Keeping air stones in place

Chris02011

Active Member
I am transplanting to 5 gallons buckets this week and want to find the best air stones for the buckets. Does anyone have a favorite that seems to perform better then the rest? What do you use to keep them from floating? Ive seen a few online that claim to be weighted and will stay in place. What do you think?
 

Hobbes

Well-Known Member
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Chris I tie my air hoses to weighted plastic disks in DWC buckets, with a couple of gang valves and some small air stones we can get some great bubble patterns. Nothing that will rust as that will take oxygen from the water.

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tip top toker

Well-Known Member
Just put some weight over the air line and the stone will stay at the bottom. I use two types, one is a large ring, with which i just palce a small glass in the middle which fits snugly, and for the other it's just one of the small blue bars, so i just take a piece of glass and lay it across the air tube at the bottom of the tank, works without issue so far :)

If you want to be nice and technical though, you could always silicone some small plastic hooks or clamps onto the bottom of the tub.

I've fond that once you have a good root mass, the roots do a great job of stopping it floating up as well.
 

wiseguy316

Well-Known Member
I think it's better to weight them than to attatch them. They need cleaned and often replaced, hard to clean res under them if they are attatched.
 

TaoWolf

Active Member
I just started buying larger airstones (like 6" or 8") and stopped worrying about securing them or anything. Mine always end up either getting tangled with the roots, or the airline quickly does in any case. So I also just run the line through the net pot and treat the airstone/airline as a part of the plant. For example when I change the reservoir, the plant, lid, airstone/airline all come out together and go into the new bucket together. Works for me with no hassle.
 

Fenderman

Member
For the first time I am using a 24 inch wand air stone which I place in the middle of my Res and the distribution of bubbles that come out make this product better than the round ones that I usually use.
No problem with weight either when placed in the bottom of my Res it stays put.
 

Tee Five

Active Member
My hydro guy is telling my that simply another pump which is circulating water adds a lot more Oxygen than airstones.

If this is true....then that would make reservoir changes a little easier (for myself anyways...).

Wouldn't have to screw with the inlet line.
 
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