S
singularity
- 37
- 8
Hi,
I have a number of buckets in DWC, two air pumps, and one to two large cylindrical air stones per bucket that are all fed from common manifolds, one per pump.
There is a fair bit of overpressure from the manifolds and all the line are the same length with the same water levels, so back pressure should be similar, and when accounting for the overpressure, they should all push similar amounts of air.
The problem is that's far from the case. Some stones just blast and from others, a mere trickle.
I am quite certain it is in the stones to blame for the high level of variability in output as they're the only uncontrolled variable, and in one instance I noticed one of them had a tremendous output that was all concentrated nearest the outlet that the hose connects to. They just glue this on and all the air was escaping from around it, meaning that stone was acting as nothing more than as a dead weight while air from the line was essentially free flowing.
I replaced that "bad" stone with a new one where I encountered the exact opposite problem; almost no output, certainly no "flow"... just a few fine bubbles gently floating up of their volition... no drive at all. Useless and disappointing. The other stone in that bucket had great output, so I just left it as it was for the time being.
Then of course you have the issue of having them clog... where output is reduced to a trickle, and I've had that happen once, to the extent the plant was showing signs of being over watered.
So these air stones clearly suck real bad and are a big liability to the potential for success of my grow. Today is the day that I clean out the buckets and .... maybe don't put the stones back?
I have heard of people not using them and just leaving the air line in... I'm assuming they weigh it down somehow.
I get tremendous output if I just stick the line in there and let it blast.
Now, I recognize that "fine bubbles" helps the DO content, but micro bubbles just aren't a happening from this getup.... these stones don't do it.
What they do manage to do, when working properly, is get a real good boil going, providing very good circulation, and the DO content will then be raised not through micro bubbles, but by the drastically increased surface area of the "boiling" surface to air interface + terrific circulation.
I've seen someone post tests with a DO meter that seemed to demonstrate it didn't matter if it was a super expensive micro bubble ceramic type stone or just the open ended hose, they were all saturated.
I have one or two buckets where the stones are just boiling it like mad and the roots don't seem to mind it. But I'm wondering if anyone has encountered issues of too much turbulence slowing root growth or damaging them, say via air pruning.
As well, are there any suggestions as to what could be used to weigh down the airlines? I was thinking of screwing a bolt into the end and cutting a few slits in it just ahead of the bolt to let the air blast out. I suppose the bolt in the water wouldn't be the best idea though.
Also, is it typical to experience such a high degree of variability between new air stones?
Thanks
I have a number of buckets in DWC, two air pumps, and one to two large cylindrical air stones per bucket that are all fed from common manifolds, one per pump.
There is a fair bit of overpressure from the manifolds and all the line are the same length with the same water levels, so back pressure should be similar, and when accounting for the overpressure, they should all push similar amounts of air.
The problem is that's far from the case. Some stones just blast and from others, a mere trickle.
I am quite certain it is in the stones to blame for the high level of variability in output as they're the only uncontrolled variable, and in one instance I noticed one of them had a tremendous output that was all concentrated nearest the outlet that the hose connects to. They just glue this on and all the air was escaping from around it, meaning that stone was acting as nothing more than as a dead weight while air from the line was essentially free flowing.
I replaced that "bad" stone with a new one where I encountered the exact opposite problem; almost no output, certainly no "flow"... just a few fine bubbles gently floating up of their volition... no drive at all. Useless and disappointing. The other stone in that bucket had great output, so I just left it as it was for the time being.
Then of course you have the issue of having them clog... where output is reduced to a trickle, and I've had that happen once, to the extent the plant was showing signs of being over watered.
So these air stones clearly suck real bad and are a big liability to the potential for success of my grow. Today is the day that I clean out the buckets and .... maybe don't put the stones back?
I have heard of people not using them and just leaving the air line in... I'm assuming they weigh it down somehow.
I get tremendous output if I just stick the line in there and let it blast.
Now, I recognize that "fine bubbles" helps the DO content, but micro bubbles just aren't a happening from this getup.... these stones don't do it.
What they do manage to do, when working properly, is get a real good boil going, providing very good circulation, and the DO content will then be raised not through micro bubbles, but by the drastically increased surface area of the "boiling" surface to air interface + terrific circulation.
I've seen someone post tests with a DO meter that seemed to demonstrate it didn't matter if it was a super expensive micro bubble ceramic type stone or just the open ended hose, they were all saturated.
I have one or two buckets where the stones are just boiling it like mad and the roots don't seem to mind it. But I'm wondering if anyone has encountered issues of too much turbulence slowing root growth or damaging them, say via air pruning.
As well, are there any suggestions as to what could be used to weigh down the airlines? I was thinking of screwing a bolt into the end and cutting a few slits in it just ahead of the bolt to let the air blast out. I suppose the bolt in the water wouldn't be the best idea though.
Also, is it typical to experience such a high degree of variability between new air stones?
Thanks