TheGreatSouthern
Well-Known Member
Hi, I am currently in the process of changing my entire grow over from flood and drain using clay pebbles substrate to DWC.
One thing I failed to consider is that my grow is big. Really big.
I use 1000 liter IBCs cut in half, and grow a SOG consisting of 30 plants and I run 8 of those units so I have 4000 liters of nutrient solution to contend with now, whereas before they were all flooded from a single 1000 liter IBC and aeration wasn't an issue as the solution was pumped up through 1500 liters of pebbles every hour, drained naturally and then got pumped up through the other 1500 liters so it was self aerating.
Everything's going ok, photos attached, and this is the first run. I've only set up the first 2 units of 500 liters each.
A problem I'm about to face is that supplying the amount of air that all the online guides seem to call for is going to be a difficult task.
I'm currently running a 240 litre per minute aeration pump as shown which works perfectly for the two existing units with 6 x 30cm air stones each unit, however it is insanely loud and even in the acoustically insulated and decoupled enclosure it is in it is still clearly audible from outside the house on a quiet night. Not good, as I live in a prohibition country in a backwater corner of the planet.
I need three more of these same pumps to supply the whole show once it's up an running, which is untenable as it will be far too loud. It's too loud even now.
Can somebody with expertise on the matter suggest a solution to this problem?
It seems plausible to me that the volume of air required in DWC may not increase in a linear manner with respect to the volume of nutrient solution when you start getting into reservoirs containing hundreds of liters?
Bear in mind I live in the pacific, so I'm on 220-240 volts and don't have access to the wonderful selection of products you lucky americans do. if its available on Ebay I can probably get it but Amazon doesn't ship here.
TIA
TheGreatSouthern
One thing I failed to consider is that my grow is big. Really big.
I use 1000 liter IBCs cut in half, and grow a SOG consisting of 30 plants and I run 8 of those units so I have 4000 liters of nutrient solution to contend with now, whereas before they were all flooded from a single 1000 liter IBC and aeration wasn't an issue as the solution was pumped up through 1500 liters of pebbles every hour, drained naturally and then got pumped up through the other 1500 liters so it was self aerating.
Everything's going ok, photos attached, and this is the first run. I've only set up the first 2 units of 500 liters each.
A problem I'm about to face is that supplying the amount of air that all the online guides seem to call for is going to be a difficult task.
I'm currently running a 240 litre per minute aeration pump as shown which works perfectly for the two existing units with 6 x 30cm air stones each unit, however it is insanely loud and even in the acoustically insulated and decoupled enclosure it is in it is still clearly audible from outside the house on a quiet night. Not good, as I live in a prohibition country in a backwater corner of the planet.
I need three more of these same pumps to supply the whole show once it's up an running, which is untenable as it will be far too loud. It's too loud even now.
Can somebody with expertise on the matter suggest a solution to this problem?
It seems plausible to me that the volume of air required in DWC may not increase in a linear manner with respect to the volume of nutrient solution when you start getting into reservoirs containing hundreds of liters?
Bear in mind I live in the pacific, so I'm on 220-240 volts and don't have access to the wonderful selection of products you lucky americans do. if its available on Ebay I can probably get it but Amazon doesn't ship here.
TIA
TheGreatSouthern
