Your favorite airpump and airstones? and why?

skr141

Member
Hey peeps

I am not sure which airpump or airstones to get. What is your favorite? and why? and what would be ideal? money is no problem. Are the air curtains better and last longer than fishtank airstones?

Have a good day!
 

Anon Emaus

Well-Known Member
Depends on your res size really. I only use a 5 gal bucket and I use a 60gph(227LPH/3.78LPM) Tetra Whisper air pump($15.99), its cheap completely quiet and does the job. I just use those cylinder grey air stones, 2 of em($7.50 each).

Have only used the grey cylinder ones.
 

rkymtnman

Well-Known Member
skip them both. build a waterfall with a water pump, some tubing and a few elbow fittings. waterfalls create way more DO (dissolved O2) than airstones. there's a reason lots of ponds, fountains all use waterfalls. not just cause they look pretty
 

Anon Emaus

Well-Known Member
airstones are important, cheap ones are just that....cheap.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SF17UPY?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00
I'm trying this stone right now, I expect it to make a difference too
Agreed, i actually had bought these little cheap wand ones when i first started, I had never used them but just the other day plugged them in out of curiosity and holy shit were they garbage.

I use those same stones as 3squared posted, have used those smaller ones and am currently using the bigger ones. I don't see a difference though because of my size pump.
 

3squared

Well-Known Member
I use 4, 2 small and 2 large from veg all the way through the entire grow and add another 8 large at the start of flower. Then throw them and all of the line and the net pot/basket away after harvest. Starting with new stones and lines on the next run.
 

krinen

Member
I personally just picked up a Pondmaster (danner) AP-100 for my 8 site 5 gal bucket RDWC. Holy crap what an amazing pump! I will never go with anything else again!
 

3squared

Well-Known Member
I personally just picked up a Pondmaster (danner) AP-100 for my 8 site 5 gal bucket RDWC. Holy crap what an amazing pump! I will never go with anything else again!
That's what we use for flower. 1 for each plant. Almost silent and puts out more than enough air for 10 large rounds and 2 small rounds.


This is a 25 gal cooler with about 20 gals of water/nutes, and that's the air flow a pondmaster puts out.

KIMG0596.jpg
 
Apollo Horticulture makes a great 4 outlet airpump that has a little hook, so you can suspend it (less vibration, keeps air cooler, prevents pump damage during power outages).

Its the only 4 outlet you can find on amazon for $15, is adjustible, and pretty quiet. Couple that with four $2.50 'add on' 12'' stones and for $25 total you have more air than you could possibly imagine for 2 containers, or 1 really large one.

Do NOT buy the commercial size air pumps. You dont need that much, and they are super loud. No matter what room its in, if you are growing in a house, you will hear the commercial pump everywhere.
 
Cheap air stones get me just as far as the $40 ones. Just keep them clean. And the waterfall is so efficient. But make a water farm in your Rez with airlifts, you won't need anything but .25 cent air stones from Walmart. Your DO will be off the charts.
 

J Henry

Active Member
Here's a real sad but real true deal. Mother Nature has got you on the air deal, salesmen know this and have their little hands in your pocket preaching their myth… buy “hope,” it’s only money.
My 8th grade General Science teacher taught me the difference between air, nitrogen, argon and oxygen, I still remember the class decades later. Everyone that took and passed 8th grade science should know that air, argon and nitrogen is not the element O2. Air will always be air… O2 will always be oxygen.
If you are hell bent for “cheap” then buy cheapest air pump and a disposable air bubbler you can find because this rig will oxygenate as good as any $500 air pump and $200 bubbler....you just can't make more O2 pumping more air or pumping more water/nutrient.
Ever seen and wonder why do pro football players strap that O2 mask on their face on the sidelines and not just sit in front of an electric fan? Hmmmm…

J


 

rkymtnman

Well-Known Member
Here's a real sad but real true deal. Mother Nature has got you on the air deal, salesmen know this and have their little hands in your pocket preaching their myth… buy “hope,” it’s only money.
My 8th grade General Science teacher taught me the difference between air, nitrogen, argon and oxygen, I still remember the class decades later. Everyone that took and passed 8th grade science should know that air, argon and nitrogen is not the element O2. Air will always be air… O2 will always be oxygen.
If you are hell bent for “cheap” then buy cheapest air pump and a disposable air bubbler you can find because this rig will oxygenate as good as any $500 air pump and $200 bubbler....you just can't make more O2 pumping more air or pumping more water/nutrient.
Ever seen and wonder why do pro football players strap that O2 mask on their face on the sidelines and not just sit in front of an electric fan? Hmmmm…

J

not to be critical, but you aren't trying to increase O2 levels per se. you are trying to increase the level of Dissolved Oxygen which can be increased by using a combination of air pumps, waterfalls and aquarium chillers.
 

J Henry

Active Member
But how in the world can you increase the Dissolved Oxygen without increasing the fractional concentration of O2? Without increasing the fractional concentration of O2, ambient air with any and all combination of air pumps, waterfalls and aquarium chillers is a costly meaningless exercise if a substantial increase in DO is the point you going after.
There are far better ways to substantially increase DO than pumping more air and water and chilling water.
If you really want to increase your DO, check this out: Google - "waste water plants,how to increase dissolved oxygen"
Knowledge works better than hope.
J
 

rkymtnman

Well-Known Member
i'd rather hear your ways to increase DO vs googling it. let the knowledge fly my man!
But how in the world can you increase the Dissolved Oxygen without increasing the fractional concentration of O2? Without increasing the fractional concentration of O2, ambient air with any and all combination of air pumps, waterfalls and aquarium chillers is a costly meaningless exercise if a substantial increase in DO is the point you going after.
There are far better ways to substantially increase DO than pumping more air and water and chilling water.
If you really want to increase your DO, check this out: Google - "waste water plants,how to increase dissolved oxygen"
Knowledge works better than hope.
J
 
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