Airstone on RDWC

[GrowTime38]

Is an airstone needed if you have a RDWC? I have a small one in the reservoir but feel it isn't a high priority since the water is falling into the DWC and circulating around picking up more O2. Anyone not use one for a RDWC or have advice on the topic?
Thanks

 

[OldMedUser]

The higher the O2 content of the water the less chance of root rot and growth rates go up. You might save $5/mth on the power it takes to run a little dual outlet air pump but that's $5 well spent IMO. I ran 2 - 12" airstones in each RubberMaid tub in the many DWC grows I've done since '01. Water looked like it was a hard boil going on.

 

[GrowRijt]

Is an airstone needed if you have a RDWC? I have a small one in the reservoir but feel it isn't a high priority since the water is falling into the DWC and circulating around picking up more O2. Anyone not use one for a RDWC or have advice on the topic?
Thanks

Some people use them. I found they mess
With my ph and in general you are pumping unclean air from outside through your water. There is also a max of DO ( dissolved oxygen ) you can put in your water at a certain temp so pumping more in may not be helpful but looks bubbly and awesome. Use it if you want to, keep an eye on your ph fluctuations, but you are on to it if you are thinking the waterfall and rdwc circulation are enough. I tried it with, and without and didn’t see much diff.

 

[mytwhyt]

A waterfall return to the reservoir should supply all the dissolved oxygen needed.. Some systems with constant drip on hydroton don't need waterfalls or air stones..

 

[GrowTime38]

A waterfall return to the reservoir should supply all the dissolved oxygen needed.. Some systems with constant drip on hydroton don't need waterfalls or air stones..

Mine dumps directly into the buckets and the buckets has a level pipe that once it reaches said height, it flows into the pipe and into a valve which dumps back into the reservoir. I use to have it flow into another pipe I could use like a NFT system but abandoned the idea when I moved stuff around. I need led to cut the height of the system down which made the return from the pipe more difficult.

Thanks everyone. I ordered another pump as a precaution. The last one took a dump and just wanted to verify thought process.

 

[Bucsfan80]

I asked the same thing a month or so ago. I ditched the air pump and my plant could care less. I made this spray bar and it does just fine no more annoying humming from air pump

 

[Alcibiades1179]

I asked the same thing a month or so ago. I ditched the air pump and my plant could care less. I made this spray bar and it does just fine no more annoying humming from air pumpView attachment 4998274

Yeah. I was reluctant at first too but I've completed 2 complete grows in RDWC without the air pump without any issues. I have done it with drilling spray holes in bars just like the above(more obvious surface disturbance) or by just letting the water waterfall through the grommet or through an open 1/2" elbow. It wasn't really an experiment. I just wanted to find out if I should even care about the amount of disturbance observed. Did not see any negatives either way except for noise level. So whichever way you go, you don't need the air pump.

 

[Bucsfan80]

Yeah. I was reluctant at first too but I've completed 2 complete grows in RDWC without the air pump without any issues. I have done it with drilling spray holes in bars just like the above(more obvious surface disturbance) or by just letting the water waterfall through the grommet or through an open 1/2" elbow. It wasn't really an experiment. I just wanted to find out if I should even care about the amount of disturbance observed. Did not see any negatives either way except for noise level. So whichever way you go, you don't need the air pump.

I did the same and went with spray bar cause a little less noise

 

[OldMedUser]

I've always done my DWC in RubberMaid tubs so no rez or circulating water to make a waterfall with. Airstones were easy enough.

My grow room is down in the basement/large crawl space so noise was never a concern.

 

[myke]

Funny my waterfalls were a lot noisier then the air pump,in the end I kept both running.

 

[GrowTime38]

I ended up adding an airstone and it does make a difference for me. Not sure if the force of the recirculation is key or not but I found the growth was faster with it. I will have to do a side by side experimental grow to verify

 

[Horselover fat]

Using an air stone/air ring in your water tank ensures that your water remains super-oxygenated.

You can't "super-oxygenate" water with an airstone.

 

[ALIEN Hydroponics]

You can't "super-oxygenate" water with an airstone.

By definition, to superoxygenate, a solvent (such as water) simply means to increase the amount of O2 held by the resulting solvent. ALIEN has tested the O2 PPM, comparing air stones and air rings, and the oxygen concentration is indeed higher than when in the absence of an aeration device.