aeration in rdwc-no air pumps h2o sat questions

[macdiesel]

So I'm building a pretty sweet RDWC. In a thread I posted about water pumps, the discussion of not using air pumps in the system came up.
Mojave Green posted these links on aeration-

http://web.archive.org/web/200508280...max/aerate.htm

http://leisure.prior-it.co.uk/diy-bu...-venturi.shtml

http://leisure.prior-it.co.uk/venturi-mods.shtml

After reading these links and studying a bit on waterfall vs venturi o2 saturation rates, I've decided to build my rdwc system with an 1800 gph h2o pump with a venturi. No waterfall, no airstones.

Does anyone have any studies or facts on how long h2o o2 saturation rates last?

EG-if 100% o2 saturation is obtained in the control bucket, circulating 8 times per hour, will 100% saturation be sustained during one cycle throughout all grow sites back to the control bucket? Optimal water temperatures will be regulated so that isn't a factor. Design is basically 18 gallon buckets in a current culture type system, 12 total grow sites, one control bucket.

 

[Bennyweed1]

Ya man, I was wondering this exact same thing. If you try it out I will for sure watch. I wanted to only saturate my control but never ponied up and did it.

 

[sahdgrower]

I was just getting ready to post about this topic as well. I NEED to get rid of my air pump. It is soooo fucking loud I am gonna shoot myself before I harvest. I am so busy with other stuff that I have not been able to really try to isolate the noise. However, given what I have read about how water oxygenates it seems surface agitation is the key element. That got me thinking all kinds of crazy ideas. How bout something mechanical that simply agitates the top of the water (picture wind up bath toy on crack!) Or I also considered mounting a water pump to each bucket, intake on the bottom and output on the top, single bucket RDWC. I am definately going to keep an eye on this thread. I just may have to buy an oxygen meter.

 

[gmanwho]

Ran a small room with 2 600's, 10 5 gal buckets, top drip with a 1000gph higher end mag pump, i forget the pump name at the moment. 2 1/2inch returns, no air pumps , no chiller. water temps got in the 80's. Things out grew the area an i had some nice plants an some stunted ones that got shaded to hard.

there is a max o2 saturation point at given water temp. the drip rings forcing water out at higher pressures, an then the waterfall effect over the hydroton seem to have created a good root environment.

The roots on the healthy plants where in good shape. the shaded ones not so much. Just shows that a healthy plant can overcome the rot even when there's rotted ones in the same system.

would i bet a complete system with out airstones. tough call.

but, i am in the process of building a larger top drip system with no airstones. I am using a 3600gph pump. 24 top drip plants in 54 gal tubs. 2 plants per tub, 12 tubs. low water level in each tub with 3inch returns. but i am using a chiller, i already had it from years ago dwc ventures. will be starting a thread in a month or 2. thinking of putting a venturi in the water feed, not sure yet.

b-safe

 

[Iffy]

If res temps are a problem you could always fit a small fan to blow over the surface of the res - transpiration will cool it, by roughly 4 degrees. I call it the 'Nimby' after the OG grower of the same name, who enlightened me years ago on Overgrow.
Stay safe & happy growing

 

[sahdgrower]

I currently have a 5 bucket RDWC system built from Snype's design. What I am envisioning doing just not sure if it will add enough o2, is to use the pump that is drawing the recirculation to pump the water 5' above the control bucket and let the water drop straight from there into the controller, gravity will generate quite a bit of turbulence in the water from my preliminary tests. Again I do not know what this translates to in actual oxygen levels in the water but it looks good. Then from there I will add another water pump to draw from the control bucket and pump to each individual bucket via 1/2" flexible tubing. This will add a small waterfall to each bucket as well as help keep all the water circulating throughout the entire system. What do you guys think?