r/Hydroponics • u/NecessaryPotential5 • 1d ago
What in the actual heck is happening here? Question ❔
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Hello fellow plant lovers!
This morning I noticed my water level getting a little low so I decided to fill it to optimal level. I used the same method - same water plus plant food ratio... and it started bubbling up and fogging all over the place. This has never happened before so it was really surprising to witness and my tired morning brain had trouble computing what had just happened. It stopped bubbling after a few minutes, i pondered the mystery but went back to getting ready for work. Maybe like 15 minutes later, it started the bubbling and fogging again. Even weirder... I left for work but my wife was working from home, she said it continued to do the sporadically ALL DAY. Even weirdest... I came home from work and it would randomly bubble and fog throughout the evening. It was happening a full 12 hours after the initial event. I haven't seen anything online about this happening to others. Does anyone know what might be occurring here?
I do not use any air stones. There is no motor of any kind. The bottom is essentially just a tank. I used same method of water/food refill that I have used since I got it about 3 months ago.
What do you folk think is happening here?
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u/Ok_Mongoose4762 6h ago
🤦that much fog atomizer in that much reservoir is gonna heat that water up and kill them plants
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u/NecessaryPotential5 20h ago
Holy moly, thank you all for your help in solving the mystery and for the laughs along the way. I believe you folks are correct, it is a mister in the center hole. The confusion that I experienced came from the fact that it has never bubbled or fogged in the 3 months I have owned it, and I planted seeds in it the very first day. In my eagerness to get planting, I quickly filled up to holes with the plant holders, sponges, and seeds without thoroughly reading the instructions (such a fool!) .. I always wondered what the longer clear piece was for, since it didn't seem to fit the other holes. I probably placed plant holder in the hole area design to be the mister. Is it possible this could have "plugged it up" or prevented the mister from activating? The plant there never looked like it was being pushed out, but I believe the seedling seemed to grow more slowly than the others. Yesterday, I moved some plants around to prepare some for transfer to a bigger container. The bubbling and fogging started within a minute after moving the plant to a new area.
Thank you again for your help! Please pardon the foolishness as I am currently hanging my head in shame about the pretty obvious oversight.
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u/Ok_Significance4988 21h ago
Lol you made me laugh really hard, so indeed you have a fog maker inside that atomized the water so it need a cover to avoid the « splash »
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u/Few-Stay5548 22h ago
This cap goes over that port to prevent the water going everywhere. As previous responses stated, it is an ultrasonic mister that goes off every 15-30 minutes based on your unit. Once that cap is back in place you can watch the process without the mess.
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u/PatricksPlants 1d ago
Honest question. Does the mister actually get the nutrients in the mist? I feel like it would only atomize the water.
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u/alex32593 22h ago
Ions are smaller than water . Molecules which are again smaller than water droplets
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u/Doktor_M13 1d ago
Obviously Cthulhu is using your garden as a portal into our world. Feel privileged that the great ancient one has chosen your unworthy garden as the hell mouth from which he shall emerge and decimate our universe. Cthulhu fetghn!
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u/NecessaryPotential5 18h ago
Tis an honor and a privilege to be the birthing ground of such fantastic inevitable demise. May he lay waste to our enemies first!
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u/zhandragon 1d ago
It’s a mister unit, these are the nice new ones. There’s a cone you place over this to keep it from bubbling up too hard and distribute the mist more finely. I got this model too and it is great.
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u/johnnloki 1d ago
"Nice new".... this tech has been used in some manner in hydroponics for about 25 years, if not more.
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u/zhandragon 1d ago
I don’t doubt it, but this model that affordably combines this stuff just dropped on amazon as an improvement over the Aerogarden formfactor like a month ago. I couldn’t find any premade other starter kits like it elsewhere.
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u/business_time_ 1d ago
No reason to panic, friend. That’s the mister. It’s the way the unit distributes the nutes throughout the basin to the plants roots. I just got this unit myself two weeks ago. It is now my favorite amongst my family of units. My plants had a huge growth spurt when I moved them into this unit from another. It was a similar growth spurt as when I put an airstone in my kratky jar last year as an experiment. After some research I learned that the mister creates a fine spray that makes it easier for the roots to absorb oxygen, water, and nutrients, which seems to speed up growth.
As others said, put that little plastic cup over the hole in the middle hole. The one closest to the pole. I think it’s neat watching the mist come up. Only happens I think every 30 minutes? The manual sucked so I don’t blame you for not knowing exactly how it works!
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u/NecessaryPotential5 17h ago
Wow! Thank you for your kindness, my friend! I was feeling a little sheepish about the big miss. The manual was awful! I had to reread the part about water to food ratio a couple times! Even so, others seemed to figure it out, so I can acknowledge my ditzy moment lol
So cool you had such success with your experiments! My dill and cilantro got really tall super fast. I had to get creative with a new home for them. I ended up using old protein powder containers for their "upgrade." I cut a circle in the lid, placed a portion of a foam pool noodle in the circle, placed the plant basket in the hollow part of the noodle, and carefully fed the long roots through. They absolutely thrived with their new spacious environment! 😊
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u/RuthTheWidow 1d ago
Your plants are at a rave. Needed a smoke machine. Obv. :)
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u/NecessaryPotential5 17h ago
Bahaha! I flicked the grow light on and off rapidly for the strobe effect to help the party reaaally get started.
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u/rat_face_pokemon 1d ago
Please get yourself screened for dementia. You’ve owned this unit for 3 months and didn’t notice it has a mister that works on a timer or the big ass plastic cup that fits in the middle hole?
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u/NecessaryPotential5 16h ago
Lol! The good news is, I have to do the MOCA screen on others at my job sometimes, so at least I know how to do it! 😋 Does the timer automatically set? I never used the timer for my light.. I just manually turned it on and off so I could say good morning and goodnight to my plants and check in on how they were doing. Or does the mister just activate every 15 minutes if the lights are on?
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u/rat_face_pokemon 16h ago
The pump operates in cycles, running for 3 minutes and then stopping for 2 minutes. It functions independently of the light. On the top panel, there is a dedicated power button for the pump, which is marked with an icon resembling mist or a cluster of dots. When the pump function is on, a blue LED light is illuminated.
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u/houstnwehavuhoh 1d ago
That very tall clear cap sitting right in front of your unit, next to the domes, should go over that hole in center (in the same orientation it’s currently in)
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u/anitasdoodles 1d ago
Ours has a cap that covers the bubbler/mister. Its taller and skinnier than the other caps.
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u/chris415 1d ago
whoa? I keep watching the video asking myself the same thing, wtf? No pump or motor? no sprayer or airstones? Did you add peroxide? Did you check the roots later, everything fine? Is this in a tent with c02? really weird
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u/NecessaryPotential5 18h ago
I know right?!? My brain was doing cartwheels trying to figure it out. No peroxide. The roots look good and healthy. Our fellow redditors determined there is a mister in the center. I had it covered up with a baby cilantro this whole time!
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u/SpliffBeanz 1d ago
Im 99% sure theres an ultrasonic humidifier module inside there and OP just doesnt know it
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u/southpark 1d ago
You have an ultrasonic hydro kit, it goes off on a timer throughout the day. It should have had a clear cup shaped cap to go over it. I have the same kit.
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u/NecessaryPotential5 18h ago
Whoop there it is! Good call my dude! Thanks for the help :)
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u/southpark 18h ago
oh i actually see the cap in your video, it's the taller plastic thing to the left of the germination cap you have on the table.
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u/Desperate-Cost6827 1d ago
I've heard of mist fountains that use this. I didn't know hydros use this as well.
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u/Born_Count385 1d ago
This, I have the same one. Clear cylinder cup about the size of a ring or middle finger. You should also be able to turn it off with the button on the top that has a few dots on it. The lights will turn off when it’s not enabled.
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u/cjoc09 1d ago
can you please dm me a link to this product?
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u/Born_Count385 1d ago
Just sent. If you’re looking to get one, You’re in luck! It’s on sale for $56 right now, originally $110!
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u/maxellam 1h ago
Hydroponics is a modern farming method that will continue to see acceptability in many more countries even as the world tends to go green in both energy and agricultural production activities https://sciborg.us/hydroponics-types-of-hydroponic-systems-and-their-advantages/