interesting idea...
provides the rock needed to keep the air hose submerged... i was wondering what i was gonna do with my old big ass stone... now i know
thanks...
Air stone alternatives in DWC ??
- Thread starter Superhoops
- Start date
interesting idea...
provides the rock needed to keep the air hose submerged... i was wondering what i was gonna do with my old big ass stone... now i know
thanks...
ChronicFUNK
Member
NP seemed like the easiest solutioninteresting idea...
provides the rock needed to keep the air hose submerged... i was wondering what i was gonna do with my old big ass stone... now i know
thanks...
I have considered using a waterfall, BUT, it allows light to get in the rez and I am not keen on that.
Instead I opt for a large 4 tap air pump + 4 large Oxystone cylinders, which works extremely well. These stones do not break down like cheap stones
JohnnyToke
Member
A few years ago, I stopped using airstones in my rdwc's. waste of money imho.
I dug through my old tackle box and pulled out a few 1.5 - 2 oz weights. They are plenty for holding the air hose down on the bottom. I run a 'T' on the end of the hose. You could also use a heavy stainless steel nut to hold them down as another poster stated. The lava rock would work as well.
My dwc water boils like it sitting over a hot fire. plenty of DO.
I dug through my old tackle box and pulled out a few 1.5 - 2 oz weights. They are plenty for holding the air hose down on the bottom. I run a 'T' on the end of the hose. You could also use a heavy stainless steel nut to hold them down as another poster stated. The lava rock would work as well.
My dwc water boils like it sitting over a hot fire. plenty of DO.
crizzo
Member
I grow dwc, and had tried every thing to supplement air. I use 5 gal bucket and I now go to lowes or home depot and get those cheap round plastic yard sprinkler you attach a hose to. you can either get a barbed fitting for it and mount it to the bottom or i like to get a bulkhead fitting and a coupling and mount through the side of the bucket near the bottom. i do this to support the sprinkler from moving and to keep my air lines low and out of the way. but make sure your pump is above your water line so if the pump is off it dont fill with water.
the round garden sprinkler are under $3 and the larger hole dont really ever clog.
I hope this is helpful to you.
the round garden sprinkler are under $3 and the larger hole dont really ever clog.
I hope this is helpful to you.
no metal in reservoir please
no metal in reservoir please
Care must be taken to insure no metal is in the reservoir. The metal can react with the nutrient solution and produce potentially harmful compounds. Cannabis is notorious for the uptake of lead and other harmful heavy metals, which it later stores in the plant tissues that you ingest. Please remove the lead fishing weights from your reservoir. Heavy metal poisoning takes a while to manifest itself into symptoms and can be difficult to cure if not impossible (some damage to organs is not reversible). Use glass or other material which is not reactive(not all glass is safe either).
no metal in reservoir please
Care must be taken to insure no metal is in the reservoir. The metal can react with the nutrient solution and produce potentially harmful compounds. Cannabis is notorious for the uptake of lead and other harmful heavy metals, which it later stores in the plant tissues that you ingest. Please remove the lead fishing weights from your reservoir. Heavy metal poisoning takes a while to manifest itself into symptoms and can be difficult to cure if not impossible (some damage to organs is not reversible). Use glass or other material which is not reactive(not all glass is safe either).
...Yet another idea for open air line use...
In my DWC 5 gal buckets I have a piece of potable water usage pvc (the black). Cut it to the dimension of the base of the bucket...so you can force it into place by wedging it in. Make it tight!
Then I drill through the pipe twice a couple of inches away from each other the dimension of the air hose. Feed the tube through one set of holes, then back through the other.
Shove the pipe in the bottom of the bucket...and enjoy! Lot's of water movement, same results as with air stones. I found if you let the line just "sit in" the water it will end up out of the water and then you're not getting the benefit of the air. And yeah, my understanding is you DON'T want metal in your hydro set up!!
Good luck.
In my DWC 5 gal buckets I have a piece of potable water usage pvc (the black). Cut it to the dimension of the base of the bucket...so you can force it into place by wedging it in. Make it tight!
Then I drill through the pipe twice a couple of inches away from each other the dimension of the air hose. Feed the tube through one set of holes, then back through the other.
Shove the pipe in the bottom of the bucket...and enjoy! Lot's of water movement, same results as with air stones. I found if you let the line just "sit in" the water it will end up out of the water and then you're not getting the benefit of the air. And yeah, my understanding is you DON'T want metal in your hydro set up!!
Good luck.
You can use a waterfall off a T in your res. Undercurrect rdwc designs pull water from plant sites and put into top of res. You can run a sheet waterfall to recirc in res or cascade waterfall from pump input pipe. Flooming could also have a pump input pipe or 2 pointed up (Venturi effect) for water to break surface tension to get DO. To get the oxygen into the res just take a 3" pc fan or 2 and mount them inside holes in your container with a pvc pipe section to hold the fan(s). You could make a slight baffle so little or no light gets in (affects flow somewhat so that's why I said 2 fans).
Also a high flow rate can greatly help with DO, about 15-30 system gallons per hour or recirc water every 2-4 minutes. Usually you'll need 2-3" pvc pipe to keep flows and levels even in plant sites and roots from invading pipes too much. A general rule of thumb: 1.25-1.5" circulation pipe – 750 gph total pump size, 2” circulation pipe – 1,200 gph, 3” circulation pipe – 2,750 gph and 4” circulation pipe – 4,850 gph. PVC pipes and fittings really escalate in price past 1-2", so I doubled up on 2" runs running in series to multiply flow capacity instead of using 3" pipe to save big using same length of pipe.
And another: a 1/2" top feed running off another pump about 1/2 size of main pump. Lots of DO can get into water through waterfall effect and going through hydroton, coco or other media. You can use 1/2" tubing either open-ended or T'd off, even a drip ring w/6 1/4" holes. Ball valves at each site to even out flows on all sites.
Another trick is to floom or waterfall the water going through each bucket or container for added DO. The intake should become narrower to increase pressure for waterfall and/or flooming and also on upper intake level facing up. I guess you'd also need a good flow rate for this to work well.
Also a high flow rate can greatly help with DO, about 15-30 system gallons per hour or recirc water every 2-4 minutes. Usually you'll need 2-3" pvc pipe to keep flows and levels even in plant sites and roots from invading pipes too much. A general rule of thumb: 1.25-1.5" circulation pipe – 750 gph total pump size, 2” circulation pipe – 1,200 gph, 3” circulation pipe – 2,750 gph and 4” circulation pipe – 4,850 gph. PVC pipes and fittings really escalate in price past 1-2", so I doubled up on 2" runs running in series to multiply flow capacity instead of using 3" pipe to save big using same length of pipe.
And another: a 1/2" top feed running off another pump about 1/2 size of main pump. Lots of DO can get into water through waterfall effect and going through hydroton, coco or other media. You can use 1/2" tubing either open-ended or T'd off, even a drip ring w/6 1/4" holes. Ball valves at each site to even out flows on all sites.
Another trick is to floom or waterfall the water going through each bucket or container for added DO. The intake should become narrower to increase pressure for waterfall and/or flooming and also on upper intake level facing up. I guess you'd also need a good flow rate for this to work well.
