are air stones even necessary?

G

glani

Member
"It's almost Kratky.. Weed really won't do worth a shit in it."

Yeah youre right, all im doin different is adding the air pumps. I know im gettin ahead of myself, and should probably just wait until i have everything i need before starting, but you dont think a regular noncirculating dwc that just gets topped off daily would be good enough to start now with a few clones? A few ppl even said rdwc was a bit complex for first time growers. Im gonna go look up that venturi thing i keep hearin about, and if i can go rdwc and use the waterfall thing, i will.
Also, not that it matters, but I just noticed before i said 9 veg 9 flower but i meant 6 veg 9 flower. Thats ultimately what id like to end up with. I like the appeal of selfcontained buckets i can move around but im starting to think it was naive assuming i could manage that many individual buckets, all having their own plant, ph, ppm, and temp..
 
Jimdamick

Jimdamick

Well-Known Member
All I know in my very limited mind, is that small bubbles provide more oxygen to the root system, and one main reason why your average DWC system produces root rot is because warm water has less oxygen than cold water, therefore more oxygen balances the lack of oxygen in warm water..
I bubbled the fuck out of 80 degree water and never had root problems.
 
G

glani

Member
Jimdamick said:
All I know in my very limited mind, is that small bubbles provide more oxygen to the root system, and one main reason why your average DWC system produces root rot is because warm water has less oxygen than cold water, therefore more oxygen balances the lack of oxygen in warm water..
I bubbled the fuck out of 80 degree water and never had root problems.
Click to expand...
So you werent using a chiller?
 
rkymtnman

rkymtnman

Well-Known Member
glani said:
I like the appeal of selfcontained buckets i can move around but im starting to think it was naive assuming i could manage that many individual buckets, all having their own plant, ph, ppm, and temp..
Click to expand...
yep, you are going to hate yourself for doing that.

one issue with doing the same in rdwc is that each plant will have it's own nutrient needs and it will be hard to find a happy medium where each plant is healthy and not over or under fed.
 
Jypsy Dog

Jypsy Dog

Well-Known Member
glani said:
"It's almost Kratky.. Weed really won't do worth a shit in it."

Yeah youre right, all im doin different is adding the air pumps. I know im gettin ahead of myself, and should probably just wait until i have everything i need before starting, but you dont think a regular noncirculating dwc that just gets topped off daily would be good enough to start now with a few clones? A few ppl even said rdwc was a bit complex for first time growers. Im gonna go look up that venturi thing i keep hearin about, and if i can go rdwc and use the waterfall thing, i will.
Also, not that it matters, but I just noticed before i said 9 veg 9 flower but i meant 6 veg 9 flower. Thats ultimately what id like to end up with. I like the appeal of selfcontained buckets i can move around but im starting to think it was naive assuming i could manage that many individual buckets, all having their own plant, ph, ppm, and temp..
Click to expand...
Putting the pump in the tank creates HEAT, HEAT and low D.O. = ROOT ROT. Go For It. A pump costs 10 buck at Walmart..... Why is this a fuckin issue for you??
 
PetFlora

PetFlora

Well-Known Member
Jimdamick said:
All I know in my very limited mind, is that small bubbles provide more oxygen to the root system, and one main reason why your average DWC system produces root rot is because warm water has less oxygen than cold water, therefore more oxygen balances the lack of oxygen in warm water..
I bubbled the fuck out of 80 degree water and never had root problems.
Click to expand...
I hear you. In my DWC set up which is primarily for seedlings and clones, I tend to be lazy about changing out ice jugs, but the tote is small and I run 4 air stones
 
G

glani

Member
Jypsy Dog said:
Putting the pump in the tank creates HEAT, HEAT and low D.O. = ROOT ROT. Go For It. A pump costs 10 buck at Walmart..... Why is this a fuckin issue for you??
Click to expand...
If one $10 pump could fix my problem, it wouldnt be an issue. Right now theyre grouped up. The veg room has 5 buckets and a cloner tray. Of the 5 buckets, 2 are on one rez (early veg nutes) and 3 are on another (late veg nutes).
The flower room is 9 buckets with another 2 rezes (7 buckets on flowering nutes and 2 buckets on flush water with very little nutes).
In my naive planning i saw myself with selfcontained buckets that i just moved around every week, but now that im connecting them to make it easier, i guess I'll just be rotating the lids while the buckets are stationary.
I assume ill need 4 pumps now for 4 rezes, but i also assume this plan will change yet again before i actually put it together as im still figurin it out as i go. Just watched a few vids on diy venturi pumps and im liking the idea of avoiding air pumps altogether
 
Enigma

Enigma

Well-Known Member
glani said:
My question was never whether or not i needed air, it was whether i needed a stone at the end of my hose or not, and when his came loose he got root rot, so now i know. Ive read alot about the rdwc, ive just reached my budget and will have to wait until i get more money. Will be a month or more before i can get any more parts, i got laid off right after buyin most of this equipment so i was planning to just flower some local clones in regular dwc until then. Thx for the help.
Click to expand...

Yea, you'll need air stones, an electrolytic diffuser or anything that can oxygenate the water.

PetSmart has good 2" cylindrical air stones that work well, inexpensively.

You'll be adding heat with an air pump, you'll need to come up with a solution for high reservoir temps.

:leaf:
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
rkymtnman said:
yep, you are going to hate yourself for doing that.

one issue with doing the same in rdwc is that each plant will have it's own nutrient needs and it will be hard to find a happy medium where each plant is healthy and not over or under fed.
Click to expand...
I've honestly not found this to be the case.
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
glani said:
If one $10 pump could fix my problem, it wouldnt be an issue. Right now theyre grouped up. The veg room has 5 buckets and a cloner tray. Of the 5 buckets, 2 are on one rez (early veg nutes) and 3 are on another (late veg nutes).
The flower room is 9 buckets with another 2 rezes (7 buckets on flowering nutes and 2 buckets on flush water with very little nutes).
In my naive planning i saw myself with selfcontained buckets that i just moved around every week, but now that im connecting them to make it easier, i guess I'll just be rotating the lids while the buckets are stationary.
I assume ill need 4 pumps now for 4 rezes, but i also assume this plan will change yet again before i actually put it together as im still figurin it out as i go. Just watched a few vids on diy venturi pumps and im liking the idea of avoiding air pumps altogether
Click to expand...
Instead of moving the whole bucket, use netpot bucket lids and just move the plant from site to site.
 
Enigma

Enigma

Well-Known Member
ttystikk said:
Wish I knew what you did, because when I ran air stones without a chiller I got root rot every time.
Click to expand...

H2O2 from your local.. anywhere. They are usually <$1 for one bottle of 3%.

12 ml per gallon every three days, or so.

Your mileage may vary.

:leaf:
 
Enigma

Enigma

Well-Known Member
ttystikk said:
Mine was poor. I tried it and it didn't work for me. This may have been because I was already too late- it was a long time ago and I was a noob.

For me, Chilling was the key.
Click to expand...

Chilling is the correct method. Not only does the lower temperature prevent certain organisms from thriving in your nutrient mixture, it raises the level of dissolved oxygen the water can hold.

Couple that with an air pump pumping warm air into cold water with a micron air stone and you are in business.
 
firsttimeARE

firsttimeARE

Well-Known Member
Jimdamick said:
All I know in my very limited mind, is that small bubbles provide more oxygen to the root system, and one main reason why your average DWC system produces root rot is because warm water has less oxygen than cold water, therefore more oxygen balances the lack of oxygen in warm water..
I bubbled the fuck out of 80 degree water and never had root problems.
Click to expand...
Turbulence prevents root rot and not overferting.

My low pressure aero hits high 80s in the summer and never gets root rot. I dont have any airstones. All I have is a pump that sprays the roots with water.
 
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