HelpfulGardener.com

Hello, All!

I am new to the forum. I am currently using the following three systems:

1. AeroFlo^2 36
https://generalhydroponics.com/site/gh/d ... 6_inst.pdf

2. Aerojet Multi-Tray
https://www.botanicare.com/Aerojet-Multi-tray-P88.aspx

3. Power Cloner
https://www.hydrofarm.com/product.php?itemid=12985

Last week, I transplanted everything from my hydroponics systems to the outdoor garden. I would like to do some "off-season" cleaning and maintenance on my systems. Last time, I took the systems apart, power washed them, and put them back together, but I'd like to do cleaning and maintenance without taking them apart this time. The Power Cloner especially gets extremely clogged with debris, causing the jets to stop working. Does anybody have experience with these (or similar) systems and have tips for cleaning and maintenance? I would very much appreciate it.

Thank you!

Juliette greetings, I don't use a comercial hydroponic system, but I do have systems that use the same jets or similar jet. What the problem is the most often is the nutrient and water that is too warm aggravates the problem. Changing the water more often and/or cooling the tank water can be the answer as it will stop the formation of algae and clotting of nutrient. Some cool their water with: Soft drink bottles filled with water and frozen, three or four of these in the tank will do the job.
The type of nutrient can make a differents.
Don't keep you water too long, some change it as often as every 7 days. Keep an eye on it to see how long it stays fresh looking and smelling, if in doubt pump it or dump it into the outside garden or into potted plants that you think will benefit from it.
Clogged tips can be cleared with air pressure if you have a small compressure.
When you take down your system you can clean with a mild bleach solution, you can run it in the system a while than rinse well before reusing the system.
There are solutions sold to clean hydroponics while in use, I'm not sure I trust them.

I thought of one more thing: No light should get past the the stem so that it hit the water, this will also promote algae growth, you don't have to be fancy, you can cut and slip plastic arount the plant stem and seal with electric tape.

Hope this helps! Let us know what you do from here on and what you find that works for you. If I can be of help, let me know.

Richard