Bubble Cloner Is Not Working, How Can This Be Possible?

fractal · Jan 29, 2015

I made an inexpensive bubble cloner from a 12 qt plastic container with sections of foam pipe insulation to hold the cuts, and a Tetra dual outlet airpump with two 10" airstones. The airpump is rated for 30-60 gallon tanks and it puts out plenty of bubbles, no doubt about that.

The thing is, the cuts start getting this weird slime on the ends instead of root nodules when they should be blasting out roots within 5 days. My temps are in the 60's, not warm but not cold. I'm not using any rooting hormone, and I have tried it once with plain tap water (good water where I'm at) and once with nutrient solution mixed to the same strength the mother plants were getting.

Both times they just started yellowing, crisping up and not rooting. I have been fighting a spider mite infestation with Hot Shotz hangers and the cuts had mites, could it be that they just do not have the energy reserves to fight off mites and at the same time develop roots?

These are resilient phenos of Blockhead, they are hardy plants. The mothers have been in 4x4x4 rockwool cubes for like 2 months or more, getting pruned back each time I try to clone them.

Would an aquarium heater help things if I set it to like 75 degrees?

Tnelz · Jan 29, 2015

Ur res is clear? That could be an issue right there. Light getting in causing nasty shot to grow. I'd start by covering that up with some duct tape or something. I use an aeroponic closer from time to time and my res stays around 70 so I don't think its ur temps. Someone with more knowledge than myself can probably jump in but I'm sure most will tell u to cover that res. Also cloning a plant is the most stressful thing a plant goes through. Considering the cut is stressed from a mite infestation isn't helping things. Nothing to do with slime but Def decreases ur chances. I'd work on getting rid of the mite problem and covering up the res and I bet u will increase urban chances right there. In any case good luck bro!

miko · Jan 29, 2015

I have the clone king machine and also having some trouble.
Does yours spray them or do they stay in the water all the time?

Medusa · Jan 29, 2015

Are u talking slime on the clones ..could be a bacteria ..unclean scissors ..razor ..possibly your clone has a bacteria from the mites ... dutch master makes a product will clear that right up called zone ... Your better off recloning as they will take longer than the growing process u might end up with one leaf plants for a few sections of the plant but it will grow out of it.. Zone will kill it with in 12 hrs ..perhaps your not giving them enough time...and a clone hormone I have never done with out...aquarim heater no... a pump that sprays yes. thats what a ezcloner or turbo uses

ShroomKing · Jan 29, 2015

Light in res is a no no. Roots don't like it, bad stuff does.
Best of luck.
Peace

Medusa · Jan 29, 2015

True... light creates the wrong growth in water without chemicals

fractal · Jan 30, 2015

I'm feeling like a noob here lol it's been a LONG time since I did any hydroponic cloning. I wanted to see the bubbles and roots but duh, should have used an opaque container. As it is I'll probably just gorilla tape it to black it out.

And yea taking cuts from mite infested plants would definitely be a hindrance to their rooting, spending all their energy fighting off mites. I think I got that nailed, though. New growth on the mothers is clean but they are SOOOO rootbound they are trying to flower I gotta make this happen fast.

Thanks for the tips everyone.

Tnelz · Jan 30, 2015

My cloner

fractal said:
I'm feeling like a noob here lol it's been a LONG time since I did any hydroponic cloning. I wanted to see the bubbles and roots but duh, should have used an opaque container. As it is I'll probably just gorilla tape it to black it out.

And yea taking cuts from mite infested plants would definitely be a hindrance to their rooting, spending all their energy fighting off mites. I think I got that nailed, though. New growth on the mothers is clean but they are SOOOO rootbound they are trying to flower I gotta make this happen fast.

Thanks for the tips everyone.

Didn't even realize it was u bro. Lol. I have no doubt u will be up and running just fine in no time!

fractal · Jan 30, 2015

cool avatar T

happy b · Jan 30, 2015

I did the same fractal .had the same problem . blacked It out,tried again and....BAM! Fully rooted in 2 weeks.

MGRox · Jan 30, 2015

Looks like I used a similar rubbermaid as @fractal. I've not had any issues, though I prefer using a medium with bubble cloner as opposed to without. If I were using any type that was designed for direct spray (EZ, aero, fog etc); then I would stick to bare.

with mine I just spray painted the OUTSIDE with plastic paint : http://www.krylon.com/products/fusion-for-plastic/
The paint still is perfectly adhered after 4 years with the rubbermaid. Think I did scuff the outside up a bit with some sandpaper though as a prep (200 grit +)

I typically run 70-71 (25-50w aquarium heater and don't skimp on price), but haven't had issues in the range of 68-75. I "feel" 68 may be a bit low for rooting and stay more 70+.

In that space, I ended up using 4 - 4" stones facing (front to back) instead of 2 down the length; as it gave a more even bubbling to the surface.

several things here were already pointed out, just wanted to provide some similar experience here.
Hope this helps

Smokey503ski · Jan 30, 2015

You could just use some black plastic (Panda Film) and black or your container.
This way you could peek if you wanted to.

happy b · Jan 30, 2015

Smokey503ski said:
You could just use some black plastic (Panda Film) and black or your container.
This way you could peek if you wanted to.

That's more or less what I did .now I can arrange the stems to just brush the surface much easier.

jumpincactus · Feb 2, 2015

@fractal As others stated, it is imperative to eliminate any light leaking into the rez. I have found I get better rooting action at 70 deg as opposed to lower temps. Peace

fractal · Feb 3, 2015

Damn I was just at WalMart, shoulda remembered to get an aquarium heater. Fuck the pet stores like petco and petsmart their air pumps and aquarium accessories are such a ripoff!

So I found a 3 gallon rubbermaid sturdy container that is dark blue. No light leaks now. I shoulda known that nutrients + light + h2o = slime and mold. I was just like I said, wanted to watch the bubbles and the rooting clones.

ATTENTION ALL HYDRO CLONERS! You can spend a lot of cash on neoprene discs to hold the clones in place, or you can buy pipe insulation, foam insulation for 1/2" pipe and use a 1 1/4 inch drill for a perfect fit and a sturdier collar for the clones.

happy b · Feb 3, 2015

I use milk carton lids with a peice of rubber tubing cut to size like this.

seaslug · Feb 3, 2015

Fractal, do you really mean a 1-1/4" drill? And I'm having trouble picturing your technique, you're drilling a 1/4" hole in the side of the foam tube?
Edit: I see now, drill lengthwise and curl the foam inward.

My bubble experience using Alita 15 lpm pump into four 3-1/2" Alita air stone disks:
https://www.thcfarmer.com/community/threads/dipn-grow-liquid-rooting-concentrate.38464/#post-1407297

fractal · Feb 3, 2015

The 1 1/4" drill is for the holes in the lid that the pipe insulation goes through.

fractal · Feb 3, 2015

One more thing: 100% silicone is 4 bucks for a smallish tube at the Casa DePot. I tried hot glue, it is not waterproof. You want to use silicone if attaching the airstones to the container, in this case because they float if not held down.

Silicone is also non toxic, anyways that's what I found to work in my situation.

hunterfisher · Feb 3, 2015

they wont root without darkness
and mites have to be hand rubbed off . no treatments , they screw up the water
use root hormone or it takes to long and you get the slime
change water in the cloner every 3 days or so if you don't have a water chiller hooked up
temp flux will do that also and every degree the room changes in a day the water does also
don't use treated chlorine water
cut the tips off fan leave so they can stand up easyer plus encourages root growth

Bubble Cloner Is Not Working, How Can This Be Possible?

Bubble Cloner Is Not Working, How Can This Be Possible?

fractal

Tnelz

miko

Medusa

Trichome Engineer

ShroomKing

Best of luck. Peace

Medusa

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fractal

Tnelz

fractal

happy b

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MGRox

Smokey503ski

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jumpincactus

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Bubble Cloner Is Not Working, How Can This Be Possible?

Bubble Cloner Is Not Working, How Can This Be Possible?

fractal

Tnelz

miko

Medusa

Trichome Engineer

ShroomKing

Best of luck. Peace

Medusa

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fractal

Tnelz

fractal

happy b

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MGRox

Smokey503ski

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jumpincactus

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