Best Air stones?

[h.h.]

Cool website you have going. I appreciate it. A bit of overkill for the average grower though I could see a viable market selling fresh tea at the coops and even the farmers market as a buy it today, use it today product. Come back next week and I'll sell ya another gallon.
On the fungus. Once it's established around the root zone, is there a need for it in the teas? Also does the presence of saponins seem to have any effect on the gas exchange?

 

[maryjohn]

There are many fungi present not just mycorhizal

There is still no scientific concensus on foliar spraying and what it does, though there is evidence of disease suppression as far as I know.

 

[Clackamas Coot]

For awhile i used the hard, almost concrete type one that is about 3 or 4" long. It got quite slimey with EJ grow. I since tried one of the cheaper ones that came with the air pump.

Not really happy with these either.

What sorta airstones does everyone use to bubble nutes and teas?

Clearwater

Specifically this one:

It's 1.5" thick x 7" diameter with 3/8" barb......

Very heavy duty line of air stones.

CC

 

[thekingofNY]

Clearwater

Specifically this one:

It's 1.5" thick x 7" diameter with 3/8" barb......

Very heavy duty line of air stones.

CC

DAMN 50 bucks for a freaking airstone! Must be part gold.

We'll i'm trying to bubble a new batch of EJ with no airstone... its just keeping the tube weighed down, will report back here in 24 hours to let you guys know how it went.

 

[norcalsmoker]

will keep my eye on this thread as I am always looking for the best airstone for the buck as long as it works good.....you get what u pay for

 

[Clackamas Coot]

DAMN 50 bucks for a freaking airstone! Must be part gold.

theKingofNY

I should have explained that this air stone serves as the aeration deal in the cisterns of rain water we collect during the rainy season (basically October through June and sometimes into July).

If it were only for making teas it would be overkill.

HTH

CC

 

[opt1c]

i've had better luck with 6 cheap 6" ones off a manifold in a 5gal bucket than a single larger one... fewer clogs and better all around circulation; haven't tried a glass one yet

i've heard muriatic acid can clean em but that stuff is nasty

 

[maryjohn]

Muriatic acid is not nasty really, for what it can accomplish.

All this is overkill for one gallon. I daresay 100 gallon jugs with crappy pumps get as high a DO as a 100 gallon cistern with a good system.

 

[CT Guy]

Have you seen our design? We don't use airstones and you can throw the tubing in the dishwasher after brewing (away from the heater).

 

[CT Guy]

Just wanted you guys to see there's other options beyond airstones for making good ACT.

 

[habeeb]

^ that tubing is so easy to clean, I can clean it in a couple of minutes!!

another reason to love KIS brewer

 

[Microbeman]

We have also switched from airstones to precision machined slotted pipe. Off the top of my head I believe the slots to be 254 microns, about the length of an average to large sized naked amoeba or ciliate. Muriatic acid (sulfuric acid) is not all that environmentally friendly which motivated me to design our new diffuser.

 

[habeeb]

I love when people are thinking "environmentally friendly"

which leads me to thinking how long the piping in the kis brewer can be used before being throwing away to pollute the earth. maybe in the future they will be made of recycled plastic? maybe they will be made of something more environmentally friendly in the future?

airstones do not seem such a good option after this

 

[CT Guy]

I love when people are thinking "environmentally friendly"

which leads me to thinking how long the piping in the kis brewer can be used before being throwing away to pollute the earth. maybe in the future they will be made of recycled plastic? maybe they will be made of something more environmentally friendly in the future?

airstones do not seem such a good option after this

It can really be used indefinitely, it's fairly thick plastic. I do see your point though about "environmentally friendly." Recycled plastic is an excellent idea for future production lines. Business is a tough line between price and company vision.

I think of the two, a plastic design would be better for the environment because it can be used repeatedly, without the need for harsh chemicals (which require disposal).

For the larger systems (500+ gallons) we use stainless steel, which works very well and typically allows us to recycle something that's already been used on the farm.

 

[Clackamas Coot]

My favorite 'KIS Tea Brewer' deal is 3 cups of organic alfalfa meal, 1/4 cup kelp meal and 1/2 tsp. humic acid (from KIS Tea's web site) in 5-gallons of purified water and then 'brewed' for 24+ hours.

This solution will cure ANYTHING - period.

CC

 

[Clackamas Coot]

It's my 'opinion' and little else that if one is using a viable compost/EWC addition to your soil mix (LC or whatever) that the need for a compost tea is limited, i.e. making your soil mix will do far more to having a successful grow than applying a compost tea to mediocre soil and I believe that information at SFI supports that tenet.

I could be wrong.

CC

 

[Haps]

I used to do gallons too, take a wooden clothes pin, clip it to the top of the jug, there should be enough room to snake the air hose through and hold it in place.

 

[CT Guy]

My favorite 'KIS Tea Brewer' deal is 3 cups of organic alfalfa meal, 1/4 cup kelp meal and 1/2 tsp. humic acid (from KIS Tea's web site) in 5-gallons of purified water and then 'brewed' for 24+ hours.

This solution will cure ANYTHING - period.

CC

CC,

Have you tested that recipe at all. It seems like a lot of alfalfa. Are you adding any compost or ewc? Or are you using the alfalfa to provide the protozoa?

Just curious....

 

[caljim]

I bubble in Gallon jugs, so getting down in their isnt really an option.
Thanks for the quick replies though everyone... looks like a glass airstone seems to be where its at.

Just curious. Are you dilluting that gallon into a larger volume of water or does the gallon cover your watering needs?

The kiss brewer sounds great, but the last thing I need is more gear. I've got a 35w pump that is rated at 950 gph. Is that enough air for a 5 gal bucket?

 

[CT Guy]

.08 cfm/gal