DWC Design Improvement?

J

jazzyjsd18

Well-Known Member
As we all know, the airstone is a vital part of a DWC setup. We also know the finer the bubbles, the better right? Has anyone here experimented with irrigation(ish) line with 360 misting plugs in order to better oxygenate their water? I feel this could be a really good resolve considering (theoretically) the bubbles would be smaller, they would be everywhere, and it would eliminate the need for multiple airstones. In the long run, it could also be manipulated to have less back pressure on your pump, which would be beneficial in the long run. Also, has anyone ever tried filtering their buckets air supply? Would it reduce the need for cleaning? All feedback is appreciated. Thanks
 
J

jazzyjsd18

Well-Known Member
This is a pretty difficult subject to search ( I've DEF tried), so if it's already been discussed and buried, a link would be helpful. Thanks.
 
Illegal Smile

Illegal Smile

Well-Known Member
I've used expensive Boss Hog diffusers and compared to good airstones, I see no difference. Maybe smaller bubbles are better, but it's having enough that is important.
 
BigBuddahCheese

BigBuddahCheese

New Member
Air stones work more then adequate for a properly maintained reservoir and the plants roots, most people who are looking for other ways have issues other then the "stones" they need to address. Just saying. I have had air hoses unplugged for 24-48 hours and the plants roots were fine.
 
Heisenberg

Heisenberg

Well-Known Member
Nothing you do will get your DO much above 8ppm, but that is enough, considering anaerobic pathogens have a hard time living in anything above 6ppm. The DO in the water itself will never be enough to support a plant in high production, which is why we leave a little air pocket between the netcup and the waterline, and why we want lots of bubbles making momentary contact with roots.

The amount of O2 dissolved in the solution will vary depending on both temperature and pressure. The warmer the water the lower the gaseous content will be. Really cold fresh water has a DO reading of up to 14 ppm or 14mg/litre, while water at 30 degrees centigrade can only hold about 5ppm or 5 mg/l DO.


This DO only amounts to a very small percentage of the roots needs. All water culture systems have to utilise some other form of oxygenation for the roots as well as DO in the nutrient. Root systems that have insufficient O2 available will soon turn brown and become very sick.


We aerate the nutrient in our systems in order to get the best saturation that we can, (from 5ppm to 8ppm) but the main function of this aeration is to kill off the anaerobic bacteria around the roots. Anaerobic bacteria are pathogens that cannot survive in an oxygenated environment; (Anaerobic meaning without air).


Because the DO in the nutrient can only supply about 1% of the roots requirements, the balance must be made up by breathing air. This air is trapped within the soil in conventional gardening and in the growing medium in normal hydroponics systems. This O2 search uses up energy that the plant could better use to produce root growth.
Click to expand...
The limitation of hydroponics is the fact that 1 kg of water can only hold 8 mg of air, no matter whether aerators are utilized or not.
Click to expand...
https://www.rollitup.org/hydroponics-aeroponics/458316-quantitative-airstone-test-end-hype.html#post6148853


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeroponics
http://hydroponics-gardening-information.com/Oxygen.html
 
mike91sr

mike91sr

Well-Known Member
jazzyjsd18 said:
We also know the finer the bubbles, the better right?
Click to expand...
No, we don't.

Heisenberg said:
Nothing you do will get your DO much above 8ppm
https://www.rollitup.org/hydroponics-aeroponics/458316-quantitative-airstone-test-end-hype.html#post6148853
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeroponics
http://hydroponics-gardening-information.com/Oxygen.html
Click to expand...
Nailed it. DO is not the only goal, total oxygen presence is much higher than just that of the oxygen actually dissolved. Aeroponics don't need high DO like DWC because air doesn't need to be dissolved to benefit the plant. DO has it's limits(gas laws) but you can still bring more oxygen to the plant. Less restrictive airflow(not diffusers) and bigger pumps are the answer, not smaller bubbles.
 
J

jazzyjsd18

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the links Heisenberg. Good reads for sure. This forum was origionally posted because I have a larger (20w 47lpm) pump, and have been messing with the idea of using it for 4 dwc 5g's and a cloning tub. It has a 6 way splitter on it, and instead of having to use a few airstones (one according to the link Heisenberg posted) I wanted to use modified airline tubing that could better oxygenate the water. I just wanted to know if any of you have tried this. Thanks for the input so far, and clarification.
 
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