How to Properly Aerate a Small (or large) Rez

[PetFlora]

Stones don't move the water like a pump does, now put air in that water and you have an O2 whirlpool circulating water whereas air stones might leave a "null" (lack for better term) where the water might go stagnant in pockets and corners.

I am replacing my lp pumps ith newer ones that draw from the bottom and have 2 possible outlets. I am using the side outlet which I aim at an angle into a corner to force the flow of oxygenated water to circulate

 

[PetFlora]

ummm, I call bs. extra added equipment is never cheap, nor simple, nor reliable. much less added quip that is only unnecessary.

I fell for the bs at first and bought a few air pumps.

I have absolutely never installed a single one ever, period. they are ALL still in the box years after purchase. The very action of aero (the very definition of aero) is aerating the h2o as it is circulating. There is less than zero need for an added electricity consumer and heat producer to be inserted into an already perfectly aerated system.

Easy now. Finding quality aero information/help is not so easy. Air Stone aeration is how I learned it, and have used it for many years. But about 6 months ago I read a thread about a better way to aerate, and I was tired of the clogged stones. Finding the newer lp pumps that have both side and top outlet helped make it work for me. I put a riser on the top above the water line. When the pump is on, it sucks air into the flowing water, aerating it

 

[WeedFreak78]

ummm, I call bs. extra added equipment is never cheap, nor simple, nor reliable. much less added quip that is only unnecessary.

I fell for the bs at first and bought a few air pumps.

I have absolutely never installed a single one ever, period. they are ALL still in the box years after purchase. The very action of aero (the very definition of aero) is aerating the h2o as it is circulating. There is less than zero need for an added electricity consumer and heat producer to be inserted into an already perfectly aerated system.

Where did you see anyone talking about aeroponics systems? The discussing was on how to aerate a reservoir....F' in noobs...

If I'm not running water pumps for the system, I'm not putting one in to aerate. There isn't enough of a difference for me to add the extra heat. My air pump runs in a cool location, dropping my res temps by a couple degrees through the cool air injection. If I was running pumps, them I could see using a waterfall or floom effect when the pump runs and no air pumps.

I stick by my statement cheap, simple, reliable. I've had multiple water pumps just stop working, but I'm still running 5+year old air pumps... and when (if?) they do die its a cheap, simple diaphragm change usually.

 

[CannaBruh]

I am replacing my lp pumps ith newer ones that draw from the bottom and have 2 possible outlets. I am using the side outlet which I aim at an angle into a corner to force the flow of oxygenated water to circulate

A pump with a bottom draw is more appealing to me than those that suck in from the back.

There's a huge difference in the rez going from air-stones to a venturi. I'm flowering out an oxy clone full of cuts as well as my conventional shallow water tubs. The only difference in these systems is the oxy clone has the venturi whereas the other has only air stones. My conventional does not look as good or as happy as the oxy, and with no plants the difference in the res is clear that the venturi works much better to not only aerate but also circulate which the air-stones fail at a doing very well.

 

[TheChemist77]

i have been growing w a flood and drain for many years.. 4x4x4inch rock wool medium..my veg is a 2x4ft table w a 30 gallon rez,, my bloom is a 4x6ft table with a 50 gallon rez....the pumps flood the tables for 15 minutes once every 6 hours, lights come on at 5pm off at 5 am in my bloom, veg on at 5pm off at 11am pump timers set to flood at 6pm, 12am, 6am, 12pm...

i use to have air pumps w/ air stones in the rez that ran constantly keeping water very oxegenated.. now i just have the flood n drain pumps no air stones because as soon as the pumps go on to flood the table, the water fall of run off airates the hell out of the rez.... i have never had problems w rez water,, yes it sits 6 hours at a time but the flooding and draining keep the rez oxegenated enough so that i dont feel the need for air stones or anything,,, i have a drain at the bottom of each rez tote,, so changing and cleaning is simple.. every 2 weeks i drain, fill w water and nutes, then turn on the pump for a few minutes to mix it all up.. then i top off the rez every 2 or 3 days w/ plain ph balanced water till the next rez change... my plants are happy n healthy no need for air stones in a flood and drain set up,,as the flooding and draining do all the airation u need

 

[completenoobie]

PetFlora and I have been conversing for days about aeroponics. I even sent him some aeroponic manifolds. I do only aero and am just not knowledgeable on any other setup. Even with the pic I am not seeing it and all I can picture is something similar to what I use and the very action of my setup aerates the living shit outta the water.

My mistake. I am not a pro by any stretch of the imagination, but I assure you, I am no newbie despite my username. I'm not even that new around here.

Hell I used to participate in the the old school usenet groups, alt.pot or whatever they were back then. does anybody still even refer to home depot as casa de pot anymore?

anyway, it your setup works for you, then awesome. As for me, airstones or even venturis would be counterproductive for my setup.

just because I don't understand one thing doesn't mean a thing, besides, I have aphantasia and wouldn't see it unless it was literally right in front of me. sorry and sorry for the confusion, just fuckin shoot me.

 

[PetFlora]

A pump with a bottom draw is more appealing to me than those that suck in from the back.

There's a huge difference in the rez going from air-stones to a venturi. I'm flowering out an oxy clone full of cuts as well as my conventional shallow water tubs. The only difference in these systems is the oxy clone has the venturi whereas the other has only air stones. My conventional does not look as good or as happy as the oxy, and with no plants the difference in the res is clear that the venturi works much better to not only aerate but also circulate which the air-stones fail at a doing very well.

I have several die draws. I simply laid them on their side and used an elbow fitting for the riser. Works great

hth

 

[PetFlora]

i have been growing w a flood and drain for many years.. 4x4x4inch rock wool medium..my veg is a 2x4ft table w a 30 gallon rez,, my bloom is a 4x6ft table with a 50 gallon rez....the pumps flood the tables for 15 minutes once every 6 hours, lights come on at 5pm off at 5 am in my bloom, veg on at 5pm off at 11am pump timers set to flood at 6pm, 12am, 6am, 12pm...

i use to have air pumps w/ air stones in the rez that ran constantly keeping water very oxegenated.. now i just have the flood n drain pumps no air stones because as soon as the pumps go on to flood the table, the water fall of run off airates the hell out of the rez.... i have never had problems w rez water,, yes it sits 6 hours at a time but the flooding and draining keep the rez oxegenated enough so that i dont feel the need for air stones or anything,,, i have a drain at the bottom of each rez tote,, so changing and cleaning is simple.. every 2 weeks i drain, fill w water and nutes, then turn on the pump for a few minutes to mix it all up.. then i top off the rez every 2 or 3 days w/ plain ph balanced water till the next rez change... my plants are happy n healthy no need for air stones in a flood and drain set up,,as the flooding and draining do all the airation u need

Yep, water fall back is good too, though where I live mosquitoes get in all the time. A couple years ago I fought mosquito larvae throughout, so I have to put lids on my rezes, and I don't have chillers as each of my rezes are too small. I am constantly rotating blue ice to maintain 72*. Also I drain back through the pump feeder tube, not much aeration. To compensate I run my aeration every 20 minutes for 4 minutes

 

[PetFlora]

Here's 2 phatties that have benefited mightily from flooming rez vi underneath draw. Now, I have discovered the 4 suction cups that hold it in place have collapsed, preventing adequate space to suck nutrients. I resolved this by raising it up on a container with small marbles

 

[TacoMac]

For crying out loud, man...all you need is a venturi valve available at any aquarium store and you can control the amount of aeration you get.

You're WAY overthinking it.

 

[PetFlora]

For crying out loud, man...all you need is a venturi valve available at any aquarium store and you can control the amount of aeration you get.

You're WAY overthinking it.

I am using that in the younger plant rez, but on a side draw pump. The bottom draw provides 2 outlet options side or top, so adding a riser is easy peasy. What the bottom draw does is mixes nutrients that fall out of suspension

 

[TacoMac]

Much ado about nothing. A simple power head with a venturi valve on it does the same thing. Throw it in there, adjust the air to the level you want, done. No plumbing, no guesswork, not nothing. 20 bucks and you're done.

 

[PetFlora]

Much ado about nothing. A simple power head with a venturi valve on it does the same thing. Throw it in there, adjust the air to the level you want, done. No plumbing, no guesswork, not nothing. 20 bucks and you're done.

You are entitled to your opinion, but you're really not advancing the conversation

 

[TacoMac]

Right. Explaining an easy, idiot proof, cheap way to do it is totally unhelpful to those that don't want to overthink things, blow money, and make things 5 times more difficult than they need to be.

 

[PetFlora]

Right. Explaining an easy, idiot proof, cheap way to do it is totally unhelpful to those that don't want to overthink things, blow money, and make things 5 times more difficult than they need to be.

You are totally missing my thread

One pump for flooding and one pump with an aerator for flooming. The pump size depends on the size of the rez. In my 3-4g rezes, yes a $20 pump is sufficient

 

[TacoMac]

You are totally missing my thread

One pump for flooding and one pump with an aerator for flooming. The pump size depends on the size of the rez. In my 3-4g rezes, yes a $20 pump is sufficient

So in other words you just agreed with me while at the same time saying I missed the point.

How stupid are you, really?

 

[CannaBruh]

So in other words you just agreed with me while at the same time saying I missed the point.

How stupid are you, really?

For crying out loud, go piss & whine in your own thread. Grown folks were discussing continuous improvement, if you're happy with your "it gets me by" then move along, nothing here for you.

 

[WeedFreak78]

Yep, water fall back is good too, though where I live mosquitoes get in all the time. A couple years ago I fought mosquito larvae throughout, so I have to put lids on my rezes, and I don't have chillers as each of my rezes are too small. I am constantly rotating blue ice to maintain 72*. Also I drain back through the pump feeder tube, not much aeration. To compensate I run my aeration every 20 minutes for 4 minutes

View attachment 3981834 View attachment 3981835

What is blue ice? I used those disposable/ reusable hard plastic ziploc containers to freeze weak nutrient solution and just threw the ice blocks in every now and then. Cooled and replenished the res. at the same time. I also had frozen RO if I didn't want to add any more nutes or to dilute it.

 

[PetFlora]

So in other words you just agreed with me while at the same time saying I missed the point.

How stupid are you, really?

No, in other words, you finally understood what I said from the beginning

 

[linuxman]

You can really saturate the tank with oxygen using a simple "Pinwheel Impeller" pump... this stuff is specifically designed and engineered to saturate the water with oxygen, it's used in the fish reefing hobby/industry. Can also be used for hydroponics.

The way it works is that it uses a simple passive venturi to bring in air bubbles into the pump chamber, the air bubble are then chopped into millions of little tiny air particles using a special "needle wheel impeller".

They are expensive because its made for the reefing community, since it needs to be ultra quite, saturate the water tank with oxygen and work 24/7 without a hitch. Costs about $100+ since majority of them are DC motor based and comes with a controller which you can fine tune the pump speed.

You can obtain one for around $30, it is a replacement part for the skimmer in reefing but seems it can be easily modified for hydro:

Reef Octopus OTP 300 Pinwheel Skimmer Pump

Cost small OTP300 skimmer pump provide exceptional performance per watt. Direct replacement pumps for Reef Octopus BH-50 protein skimmer.

www.coralvue.com

Take a look just how well these "Pinwheel Impeller" pumps oxygenates the water tank, you can do a whole lot of customizations of making the water very active and moving around: