DO NOT use a "Wave Maker"

Searching through the forums and there were plenty of people on here that suggested a wave maker over an air pump.. well one Amazon order later and a Wave Maker in my DWC bucket resulted in this dumb product catching my roots and ripping some out. I am glad it just happened to one bucket but that probably set me back - painful for a first time/noob grower.

I'm sticking with my damn air pump, actually I am going to go buy a bigger, commercial one (what I should've done in the first place).

Put it in a mesh bag… or would that prevent it from doing its job?

HydroKid239 said:

Put it in a mesh bag… or would that prevent it from doing its job?

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It would probably work but it just doesn't seem worth it, the water was moving less than the weak air stones were doing and its rated like 600gph.

Anyone have suggestions for a good commercial air pump that isn't too loud?

ponics42o said:

It would probably work but it just doesn't seem worth it, the water was moving less than the weak air stones were doing and its rated like 600gph.

Anyone have suggestions for a good commercial air pump that isn't too loud?

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I get it. Sometimes the trials can be a pita.. but that’s how we pick up on smarter ways to go about it.

HydroKid239 said:

I get it. Sometimes the trials can be a pita.. but that’s how we pick up on smarter ways to go about it.

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It ripped out like 2 or 3 pretty long roots. I'm like 2 weeks into my grow too, is this gonna be a big problem or is the plant pretty resilient?

ponics42o said:

It ripped out like 2 or 3 pretty long weeks. I'm like 2 weeks into my grow too, is this gonna be a big problem or is the plant pretty resilient?

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I think it may show signs of stress, but it will bounce back.

i use a wave maker in my stand alone feed reservoir. works great.

ponics42o said:

a Wave Maker in my DWC bucket

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LOL. This is the funniest thing I've read on here in a long time.

lusidghost said:

LOL. This is the funniest thing I've read on here in a long time.

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ive heard of air pruning roots but never pruning with an underwater fan.

facepalm worthy

You're supposed to put it in the control bucket or res, not in a grow bucket.

Air pumps here ....

Ken is a good guy to do business with.

Unga Bunga said:

Air pumps here ....

Alita Air Pumps

Alita air pumps are very quiet and dependable. The Alita pumps come in a range of sizes that can drive 6 outlets or over 200 outlets. Alita pumps are excellent for fish rooms and are very easily rebuilt.

kensfish.com

Ken is a good guy to do business with.

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ohhhh quieter than the ol' hydrofarm 4 gang? thanks for the link!

sandman83 said:

ohhhh quieter than the ol' hydrofarm 4 gang? thanks for the link!

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I never used any hydroponic specific pumps during my foray into DWC . I had 2000+ gallons of aquariums going at the time and just repurposed those pumps .

I did have a large Alita pump running 24/7 in my bedroom for years and it didn't bother me . As a caveat however I can sleep through just about anything .

I'm not a hydroponic expert by any means but when I bought pumps for fish I always bought bigger than needed . You can always restrict or bleed off some air . Bleeding it off is easier on the pump than restriction .

I never heard of using a wave maker but I definitely wouldn't use it in the same tote as my plants. I ditched the air stones long ago and run spray bars. Roots love it, it's like a real root spa

Bucsfan80 said:

I never heard of using a wave maker but I definitely wouldn't use it in the same tote as my plants. I ditched the air stones long ago and run spray bars. Roots love it, it's like a real root spa

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got a linky? I'm happier with the 5" flat disk versions than I was with the older cylinder style but more bubbles is always a bonus.

So the bubbles only real benefit is the rippling of the waters surface. Waterfalls or fluming are more beneficial than airstones, for adding d.o. to the water. The spray bars also are a good option.

sandman83 said:

got a linky? I'm happier with the 5" flat disk versions than I was with the older cylinder style but more bubbles is always a bonus.

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I made the spray bars myself
I have pics somewhere but can find them atm

Ya but what about being in a sealed room with c02 supplementation. A waterfall or fluming device obviously isn't the best choice, IMO. Churning up whatever air into the water with 1000+ ppm of c02 at the same time. With air lines, you at least can pump in fresh air from another room, or even hook up pure a oxygen tank/breathing machine

I'm not here to argue about whats best (my newest rdwc system I been putting together has pure o2 venturi mixing valve, spray bars, air stones, and even hydrogen electrolyzer cells if I get bored... all in the same system, depending on what I wanna use)...

I'm here to figure out how to turn these wave maker problems into an automatic root trimming device, lol.