest.

I am only going to weigh the big plant for the guys at HGS,
because they ask me to,
and they offered me some new strain to grow for them.

Otherwise I don't weigh,
and I don't give a hoot ,
as long as it last me until I finish my next grow.

So I think you should build something,
and then show us how great it grows,
and you can weigh it,
so we'll all be inspired.

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My end caps are sealed with silicon and I cant remove them during a grow maybe at the end as the silicon wont dry and seal while the unit runs because the water will be on it as the unit is in use.Id have to cut the silicon then yank the end caps and then reseal inside and out to keep using it...Whats HGS and whats thier contest? My plants get top heavy around 3 1/2 feet I usually have to use netting or a pvc grid to support the tops with the colas as the plants get heavy or lean the netpots get pulled so to help stop the netpots from leaning in the whole and mistspraying I add nets and just now started to use zip ties over the netpots to make them even sturdier..I dont use any signatures as I have to many grows and journels to choose from.I keep 5-8 grows going at a time and rotate journels.I figured people could just use the search box and look in journel and it will pop some of the journels I posted really quick

allright cool. but how do i not blow the breakers in my house with 4 1000 watt lights

I never ran 4 1000 watt lights in one home or breaker before so you will need to run dedicated breakers for just the lights.Figure what 1 20 amp breaker for each set of 2 1000 watt lights by themselves and seperate breaker for the fans,ac,pumps and what not. So basically you have some wiring to do