Building Aero Cloner

Which should I use?

  • Mister

  • Fogger


Results are only viewable after voting.

Keesje

Well-Known Member
What makes your system succesful is the amount of oxygen around the wet roots.
You could easily leave the airstone away (at least for oxygen reasons)
The benefits of a fogger are humid stems/roots and plenty of oxygen in gaseous state.

Higher temperatures do contribute probably as well. Not too high of course.

I think that you could also run your fogger on a timer. Once it is wet, it is enough.
But then again: If it works, it works. And don't fix what is not broken.
 

Mullumbimby

Well-Known Member
What makes your system succesful is the amount of oxygen around the wet roots.
You could easily leave the airstone away (at least for oxygen reasons)
The benefits of a fogger are humid stems/roots and plenty of oxygen in gaseous state.

Higher temperatures do contribute probably as well. Not too high of course.

I think that you could also run your fogger on a timer. Once it is wet, it is enough.
But then again: If it works, it works. And don't fix what is not broken.
I appreciate your reply but, just so someone reading this in the future doesn't end up with the wrong impression, I should point out that you may have missed (or misread) this important part of my post:
"With only a mister or fogger (and no airstone), you are going to get really high DO initially, but don't forget that the air that's being dissolved in your water is essentially trapped in your tote or bucket or whatever - once that is used up, your DO will plummet.".
The air stone itself is not critical to the system, but the pipe delivering fresh air into the box is.
Good luck with your grow!
 

Keesje

Well-Known Member
The air stone itself is not critical to the system, but the pipe delivering fresh air into the box is.
Ah, that is what you meant!
But then just a hole in your tote would do the same, don't you agree?

And I also think that the tote will never be totally airsealed or airtight (or how do you call this?)
Air will almost always find a way to slip through somewhere. Even when it is just a tiny tiny hole.
Somewhere the electricity cord of your fogger will have to go inside the tote for example. And even when you would use a grommet, it will still let some air through.
Enough to get plenty of fresh o2 in your tote. Together with the fogger a perfect combination.

So I think you are solving a non-existing problem. Only a theoretical if the tote would be 100% closed, which in reality will never happen.
 
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dstroy

Well-Known Member
I appreciate your reply but, just so someone reading this in the future doesn't end up with the wrong impression, I should point out that you may have missed (or misread) this important part of my post:
"With only a mister or fogger (and no airstone), you are going to get really high DO initially, but don't forget that the air that's being dissolved in your water is essentially trapped in your tote or bucket or whatever - once that is used up, your DO will plummet.".
The air stone itself is not critical to the system, but the pipe delivering fresh air into the box is.
Good luck with your grow!
Have you actually measured DO to prove this theory? If so, can you share the data?

Or, are you guessing and then claiming your guess is a fact?






Just so someone reading this in the future doesn't end up with the wrong impression.
 

Mullumbimby

Well-Known Member
Dudes. I'm just adding a post to a thread that has been helpful to me. My system works really well, and I'm telling you what I've done and why I think it's successful.
Use it or don't.
 

Keesje

Well-Known Member
This is a forum. I a forum people exchange experiences and knowledge.
You exchanged your experience and I exchanged some knowledge about the same subject.
I also did explain why it works as it works (it is physics, not an opinion) so you could get rid of your airstones.
To help fellow growers out.

You could also join a discussion, so we all can benefit from it.
Now you are just telling that it works for you and when people contest this, you become annoyed.

Use it or don't.
I won't, an anybody who understands physics just a little bit won't either.

Again:
2 reasons why you don't need airstones in a sytem with foggers or misters.
A.
The beauty and benefits of misters is that there is air (with O2 in gaseous state) around the wet roots.
O2 that can be absorbed because the roots are wet.
As long as fresh air can get into the chamber or the tote, all will be good.
B.
Fresh air will almost always get into the chamber, the tote, the container, whatever.
Why? Because it is very hard to close something in such a way that tiny molecules can not slip through.
If you want to make it easier, just make a hole, perhaps slip a tube through it so you can block light entering.
But no need to connect this tube to a pump or airstone.
 

Atomizer

Well-Known Member
The idea of using mist is to coat the stems with fine droplets that have gaps between them. Drenching a stem with a sprinkler doesnt leave any gaps, the film of water acts a barrier between the stem and the air in the tote ;)
 

Keesje

Well-Known Member
The idea of using mist is to coat the stems with fine droplets that have gaps between them. Drenching a stem with a sprinkler doesnt leave any gaps, the film of water acts a barrier between the stem and the air in the tote ;)
How does the stem get oxygen then in a system with a sprinkler?
 

Atomizer

Well-Known Member
From the DO in the water which is finite, a glass of water is no different. Consider a cutting in something like perlite, some of the damp perlite particals will be in direct contact with the stem but there are also gaps.
 

Mullumbimby

Well-Known Member
Apologies if I seemed a bit short @Keesje , I can see that you are remaining polite, which is nice.
I agree that some air will be able to make it into a closed box if it hasn't been hermetically sealed, I just feel that it cannot get in there fast enough by that route, and that vigorously pushing more in with a $9 air pump is the key to my good fortune.
As @Atomiser says, the DO in your water is finite, and I'd submit that the total oxygen in the whole system is pretty close to fixed and would drop fairly quickly, without some help from a pump (or a fan, or some other device).
 

Atomizer

Well-Known Member
Plants in soil dont need fans or pumps ;) As long as the medium isnt packed down tight or waterlogged they have enough oxygen. A tote would provide a lot more than that even with the smallest of gaps to let air in ;)
 

dstroy

Well-Known Member
Apologies if I seemed a bit short @Keesje , I can see that you are remaining polite, which is nice.
I agree that some air will be able to make it into a closed box if it hasn't been hermetically sealed, I just feel that it cannot get in there fast enough by that route, and that vigorously pushing more in with a $9 air pump is the key to my good fortune.
As @Atomiser says, the DO in your water is finite, and I'd submit that the total oxygen in the whole system is pretty close to fixed and would drop fairly quickly, without some help from a pump (or a fan, or some other device).
Incorrect
 

Keesje

Well-Known Member
I use a homemade tote aero cloner. Homemade sprayer made from 1/2” pvc

Pump 15m on 30m off. Pump time is mostly temp control. I like 76-78f water temp.

No airstone and 1/4 strength nutrients.

Keep it super simple (KISS) for amazing results.
No only the roots are beautiful, your pics as well. The middle one looks like art!

And you are right: Keep it simple.
People are overthinking making clones.
1 thing is also important: Work as clean as possible. It can prevent a lot of trouble.
But that is an advice in general for growing plants.
 

GreenLegend420

Well-Known Member
No only the roots are beautiful, your pics as well. The middle one looks like art!

And you are right: Keep it simple.
People are overthinking making clones.
1 thing is also important: Work as clean as possible. It can prevent a lot of trouble.
But that is an advice in general for growing plants.
Thanks! For sure i always clean everything in my room that i can when it has a chance to be mobile with a hot water and dawn dish washing liquid sponge bath.
 

diggs99

Well-Known Member
This is the simple cloner i built. I put 2gallons of tap water+ 150ppm of nutes(250ppm total) 7 days before this pic was taken. I set the timer for 1 min on and 15off and haven't touched anything since, other than opening the lid to look for roots. Fairly KISS method and the build was easy and cheap.

Im just using the cheap red misters from amazon, a cheap pump from amazon and an older cooler i had laying around.

7 days pic....is this normal? Maybe i could be doing something better ? When does everyone else start getting good roots in the cloners?
 

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Keesje

Well-Known Member
I think 7 days is excellent and also the roots look good.
What would you like to improve?

It will also depend on the strain, but I think 7 days is on the faster side of the spectrum.
 
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