Decided to stop using air stones

ProPheT 216

ProPheT 216

Well-Known Member
So I am currently testing and all is going well. I think we all agree surface agitation is the best way to displace oxygen in water. Air stones are just a pain in the butt for so many reasons so I decided to just run a trial.

I used those same air stones as sinkers and just have my air lines sitting in the bottom of the dwc. Pumping the same amount of air into the bucket as before, the surface boils now and has much more agitation.

I don't expect this to give me way more oxygen, I do think however is creates a better current to keep things mixed and supplies as much if not more oxygen. I Also think it's a great option for a larger res and also expect the output to stay the same thru the grow without having to swap or clean stones.

I'll follow up thru her grow with my personal results and thoughts
 
Last edited:
Bucsfan80

Bucsfan80

Well-Known Member
ProPheT 216 said:
So I am currently testing and all is going well. I think we all agree surface agitation is the best way to displace oxygen in water. Air stones are just a pain in the butt for so many reasons so I decided to just run a trial.

I used those same air stones as sinkers and just have my air lines sitting in the bottom of the dwc. Pumping the same amount of air into the bucket as before, the surface boils now and has much more agitation.

I don't expect this to give me way more oxygen, I do think however is creates a better current to keep things mixed and supplies as much if not more oxygen. I Also think it's a great option for a larger res and also expect the output to stay the same thru the grow without having to swap or clean stones.

I'll follow up thru her grow with my personal results and thoughts
Click to expand...
You ever thought about losing air pump and stones altogether? Idk if you have single buckets or totes but I use a water pump to make a spray bar it's so quiet once lid is on and no annoying air pump always humming
 
ProPheT 216

ProPheT 216

Well-Known Member
Running 4-5 5 gal dwc buckets with nets over top. I can't think of a way to introduce a spray bar, recirculating pump, or waterfall to each bucket that's less of a hassle than this. But the noise from the pumps does suck a lil
 
gr865

gr865

Well-Known Member
I am running a Grow and Flow (Ebb and Flow) and have a 55 gallon rez that I keep about 36 gallons of solution for my plants. I have an air disk and a 550 gph pump in the bottom of the rez.
I am considering removing the air disk as I feel that the 550 gph pump move enough solution to pick up all the O2 needed in the rez.
Any thoughts?
 
Cabrone

Cabrone

Well-Known Member
gr865 said:
I am running a Grow and Flow (Ebb and Flow) and have a 55 gallon rez that I keep about 36 gallons of solution for my plants. I have an air disk and a 550 gph pump in the bottom of the rez.
I am considering removing the air disk as I feel that the 550 gph pump move enough solution to pick up all the O2 needed in the rez.
Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
I put a water pump on a timer on the bottom of the 55 gallon barrel. Run the pump for 1 hour before flooding. Mixes ntues and adds o2. Cycle it for 15 minutes every couple hours when lights are off.
 
rkymtnman

rkymtnman

Well-Known Member
gr865 said:
I am running a Grow and Flow (Ebb and Flow) and have a 55 gallon rez that I keep about 36 gallons of solution for my plants. I have an air disk and a 550 gph pump in the bottom of the rez.
I am considering removing the air disk as I feel that the 550 gph pump move enough solution to pick up all the O2 needed in the rez.
Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
how about just a small waterfall instead? either is plenty of O2 but the waterfall keeps the nutes well mixed too.
 
rkymtnman

rkymtnman

Well-Known Member
Cabrone said:
I put a water pump on a timer on the bottom of the 55 gallon barrel. Run the pump for 1 hour before flooding. Mixes ntues and adds o2. Cycle it for 15 minutes every couple hours when lights are off.
Click to expand...
same. mine runs 24/7. and then i can use it to drain the bottom of the res too. if you run any thick additives, make sure to take the little sponge filter out of the pump
 
gr865

gr865

Well-Known Member
rkymtnman said:
how about just a small waterfall instead? either is plenty of O2 but the waterfall keeps the nutes well mixed too.
Click to expand...
Rocky, I am not sure what you mean by waterfall, can you expand on that please.

I put the pump in the rez to see if it would help my XpH work better. According to Torus they say it improves the performance of the unit.
 
rkymtnman

rkymtnman

Well-Known Member
gr865 said:
Rocky, I am not sure what you mean by waterfall, can you expand on that please.
Click to expand...
mine is a bit like this. i think it's 80 gph? then about 3 feet of tubing that goes up the side of my res and i just put a 90 grey plastic elbow spraying onto the top of water. and a few zip ties to the power cord.

1657664695698.png
 
ProPheT 216

ProPheT 216

Well-Known Member
gr865

gr865

Well-Known Member
rkymtnman said:
mine is a bit like this. i think it's 80 gph? then about 3 feet of tubing that goes up the side of my res and i just put a 90 grey plastic elbow spraying onto the top of water. and a few zip ties to the power cord.

View attachment 5162374
Click to expand...
Rocky,
My ebb and flow pumps solution from the rez into the controller which distributes it to the grow pots and after 30 minutes it pumps it back into the rez via a waterfall, but that only happens every 4 hours.
I removed my air stones and going to see how it does with just the 550 gph pump running 24/7.
Was reading an article on water movement and how much O2 it picks up and I think I will be ok. Also want to see how much it will lower the temp in my rez not using the air stones.
 
rkymtnman

rkymtnman

Well-Known Member
gr865 said:
Rocky,
My ebb and flow pumps solution from the rez into the controller which distributes it to the grow pots and after 30 minutes it pumps it back into the rez via a waterfall, but that only happens every 4 hours.
I removed my air stones and going to see how it does with just the 550 gph pump running 24/7.
Was reading an article on water movement and how much O2 it picks up and I think I will be ok. Also want to see how much it will lower the temp in my rez not using the air stones.
Click to expand...
totally agree GR. ebb/flow is fine w/o any additional air from what ive read too.

now that i'm in coco, the waterfall is more about keeping the nutes mixed as the top feeding thru the coco is plenty of o2 too.
 
gr865

gr865

Well-Known Member
@rkymtnman

I am adding a piece of PVC pipe, 1/2" x 20" that has two 90 degree fittings to aim the solution down and create a waterfall effect. I will probably put it on a timer an run the pump for 15 minutes or so every few hours. Edit: I have changed this just a bit, see pics below the barrel drawing.
20220720_092145.jpg

The water level is about 17 inches in the barrel.

The pH Perfect is working, and it sits right next to the recirculation/waterfall pump. It maintains my pH at 5.9 to 6.15. I add just a touch of pH down every three to four days to get the pH down to 5.75/5.8 and let it float up which takes about three days +/- to get back to 6.15 or so but has not risen beyond the 6.15 mark.
I plan on switching it out with Torus's new Toroid system when it comes available.
I am about to do my 2nd reservoir change tomorrow. Have no slime in the rez but am getting that bit of odor like the rez is turning sour.

Few pics
The rez, upper 3/4" line to controller, lower 1/2" line is return and waterfalls into rez, creates anti syphon.
rez 1.jpg

Solution rolling from circulation pump. This was prior to adding the stand pipe.
20220720_094628.jpg

Circulation pump at the 2 O'clock position with the XpH sitting next to it @ the 12 O'clock position.
The pump to feed the controller is in the 6 O'clock position.
20220720_094820.jpg

I added a 1/2" stand pipe with two discharge points to mix the solution and add O2, hope this works.
20220720_171516.jpg20220720_181224.jpg20220720_181442.jpg

The four plants that made it. Their roots on two of the plants have just reached the solution when the controller is on.
That plant at the upper right by the fan had it stem double over and I did not think it was going to make it but it is trying.
20220720_181802.jpg20220720_181831.jpg
20220720_181843.jpg

4th pic won't load, but she is very tiny, her stem bent double and I thought she was done but she is trying.
 

Attachments

gr865

gr865

Well-Known Member
rkymtnman said:
totally agree GR. ebb/flow is fine w/o any additional air from what ive read too.

now that i'm in coco, the waterfall is more about keeping the nutes mixed as the top feeding thru the coco is plenty of o2 too.
Click to expand...

I am adding a piece of PVC pipe, 1/2" x 20" that has two 90 degree fittings to aim the solution down and create a waterfall effect. I will probably put it on a timer an run the pump for 15 minutes or so every few hours. Edit: I have changed this just a bit, see pics below the barrel drawing.

20220720_092145.jpg

The water level is about 17 inches in the barrel.

The pH Perfect is working, and it sits right next to the recirculation/waterfall pump. It maintains my pH at 5.9 to 6.15. I add just a touch of pH down every three to four days to get the pH down to 5.75/5.8 and let it float up which takes about three days +/- to get back to 6.15 or so but has not risen beyond the 6.15 mark.
I plan on switching it out with Torus's new Toroid system when it comes available.
I am about to do my 2nd reservoir change tomorrow. Have no slime in the rez but am getting that bit of odor like the rez is turning sour.

Few pics
The rez, upper 3/4" line to controller, lower 1/2" line is return and waterfalls into rez, creates anti syphon.

rez 1.jpg


Solution rolling from circulation pump. This was prior to adding the stand pipe.

20220720_094628.jpg


Circulation pump at the 2 O'clock position with the XpH sitting next to it @ the 12 O'clock position.
The pump to feed the controller is in the 6 O'clock position.

20220720_094820.jpg


I added a 1/2" stand pipe with two discharge points to mix the solution and add O2, hope this works.

20220720_171516.jpg


20220720_181224.jpg


20220720_181442.jpg


The four plants that made it. Their roots on two of the plants have just reached the solution when the controller is on.
That plant at the upper right by the fan had it stem double over and I did not think it was going to make it but it is trying.

20220720_181802.jpg


20220720_181831.jpg


20220720_181843.jpg


4th pic won't load, but she is very tiny, her stem bent double and I thought she was done but she is trying.

Attachments
 
ProPheT 216

ProPheT 216

Well-Known Member
I'll add pics that are current tomorrow. The bucket I did this to I also added zuce juice from nectar. Kelp and humic. But my plant is currently 3x bigger than I expected and has almost taken over a whole 5x5 tent. If it wasn't for training and I just layed her wide open she whould fill the tent. With 30 + legitimate budsites looking like tops

Week old pic
20220720_142948.jpg
 
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