I've got a 5 gal DWC bucket running 1 plant and i've found the roots haven't wanted to grow out of the mesh pot. I saw a root try to grow out but it got cut off. Right now i'm running a 35 watt eco commercial air pump with 2 air stones. All the pumps air is directed in this 5 gal bucket. The bubbles are furious if you open the top all you see is foamy bubbles.... Will the roots grow strong and grow into the crazy bubbling or will they be to fragile to ever leave the mesh pot... please help!
Actually too many bubbles?
- Thread starter zeny
- Start date
ChubbySoap
Well-Known Member
haha! you're gonna grow monsters!
bonghittersanber
New Member
well buddy,
more oxygen, the better.
so i dont think you can have too many air bubbles.
no the roots will grow down into the water.
i started mine 2 weeks ago. it took 4 days for the roots to grow down into the water.
they aren't that fragile. ive broken a few roots off but no big deal.
also if you have lots of oxygen in the water, the more nutrients the roots can take up. just be patient and wait.
more oxygen, the better.
so i dont think you can have too many air bubbles.
no the roots will grow down into the water.
i started mine 2 weeks ago. it took 4 days for the roots to grow down into the water.
they aren't that fragile. ive broken a few roots off but no big deal.
also if you have lots of oxygen in the water, the more nutrients the roots can take up. just be patient and wait.
Neumann
Active Member
You might want to crank down the air a little bit. It's a controversial subject over on fish forums but the general consensus is that bubbles themselves don't add measurable oxygen to the water. If you were able to measure a bubble at it's start and just before it bursts at the top of the water the difference in size, at the depth differential used in hydro would be virtually non-existent. Oxygen is introduced into water by surface agitation, the bubbles bursting, break the surface tension to allow dissipation of gasses and introduction of oxygen. Water can only hold a finite amount of oxygen, so after a certain point your just giving your roots a whirlpool bath.
It isn't all about O2 in the nutes.
As long as both nutes and air are present either disolved or direct air contact for the roots... it's good.
The so called "Whirlpool bath" IS benifical.... not only for the roots oxygen supply but also to minimise badies.
The only reasons I would bother turning it down maybe are......
Increasing oxygen passing through your nutes will increase Ph over time.
If the pump/compressors noise was annoying you.
Bubbles increase O2 dissolved in water quite well at the correct temp. Using the correct air stone gives THOUSANDS of bubbles to break the surface and dissolve on rising ..... no matter how small Oxgen available to the roots is significantly increased and is far better than adding H2O2 as this is only available to the plant for a brief period before it breaks down.
Many nutes are classed as heavy and adgitating the nutes prevents therm from settling to bottom of res and screwing with your EC.... (Dutch pro prime example)
As long as both nutes and air are present either disolved or direct air contact for the roots... it's good.
The so called "Whirlpool bath" IS benifical.... not only for the roots oxygen supply but also to minimise badies.
The only reasons I would bother turning it down maybe are......
Increasing oxygen passing through your nutes will increase Ph over time.
If the pump/compressors noise was annoying you.
Bubbles increase O2 dissolved in water quite well at the correct temp. Using the correct air stone gives THOUSANDS of bubbles to break the surface and dissolve on rising ..... no matter how small Oxgen available to the roots is significantly increased and is far better than adding H2O2 as this is only available to the plant for a brief period before it breaks down.
Many nutes are classed as heavy and adgitating the nutes prevents therm from settling to bottom of res and screwing with your EC.... (Dutch pro prime example)
Serapis
Well-Known Member
You are partly correct. Dissolved oxygen in the water will deplete and anoxic conditions can set in making the water unable to sustain life. By infusing the water with air bubbles, we are causing the water on the bottom to rise and interact with the surface. Regardless of how much oxygen the water can hold, there is no reason to suggest lowering the aeration of the water, as it serves no benefit and the current situation is beneficial.
BeaverHuntr
Well-Known Member
Dont worry dude its a good thing to have lots of air. I run 3 air stones in each of my 5 gallon sport coolers in 2 of them I run 4 and it creates waved but its all good they veg like monsters.
nothingtodeclare
Active Member
i wondered the same thing i have a 45litre a min compressor type pump with 6" air discs an it pushes a column of water about an inch above the surface water like a big bubble directly under the net pot, its bubbling away quite violently an my roots done the same thing as soon as they poked through the bottom of net pot they got bent up an snaped, then i got the slime i think it was because the roots were decaying in the bottom of my res an i did not see them as i do not use zymes to break down or h2o2 so they just rotted i use dm zone now as i replaced all 5 gallon tubs, airstones an netpots that got slimed an rebuilt so far so good only this time i am using 8" net pots instead of the 3" pots an using dm zone , there 14 days old still no roots out they have 3 blade leaves an are in the middle of growing the 5 bladed set hopefully this time things will be differant the water is crystal clear an smells nice using the zone so fingers crossed
BeaverHuntr
Well-Known Member
Yep more bubbles are a good thing. If you want roots quick you need to put only 1 thin layer of hydroton at the bottom of the net put then insert rapid rooter plug / rockwool.
BeaverHuntr
Well-Known Member
Dude is that avatar of WKRP in Cincinnati ??? LOL funny I used to watch the re-runs of that growing up.
the real G
Member
i just about to start my bubbler system in next few days wot is h202 and why do i need it sorry if a dumb thing to ask but gotta start some where cheers G
h202 is hydrogen peroxide... Many people use it as a disinfectant. It oxidizes substances... notice the extra O atom in each H2O2 molecule compared to water. A readily transferable ionic oxygen for plant absorption, so it does a similar thing as oxygenating water by pumping air into it through air stones. I prefer air stones with beneficial microbes though... Go ahead and do your own research on it though, like i did.
I just wanted to give anyone that was looking at this thread an update. My plant is fluorishing and after some roots broke, they have grown harder and into the bubbling water! The root system is doing well and i don't think air through an air stone could enough momentum to keep roots from growing...
Actually i wanted to tell everyone that 35 watts for 1 5 gallon reservoir is too much. roots kept breaking for 1 month and root rot started. the biggest roots couldn't stay in the water they were being pumped upwards by excessive air. i took one of the two air stones out of the reservoir and put it in another bucket. now the roots have grown more in 3 days than they did in a month.... you can have too much air!
Illegal Smile
Well-Known Member
You can have too many bubbles of the wrong kind. Bubbles need to be tiny from a diffuser. Aquarium airstones are a low cost alternative. I have two Boss Hogg doubles each powered by a sunleaves pump running in 6 gal of water. The roots love it because it is not violent large bubbles but the tiny ones. Just sayin
Gixxerboy
Well-Known Member
Illegal Smile is right i used to think more the merrier when it came to bubbles.I have played with an over sized air pump long enough to actually see my root mass run away from the strong current of high pressure.Tiny non violent bubbles to stimulate root growth that they do not run from in the res is the way to go.