Decided to stop using air stones

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

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

I tried a recirculating pump in my cloner instead of the two air stones and air pump, the recirculated water worked equally and no noise from it.

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

Buckets might make it a little more tricky. I use submerged pump with 3/4 pvc running from control rez to site rez with a t and caps and holes poked in it works great

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?

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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...

Same

My biggest problem with it is water splashing makes me have to pee

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...

Gotta pay attention to lift height. Look at these ones...your 55 gal might even need more lift https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07XYZZ2J7/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=A2PQGFJXAT8J9K&psc=1&th=1

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.

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.

@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.

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.


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


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.


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


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.



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

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.


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.



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



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.



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







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.







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

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@rkymtnman

Sorry for the double post.
First one was not there this morning so I reposted.

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