Airwalker16
Well-Known Member
Mines a biiiit simpler.
The necessity of airstones
- Thread starter Rahz
- Start date
Airwalker16
Well-Known Member
ttystikk
Well-Known Member
I drop from the lid.
Thegreatcola949
New Member
Im very intrested in dwc an rdwc an not sure exactly on what lines my system is running but i know i need help cause i keep killing my plants. If there is a member who has been growing in these mediums for years i really could use help!
ttystikk
Well-Known Member
That's me. I use a waterfall approach to aerate the water in my tubsites. I do this by running my water pump in the control bucket and having it feed a manifold that then sends water to every tubsite. The nozzle in my case is simply a ninety degree elbow fitting of the same diameter as the hose. It fits in a small hole drilled either in the lid of the tub or in the netpot.
I also have a water to water cooling coil in my control bucket, which I use to keep my RDWC temps in the mid 60s F. The water is thus cooled in the control bucket immediately prior to being pumped to the waterfalls, thus maximizing my oxygenation potential with minimum fuss.
In addition to temperature, you must keep your pH and EC under control at all times as well.
Mix and add your nutrients to the system separately.
These are the most common points of failure. Control these and your plants should thrive.
Thegreatcola949
New Member
Well my ph is normally 5.8-6.5 but ec i havent even gotten to figure that out or how to fix it. Im also using mg all purpose plant food for veg since its a 3-1-2 npk ratio figured it would do the job since im very limited on cash, just figured by time flower came around i would have flora series. My res temps are 60-66 mainly 60 or little lower but has jumped to 66 before. I use hydrogen peroxide as precaution measures, I use tap water as well. Ill post pictures of my setup but im running a walmart air pump with two hose hook ups hooked to one 6 in air stone, i also have a little water pump in the bottom of my 5 gal bucket with it pumping water through the lid down. Also since i dont have clay im just using yard rocks (they have been sterilized) but im not sure if i should submerge my roots or let them ride on top of the water? Again this is my first time with dwc so alot of my setup is just stuff i had around the house. Any ideas on how to improve my setup or growing techniques would be awesome. Plus ive been on this site alot but just signed up today,so i really value your opion ttysttick as i know you know what your talking about! Here are a few pics of my plant. Will post pics of my set up when i do ph check tomorrow.
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Airwalker16
Well-Known Member
Oh boy... you don't want water in your net pot bro. Bad.
Thegreatcola949
New Member
Wont the plant die if i dont give it water? I dont understand really where i should have my roots when transplanting from soil also since im using yard rock i dont wanna smash my roots any ideas?
Airwalker16
Well-Known Member
Regarding dissolved oxygen... Are you guessing, hoping, wishing or do you really know your DO?
Just wondering... what's really fact and what's hearsay and myth about DO.
Have any of you actually tested your DO saturation or DO concentration with a DO Meter?
Do you know what DO saturation defines "low oxygen?"
*How low must "low oxygen" really be to become any issue at all?
Before you jumped up and bought more pumps and stuff for oxygenating:
What was your DO saturation with a bubbler bubbling air?
What was your DO saturation with a water fall exposed to air?
What DO saturation do you think is really necessary to prevent what's called "low oxygen" and root rot.
Did any of this oxygen stuff make any difference, prevent root rot, keep your plants and microbes healthy?
Just wondering... what's really fact and what's hearsay and myth about DO.
Have any of you actually tested your DO saturation or DO concentration with a DO Meter?
Do you know what DO saturation defines "low oxygen?"
*How low must "low oxygen" really be to become any issue at all?
Before you jumped up and bought more pumps and stuff for oxygenating:
What was your DO saturation with a bubbler bubbling air?
What was your DO saturation with a water fall exposed to air?
What DO saturation do you think is really necessary to prevent what's called "low oxygen" and root rot.
Did any of this oxygen stuff make any difference, prevent root rot, keep your plants and microbes healthy?
MoodyShoes
Well-Known Member
I really mean no offence by this, but i would strongly suggest you do a bit more research before trying another grow. DWC is, in my opinion, a very easy system to manage, BUT. you must, must, must have done your homework before you embark on it.
In your case, your net pots should sit an inch above the water line when you first put them in the DWC units so that the roots search out the water. You should really be starting them (if from seed) in root riot cubes, then when you see that tap root appear about an inch from the bottom, place them in the net pot with just one layer of hydroton underneath, then fill in the hydroton around the cube. Have the water bubbling underneath at about an inch from the bottom of the pot and the tap root WILL make its way into the water over time. In the interim, you can feed very small amounts of water to the cube with a syringe.
MoodyShoes
Well-Known Member
I have no inclination to get a DO meter, but i can say that my setup has about 200ltres of water, and 2x60ltr air pumps feeding it, meaning that each litre of water gets 0.6 litres of air though it per minute.
I've never had root rot, never used H202, never used any hydroguard or any other root guarding solution for my ladies, and quite regularly my res temps will rise above recommended levels.
I was just going to get one 60ltr pump, then decided to double up. Yes, my res's do look like bubbling cauldrons, but as i said, i've never had any issues with roots whatsoever.
No disease means you are keeping your plants healthy, Great job. This is a difficult task for many growers. Root rot and other plant diseases do not attack healthy plants that are not t stressed and release stress chemicals, Fungal disease outbreaks only occur in plants that release these stress chemicals. The key to disease prevention is keeping your plants healthy. Clearly you are doing just that... don't change anything, nothing is broken.