DIY 30 site bubble cloner

[Dr. Green Fang]

Recently I sorted out that I needed a bubble cloner, but oh man I did NOT want to pay the price of the ones out there. Surely there's lots of DIY's out there, and truly there are. Here's my successful 30 site DIY bubble cloner, hopefully you can follow this and sort out your own. If you need anything just ask questions.

Quick Method Footnotes:

Get a low branch; Snip - Find leaf node; Slice flush - Below leaf node; 45° razor cut - Take razor and scrap around the lower portion - Dip in Clonex Gel - Pick a site.

Materials:

± 10 Gal Rubbermaid Roughneck Tote (or equivalent)
± 1 piece 1/2" Inner Diameter pipe insulation
± 30 Gal Fish Tank Heater
± Air Pump (2 Outlet preferable)
± Air stones (I use 14" long ones.. just make sure they don't float)
± Clonex Gel (Or equivalent rooting hormone)
± GH Rapid Start Rooting Enhancer (Or equivalent)

*Also, you'll need on hand)

± Sharp razor to cut tote (preferable construction grade handle)
± Pen to make circles
± Something 2" Round to trace.. maybe cut one of the pucks and trace
± Fiskars or some trimmers

Full details

I used a 10 gal Rubbermaid Roughneck tote, cut 2 " holes in the top. I filled the 2" holes with pipe insulation that was 2" outer diameter and 1/2 inch inner diameter. These are the sites I let my clones rest in. Their fan leaves hold them suspended wonderfully. I use Clonex Gel and a sharp razor.. cut lower fan leaves off flush with the main stem... 45° cut under an old node, that had leaves cut off flush with stem.. I scrape the lower 1 inch to allow for more surface area options for root possibilities, and then dip in the Clonex Gel and set into the pipe insulation 1/2" hole. In the cloner, there is about 6 Gallons (I can't remember..shoot.. will update later) of PH'd 6.0 water (not sure which is best.. it's debated online) and I use GH Rapid Start Rooting Enhancer. I just go off the bottle for directions. I use two 14' long airstones to bubble the crap out of the solution, and a 30gal fish tank heater to maintain a good cloning temp. When the clone is ready, and there's plenty of root mass there, I will pull the insulation "puck" up and just take the clone right out of the slit that's built into the puck, and into my medium. I use Royal Gold COCO + Perlite + Sunshine Advanced Mix #4. They will go into 1gal pots, until done vegging, then smartpots to hold the coco etc and into Hydroton in netpots for flowering. (But that's getting a bit beyond this cloner, and into my personal growing methods..)

I've only used this once so far, but I was never very successful with cloning until now. This DIY cloner will set you back about $40-$45 and will put a smile on your face when you start to see those big root masses building up on the end!

After the cloner is built, I put it under my veg table in my Veg tent to allow to get residual light. There's a bunch of ways/methods and this is just the one I choose.

*After thought*
I ment to mention, you should "tip" your leaves so that 1) it helps with stabilization and airflow around the clones and 2) it helps stop the veg process and helps engage root growth. At least that's what I believe from what I've read and found. I just forgot to do it, after making the cloner and staying up late that night... I just took em and placed. I can't believe I forgot to tip

I probably would've had more than 13 / 22 take root if I did tip.

 

[chazmaine420]

This is great! Thanks. been considering a ez cloner but didn't want to spend the money.
Do you need a humidity dome over the top? and do you spray them much?

 

[4u2sm0ke]

no Dome required on those Bubble cloners...I made many in the past...Massproduccer has a great how too sticky here:aok:...thats what I went off from

:48:

 

[KoDak]

Do u have a picture of the inside of ur system?

 

[Dr. Green Fang]

I will go up and take one :aok:

 

[Dr. Green Fang]

Ok, here you go. As you can see, I've recently loaded up the cloner, so you can see it all setup and running. This shows my two 14" stones and 30 gal (small) fish tank heater. The heater keeps the water about 78° and I need that being how it's below 0 outside, and mid 50's in the room itself. My veg tent holds around 60° or so and the two flowering tents hold at 55° or so without lights, and 70°-82° with lights on. But that's going away from the bubble cloner.. I was just giving you an idea of all my temps currently so you can factor in if you need to heat or cool your rez (or just leave it alone with no temp control)

I've used a drill to drill two holes the size of the clear tubing, in the top area just before the cover. I just cover over the top of the fish tank heater cord.. it doesn't stop the tote from closing.


Hope this helps :aok:

 

[Dman1234]

thats how i make mine, i use a door hole saw drill bit for the holes

 

[KoDak]

i dont want all my questions and pix in ur thread, i will delete shortly but i wanted to show u want i got. I wasn't able to get the adjustable heater because the pet store was closed and they didn't sell it at Target.

i got air stone instead on the long flat kind of air stones. My tote is only 6OT. Is that too small for the items i have?

 

[Dman1234]

Your tote will allow light in, you might want to consider blacking it out some how. or get a tote that doesnt allow light in.

 

[Dr. Green Fang]

Yep, you'll want to either do duct tape around it, or spray paint it perhaps. It needs to be dark in the tote. :aok:

 

[orangesunshine]

lol---i have the exact same tote lid on my diy bubbler---45 site and i use rockwool cubes for plugs and sprayers---the end of my cuts are not exposed---the motor from the sprayer keeps the water warm

just a note---you do not want to take the chance of contaminating ur clonex gel---pour some into a shot glass when u take cuttings and discard---dipping into the jar and reclosing it for later is like drinking from the milk carton and putting it back in the fridge

ph ur water to 5.5

 

[KoDak]

i can duct tape it or get another tote, no biggie. is this size ok, like is it too small? if so ill go get another right now

Your tote will allow light in, you might want to consider blacking it out some how. or get a tote that doesnt allow light in.

 

[orangesunshine]

size looks good---all depends on how many clones u want---root zone wants total darkness

 

[orangesunshine]

anybody else successfully cloning with stems submerged in airstoned water or using spray for suspended roots to sprout

 

[KoDak]

do i just drop air stones in there anywhere? i only want 6-8 grow sites. ima trying to figure out what connects to what..... i feel like an *****

this is what i've done. if i want to only do 6, do i have to plug other 2? i have some of the pipe sticking out thru the other end.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

If you are only going to want 6-8 sites, I would be for getting a lot smaller tote (unless you have tons of room), something like a 3 gallon. That way you can use smaller air pumps and smaller stones and still have room in your vegging space for other plants. With a tote that size, you are going to need a lot larger stones (plural meaning more than one) and a larger air pump to rum the larger stones to get enough bubbles to aerate the entire tote.

The air pump needs to sit above the water level or you need some kind of backflow on the tubing. Connect an air tube (or tubes) the length you want to the air pump. The tubing connects to the air stone which sit in the bottom of the tote. You want bubbles everywhere--the water should look like it is boiling.

I think that your holes need to be smaller and your tubes smaller. I like the foam or other clone holder to wrap around the stem fairly closely. Large spaces between the foam tubes and the stems will let light in and encourage algae to grow on the stems.

I found sprayers to be problematic--I personally am not crazy about aeroponics--a water pump in the water can make it too warm and sprayers clog quite easily.

 

[KoDak]

I have to air stones in this tote. Its only 6QT. Thats too big? It should fit fit good in my veg 2x4 tent where ill b only growing 6plants. I do have smaller plastic tubing but I got the neoprene cause thats what he suggested. And ur saying I need a smaller pump and smaller stones. :'( this is so.frustrating.what's the difference in the neoprene being used with his tote and mines? Is it bcuz mine is smaller? I understand exactly what ur saying when u say the light can get thru. Can I just use the tubing I got for the the air stines to connect to the pump and drill holes in the tote the size of the tube?

 

[4u2sm0ke]

test check

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[4u2sm0ke]

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I made many of these as I said....Ive also done a misty thingy but like THG said..clogs way too much...

 

[4u2sm0ke]

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Heres a Larger one....And again like THG said..the more Bubble the better