what size mist maker to use for growing with fogponics

Hello,
I'm wondering if there is a ratio you can give me for mist-makers to square foot of reservoir space (using a remote reservoir).
I am using a 50"x15"x9.5" (20gal, 2.7 cubic feet) reservoir and growing hemp about 1 foot tall in vegetative state and want to know how many mist makers I will need.
I also have a 50"x30"x9.5" (40gal, 5.4 cubic feet) reservoir that I use for flowering; 8 sites with 3" tall plants come harvest. Can plants like hemp or tomatoes flower well in a fogponic setup or do they prefer ebb/flow or dwc? Also, is this 40gal reservoir too big to effectively do a fogponic grow? I'm currently doing DWC with a single fogger sitting in the center and it's working great, I'd just like to save on water and nutes.
Lastly, is there a rule of thumb on the CFM of a fan used for a remote reservoir? Is more/less, better, or is there a CFM to cubic feet sweet spot that ya want to hit?

Thanks for the mist-maker I ordered a while ago - It's awesome and works fantastically!
And thanks in advance for any information you can give me in regards to my questions, and any other useful knowledge about fogponics you may feel compelled to pass my way!

All the best.


To flower as big as possible you should continue to feed the tap root. ie drip feed, shallow dwc, nft. I would use either three 3 heads (less chance of total failure) or a 12 head in a remote res. with a 80mm fan running as soft as possible. More air = less dense fog = drier roots. Hope this helps some. 

Hello,
Thanks for the reply, very helpful!
If I did a shallow DWC with three 3heads in the non-remote res would I need a fan in the res or would the air from the dwc pumps do the trick? If so, where can I find a suitable fan? In my searches I found nothing like what I've seen in your videos...Also, would I want the fan to be intake, exhaust, or a blower? I'm thinking exhaust as the pumps would already be increasing pressure in the reservoir...?
Lastly, for vegetative growth (I'll be vegging and flowering in different reservoirs), is fogponics alone suitable or do you still want some sort of continual feed for hemp/tomatoes/perennials?

Thanks for everything! Sorry to hit you up with so many questions; I know you're not paid to be my teacher but I can't find anyone who knows anything about fogponics and I really want to get switched over from soil and I just harvested so now's the time. Fogponics seems like the most efficient, interesting, and viable alternative.
With any luck I'll be posting video replies on youtube of what you've inspired (sans hemp) real soon!

Thanks again, all the best!

The air pumps don't provide enough pressure to push the fog. You will need an 80mm fan found here. http://www.thehouseofhydro.com/waterproof-fans-by-hydro-flow.html

you shouldn't need an air stone if you only have the root tips in the water. The roots will receive enough oxygen in the fog zone. 

If it were me, I would use a shallow dwc in flower and veg. This will not only provide the plant with as many nutes as it wants, but also provide a fail-safe if power goes out, or your mist maker fails.

Don't sweat the questions, I'm here to help!

Stay foggy, 

John 

Some Mist Maker FAQ's from The House of Hydro - Ultrasonic Mist Maker Supply

I would like to do a full term fogponics/hydroponics grow  in a 27 gallon tote. I was also thinking about putting together a cloner box. What would you recommend? 06/22/2014 0 Comments Hi there,  I would go with an exterior unit if you are growing full term. The roots can obstruct the fogging discs. You can find instructions on my youtube channel "how to build a nutramist" If you are running a drip feed as well, you can get away with a three head. If not, I would run a 12, or two 5's. You have to make sure the root zone is packed with fog. It has to be able to support the tap roots thirst :-) A cloner is easy and I recommend a 1 head or or 3 depending one the size of container. You can put it inside the root zone, and the small amount of heat generated will help the clones propagate. Hope this helps some, John  Add Comment Hi John. I would like to purchase your new one head ultrasonic water fogger. he really need your assistance here.We would like to use your fogger in our test unit for one of our equipments. the only problem we are facing is that your unit runs on AC volt 06/16/2014 0 Comments Hello, Thanks for your loyalty to our units. Unfortunately I only have 120 and 230V units in stock. I have put a message into my manufacturer to see if a 12v unit is possible. I will keep you updated. Here is a video showing how I converted the unit to run in an automobile. Thanks, John  Hey, I'm looking to start a fogponics system for a fruit tree. I was wondering if I need a fan if the nutrient reservoir was in the bucket itself, and how many heads you would recommend for such a system. Any other tips would be much appreciated 06/15/2014 0 Comments Hi, A 3 head would do great in a 5 gallon. You don't want to have the unit inside of the root zone when growing to a mature tree though. Eventually the roots will interfere with the unit.   One of the best ways is to use gravity to feed the bucket with fog. Or,  an external system with a fan on a very low setting creating an light positive pressure to push the fog into the root zone via a 1" or larger hose. Check out the different methods on my youtube channel. It has tons info on DIY Fogponics setups. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtZlAV1Rgr-n0giJCy4I4YA Add Comment Hi, I am currently using aeroponics.   My question is, how does this compare to that? (will the grow as fast?)  I like that there are no nozzles to clog.  I did watch the video.  If I make a system like you did in your video, will I have no concern 06/15/2014 0 Comments Hi there, Sounds like you have some awesome stuff going on. I see you're in New Castle, I own some property, and a large green house in Grove City near Pittsburgh. I stay in Fl where its warm though :-). I'll just try to knock out some of your questions real quick. If you are experiencing root rot, you will have the same issue with these. You need a water chiller to keep the root zone temps down. This is soo important, and overlooked by most. A 12 head is capable of handling a lot of area, but it is based on many things. 3" PVC tubes  are best for pure fog because the root zone is small.  They also work great in conjunction with a shallow water nft system. You also want to make sure you push the fog into the root zones with as little air as possible. The more air the fan pushes, the more diluted your zone will be. You only need a little air to push it. If you have any other questions, just let me know. BTW: My wifes a Kindergarten teacher.... we might be hitting you up for some caterpillars next year ;-) Stay foggy, John  Add Comment  First of all I'd like to say thank you for the great product, it worked flawlessly during dry season.Now the funny part: my cat has nibbled the water level sensor and now the whole thing refuses to work: http://i.imgur.com/VVZkFg6.jpgIs it possible to r 06/15/2014 0 Comments Bypassing the mist makers water sensor to use the fogger with non conductive liquids can be done very easily. The red wire inside of the sensor simply has to contact the silver body of the mist maker unit. You can do this by shoving a peice of aluminum foil in the hole that you tear the  Add Comment Hi John,I'm one of your customers... bought the 3-head mister and waterproof fan.My idea was too build an External Fogponics Machine just like in your video.But now I see a problem with having the 1 1/4" black hose going to the root chamber without a ret 06/11/2014 0 Comments Hi there, I understand what you are saying. I have considered doing the same. My concerns are that the higher level of airflow will help dry out the roots vs wetting them. Too much air flow is bad for sure. I use a small 1/2 inch return that returns the condensed fog to the reservoir. Typically you will have some fog loss through the grow sites. This is ok, and is minimal. Make sure you run the fan on the lowest possible speed to get the fog into the chamber. Hope this helps, John  Add Comment Hi  Sorry to bother you an all I just had a question for you! I just bought the 5 head unit but was wondering about the ( ml/h ) for this unit since I've  seen 3 different one's  chart 1600 ml/h , as show on online store info. when buying 1900 ml/h a 05/28/2014 0 Comments Hi Andrew, Sorry for the confusion. Everytime the factory updates something on the units, they end up giving me a new output. The mist maker buying guide/ comparison chart on my site is correct. I keep that updated all the time. There are a lot of factors that determine mist maker output. Water temp, amount of solids in the water, size of the container... ect. I hope this helps some.  Add Comment Comparisons between Mist and Fogger systems please. Have you done any grow cycles using both systems simultaneously using the same exact clones, nutrient solutions, and schedule? What temperature do you generally keep your reservoirs at?  05/28/2014 0 Comments Hi, I have comparison charts for specs on my site. I haven't done any side by side comparisons, but I personally used the 12 disc mist maker for fogponics. I used the large black tub and an 80mm fan set on low to push a heavy flow of fog. The discs we use are lightweight ceramic, with a teflon coating. They have higher output, and resist buildup. They can be easily cleaned with vinegar allowing them to last 5000+ hours. The buildup happens on the heavy brass discs. Everything sticks to the brass like a magnet. I think a lot of the people that have problems with fogponics is inexperienced with fog. You need a lot, and you need to pump it in with fresh air. Alot of people try to run the unit inside the root zone, and this creates heat which leads to low oxygen levels. If you pipe the fog in, you get fresh oxygen, and cool air.... The roots love it!  Alot of people also try to "experiment" with smaller units, and don't get adequate fog for full term growing. Thats why nutramist supplements with a drip.  If you have any other questions, just let me know! Stay foggy, John  Add Comment Can mist makers run in any water temperature?  Can they run in any solution?  05/28/2014 4 Comments Hi, Mist makers can run in a large range of temperatures. Check out our video to see them run at both ends of the recommended temp ranges. Mist makers can run in many different fluids. The lighter or thinner the better. Mist makers work by creating ultrasonic vibrations, and actually "blows apart" the water off of the surface. A heavy liquid will work, but it will not be as efficient.

Check Out Our Mist Maker "How To" Videos, and "DIY" articles on Fogponics, Whole Home Humidifiers, Greenhouse Humidification, and Mushroom Growing.

TheHouseofHydro.com has everything you need when it comes to buying an Ultrasonic mist maker. Our website has tons of info on learning about how to use a mist maker, and if you can't find the info you need, just call or email me.

 
   I spend hours a day "Talking Fog" with people, and getting their projects up and running. I just started to put a mist maker video library together, so you can see the different water fogger output videos for the One, Three, Five, Nine, and Twelve Head Mist Makers.

   
     If you are making a hydroponic/fogponic setup, or a home humidifier, you will need water consumption rates of the Ultrasonic Mist Makers, and you can find them in our Mist Maker Comparison Guide. 





     We have videos on Making your own home humidifier that will destroy the output of other humidifiers. Not by a gallon or two a day, but more than double the output of large units like the Honeywell. Our 12 head mist makers nebulize over 32 gallons a day! Check out our Mist Maker Buying Guide to see all the outputs of our water foggers.

      If your home has a wood stove for heat, and the humidity is too low. These mist makers are your ticket to getting rid of the incredibly dry air.

     Don't forget to check out or videos on Making your own Nutramist Fogger or Aero cloner if you are trying to build your own fogponics/hydroponics setup.

Got Questions?

Call me, or shoot me an email @ Thehouseofhydro@gmail.com

Stay Foggy,
John
The House of Hydro