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GrowFAQ : Cloning : for Hydroponic systems
: Bubblers &
misters

How do I build my own aeroponic cloner with
misters?

Added by:
~shabang~  Last edited by:
~shabang~  Viewed: 202 times

Rated by 4 users:
10.00/10

Materials List:

1
opaque plastic tub
1 Rio 800 water powerhead

10 foot length PVC, 1/2-inch
8
slip-coupling PVC elbows (90 degree turns)
1
slip-coupling / threaded PVC T-adapter
1
threaded hose nozzle

8 180 degree jet
sprayers (part 111B)
4 PVC to poly-tube
adapters
2 feet flexible hose
1 roll
1/2-inch black poly-tubing
1 can white spray
paint or coating

Every component to make this
aeroponic tub is available at your local Home
dePot,Wal-Mart, and aquarium store. You could
probably get it all from the dePot, but they don't
have the greatest selection of tubs.

You
can use a different pump and skip the aquarium
store, but the Rio is a good choice @ 211 gph. It
comes with a ball valve to control the flow and
the 800 uses a ceramic impeller so it won't
degrade in saltwater.

The only problematic
component in this design is the grade of misters
easily available. A few different configurations
were tried, and the barbed misters screwed into
semi-flexible poly-tubing seemed to give the best
results. All of these components are located near
the plumbing and PVC in a section for sprinklers
and drip irrigation, the brand is "DIG
Corporation." If easily available, you can use
better misters from a grow store.

Cut the PVC to necessary
lengths. The most important factor is the height
of the assembly, so don't cut it too short. You
can always lower it afterwards. The 8 elbows
connect the sides, and the T is inserted opposite
the pump. The T-adapter has one threaded
connection for the hose nozzle.

After
completing the PVC work, the next step is making
the spraybars. These are the black tubes that hold
the misters, it is a somewhat stiff poly tubing
sold for use with the emitters. This is where your
clogs will happen so be prepared-- have extra
misters on hand and you can even build two extra
spray bars that you can swap in while you clean
the others.

The spraybar starts with a
PVC to Poly tube adapter (sold with all the other
DIG accessories) and a length of the tubing. Next
make very small guide holes for the misters to go
into the tubing. It is very important for the
holes to be small, it should be difficult to push
the emitter into the tube. If the fit is not
secure, the emitter will not spray. You may have
to make a few spraybars before you get it right.

Your worst enemy will be clogs. Either you
can replace the mister or the entire spraybar.
This is the biggest disadvantage of aeroponics,
but running distilled water for cloning will keep
clogs to a minimum. If you clean it out it between
cloning sessions it should hardly clog at
all.

After you get the spraybars
right, install them in the system and turn it on.
You should get fountains of small droplets
splashing up, not really a mist from these
emitters, but it is still a very good cloning
environment.

All thats left after that is
to finish the top. Sold near the spray paint is a
white rubber coating that lasts much better. This
takes at least two or three coats for a good
reflective surface. Be sure and drill the holes
first or you will ruin the finish. Also cut a
notch for the power cord so the top closes
completely.

To hold the clones in you can
use pieces of tubing, pre-split down the middle.
You can easily remove these tubes and the clone
without damaging the root system. They need to be
transplanted quickly when they root or they will
become accustomed to the aeroponics and have a
more difficult time leaving. If transplanting into
soil or soilless mix you can even move them as
soon as they show bumps, around 5 days, and they
will root with no transplant shock in around a
week.

The quality of water that
you put in the tub has a direct relationship to
how fast the cuts will root. The best water to
start with is either distilled or reverse-osmosis.
They should both be between 0 and 20 parts per
million and between 6.5 and 7.0 pH. Using tap
water will clog the emitters much more quickly
with mineral deposits. No rooting hormone is
needed.

Some people report good results by
using a watering schedule of 1/2 hour on, 1/2 hour
off, but leaving the pump on constantly has always
produced quick rooting as well. The water is
super-saturated with oxygen from the constant
splashing and spraying. If the ambient temperature
isn't high enough, a necessary piece of equipment
is an aquarium heater set at 78 degrees.

I
hope you find this tub and aeroponic rooting
method to be the simplest and most effective
technique around. You simply fill the tub with
clean water, take a cut, and drop it in. 7 days
later you have roots-- no chemicals, no rockwool,
no mess.

Last modified: 03:02 - Dec 04,
2000

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faq:612 "How do I build my own aeroponic cloner
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