DIY AFN Auto-Pod

[mycter]

Ok wtf is an airlift? People always ask so here's a rough concept to give a basic idea...

Air is introduced at a deep level to an open-ended standpipe in the reservoir. It's not the air that actually causes the lift effect but rather the force of water pressure trying to displace the air being introduced into the standpipe from the bottom. This has many advantages over a mechanical pump, one being the already mentioned non need for worry over clogging. It reduces overall cost by not needing the pump, does the job of a pump and aerates the basin at the same time.

By switching to a circular shape basin we can operate two airlifts in the basin to do two things. One along the edge which discharges toward the edge, causing the entire basin to circulate sort of like a swimming pool pump. This circulation will cause all organic solids to accumulate at the center of the basin where they will be sucked up by the other airlift and discharged onto the hydro pot media containers, feeding and providing the plant roots with oxygenated nute water. We can reduce or completely eliminate solids by using soluable organic materials or filtering our organic teas but waste solids will still form over a period of time and need to be removed from the system.

 

[mycter]

hydro organic is complicated compared to normal hydroponic because ec meters dont work also clogging issues and not getting the npk ratios right and most important nailing the right micronutrient profile.
even when using commercial hydro forumlas they tend to break down very quickly and for instance biobizz would have to be changed every 48 hours compared to a normal solution up to 14 days! Maybe try adding some fish and trace minerals for an aquaponic system

a hybrid drip system with a coco soil mix with organic tea may have been a easier option

I'm not ignoring you agito, thanks for the advice. What I'm proposing now is little more than a miniature wastewater treatment plant. Sure, going to be some things to figure out on the nutrient side but this is going to be so cool lol. My shitty job is finally coming into some use.

 

[agito]

Yeah sounds cool instead of reeds your using cannabis in a nitrogen cycle i get the concept
should be interesting

 

[mycter]

The more I think the more I like. One could use this as a normal hydro unit with the nutrients and such. If my natural stuff don't work out it'll just be a matter of changing the water. Have it all in my head now just to put it together. For me that's the fun part. Will be more funner harvesting though I bet.

 

[mycter]

The problem with me is I get too many ideas and start to have indecision lol. I might stay with the original 18 gallon black tote but it won't be flood and drain with the blue tub set into the lid. Right now I'm making the base of the grow chamber that will sit on whatever reservoir I decide to use. Have put together an airlift that will feed water to these four pots from underneath instead of being in the grow box. I used a net pot with the rim cut off for a pattern so the pots would fit snug and cut out the circles with a thin utility razor.

 

[mycter]

Here's the other side with the airlift. All I have to do is insert airline with bubble stone into the pipe and it spits water out the four hose ends into the cups. Pretty slick. My air pump has four gate valves for separate lines so I can aerate the basin continually and only water when needed.

 

[KindredSpirit]

I like your style man!!!