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DIY simplest bubble cloner

I am going to show you all what I use for my bubble cloner, because it works and it is so super simple! Just showing anybody that will benefit, that to make a perfect bubble cloner all you need is a little aquarium pump, some hosing for your pump, r/o water, and a little bit of sponge to hold your clones. Oh, and don't forget the little can w/lid that you will be using for the reservoir. I had one of those plastic red folgers containers laying around(thanks to my brother's coffee habit) that works perfectly. Ok, so here it is lol.

This drawing I made pretty much sums it up lol.
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You just run the hoses from your pump into two holes prepared(opposite sides of the container) anywhere above where the waterline will be. The higher the better so you don't have any leaks.

Then, just pull the hoses through until they reach near the bottom of the container, and glue them to the wall with whatever you have. I used a $1 hot glue gun from the dollar store lol.

Whatever lid you are using, make sure it is turned upside down so you can just lift it straight up to check the root growth without disturbing the delicate roots.

Cut a few holes spaced around on the lid where your clones will sit. Make sure the holes are fairly big so you will be able to pull out the clones later without damaging the roots. I have 6 holes cut in mine.
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Then cut up the number of squares you need from a sponge which you can also get from the dollar store. The squares only need to be a little bit bigger than the holes you made in the lids. Then, cut a slit in the sponge squares you cut so your clone stem can slide right through like so.
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Also, you will want to make sure that your airpump is situated somewhere above your cloner so no water can run back into your pump if your pump gets shut off or unplugged or something.
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Annnnnnd that's about all she wrote! It's good to keep your stems either with just the tips down in the water or hovering above the water just a little bit. The moisture will be contained really well so they will root quickly!

That's all folks! :tiphat:

Pro tip: If you aren't using all of your cloning spots at any given time, you can cover them with a little bit of plastic wrap and the moisture will stay in the reservoir much better!
 

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Thanks man! Yeah, you're absolutely right, and those coffee jugs have a little ridge on top that when you flip over works perfectly for keeping the lid from sliding. There's just so much added stuff that people spend their money on that they don't need to.
 

Snow Crash

Active member
Veteran
This a great idea for a small scale operation that doesn't need too many cuts. I could get this done for about $15 after including the cost of a cheap air pump, line, sponge, and sales tax (rabble rabble California rabble rabble).

For about $45 we could buy a commercial 20 site cloner with a warranty and a few "upgrades" (light proof and a little better air delivery). But I don't think this DIY could be beat for the price if you're looking to practice or just need a half dozen or so cuttings. Awesome!
 
This a great idea for a small scale operation that doesn't need too many cuts. I could get this done for about $15 after including the cost of a cheap air pump, line, sponge, and sales tax (rabble rabble California rabble rabble).

For about $45 we could buy a commercial 20 site cloner with a warranty and a few "upgrades" (light proof and a little better air delivery). But I don't think this DIY could be beat for the price if you're looking to practice or just need a half dozen or so cuttings. Awesome!

Hey, thanks man! And yep, if you have 45 bucks and want a good cloner then you could def buy one! But I was completely broke, and had a little aquarium pump that was given to me from a guy's old hydro setup, so for me this cloner was a freebie lol. It's all about doin what you can with what you have!
 

Big D

icmagic
Veteran

I used this one for a few years. I found a round airstone as big as the bottom. It worked great!
 
I used this one for a few years. I found a round airstone as big as the bottom. It worked great!

Big D! That looks exactly like mine haha! I bet that airstone killed it! I can definitely see the point of adding one, but if you don't got one then go without! lol
 

RonSmooth

Member
Veteran
I finally realized that a bubble cloner is just a big glass of water.

You can either change the water every few days or throw an air stone in there so you don't have to.

IME, its not worth the extra space, equipment, electricity, and slime problems. It seems inefficient to root them in a special machine if you are just going to put them into soil or coco.

The cup of water worked just as fast as my cloner did. It takes up a lot less room and changing the water keeps the slime from building up. Next time, I am going right into coco. Makes the most sense.

But I am always all for making things instead of buying them. Especially something as simple as a bubble cloner.
 
I finally realized that a bubble cloner is just a big glass of water.

You can either change the water every few days or throw an air stone in there so you don't have to.

IME, its not worth the extra space, equipment, electricity, and slime problems. It seems inefficient to root them in a special machine if you are just going to put them into soil or coco.

The cup of water worked just as fast as my cloner did. It takes up a lot less room and changing the water keeps the slime from building up. Next time, I am going right into coco. Makes the most sense.

But I am always all for making things instead of buying them. Especially something as simple as a bubble cloner.

Man, I know exactly what you mean. I had an unused aquarium pump laying around so I hit some cheese and went craft mode, which was fun and keeps you emotionally invested and what not, but yeah man I totally want to experiment with just a straight cup of water also. The simpler the better ime!
 

RonSmooth

Member
Veteran
a cup of water with a straw in it. Just blow bubbles every time you walk by it. IME, the air stone/ air line are where slime likes to congregate.

The lid is mostly to hold the cuts up. Tap water contains little nutrients and algae isn't a problem.

The simplest would be just to take cutting and stick it into the medium. Keep it warm & watered and it will root just fine.

I do like being able to see the roots as soon as they start to form. Thats probably the biggest advantage for me.

The air pump is probably overkill for a small cloner. It would be easier to just replace the water every few days.

PS
If you like building grow related stuff, try making a DTW irrigation system with a pvc mainfold. They are easy and inexpensive.
 
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