Airstone size?

Dr.funkenstien

Active Member
I got an 18 gallon and a couple 5 gallons think I finally got my diy water chiller ok for the 18 gal, just doing the ice bottle shuffle with the buckets. So it doesn't need to be real high to make the splash?
 

ManCaver

Member
I just tested it, the pump is working at around 70 PSI i imagine, hard to tell, the splash is indeed more violent the higher I more the exit points... creates a decent amount of bubbles when the water jets hit the surface of the water straight down vertically, nice idea !
you don't need to be real high man depending on the PSI of your tubing man i imagine if you could jettison the water out of those tubes at 500 PSI height would be a non issue
 

rkymtnman

Well-Known Member
I got an 18 gallon and a couple 5 gallons think I finally got my diy water chiller ok for the 18 gal, just doing the ice bottle shuffle with the buckets. So it doesn't need to be real high to make the splash?
nope. even an inch or two above the water line will work. obviously, more would be better for even more splash.
 

Dr.funkenstien

Active Member
nope. even an inch or two above the water line will work. obviously, more would be better for even more splash.
OK so I have been thinking. What about this I have water pumping from the cooling unit into like some air line, coil it up poke holes in it every so often so it shoots into the res and rig it to the top of the bucket. When it fills up to a certain point it goes in the return back to the cooling unit. And some airstones in the bottom for back up. Does that sound workable or am I getting the wrong idea?
 

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Dr.funkenstien

Active Member

PetFlora

Well-Known Member
In the middle of last grow I took the plunge and replaced all my air stones.

I was flooming in one rez and pumping higher into a hydro halo drip ring in another

I just installed a venturi to the tubing coming off an elbow or T in my DWC rez. I tested it before installing. The improvement in flow and bubbles is considerable. Do a YT search

This set up is my Mini Me F & D, so there's a second pump for flooding


Chiller Floom.JPG
 

Logan Burke

Well-Known Member
I was thinking, as long as the hose lengths are equal, we'll, do you know anything about a difuser I believe they call it. Blocking the end of the tube and poking a trillion holes with a needle, would that be kosher?
Running just a tube is called fluming, idk about the million holes...and more aistones aren't always more O2. How many LPM's is your pump?...How many different buckets/containers are you using the air pump to aerate?....If a stone is not working at all, there is either another way with less resistance for the air to travel, or something is blocking the output of air, which if brand new I doubt. The difference in airstone size is all about how much air and air pressure that will be traveling through them. I use two 4inch active aqua micropore ceramic airstones for 60lpm in a single bucket. If I were to hook up 15 of those airstones, they wouldn't bubble too much. If I only did one, it'd probably blow water out of my bucket lol....more surface tension being broke creates the extra O2 molecules, however, fine bubbles break surface tension more so than less, but larger air bubbles. You will see larger air bubbles when using an airpump pumping too many LPM's through an airstone, if I am correct (emphasis on if). I'd need more information to give an answer tailored to your situation, like what LPM is your pump, how many bucket sites are you running, what is the name brand and type of airstone, so on and so forth....I personally love the good-ol' ceramic micropore stones, they weigh themselves down nicely and can be boiled and resused, although I just buy new ones once a grow.
P.S. Make sure your pump is not too far below your buckets (doubt it is, but worth saying)...idk exactly how it works, but I know its better to keep your pump level with your airstones and maybe even the top of your buckets, idk on that one. Mine pump is level with the top of my buckets.
 

Dr.funkenstien

Active Member
Running just a tube is called fluming, idk about the million holes...and more aistones aren't always more O2. How many LPM's is your pump?...How many different buckets/containers are you using the air pump to aerate?....If a stone is not working at all, there is either another way with less resistance for the air to travel, or something is blocking the output of air, which if brand new I doubt. The difference in airstone size is all about how much air and air pressure that will be traveling through them. I use two 4inch active aqua micropore ceramic airstones for 60lpm in a single bucket. If I were to hook up 15 of those airstones, they wouldn't bubble too much. If I only did one, it'd probably blow water out of my bucket lol....more surface tension being broke creates the extra O2 molecules, however, fine bubbles break surface tension more so than less, but larger air bubbles. You will see larger air bubbles when using an airpump pumping too many LPM's through an airstone, if I am correct (emphasis on if). I'd need more information to give an answer tailored to your situation, like what LPM is your pump, how many bucket sites are you running, what is the name brand and type of airstone, so on and so forth....I personally love the good-ol' ceramic micropore stones, they weigh themselves down nicely and can be boiled and resused, although I just buy new ones once a grow.
P.S. Make sure your pump is not too far below your buckets (doubt it is, but worth saying)...idk exactly how it works, but I know its better to keep your pump level with your airstones and maybe even the top of your buckets, idk on that one. Mine pump is level with the top of my buckets.
Yeah the pump is above the rest. Since I posted I have been doing my system over and over till I could get it right for me. I had 6 five gallon buckets, one air pump but a 6 way splitter. I ended up moving 4 plants to an 18 gallon tote. I plugged up 2 parts on the splitter and put 4 airstones of various sizes in it. It's bubbling like crazy. For the other 2 buckets I have a separate dual pump them. I was having temp issues and it made more sense for me to do it like this. This is the pump I have.
 

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PetFlora

Well-Known Member
Here's a pic of my flooming DIY, incorporating a DIY venturi

A ton more bubbles due to venturi- lots of YT video how to's


IMG_3856.JPG
 

Logan Burke

Well-Known Member
That is a growing trend for people, especially with heat issues, doing RDWC or standalones even I guess. But personally, I like the good ol' air pump, lol...and as long as it's bubbling and broiling about you're good, you can still experiment with more/less airstones. Did you find the cause of the faulty airstone(s) not working?
 

Dr.funkenstien

Active Member
That is a growing trend for people, especially with heat issues, doing RDWC or standalones even I guess. But personally, I like the good ol' air pump, lol...and as long as it's bubbling and broiling about you're good, you can still experiment with more/less airstones. Did you find the cause of the faulty airstone(s) not working?
Nope, it just seemed like they all worked differently depending on where they were. I thought maybe cause some were big and some were small but I couldn't find out any rhyme or reason for it. But since I threw them all in one bucket it's bubbling like crazy
 

Logan Burke

Well-Known Member
I'm in a long thread about those o2 emitters now; stear clear....they sterilize the water (bad for bennies), and I've yet to see anyone that actually uses one with a picture to prove it yet...not to mention a side by side.
 

Logan Burke

Well-Known Member
Yes, there are tons of "New Members" posting about how awesome they are, but never provide any technical information nor do they provide a pic to even prove they own one or grow...and, in this other thread, numerous veteran members raised many concerns that it may raise water heat more than an air pump lowering the maximum DO of your water, and releasing trace amounts of Ozone (that's what sterilizes the water). I think it's just a ploy for novice DWC growers who do not do proper research before purchasing. Good luck and happy growing to all!
PS - Here is the link to the mentioned thread on this product...
https://www.rollitup.org/t/new-oxygen-technology-in-rdwc-dwc-pot-grows.905675/page-7
 
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