air pump questions, Bubble Heads please help?

I bought a Coralife SL-65 air pump, I plan to use this with my 6 bucket(5gal) DWC system I'm currently building. This pump puts out 65 litres per min or 885 gallons per hour. I thought this pump would easily feed 6, 5" dia airstones, but after testing the pump connected to all six stones in my sink I was not impressed. I was expecting spectacular bubble production but only got mediocre? This is my first go at DWC growing so I don't really have anything to compare to other than pictures. I've done some research and most aquarium pumps will only produce 5 litres/min max, my pump is delievering almost 11 litres/min to each stone? Am I just freaking out here or what? Please tell me this setup will work or do I need to drop another $100 on another pump?

I don't have the foggiest.

I'm using a cheap $25 pump for 3 airstones and my plants are fine so i'm sure you will be fine

Try out a smaller airstone. I have run aquariums for years and have always ended up getting the cheapest airstones. Usually the bulk 80 cents, 4 for $3. It all has to do with smaller bubbles. The smaller the bubble the more it dissipates into the water, more oxygen dissolved in root water. With my fish tanks the air stones, once in the tank for a month they become brittle and I have learned to replace when doing maintenance. So I go cheap. Plus these roots love to eat up airstones. So what is 80 cents? You can always run tees and multiple the small airstones into 8-12-16. It takes a big compressor to flow air through a 5 inch opening. Think of your car tire losing air, the valve will create tons of bubbles small opening high pressure, a blowout or 5 inch hole it will have a big bubble but wont be able to sustain anything for long periods of time.

tSunami, I'm assuming your using the small cylindrical air stones? bout an inch long and maybe 1/2" dia? I get what your saying about air flowing through a large dia opening opposed to a smaller one. Its the same idea as putting your finger over the end of a garden hose. Maybe for now I'll use the 5" stones since they were $10 each, and switch to smaller ones once they're plugged.
What size stones are the rest of you using?

Yep, the cheapest airstones. I've run aquariums for years and unless it is a bubble wand most are just to big to run multiples. If I wanted more bubbles I'd just T another 1/2"x1" airstone. For the price of the big airstones say 10 bucks get ten small airstones and compare the amount of bubbles. I've done it.

muh! That does seem to make sense.

Forgive my noobness but how do plants grown DWC not get over watered?



Like this thing (obviously not DWC) you get the Idear.....

Dragonsmoke said:

Forgive my noobness but how do plants grown DWC not get over watered?

Like this thing (obviously not DWC) you get the Idear.....

Click to expand...

Once the roots are in the water the plant self-regulates water intake. Until the roots are in the water the problem is getting enough water and there are different approaches, the most passive being to let bubbles from airstones make mist that provides enough moisture. Another is to start with the water level just over the bottom of the netcup and the more active involve pumps and tubes.

but in a DWC they are fully submerged? I may never actually try it but I like to know all kindsa shit. That and I have a buddy trying this out for a first time grow. So I'm thinking I might wanna sound educated when he starts talking pumps and ph tester this with a bit of airstone that.