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Outdoor hydro do I need air stones?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Outdoorhydropile
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Outdoor hydro do I need air stones?

Outdoorhydropile 49 Replies 7,902 Views
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Outdoorhydropile

Outdoorhydropile

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#1
Anyone ever do outdoor hydro from start to finish? I’m running 12/ 68 gallon grow sites with one plant per site.. currently flooding twice a day. Cutting edge solutions nutrients full strength. passive ebb and flow. Been growing a long time, just wondering what you all thought about the set up.. do I need air stones in each grow site?
 

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#4
I don't grow in hydro but likely will change that in the future at some point. Plant development is so much faster...This is a bad ass looking outdoor hydro system for sure man! I'd like to watch this progress ✌️.
 
#5
Outdoorhydropile said:
Anyone ever do outdoor hydro from start to finish? I’m running 12/ 68 gallon grow sites with one plant per site.. currently flooding twice a day. Cutting edge solutions nutrients full strength. passive ebb and flow. Been growing a long time, just wondering what you all thought about the set up.. do I need air stones in each grow site?
Click to expand...
Your going to need a taller green house.

Adding air stones is an attempt to increase DO levels.

What is your water temperature with the system running?
 
#6
Outdoorhydropile said:
Anyone ever do outdoor hydro from start to finish? I’m running 12/ 68 gallon grow sites with one plant per site.. currently flooding twice a day. Cutting edge solutions nutrients full strength. passive ebb and flow. Been growing a long time, just wondering what you all thought about the set up.. do I need air stones in each grow site?
Click to expand...
Hydro set up is sick af!!
 
#7
Depends on your delivery of water… its surface agitation thats key and where the gas exchange happens. Contrary to what most think it is NOT the bubbles but rather the surface agitation they create…. Can get more depth if you feel the need.

If your delivery or input is above the water level and it causes good surface agitation and water column mixing then absolutely no need.

On the contrary if its below and does not agitate the surface well you can do individual and possibly just the supply depending on how its setup.

If you can break out the crayons and give me a half assed look at the flow directions, pump rating and supply res are like i can give you a better idea.

Ideally your pump and return lines should be able to turnover the actual volume of water that your grow sites hold at a min 4x per hr and 10 would be a good place.

Hiw many sites on a loop matter so if you are feeding to each site individually from the res (done many way) then your in a good place for an easy answers
 
#8
smokedareefer said:
Your going to need a taller green house.

Adding air stones is an attempt to increase DO levels.

What is your water temperature with the system running?
Click to expand...
If he hits 72 lol. . . he is my hero. . and his trees will grow right through that roof. I bet the greenhouse is lifted 20ft off the ground lol. . dude is my hero.

I worry about the return line size. . but he's drain and flood so Idk. .

I think it would be hard to keep that water warm. I imagine the drums 25% buried and a geo loop/coil to cool it.

Overall as long as he keeps them low. . i think he will do fantastic. Must say im a bit jelous.
 
#10
Having the water flowing down an angled shoot or cascade water falls is the best way to gas water in a live system. Like through a sluece or just cascading a few feet through the air and into the reservoir. More surface area and agitation the better. Keeping evaporation in mind of course.
 
#11
This is going to take some time to properly explain and just headed out shopping but in a very basic quick response is…

o2 is actually a pretty tough gas to dissolve in water in relation to say Co2 which is very easy.

Both are influenced by many things like temperature but aside from that the factors specific to bubbles is the pressure and dwell time. If you can increase the pressure and the dwell time you can increase the absorption into water. So short of building a something to accomplish this (and i have done this) there is not sufficient pressure and dwell time to make any significant inpact from bubbles.

The surface of the water however has a constant dwell time and when its agitated it creates more sarface area and water column mixing. This bring low o2 water to the surface for gas exchange and returns water with o2 at equilibrium to the lower portions.

The larger the area of the surface the more overall gas exchange.

Many other things like surface tension, bio films and the % of gases just avove the water line also play a large role.


Ill explain more when i get back from shopping… want to keep my lady happy so give me a few hrs and ill go through it in full detail if you like. Possibly just write an article on it and tag you because it’s something thats very misconceived
 
#12
Just to add the bubbles create water column mixing by pulling water up with them and surface agitation which is why its a good option but not the only option… waterfalls, fluming, fans and eace makers also can work.

Its not the bubbles but the action of the bubbles that aerate the water and why matching pumps to proper airstones is the key not by gph of the pump to the volume of water as many seem to have some formula for

As @Ponky said exposure or dwell time and suface area are key factors
 
#14
Aqua Man said:
Just to add the bubbles create water column mixing by pulling water up with them and surface agitation which is why its a good option but not the only option… waterfalls, fluming, fans and eace makers also can work.

Its not the bubbles but the action of the bubbles that aerate the water and why matching pumps to proper airstones is the key not by gph of the pump to the volume of water as many seem to have some formula for

As @Ponky said exposure or dwell time and suface area are key factors
Click to expand...
Isn't science fun? This hobby/profession has expanded my knowledge of biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, ALL sciences in general, much more than any paid university could have. When you truly love something, it really inspires you to learn all about it. At least it does, for me.. 🤓 🤠
 
#15
Deadstill said:
Isn't science fun? This hobby/profession has expanded my knowledge of biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, ALL sciences in general, much more than any paid university could have. When you truly love something, it really inspires you to learn all about it. At least it does, for me.. 🤓 🤠
Click to expand...
Absolutely brother thiS hobby profession encompasses sooo many different disciplines
 
#16
smokedareefer said:
Your going to need a taller green house.

Adding air stones is an attempt to increase DO levels.

What is your water temperature with the system running?
Click to expand...
I’m thinking you might be right about my height.. lol we shall see. My water temps stay between 66-68
 
#19
Cashmeh said:
If he hits 72 lol. . . he is my hero. . and his trees will grow right through that roof. I bet the greenhouse is lifted 20ft off the ground lol. . dude is my hero.

I worry about the return line size. . but he's drain and flood so Idk. .

I think it would be hard to keep that water warm. I imagine the drums 25% buried and a geo loop/coil to cool it.

Overall as long as he keeps them low. . i think he will do fantastic. Must say im a bit jelous.
Click to expand...
My system stays at about 68 degrees, the only time I get much higher than that is when don’t flood my sites for a decent amount of time. I shut the flood pump down for a day and my res reached 74 degrees. The barrels in the ground act like a geothermal heat exchanger keeping my res cool, which is also in the ground.That being said this is uncharted territory for me, and the heat of summer is barely upon us.. 🤞I appreciate your positive energy brother! Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated!
 
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