The Aeroflo2 System food for my buddies?

[messmore3]

I am considering purchasing tn Aeroflo2 system. Is there anyone out there willing to elaborate and confirm my feelings for it that so far it is the best system. Thanks.

 

[TheGanjaMan]

Hey there messmore. IMO the aeroflo is not the best system, but is a good system. But i guess it all depends on your set up and restrictions, to get the perfect system. They are over price. So if your are going to get one i would build one. I am very interested in aeroponics and will soon be testing a 4 plant, 5 gallon bucket system. With 2 sprayers in each bucket and a nutramist 10 pad mister supplying mist to each bucket, with 1 outlet fitting and screen per bucket. Somewhat like Dr.Greenthumbs buckets seeing the idea was sparked by his setup.
I do think that aero is the BEST way the grow and will give you the best results. Now I just have to put my theory to the test.

 

[pel929]

i have the aeroflow 2 and its not what i thought it was going to be. there are no sprayers in it. there is a constant flow of nutrient down the gullys with a tube that runs along the top that shoots a stream of solution into the gully to airate it. i thought i was buying somethnig that sprayed the root zone itself but i hear they work good anyway i never even used it yet lol.

 

[Tex]

Been running the aeroflo's 60's & 120 ext. units for years now. Hands down the fastest & stickiest herb I grow is with the aeroflo units. I would go with the sprayer units like the aeroflo 20+ or something similar.. .02... or you can always build your own-theirs pro's and cons to that, too.. if ya got the cash just buy the 60 site unit and you're golden.. just make sure you have a solid foundation for these systems due to the weight of water in use..

I have shit loads of pics of my plants in them, shiskaberry, blueberry, orig. white shark, etc.. Gonna throw in some CVK, strawberry kush, maybe the pre-98 Bubba in it next.. I'll dig them up for ya..

I love the aeroflo's.. After many years of using them I've found a lot of helpful tips and hints. I slightly lift the ends up with a small brick for more a nft - faster style run down back to the res., i open up the spray lines more-bigger holes & more holes at every plant site to ensure a good spray on the roots-larger yields, and i use several air stones in my res. to really keep the nutes fresh and last much longer.. depending on climate-will need a water chiller..

I only use GH nutes, they are the OG of nute companies....imvho.. everything they make works in "synergy" with one another.. Often imitated but never duplicated.. :D

 

[pel929]

hey tex is there a difference in the aeroflo 20 and the 60? other then how many plants you can do. also how deep do you keep the solution that runs threw the gullys? and do you place your plants in every hole or stager them?

 

[Tex]

Hey bro, no diff in between 20, 36, or 60 as far as I know, just plant sites.. I do use every site, experimented around with every other,etc,etc... blah.. throw up 2 x 1000w horts over that 60 plant site and blast them girls proper..

When I grow in the system I only grow lollipop style.. Just a huge solid running cola, no side branches at all. Depending on strain, I start flowering around 6-10"..

So on the solution and depth... Starting out, I place my cuttings directly into the net pots then hydroton on top of that. The roots will hang some or not, don't matter.. The solution level starting out should touch the very bottom of the net pots the cutting is in. Due to capillary action the water will be sucked up to the roots if they are not already in the solution..

After a few days+ the roots will have grown fast and large and you will need to lower the water level down, to almost the lowest or the lowest.. All the excess spray and humidity in the tubes makes the roots fine and healthy. They will eventually touch the bottom and will grow all into one mass. That's why I like to slightly raise the ends up to make it a more NFT system and help with root rot, etc. I also like to make spray holes at every site. I just get a sharp drill bit, mark and have fun..

Keep the level in the tubes at the lowest til your done flowering. I use a continuous reading meter in my res, too. I always know what going on with temp, ph, ppm, etc.. no other way imvho..

Tips: I would recommend cutting panda plastic at two+ layers deep, place that over the entire unit, cut 60 holes in the plastic while sitting over the tubes. Then place your net pots in the holes thru the plastic.. Helps keep algae out, internal heat down, easy clean up if ya foliar, etc.

I would really recommend investing in a water chiller for this unit, unless you live in a climate that's adequate for keeping the water temps chilled. Root rot will hit ya and kill your whole crop in a matter of days/hours if your water temps are too high.. This is the most important issue with these units.. water temps!!!...

This is a serious unit, it will give you serious results unseen by most. However, you have to learn how to harness this beast! It has a very very very low buffer tolerance. In other words, one slight fuk up and you could ruin you whole crop. It's not like soil-soilless- or even coco.. Those have room for error, this is a lot less tolerable.

Happy harvests and have fun, it's a fukin' blasts once you get the system dialed in.. There's nothing that can run with this system, nothing.. HANDS DOWN THE FASTEST GROWING SYSTEM THERE IS OUT THERE, IMVHO!!

 

[pel929]

thank you tex yu have been very helpful. one more thing th, do you use the insrts that g into the cups? will they restrict root growth?

 

[HossCartwright]

ditch the coco liners, they are useless. aeroflos are badass but a lot of work. it will take a while to get it dialed in but once you do, few systems can match the results. most aeroflo critics have never used one themselves and speak from hearsay. whatever you do, don't put anything organic in it. if you want to grow organic get a different system. also, keep your ppm lower than usual. this system is very efficient and it's easy to overdo it with nutes.

 

[Tex]

He hit the nail on the head!! Ditch the coco liners, useless.. Aeroflo's are badass, some work til you dial her in... most def..

Only go with GH flora line, never put any organics in this beast. :wait You will have a nasty clogged, shit mess on your hands in the res, the lines will become nasty and clogged, the mesh metal filter screen will become clogged & gunked up with shit....

Then that will lead to pump failure and then if your water level is high and pump failure, you will more than likely have an overflow on your hands from the excess water.. what a mess.. I recommend putting down layers of tarp/heavy duty plastic on the floor, then get some 2 x 4's and use that as a wall to keep any water contained.. personal experience.. just in case of power failure and water over flow.. gotta think smart with this system.. plan out every possible fuk up and then some.. like I said this unit has a very very very small buffer zone of error.. keep it high & tight!!

They can be very self sufficient if you hook it up right.. Shit, I've left for 2+ weeks before with the whole unit setup running full blast-balls to the wall.. Never any worries, I always come back to badass plants.

I have float control valves connected to everything on this unit, so once the res gets low, water is pumped back to it from a huge 45 gal heavy duty trash can, which has a control valve on that so if that gets low, water is pumped from my R/O tank to it.. It's all very simple, just a lil work..common sense.. all of that is not needed but as you get to know and play with the aeroflo's you get to understand them well and play around a bit..

I don't just grow herb in my units.. I have full scale tomato, strawberry, citrus, vegetables-herbs-flowers-melons, fruits, etc. etc. growin' in my food crop units. They are amazing but a labor of love.. :damnhippie:

 

[bigErn]

I love aeroflo tables. I think they are super duper. I haven't used anything better.

As far as organic. For the most part, I agree - the things will clog and salt can build up pretty fast with almost all the organic concoctions I tried in an aeroflo. But - I have had great success with Botanicare Pure Blend Pro as a base, which claims to be organic.

What I like to use with an aeroflo is: Liquid Karma or Fossil fuel, Bcuzz bloom/grow, and the Botanicare Pure Blend Pro and sometimes I add SM90 to make things even fizzier and more oxygenated.

 

[bigErn]

Oh, and theres a guide called How To Hydroponics that will show you how to build a table comparable to an aeroflo for way less. They aren't quite as nice as the real thing, but I think with a little tweaking, it could be made just as nicely if you wanted to put in the extra effort.

 

[HossCartwright]

I love aeroflo tables. I think they are super duper. I haven't used anything better.

As far as organic. For the most part, I agree - the things will clog and salt can build up pretty fast with almost all the organic concoctions I tried in an aeroflo. But - I have had great success with Botanicare Pure Blend Pro as a base, which claims to be organic.

What I like to use with an aeroflo is: Liquid Karma or Fossil fuel, Bcuzz bloom/grow, and the Botanicare Pure Blend Pro and sometimes I add SM90 to make things even fizzier and more oxygenated.

You pretty much just listed everything I recommend aeroflo users avoid. Bcuzz nutes are way too thick to run in a true aeroflo system So is liquid karma. Nothing brown or chunky. GH flora series, AN 3 part, sensi AB and Ionic are all much better choices.

 

[billybadazz]

ran aeroflos for 1 year and heres my experience. 1.BUY A CHILLER no matter what and keep nute solution 65(ideal)-68 over 70 and you will meet your new best friend root rot. 2. have a PH meter and ppm meter of course. 3.make sure your plant is exceptionaly well rooted when you put them in the aeroflo and they will EXPLODE with growth(I have a power cloner and let the roots grow until they touch the water and I also give them a 1/4 strength nute dose at about day 17 sometimes 20 in cloner and let them grow until there all 5-6 inches) i give them no veg time in aeroflo as my stain stretches and finishes at 2.5-3 ft tall under 2 1k's 4. Take extraclones and only use the best ones ALL CLONES ARE NOT EQUAL even if there the same clone from the same pheno. i.e. you gotta aeroflo 60 take 80 clones and select the best ones. 5. MAKE SURE you have healthy moms cuz if they aren't healthy than your clones are gonna be shit and well you get the point. Overall it costs a hell of a lot more money than your even thinking of spending by the time you get done learning everything the hard way but in retrospect it has made me a more attentive grower cuz in aero you have HOURS to fix the problem not days or weeks so be prepared for unforseen problems and being married to a resevoir(unless you got 10 grand for a nutridose setup) on the lighter side if you read all these forums you can see a 3-4 or possibly more lbs harvest off the 60. my first 60 yielded me close to 800 grams in 56 days flowering. I believe with every thing dialed in and a different strain 5 lbs is achievable for me in the near future(just got co2 and everything environmentally controlled) all I need now is a 100 posts and some superior genetics from the farm and I'll be set

 

[heavydutykevork]

How do you guys think House & Garden the whole line up would work in a Aeroflo? Also with the GH 3 part is that all or do u use the whole line of that as well?

 

[crom]

bump

 

[Tex]

How do you guys think House & Garden the whole line up would work in a Aeroflo? Also with the GH 3 part is that all or do u use the whole line of that as well?

I believe H&G would work great, too. I use GH 3 part and their Kool Bloom only, I don't get all into that other crap. I keep it simple and easy and have killer results..

 

[Xceptional]

i looked at it and decided to go with a ebb and grow even though i could have got a 60 site aeroflo for $375 at the time. the aeroflo is like a bubbleponics crossed with nft not what most people think of when they think of aero (sprayers). a pressurized 1/2" (maybe larger idk) pvc tube runs along the inside in one of the top corners of the channel and has a small hole drilled in it by every site. the tube runs to a pump that pumps the solution from the res through the 1/2" pvc tube and ejects it out of the small holes. that holes lets a fine stream of solution spray down into the few inches of solution in the bottom of the channel creating small bubbles and a fine mist. kinda the same thing as bubbleponics to me except the jet makes the bubbles instead of a airpump in the bottom of a deep container. no sprayers to clog which is nice and it provides a finer mist then a these ez clone type sprayers ever could with the pressure of these pond pumps.

those jets of water basically fill up the square fence post channel with the solution and a pipe you can adjust up or down is the drain back to the res. this allows you to adjust how much solution stays in the pots. raise the drain tube up 3" and the 3" below the top of the drain pipe stays in the system and never gets drained kind of like the ebb and flow table upper drain.

my issue is I'm medical and they just dont provide enough space to grow big plants (root zone space or plant spacing). if you dont have a plant count limit or are going to run a aero system that keeps you within limits i think it's a great idea. i went with the Ebb and grow because i can grow bigger plants with a better yield then in the aero.

if you dont mind growing single cola or just overall smaller plants then it's a great system. if you need to grow larger plants this system isn't for you. that's the first deciding factor IMO. after that it's if you are willing to have little to no buffer meaning you have to keep a really close eye on the system.

back in the day i was hell bent on getting this system until i did some research and really thought about my needs.