Cloning- Bubbler cloner vs. aeroponic cloner

[JohnnyHopkins]

All I have ever cloned with is rapid rooters and they work well. However i like to build new stuff and would like to experiment..... Would I be better off with a dwc style cloner with a bunch of air pumping through an airstone OR would a aeroponic cloner (ez cloner style) be better? Thanks for your input!

 

[Rysam]

I made a bubble cloner and for me it just didnt work. Im back to the coir in beer cups. I had a zero success rate in the bubbler. I got nubs, one spit a root but they all yellowed and got tossed. the coir is 100% for me.

I made it for the same reason as you... why not? I got a shoebox sized sterilite box, an oceanic air pump and some bubble wands. cut and glued er together, hand cut some neoprene collars etc. kept temps around 80ish(ambient temp). took about 2 hrs to really pimp it up.

dunno, i need reliability at this stage.

 

[tjo]

i made a small bubbler for my cuts and woks fine..
just RO water and after 10 days the most, roots start forming..

 

[Shafto]

Everyone's milage seems to vary on this one. Some strains seem to like popping roots more than others too in my experience.

I was using peat pellets with 100% success, never lost a clone. I decided to try the bubble cloner though, as it is supposed to be faster, and I'm transplanting into hydroton too, so easier as well.

So far I've thrown away 3 cuts in my 5 site cloner I made because the stems rotted. Some others, after being in there for a couple weeks, look like they finally might spitting root knubs soon? I think I'll probably be going back to peat pellets. They're easy enough, and they work every time.

I tried older thicker stems, really young new ones, and in between. Sitting just above water level. My cloner is small and shallow with 3500CC/min of air. Maybe it's making too much mist and keeping the stems too wet..

Another problem with the aero/bubble stuff is it just washes the hormone right off your stems.

 

[nsaneone]

If you are having trouble with the bubble cloner, make sure you are changing your water regularly. I change mine every 3 days because it doesn't take any time. Hell, I just use tap water. The bit of Chlorine in their keeps your shit clean.

 

[foomar]

Have played with aero and gone back to a simple diy bubbler , aero does it in 5 - 7 and bubbler takes a repeatable and reliable seven days , older woody cuts 10 - 12.

If an aero setup fails the cuts dry out fast with losses within hours , if an air pump in a bubbler fails you have days before damage occurs , safer for me with poor mains electric.

Temperature is critical , if takeing longer than seven days its probably too low , if too high they root in four days or less BUT assorted moulds and rots often kill the lot overnight.

75 - 80 seems a good compromise temp , tapwater is possibly best as the chlorine may help with moulds , have not found water quality , light levels or humidity to be important , rooting zone temperature seems to be the main factor in play.

 

[Work2much]

My bubble cloner works great. Water temps mid 70's, about one gallon RO, one ml of H202 [29%], PH about 6.5, no rooting compounds at all and I get 3-4" roots in less then two weeks. I would say it takes a good three weeks before there well rooted and ready to transplant or I can add veg nutes and do a light veg right in the cloner.

While the speed of rooting isn't great its pretty much a set it and forget it method.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

Thanks a lot for your input everyone. So it sounds like the bubble cloners are more bulletproof than the aero's..... it would definitly be easier to build (not that either one would be hard). Which one is easier to keep at optimal temperatures?

 

[cyat]

aero better by far for me $60 diy 1-100 sites

 

[supersmallgiant]

I use a DIY aero cloner with a 78* aquarium heater in it. I have 100% success. I think keeping the temp stable is key. The only time they die is if they were too small and shouldn't have been in there in the first place.

 

[mule420]

All I have ever cloned with is rapid rooters and they work well. However i like to build new stuff and would like to experiment..... Would I be better off with a dwc style cloner with a bunch of air pumping through an airstone OR would a aeroponic cloner (ez cloner style) be better? Thanks for your input!

I rooted clones in 6 days in my homemade aero cloner... To add to that it was in total darkness...

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=185937&page=3

 

[vaped]

I made a bubble cloner and for me it just didnt work. Im back to the coir in beer cups. I had a zero success rate in the bubbler. I got nubs, one spit a root but they all yellowed and got tossed. the coir is 100% for me.

I made it for the same reason as you... why not? I got a shoebox sized sterilite box, an oceanic air pump and some bubble wands. cut and glued er together, hand cut some neoprene collars etc. kept temps around 80ish(ambient temp). took about 2 hrs to really pimp it up.

dunno, i need reliability at this stage.

At 80 you can shut the air pump off because the water isnt holding air.

 

[vaped]

aero better by far for me $60 diy 1-100 sites

What do you use for collars because ez clone neoprene collars are 50 cents a piece so at 100 sites you are already at 50 dolars just for the pucks. also advice for anyone using areo or bubble cloners keep temps down high temps will bring roots on but once you have nubs the higher temps will starve roots of air and turn them brown the highest 02 content water can have is at 68 deg. By 80 deg you have dead water and dead roots no matter how hard you bubble this is why we have water chillers.

 

[mule420]

What do you use for collars because ez clone neoprene collars are 50 cents a piece so at 100 sites you are already at 50 dolars just for the pucks. also advice for anyone using areo or bubble cloners keep temps down high temps will bring roots on but once you have nubs the higher temps will starve roots of air and turn them brown the highest 02 content water can have is at 68 deg. By 80 deg you have dead water and dead roots no matter how hard you bubble this is why we have water chillers.

Pool noodles... You can find them all over in the summer in stores. Then just cut slices off of it... Peace and puffs

 

[supersmallgiant]

What do you use for collars because ez clone neoprene collars are 50 cents a piece so at 100 sites you are already at 50 dolars just for the pucks. also advice for anyone using areo or bubble cloners keep temps down high temps will bring roots on but once you have nubs the higher temps will starve roots of air and turn them brown the highest 02 content water can have is at 68 deg. By 80 deg you have dead water and dead roots no matter how hard you bubble this is why we have water chillers.

I use pipe insulation instead of pucks. Same difference and an 88 cent piece of insulation will make maybe a 1000 inserts. lol I use a 78* aquarium heater to keep the temps up.... They don't rise on their own so i don't need a chiller for any reason. Mine get roots a foot long while they are in the cloner without any rot at that temp.

 

[cyat]

What do you use for collars because ez clone neoprene collars are 50 cents a piece so at 100 sites you are already at 50 dolars just for the pucks. also advice for anyone using areo or bubble cloners keep temps down high temps will bring roots on but once you have nubs the higher temps will starve roots of air and turn them brown the highest 02 content water can have is at 68 deg. By 80 deg you have dead water and dead roots no matter how hard you bubble this is why we have water chillers.

vaped I use gardeners kneeling pads sometimes from the dollar store or $3-6 at a hardware or garden store. I cut my holes at 1 inch and cut the neoprene at 1 1/4 in. so it fits tight. The premade ones will kill your wallet no need for net pots either. 350-550 gph pumps work great about 12 red ezclone sprayers I use a tap so they can be screwed out and cleaned about ten gal of tap water
Only time my temps were too high was in a tent with the airstone feeding the roots the hot air.No air stone needed or airpump
Woody stems work better when using this type of cloner never spray and no dome new razorblades no hormone needed
Best container I found is the yellow lid 27gal tuff box flip the lid upsidedown or it will leak even if you use weatherstripping

 

[BubbleGumMan]

Areoponic

Areoponic

I bought a a 12 site areoponic cloning buck maid by my local grow shop. Buck , pumo, neoprene's, and cloning solution for $100
Best money ever spent on my whole operation!!!!!

 

[kannubis]

My choice is DIY bubble.

all 20 were rooted at about 10 days - 4 were revegging buds

this was left in too long about 20 days

just my preference
good luck

cost about $18 for 20 sites, could have cut more holes though

 

[Bob Smith]

If you're just looking to experiment and build stuff, why not do both and decide for yourself?

Aero is certainly a touch more challenging to build, but both are pretty simple - you could build a bubble cloner in 15 minutes (with smoke breaks); aero will take closer to an hour.

Aero will cost a little more because of the pump as well.

 

[stoney917]

thats some nice roots ya got there kannubis i have the same cloner almost i used to get that greenish brown algae on my lines then i switched to black lines and its gone. the whole time it was there i never had any ill effects from it. i assume its not an issue for ya but i just hated lookin at it.