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Gen Hydro dry grow only
I am not exactly familiar with GH's line of dry
nutrients but I only found one that they carry (FLORAMATO DRY)
IT IS CALLED MAXIGROW
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GH
aeroponic 36
I think this is what you have AeroFlo 36 Aeroponic System If it is a true aeroponic system, it uses misters/emitters to spray the roots. This could be a source of problems also, like uneven watering as the misters/emitters can clog. Also because the roots are hanging in mid air they are much more susceptible to drying out if not watered frequently.
IT IS A HYBRID SYSTEM. THERE IS A DRAIN TUBE YOU PULL UP INSIDE THE CHAMBER IN THE BEGINNING TO KEEP THE ROOTS WET INSIDE THEIR BASKET FILLED WITH HYDROTON. WHEN THE ROOTS START COMING THROUGH THE BASKET YOU PUSH THE TUBE DOWN TO LOWER THE WATER LEVEL AND THE LASER CUT LINE FUNCTIONS MORE AS A MISTER. NOW THAT I HAVE HAD THE SYSTEM FOR A WHILE AND HAVE OBSERVED IT, IT REALLY DOESN'T SPRAY VERY WELL ESPECIALLY AT THE END OF EACH CHAMBER. I WOULD BE BETTER OFF TO FIGURE HOW TO PUNCH A HOLE IN THE LASER CUT LINE AND TRY INSTALLING AN EMITTER/MISTER. THE RESULT WOULD BE FAR SUPERIOR. DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE EMITTER/MISTER?
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Every 2-3 weeks, 45 gal in system
36 plants in the system and 45 gallons feeding them, I don't think 2-3 weeks would be a problem. Though if it is a true aeroponic system, it should be able to run with less than half that in the reservoir just fine. My concern with letting it go 3 weeks between changes here is it gives time for unwanted things like algae to grow, both in the reservoir and growing chambers. It is kind of hard to tell from the pictures, but the brown looks to be something that is covering the roots instead of the roots themselves. As I look at the picture of the basket with the long strand of brown roots, it looks like the basket itself is the same color of brown, leading me to believe it's something like a brown algae that is covering all of it.
CHECKED THE BASKET FOR ALGAE AND IT IS NOT. I THINK IT WAS JUST ROOTS THAT WERE WATER EXPOSED FOR TOO LONG. OUT OF CURIOSITY, WHAT COLOR ARE THE ROOTS IN AN NFT SYSTEM SINCE PART OF THEM ARE IN WATER ALL THEY TIME?
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Are you using an air
pump and air stone to aerate the nutrients? No, should I, I have air pumps laying around.
Yes, it's a good idea to use them. It does two things, first as the bubbles rise to the top of the
nutrient solution it picks up oxygen molecules from the bubbles. Second it keeps the water moving (like a flowing stream) and inhibits algae growth. You may also want to consider using Hydrogen Peroxide added to the solution. Hydrogen Peroxide is nothing more than purified water with added oxygen molecules, though you don't want to use more than 1 teaspoon of 3% per gallon of water.
I WILL ADD THE AIR STONES. HOW MANY DOES ONE NEED? ARE THEY THE SMALL ONES OR THE LONG KIND (8 IN+). HOW MANY SHOULD I HAVE FOR THE SUMMER TIME?
Hydrogen Peroxide also kills bacteria in the water (good and bad ones) but as long as you don't use too much it can be beneficial. I use about half a teaspoon per gallon every week myself. Some people say that some hydrogen peroxides like the kind found in the pharmacy has stabilizers in it, and suggest that you use a 35% hydrogen peroxide instead. But my experience is to just read the label for the active and inactive ingredients and if it has anything more than Hydrogen Peroxide for the active ingredients and purified water for the inactive ingredients don't use it. I just use the 3% from Wal-mart myself. If you can find the 35% it will be 10 times the price but in effect you use 10 times less. I can give you a link to a chart if you need it.
I AM USING BOTANICARE PUREBLEND PRO IN MY SECOND SYSTEM AND THEY SAY NOT TO USE H2O2 AS IT WILL KILL BENEFICIALS. I WILL CONTACT GENHYDRO REGARDING ITS USE WITH ITS MAXIGRO. I AM ALSO USING SM 90 IN BOTH SYSTEMS. DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THIS PRODUCT?
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Yes, pH 6.5 although it may range from 6 to 7.
I haven't checked the requirements for your plants but this might be a little high. The top end for broccoli is generally 6.5, though growing conditions play a part in the plants individual requirements, even for the same plant. I personally don't have a EC/PPM or a TDS meter but here is a link to charts for Plant Requirements for Fruit, Vegetables, Herbs and Flowers.
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How old are the plants? The brown one in the picture is old arugula, I think the problem is that it is old and the roots were in water that was too deep.
This has me a bit confused because if the roots are sitting in water it is not a true areoponic system. It might be a combination aeroponic system and another type. But if the roots are sitting in water, the water needs to be moving. Either by a air pump directly at the roots (like a Water Culture Systems) or a water pump that continusly keeps the water flowing (like a N.F.T. type system)
IT IS SORT OF A HYDRID SYSTEM AND THE WATER IS CONSTANTLY MOVING.
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Have you flushed the system with FloraKleen to get rid of the accumulated fertilizer salts? No I haven't.
I don't think that this would directly cause the problem, but the accumulated fertilizer salts can build up on the roots and
growing medium and cause a nutrient imbalance. FLORA KLEEN Salt Clearing Solution
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How often should I flush the system
They recommend at every nutrient change with a stronger solution as the plants mature.
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and how many gallons should I make and how long should I run it
Well What I do is, when it's time to change nutrients, I dump the old nutrients. Take apart the pump and thoroughly clean it. Then clean the reservoir with soap and water and rinse it thoroughly. Put it all back together again, fill the system with the minimum amount of water (just water) it takes to run the system and not run the pump dry. Then add 1-2 teaspoons of FloraKleen per gallon, and let run for about 2 continuous hours. Then dump it out, rinse the reservoir and fill with fresh nutrients. This will also help keep the misters/emitters from building up the salts and clogging in an aeroponic system.
THE SM 90 IS SUPPOSE TO HELP WITH BREAKING SURFACE TENSION AND HELPING TO KEEP EMITTERS CLEAN. THE FLORA KLEEN IS DESIGNED FOR THE SALT BUILDUP AS YOU SAID SO I WILL START USING IT, THANKS.
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I just added an aquarium heater to the solution to keep the temp at 70 degrees, is this an ideal temp.
Yes, that's just fine if that is the actual temp of the nutrients, it's right in the middle of 68-72 degrees. I need to get some aquarium heaters also because the night time temps are getting into the upper 40's now. The only aquarium heaters I have found that go that low are the ones with an adjustable thermostat, and run about $20. The cheaper ones have a fixed temp of 78 degrees and run about $15. I have 3 hydro systems running right now, with more planed. That can get quite expensive, so I am looking at other alternatives also.
I BOUGHT MY HEATER AT THE PET STORE. $34 FOR ONE WITH A WIDE RANGE OF ADJUSTABILITY, IT IS RATED AT 300 WATTS. LIKE YOU SAID THOUGH IT DOES COST MONEY TO RUN THEM. IT YOU COME UP WITH AN ALTERNATE SOURCE LET ME KNOW.
I am no expert, but if it's some kind of brown algae growing on the roots like I suspect, I would take out all the plants and gently wash them off best as I could. Then scrub the growing chambers out with soap and water and rinse. Then flush the pump hose and clean the pump. Scrub the reservoir with soap and water rinse thoroughly. Put it all back together and fill with just plain water and run 20 min (2-3 times). Then flush with FloraKleen if you have it, if not don't wait to clean the system. Then dump and replace with fresh nutrients. Because You are using General Hydroponics nutrients and hydro system, you can also e-mail there tech support with the pictures at:
tech@genhydro.com or call them at (1-800-374-9376) or 1-707-824-9376.
THANKS FOR YOUR HELP, IT IS APPRECIATED!! I'LL KEEP YOU POSTED. ART