How to clean air stones?

FinestKind · Nov 9, 2010

Hey all... my airstones get clogged up pretty damn quick in my Earth Juice tea, and I'm wondering if anyone has found an effective way of cleaning them? I'm considering boiling them, but I imagine this may be a stinky little project...

It's not that I'm too cheap to go buy new ones; I just want to limit my trips to our small town pet store (facial recognition and what not) as much as possible. Plus, I hate wasting shit. Thanks!

FK

Suby · Nov 9, 2010

I don't use airstones anymore.
I use a RW cube, I buy a big tray.
I plug the airhose into the hole in the RW cube and use a small tie wrap around the section of RW with the hose to hold it in place.
Diffuses air like a dream, I chuck it out when I'm done, no airstones to clean.
I know I am throwing something out but in my mind it beats using chemicals.
Maybe peroxyde would work, I know bleach would work but you'll have to rinse the shit out of it afterward.

SilverSurfer_OG · Nov 9, 2010

Hey good timing i was only pondering this yesterday. :smoke:

I have been using the biggish round airstones that are heavy enough to sink straight to the bottom. Mine is now clogged right up after a few days in a tea. I switched with the one in my garden ponds solar air pump.

This one looks clogged and has algae all over but still diffuses plenty more air...

So i was thinking the pond may have some enzyme or what not that would clean out the gunk??

Maybe that stuff H&G make for keeping drippers clean?

Bleach isnt so bad i guess? The bad stuff just evaporates after a few days right?

:smoweed:

O and welcome back Suby! Nice to see you round these parts again. :rasta:

guest2012y · Nov 9, 2010

I was using a scotch bright pad....then switched up to actually scraping the outer layer away with an old knife. Some are more brittle than others,but it works alright for a few teas. At least enough for 1 cycle before they are just junk.

bonsai · Nov 9, 2010

Since I clean out my brewing bucket with bleach afterwards anyway, I stick the stones in and run the pump for a little while, then let them soak. Seems to work great, but my stones are the cheapest I could find and one of them is starting to crumble away quite badly.

EatMoGrass · Nov 9, 2010

I am always sure to leave the air pump running with the airstone out of tea or res untill it is totally dry(30-60min). They seem to clean up much easier if the slime is not allowed deep into the pores.

My small stones I still replace somewhat often as they are cheap, but for more expensive stones(Micropore at $30ea) I have soaked them in peroxide alternating between having the air pump on and off several times over a day. This seems to allow the peroxide to loosen up the bacterial slime and then the pressure from the pump has an easier time pushing the slime/particulates from the pores. Then a light brushing is all that is needed to perform almost like new.

No bleach and very little elbow grease is needed, just a bit of time.

So far I have brewed nearly 40 batches of tea with the same Micropore stone it is still working well. The key is to not turn the air pump off until that stone is dry!

stonedar · Nov 9, 2010

if you buy the air-hoses they clean up in warm soapy water & a little bleach. flexable air snakes type thingie.

sanjuan · Nov 9, 2010

[From about.com, for saltwater tanks:]
Here's How:
1.Rinse the air stone(s) in freshwater, lighting scrubbing any excess build up off the outside.
2.Allow to air dry.
3.Boil in freshwater for 10 minutes.
4.Allow to air dry.
5.Soak in a solution of 1 part household bleach to 3 parts freshwater for 24 hours.
6.Remove from bleach solution and attach an air line from an air pump to the stone and place it in a container of freshwater, letting it run for 5 minutes.
7.Remove from freshwater and continue to let the air pump through the stone for 5 minutes.
8.Allow to completely air dry, then store for future use.
Tips:
1.To help remove hard calcium deposits, vinegar can be used in place of bleach in Step 5, or you can repeat Steps 5-8 alternating with both solutions.
2.DO NOT dry air stones of any kind in an oven, as this will melt the plastic hose coupling.
3.The above steps can be reduced, but for the best results, do ALL of them.
4.By repeatedly drying the stones, this allows them to absorb the different liquids and then expel the reduced contaminants.
5.This cleaning process can be used for any type of air stone material; i.e. wood, ceramic, mineral, etc.

Edit: I bought Alita air stones and I recall muriatic acid being recommended (or at least allowed) but I can't find the reference now.

FinestKind · Nov 9, 2010

Suby said:
I don't use airstones anymore.
I use a RW cube, I buy a big tray.
I plug the airhose into the hole in the RW cube and use a small tie wrap around the section of RW with the hose to hold it in place.
Diffuses air like a dream, I chuck it out when I'm done, no airstones to clean.
I know I am throwing something out but in my mind it beats using chemicals.
Maybe peroxyde would work, I know bleach would work but you'll have to rinse the shit out of it afterward.

Doesn't the RW cube float? How do you get it to stay at the bottom? Or is heavy enough once its saturated with water?

FK

Suby · Nov 10, 2010

Oh shit I forgot, I use a large nut (bolt type not walnut type

), or else they float.
Slip the hose through the nut into the RW cube and then secure the hose with tie-warp.
The nut sits of the RW cube.
I am telling you guys try this lol, I can buy a tray of RW cubes for just a few $ for a tray of 50.
They work for 5 gallon bucket and diffuse just fine.
I find bleach scary when I figure I am using airstones to brew compost tea.
Muriatic acid is nasty shit, the fumes from that shit the minute it contacts anything is brutal.

stonedar · Nov 10, 2010

yep, if you clean a stone with bleach or an air-diffuser with muriatic acid (used by brick layers to clean mortar from brick face) you gotta rinse it in clean water well. common sense, but hey smart to mention

guest2012y · Nov 10, 2010

I've heard that bleach does leave a salt of sodium hypocholorite residue behind...and I've also heard that there's something in it that is carcinogenic....so I just googled it and found this on the Wiki.....
"Chlorination of drinking water can oxidize organic contaminants, producing trihalomethanes (also called haloforms), which are carcinogenic."

The amounts are small in which you would actually be left with after cleaning airstones,but when cancer is an issue in your life and has killed your friends would you really want to mess with carcinogenic shit?
Something to think about in terms of organic gardening practices...then again I'm sure there are other things we work with that may have a carcinogenic link....I dunno.

FinestKind · Nov 10, 2010

Suby said:
Oh shit I forgot, I use a large nut (bolt type not walnut type ), or else they float.
Slip the hose through the nut into the RW cube and then secure the hose with tie-warp.
The nut sits of the RW cube.
I am telling you guys try this lol, I can buy a tray of RW cubes for just a few $ for a tray of 50.
They work for 5 gallon bucket and diffuse just fine.
I find bleach scary when I figure I am using airstones to brew compost tea.
Muriatic acid is nasty shit, the fumes from that shit the minute it contacts anything is brutal.

What size cubes? I assume the 2" starters, yes? I think I'm going to give this one a try... no need to make up excuses at the hydro store the way I need to at the pet store!

FK

EatMoGrass · Nov 10, 2010

In the past I had used bleach to clean a stone per directions on an aquarium site. The stone had a very strong odor of chlorine that would not go away by rinsing or soaking it.

I was convinced it had a negative effect on my next batch of tea but I was never able to confirm it as I'm a small timer with no microscope.

ILoveit · Nov 10, 2010

Just use a toothbrush or a washing up brush for those large airstones.

opt1c · Nov 10, 2010

muriatic acid; i prefer just buying new ones though... get a ton of cheap ones off the net if u live in a small town; they are CHEAP compared to everything else in the grow room

props to suby for the rockwool trick; gonna have to try that bit o' badassery next time i'm brewing teas

FinestKind · Nov 10, 2010

Suby said:
Oh shit I forgot, I use a large nut (bolt type not walnut type ), or else they float.
Slip the hose through the nut into the RW cube and then secure the hose with tie-warp.
The nut sits of the RW cube.
I am telling you guys try this lol, I can buy a tray of RW cubes for just a few $ for a tray of 50.
They work for 5 gallon bucket and diffuse just fine.
I find bleach scary when I figure I am using airstones to brew compost tea.
Muriatic acid is nasty shit, the fumes from that shit the minute it contacts anything is brutal.

I gotta tell ya, Suby, that's one of the most innovative ideas I've heard on here in a long time... kudos!

FK

big_daddy · Nov 10, 2010

I used to use apple cider vinegar to clean my stones, and it worked quite well. I've since built a diffuser with a "tee", a ferreled nipple and a length of soaker hose.

A soaker hose from Home Depot is about 11 bucks, and with 50 feet, I just discard the grungy length and replace with a new length.

HTH,

b_d

DixonCox · Nov 11, 2010

I use air stones at work all the time for rotifer cultures, artemia hatching tanks, etc. we clean them in bleach then rinse them in fresh water , connect the air line and rinse again and allow to completely dry.

Hammerhead · Nov 11, 2010

opt1c said:
muriatic acid; i prefer just buying new ones though... get a ton of cheap ones off the net if u live in a small town; they are CHEAP compared to everything else in the grow room

props to suby for the rockwool trick; gonna have to try that bit o' badassery next time i'm brewing teas

I agree This is what u need to use.

How to clean air stones?

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