what tempture dose the reservoir have to be?

im buliding my own hydro but the reservoir will have to be out side the grow room as i dont have enough space to have it in side the only prob is it will be cold i mean really cold maybe 10c/50f will the plants be ok with the nutes being pumped in to them at this temp?? i really dont have a lot of money to be buying more stuff for it!!

ps: its a Ebb and Flow system

put a fishtank heater in your res., and set it @ 78...
(like a 150w in a 18g res, to make up for the extra cold)

thanks whats the coldest it can go?

weedpot said:

thanks whats the coldest it can go?

Click to expand...

I run an Ebb and Flow. I keep my res at 67F with good results. Cooler res temps allow for more dissolved oxygen to the roots.

Good luck with your grow!

The temperature is the hardest factor to take control of to me. When confined to a small space, ballasts and lights can push temperatures sky-high in no time flat. That is why I use CFLS, to avoid venting heat. This is especially true during hot summer months when outside temperature reaches its highest. Nighttime (LIGHTS OFF period) temperature can be just as difficult to regulate during cold winter month. Most gardeners are aware that temperature in the grow room plays a major role and can greatly affect the growth of plants and the quality of the finished crop. Most gardeners do not know how controlling the temperature of their garden in very specific ways they can achieve a superior crop. Drift to far from these ideal temperatures and watch your plants and crop suffer.
Before getting started it is highly recommended that every indoor garden has a max/min thermometer. (Digital $4.95 at Walmart)

This product allows the gardener to see exactly the fluctuations in temperature within their garden. Without this useful tool there is no accurate way of knowing the different temperatures between daytime (lights on) and nighttime (lights off). The difference between the two temperatures is very important to plant growth. Anymore than a 10F-15F difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures and you risk shocking and stressing the plants. You want a 10 degree difference between LIGHTS ON and LIGHTS OFF temps. In general the optimal daytime temperature for plant growth is between 70F -75F. Drift to far above this range or too far below and growth can be severely affected. Daytime temperatures exceeding 90F or under 62F and plant growth will be slowed and stunted. Plants do thrive in afganastan's 110 degrees, but they quit growing at that temp. If the temperature drifts higher than 95F the plant’s enzyme production will drop off and the plant will begin shutting down. At temperatures above 92 - 94, high photosynthesis shuts down due to the stomata in the leaves closing down to conserve water. At normal temperatures the stomata will be open, taking in CO2 and sweating water to keep the plant cool and allowing for transpiration.
Ideal temperature varies depending on whether or not CO2 is being introduced to the environment. A more suitable daytime temperature when the air is being enriched with CO2 is 80F-85F. This temperature range promotes the exchange of gases between the plants and the environment. Also, it can speed up the process of photosynthesis. Plant in an environment at 86F can perform carbon extraction from CO2 twice as fast as at 68F. It is still recommended that the nighttime temperature drop no more than 15f from that of the daytime temperature. There is another relationship between temperature and the absorbsion of gases by plants that many hobbyist growers are aware of. That is the relationship between the temperature of the water in your reservoir and the amount of oxygen the water can hold. The best range that your reservoir can be between is 60F-75F. Ideally the reservoir temperature should be at 65F because this level contains the most oxygen. Also this temperature will help control transpiration (the act of drawing up nutrients by evaporating water through out the leaves), and humidity levels. Buying a simple aquarium floating thermometer will allow you to know where you fit in this range.

$2 to $4 at Walmart, Target,
PetSmart Aquarium Dept





Another great reason for regulating the temperature in your grow room is that biological processes can be speed up exponentially by every degree. This is true for your plants as well as the potential pests that may invade your grow room.
Pests such as spider mites can reproduce up to 10 times faster with every degree the temperature rises.
These pests can destroy a garden in no time flat, you really do not want to make it any easier for them. Spider Mite Eggs and webs can screw up the buds so bad, they can nto be smoked. With a daytime temperature at a steady 72F and nighttime temperature of 65F it is much easier to control and destroy spider mite, thrip, and many other pest populations.
The same principal can be applied to the prevention and control of fungi, molds, mildews, and bacteria, which can spread more rapidly when temperatures in the grow room or reservoir exceed 90F. Also, the warmer the air, the more water it can retain which means humidity levels can easily go beyond the recommended 40-50% for Vegging. (you want high humidity for VEG, and low humidity for Flowering.) This high humidity coupled with lower nighttime temperatures can cause condensation to form on leaves. This will invite molds, mildews, fungi, and bacteria to take over you grow space. With high temperatures the likely-hood of losing control of the problem, such as powdery mildew, is very high. Once control is lost your plants may be the next to go.

Temperature is also very important when it comes to starting seeds and getting cuttings to root. Placing seedling trays on a heating mat will reduce germination time dramatically. Speeding up germination time usually leads to stronger and healthier plants. Also, less time spent between crop cycles makes a garden efficient. More harvests provided in less time can equal big bucks in the pockets of professional growers.
The ideal temperature for sprouting or cloning is 80F. Any higher and you risk burning the roots. Also, many seeds simply will not germinate at temperatures over 90F. The seeds will become dormant and never sprout.
The same principal used for seeds is used on cuttings to coax roots out quicker. The sooner cuttings can establish roots the better. If roots can be forced quickly they will grow strong and stay strong. A bottom temperature of 80F-85F, roughly 10F warmer than the air, will speed up rooting time and help to jump start those roots once they do begin. Let the temperature get too high or too low and roots growth will be hindered or they will never grow at all. Using the proper technique and the proper temperature for bottom heat not only can rooting time be speed up from 2 weeks to as little as 3 days, but the survival rate of your cuttings will drastically improve.

On the topic of roots, there is an ideal temperature for the root zone after the plants’ roots have been established. Roots are working 24 hours a day and constant attention is required concerning temperature in and around the root zone. The ideal temp for this root zone is generally 65 to 75 degrees F. At this temperature the ion exchange between the roots and the environment around them is at its absolute best. This means that the plant’s root system can take up more macro nutrients, more micro nutrients, and more oxygen at this temperature than at any other level. This makes a plant more efficient and a plant working efficiently will provide a superior yield.

Amazingly, some growers grow successfully with no themometer for the air or water. But for maximum efficiency, you got to take control of temps.

HUMIDITY? that is more simple to me. Get the Humidity VERY high for VEGGING, and very low for FLOWERING.

in Vegging, I mist them daily. I do raise the lights up, to be careful with my bulbs getting wet and breaking. And when it rains outside, it also gets cloudy and the sun's rays are blocked. Plants in outdoors, in nature do get an ocasional rain shower or thunderstorm. Do you let it rain on yours? I do, but artificially by MISTING.
AND, I bought a cheap humidifier.

Cheap Cool Mist Humidifiers from Walmart:

$26.00



Ultrasonic Humidifier With Light


$28.97



Graco, Cool Mist Humidifier, 1.5 Gallon $29.96




During Flowering, we need a low humidity, especially to avoid Bud mold and bud rot.

Cheap De-Humidifier for closets and tents
$40 at amazon.com

hey bro thanks for taking the time to get that info for me i understand now

thanks again happy growing

Roseman said:

The temperature is the hardest factor to take control of to me. When confined to a small space, ballasts and lights can push temperatures sky-high in no time flat. That is why I use CFLS, to avoid venting heat. This is especially true during hot summer months when outside temperature reaches its highest. Nighttime (LIGHTS OFF period) temperature can be just as difficult to regulate during cold winter month. Most gardeners are aware that temperature in the grow room plays a major role and can greatly affect the growth of plants and the quality of the finished crop. Most gardeners do not know how controlling the temperature of their garden in very specific ways they can achieve a superior crop. Drift to far from these ideal temperatures and watch your plants and crop suffer.
Before getting started it is highly recommended that every indoor garden has a max/min thermometer. (Digital $4.95 at Walmart)

This product allows the gardener to see exactly the fluctuations in temperature within their garden. Without this useful tool there is no accurate way of knowing the different temperatures between daytime (lights on) and nighttime (lights off). The difference between the two temperatures is very important to plant growth. Anymore than a 10F-15F difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures and you risk shocking and stressing the plants. You want a 10 degree difference between LIGHTS ON and LIGHTS OFF temps. In general the optimal daytime temperature for plant growth is between 70F -75F. Drift to far above this range or too far below and growth can be severely affected. Daytime temperatures exceeding 90F or under 62F and plant growth will be slowed and stunted. Plants do thrive in afganastan's 110 degrees, but they quit growing at that temp. If the temperature drifts higher than 95F the plant’s enzyme production will drop off and the plant will begin shutting down. At temperatures above 92 - 94, high photosynthesis shuts down due to the stomata in the leaves closing down to conserve water. At normal temperatures the stomata will be open, taking in CO2 and sweating water to keep the plant cool and allowing for transpiration.
Ideal temperature varies depending on whether or not CO2 is being introduced to the environment. A more suitable daytime temperature when the air is being enriched with CO2 is 80F-85F. This temperature range promotes the exchange of gases between the plants and the environment. Also, it can speed up the process of photosynthesis. Plant in an environment at 86F can perform carbon extraction from CO2 twice as fast as at 68F. It is still recommended that the nighttime temperature drop no more than 15f from that of the daytime temperature. There is another relationship between temperature and the absorbsion of gases by plants that many hobbyist growers are aware of. That is the relationship between the temperature of the water in your reservoir and the amount of oxygen the water can hold. The best range that your reservoir can be between is 60F-75F. Ideally the reservoir temperature should be at 65F because this level contains the most oxygen. Also this temperature will help control transpiration (the act of drawing up nutrients by evaporating water through out the leaves), and humidity levels. Buying a simple aquarium floating thermometer will allow you to know where you fit in this range.

$2 to $4 at Walmart, Target,
PetSmart Aquarium Dept





Another great reason for regulating the temperature in your grow room is that biological processes can be speed up exponentially by every degree. This is true for your plants as well as the potential pests that may invade your grow room.
Pests such as spider mites can reproduce up to 10 times faster with every degree the temperature rises.
These pests can destroy a garden in no time flat, you really do not want to make it any easier for them. Spider Mite Eggs and webs can screw up the buds so bad, they can nto be smoked. With a daytime temperature at a steady 72F and nighttime temperature of 65F it is much easier to control and destroy spider mite, thrip, and many other pest populations.
The same principal can be applied to the prevention and control of fungi, molds, mildews, and bacteria, which can spread more rapidly when temperatures in the grow room or reservoir exceed 90F. Also, the warmer the air, the more water it can retain which means humidity levels can easily go beyond the recommended 40-50% for Vegging. (you want high humidity for VEG, and low humidity for Flowering.) This high humidity coupled with lower nighttime temperatures can cause condensation to form on leaves. This will invite molds, mildews, fungi, and bacteria to take over you grow space. With high temperatures the likely-hood of losing control of the problem, such as powdery mildew, is very high. Once control is lost your plants may be the next to go.

Temperature is also very important when it comes to starting seeds and getting cuttings to root. Placing seedling trays on a heating mat will reduce germination time dramatically. Speeding up germination time usually leads to stronger and healthier plants. Also, less time spent between crop cycles makes a garden efficient. More harvests provided in less time can equal big bucks in the pockets of professional growers.
The ideal temperature for sprouting or cloning is 80F. Any higher and you risk burning the roots. Also, many seeds simply will not germinate at temperatures over 90F. The seeds will become dormant and never sprout.
The same principal used for seeds is used on cuttings to coax roots out quicker. The sooner cuttings can establish roots the better. If roots can be forced quickly they will grow strong and stay strong. A bottom temperature of 80F-85F, roughly 10F warmer than the air, will speed up rooting time and help to jump start those roots once they do begin. Let the temperature get too high or too low and roots growth will be hindered or they will never grow at all. Using the proper technique and the proper temperature for bottom heat not only can rooting time be speed up from 2 weeks to as little as 3 days, but the survival rate of your cuttings will drastically improve.

On the topic of roots, there is an ideal temperature for the root zone after the plants’ roots have been established. Roots are working 24 hours a day and constant attention is required concerning temperature in and around the root zone. The ideal temp for this root zone is generally 65 to 75 degrees F. At this temperature the ion exchange between the roots and the environment around them is at its absolute best. This means that the plant’s root system can take up more macro nutrients, more micro nutrients, and more oxygen at this temperature than at any other level. This makes a plant more efficient and a plant working efficiently will provide a superior yield.

Amazingly, some growers grow successfully with no themometer for the air or water. But for maximum efficiency, you got to take control of temps.

HUMIDITY? that is more simple to me. Get the Humidity VERY high for VEGGING, and very low for FLOWERING.

in Vegging, I mist them daily. I do raise the lights up, to be careful with my bulbs getting wet and breaking. And when it rains outside, it also gets cloudy and the sun's rays are blocked. Plants in outdoors, in nature do get an ocasional rain shower or thunderstorm. Do you let it rain on yours? I do, but artificially by MISTING.
AND, I bought a cheap humidifier.

Cheap Cool Mist Humidifiers from Walmart:

$26.00



Ultrasonic Humidifier With Light


$28.97



Graco, Cool Mist Humidifier, 1.5 Gallon $29.96




During Flowering, we need a low humidity, especially to avoid Bud mold and bud rot.

Cheap De-Humidifier for closets and tents
$40 at amazon.com

Click to expand...

gotta love roseman for always posting large, easy to read infomation with pics!!!

Without throwing in a bunch of other off the wall unasked for information:

The best temperature for reservoir water is almost entirely dependant upon the type of system you are using to deliver your nutrient water, the medium your growing in and the type of nutrient (organic or inorganic). Organic nutrients need to be warmer than chemical nutrients, as well DO levels should be higher with organic nutrients. With chemical nutrient hydroponic system with an open media such as hydroton it does not really matter if you have much dissolved oxygen in your nutrient solution. The same goes for chemical nutrient aeroponic systems with misters, sprayers and atomizers. With those systems you just need to keep your temperature within about 15 to 20 degrees of your grow room temps so as to not shock the roots. Closer is desirable with atomizer and high pressure aeroponic systems. With flooded systems, rock wool and soil systems it is much more important to have higher levels of dissolved oxygen, but a temperture below 75 to 80 degrees is fine as long as you have some agitation of the reservoirs water surface to insure good gas exchange. Too cold of temperatures can shock the roots however. The shock to bare roots or roots in an airy medium like hydroton is more severe than with a medium like rock wool or soil.

hey thanks man im growin in clay pebbiles it would be so handy if i could have it in the grow room because then it would be the same all the time maybe i could put it some were mmmmmmm going to have an other look because as u said if im growing in clay and i dont want to shock the roots thanks a mill ill get back with some pics

Yep and that huge dehumidifier will extract all of 5.4 oz maximum in 24 hours. A small window airconditioner (6000 btu) will extract about 30 pints (480 0unces) pints in 24 hours and costs about $125 and if you don't want to cool the area just set the whole ir conditioner inside instead of in the window so it just works as a dehumidifier. There is very, very little difference between an air conditioner and a dehumidifier, but huge numbers of widow ar ir conditioners are amde so they are much cheaper than real (compressor type) dehumidifiers.

Roseman said:

The best range that your reservoir can be between is 60F-75F. Ideally the reservoir temperature should be at 65F because this level contains the most oxygen.

Click to expand...

enough said

i would say if u go above 70 ur asking for trouble, pathogens, fungi, and bacteria have a much better chance of spawning, and infecting ur shit

All of this is no worries though if u got ur temps in check, a 78 air temp room should keep ur res's in check

beta0701 said:

enough said

i would say if u go above 70 ur asking for trouble, pathogens, fungi, and bacteria have a much better chance of spawning, and infecting ur shit

All of this is no worries though if u got ur temps in check, a 78 air temp room should keep ur res's in check

Click to expand...

Not true. Just try to keeo=]p the solution within about 10 degrees of the room temp. Most bacteria common to reseroirs required large amounts of dissolved oxygen to multiply quickly. So incerasing the DO in the reservoir is not something you want to do excpt with soil media or flooded systems.

While protozoa are better at growing at higher temps and lower DO levels they are seldom present unless you are using orgainic fertilizers or are using an organic (soil) media or have root ror etc.

Few aerosystems or hydrosystems benefit from increased DO levels in reservoir water because the air media and sraaying or the well draining airy media of a inert hydro media also provide ample oxygen to the nutrient water and therefore the roots while the nutrients flow through the media or are sprayed.

The simple method to deal with inert hydro and aero systems is to actually run low nutrient DO and use a small amount of chlorine or Hydrogen peroxide to keep pathogens from multiplying. Pathogens are mucjh more effected (killed off) by toxins such as chlorine than are beneficial bacteria.

Even then with an aero systenm or inert media hydro sytem it is even best to kill off all the bacteria with chlorine etc because the chelates are all that is needed to assure nutrient up take of the micro nutrients suppled in chemical hydro nutrients .

There are systems that can benefit from increased DO in the nutrient resrvoir such as flooded DW systems and such but not aero or inert media hydro. It is just another old Myth based upon the needs of soil ond organic growing mediums. that people have tried to say also apply to aero and inert media hydro.

beta0701 said:

enough said

i would say if u go above 70 ur asking for trouble, pathogens, fungi, and bacteria have a much better chance of spawning, and infecting ur shit

All of this is no worries though if u got ur temps in check, a 78 air temp room should keep ur res's in check

Click to expand...

good post, beta0701. I agree.

fatman7574 said:

Not true. Just try to keeo=]p the solution within about 10 degrees of the room temp. Most bacteria common to reseroirs required large amounts of dissolved oxygen to multiply quickly. So incerasing the DO in the reservoir is not something you want to do excpt with soil media or flooded systems.

Click to expand...

U got it backwards yo, oxygen is GOOD for roots, they need oxygen

STINKBUD
Plants have needs just like you and me. The biggest difference is that plants make their own food. To put it simply, plants make sugar and the sugars power plant growth.

So what does a plant need to make sugar? Carbon, Oxygen, Water and Light. They also need small amounts of nutrients and of course Chlorophyll. The plants take in the Carbon (CO2) through the leaves. They take in water and nutrients through the roots. What most people don't know is that plants also take in Oxygen through their roots.

Because plants give off Oxygen many believe O2 is a non issue. In realty it's usually the determining factor in maximum plant growth. If you look at what a plant needs it's obvious where the bottle necks occur.
Oxygen is probably the most overlooked elements in plant growth. Even though plants give off more O2 than they take in, they still use a lot of Oxygen in the sugars they make.

So imagine yourself a plant and let's do a test:

1. Dig a hole in some dirt. Stick your head in it and fill it back up. Now take a deep breath. This is what growing is soil is like.
2. Now fill a container with water and stick your head in it. Oh yea, don't forget to add some air stones first. Now take a deep breath. This is DWC.
3. Now just take a normal deep breath. This is Aeroponics.

Am I getting my point across?

fatman7574 said:

While protozoa are better at growing at higher temps and lower DO levels they are seldom present unless you are using orgainic fertilizers or are using an organic (soil) media or have root ror etc.

Click to expand...

So why are you saying low levels and high temps are good then???? WTF???

fatman7574 said:

Few aerosystems or hydrosystems benefit from increased DO levels in reservoir water

Click to expand...

Thats like saying few PLANTS like having more oxygen injected into there root systems, thats funny bra

fatman7574 said:

The simple method to deal with inert hydro and aero systems is to actually run low nutrient DO and use a small amount of chlorine or Hydrogen peroxide to keep pathogens from multiplying. Pathogens are mucjh more effected (killed off) by toxins such as chlorine than are beneficial bacteria.

Click to expand...

YA GOOD IDEA, starve the plants of oxygen, then add a bunch of toxins to your res water!!!!!! Are you joking????? Do you like smoking bleach and hydrogen peroxide buds???

fatman7574 said:

There are systems that can benefit from increased DO in the nutrient resrvoir such as flooded DW systems and such but not aero or inert media hydro. It is just another old Myth based upon the needs of soil ond organic growing mediums. that people have tried to say also apply to aero and inert media hydro.

Click to expand...

ALL that, and guess wat, I GROW ORGANIC

i never even throught of pests in my water when there in warm water. but i do know that the roots have to have oxygen sure thats what bubble tronics is all about! given the roots oxygen. oh i just bought organic rooting gel dose it work well?

what i think he is trying to say that if you have some systems that only spray the roots then thay r going to get loads of oxygen from the air so it dosent have to be in the water the same as neb and flow am i right?

weedpot said:

what i think he is trying to say that if you have some systems that only spray the roots then thay r going to get loads of oxygen from the air so it dosent have to be in the water the same as neb and flow am i right?

Click to expand...

Im not the only one

http://www.hydroponics.com/howtoinfo/hydroponics%20articles/temperature_part%202.html

When growing indoors and using hydroponics, one should not only think about room temperature but also about the temperature of their nutrient solution, which should be between 60F- 75F. 65F is ideal because the water holds the most oxygen at this temperature. Allowing your reservoir temperature to drift below 50F or above 85F is dangerous because the risk of damaging the roots is high. To control the temperature of the nutrient solution a reservoir chiller or an aquarium (insert) heater may be used. Aquarium heaters are common for reservoirs that are sitting on cold floors, for example concrete or tiled flooring. Aquarium heaters are submersible heat elements controlled by a thermostat on it. * Safety Tip * Only plug an aquarium heater into a grounded outlet and make sure that the heater does not rest against the bottom or side of your reservoir. Also never leave an aquarium heater on outside of water because it will rapidly heat up and burn out.

High reservoir temperatures can cause the gardener many problems. This can cause water to evaporate, which concentrates the nutrient solution. High temperature also increases the possibility of water-born disease. If this is the case it may be time to invest in a reservoir chiller. Reservoir chillers cool the nutrient solution by circulating it through refrigerated coils set by a thermostat. When the temperature gets high, reservoir chillers are worth every penny.

http://everything2.com/title/aeroponics

The Temperature Problem

One of the most difficult factors to control in a hydroponic setup is the temperature of the water/nutrient solution. Obtaining maximum exposure (within reason) to sunlight or artificial light is usually a primary goal; but intense light from any source is unavoidably accompanied by intense heat. Of course solutions for this exist, but they pose problems in cost, complexity and logistics serious enough to make any grower reconsider operating in an enclosed space -- or at least to force a reconsideration of just how close to theoretical maxima of production one truly wishes to operate, and how much labor and investment it is actually worth.
Why does solution temperature matter? Dissolved oxygen, plus those competitor organisms again. At the temperature of a natural stream that is cold to the touch, water naturally contains a great deal of dissolved oxygen. As noted above, oxygen is important to the development and productivity of a plant's feeder roots (comprising the majority of the roots of most green plants). As water temperature approaches and exceeds 70°F/20°C, its ability to hold oxygen available to plants (and fish) drops dramatically to only a small fraction of that of colder water. Furthermore, warmer water supports exponentially greater cell growth in the water molds and other organisms that prey on plant roots.
Thus, a common syndrome observed in hydroponic cultivation goes as follows. The lighting system (or sunlight, in greenhouses), plus the ambient air temperature, eventually bring the nutrient solution to an unhealthily high temperature: for many green plants 70°F/20°C is a warning sign, 75°F/24°C causes real stress, and 80°F/27°C can only be tolerated for a short time without causing widespread damage from which it is difficult to recover. Once a plant, and an entire growing system, is infected with water molds (e.g. pythium spp.) it can be difficult to restore to health even after a complete change of solution or a full system cleaning.
How does aeroponics solve this?

The main advantage of aeroponics is that the nutrient solution spends the vast majority of its time in a reservoir, only periodically being pumped up and exposed to the relatively warm growing environment. Thus it can be much more easily maintained at a temperature that discourages fungi (etc.) and keeps dissolved oxygen high, without resorting to expensive and high-maintenance solutions such as direct refrigeration.


https://www.rollitup.org/hydroponics-aeroponics/143621-reservoir-temperature-day-night-temps.html



I would not let it get over 70F... 72 was when i got root rot... (in DWC system) you can get some additives that are supposed to prevent other biological growth and root rot, but 65-70 is ideal.

also, the closer to 65 you can keep it the more oxygen it holds...

ebb/flow systems are not so sensitive to res temp - you could go up to 75, but i wouldnt cross that.




I got pathogens at 75F

Get this it is quite simple. I agree that if using a soil system where water is merely poured over a poorly breathing and poorly draining media then increasing the DO in the reservoir is a good idea. I already expressed that. However, this is a aero and hydro thread section meaning I do not give arats ass about soils grwowing problems when addressing issues in this forum section. This is not a soil growing section of the forums. As far as bubble phonics the aeration creates bubbles. Those bubbles have a huge surface area instead of little surface area such as a reservoir full of waer. Increasing the DO in the reservoir serves very little benefit in a bubblephonic system as the massive surface area of the bubbles proprotionally to a simple reservoirs surface area assures there are huge amounts of oxygen present regardless of waht small difference trying to boost the reservoir DO level can possibly make.

Spraying reservoir nutrients in the same way assures a huge number of small droplets of water. Proportionally you are again receiving a huge surface in contact with O2 so that contributes to huge amounts of oxygen being within thw water. Consider a reservoir with 4 square feet of surface area. How much water is incontact with the air inorder to take up oxygen. Now take the same amount of water as n that reservoir and increase the surface area a few thousand fold (actually many thosand fold) by turning the water from its surface layer into many, many, thousands of water droplets all with therir surfaces exposed to the iair so as to take up oxyge.

Or take the water and spread it as a thin layer orver a media with a huge surface area as we are talking the combines surface area of every media particle. That is exposing thw water to a huge amount of air and therefore assuring a high DO. A hydro system is like a trickle filter in that the nutrient water flowing over a very open media insure a huge amount of oxyge. Period.

Either of these last two methods (aerp o or hydro) assure much higher DO than a circulating pump or asome airstones in a reservoir can provide. None of these systems depend on an initial amount of high DO water. These systems (aero and Hydro) create high DO water as they work. Period. They do not need reservoir water tha is high in DO. Period.

High DO water is the chief reason, if any of you ever visited a waste water treatment plant would see, why aeration is applied to waste water in treatment plants. Increasing the amount of dissolved oxygen in water containing high amounts of nutrients cause rapid multiplication of bacteria (biomass) which then convert the nutrients. While this is beneficial when using soil media and organic nutrients it is not necessary with chemical fertilizers in aero or hydro grows as all the fertilizers are already presented in a form where they are easily taken up by the plants roots.

If nothing else consider the best performing aero systems use water contained in enclosed nutrient tanks. No efforts are made to increase DO levels as the systems method of creating a mist creates small droplets of water with a huge surface area in comparison to a reservoir full of water. The system creates a spray with very, very, high DO water even when that water comes from an enclosed reservoir with very low DO water.

The reason a low pressure aero system or a open well draining hydro systenm works so well is because the nutrient delivery systems create high DO nutrients water for the roots use to the roots regardless of the low DO water in the reservoir.

Dragging soil system principles and buubleponics or systems where the roots are immersed in water has nothing to do with the issue that high DO water in a chemical nutrient supplied aero or hydro reservoir actually creates problems rather than benefiting the plants. Once again the last post brings up unrelated explanations trying to justify high DO reservoir water. There are no plants living with their roots in the reservoir with an aero or hydrosystem, so that total explanation about colder water and natures streams with aquatic plants or what ever is moot.

While evaporation can increase with higher temps there is nor reason for there not to be a lid on the reservoir preventing the potential for high evapration from the reservoir. Look at a high pressure aero system. The nutrients are in a totally enclosed accumalator (pressure tank). Yet those perform much better than a low prseeure system or a hydro system.

You guys as well as the articles are just carrying over to many old ideas that were applicable to soil system with hand watering, emitters and such that did not in and of them selves assure high amounts of oxygen as is already assured with aero or soil less hydro.

Warmer nutrients can when there is a high DO greatly speed the multiplication of bacteria, true. High temps and low DO can give protozoa and edge over bacteria, true. Both the bactaeria and protozoa need time to multiply to obtain any numbers to where they cause much benefit or harm. With the Protozoa were talking about 5 to 7 days, with the bacteria were talking 10 to 14 days.

i.e with hydro or aero don't worry about boosting reservoir DO as it is not needed. If your worried about temps remove the reservoir from the hot grow area. Insulate your nutrient delivery lines, at least make sure they are at least painted white. Or simply use chlorine or hydrogen peroxide to maintain low levels of protozoa or bacteria even with warmer water. Warmer reservoir water up to the room air temp is no big thing to the plants or their roots.

Roots lying in or supended in warm low DO water is detrimental as it causes root death, which leads to all kids of organic nutrients for bacteria and protozoa to feed on and this then leads to Pyth, but I don't think anyone is telling anyone to create such conditions as that. Aero tubes should be well drained and hydro media should be well drained. Duh. If you have high temps and low DO you will have have more protozoa than bacteria so less Chlorine or H2O2 is need than if you have higher temps and higher DO. Protozoa are more easily killed off by chlorine or H2O2 than bacteria.

I have many books on aquatic chemistry, biological processes, water treatment, waste water treatment and such. I know how bacteria and nutrients respond to differibng temperatures and different DO levels.

One of my degrees is Environmental Engineering. I assure you I know a great deal about water DO, biological processes in water and soil. Like I said what applies to growing in water, or in soils really has very,very little to do with aeroponics or hydroponics. Hydro and aero are good systems because they avoid the DO issues that are common problems with water grows and soil grows where low DO are problems.

I do not do soil grows or bubblephonics. Soil grows are slow old hat methods. IMHO Bubble phonics do not lend itself well to large systems and are a poorer performing systems then aero sytems which commonly use low, medium or high pressure misters or even hydro systems.

I read the links. A lot of their content is old school stuff that only applies to soil grows. A lot is simply wrong.

Water no warmer than the ambient temperature is not harmful to roots. Typical summer rain falls produce warm water not cold water. The writer puts much emphasis on the hot temps caused by green house grows or grows in hot grow rooms.

The somewhat arbitrary temperatures used or an ideal reservoir water temperature is based upon the fact that CO2 is only at levels adequate to grows at temps up to the mid seventies. However most growers who have moved up to hot aero and hydro systems use supplen mental CO2 so that arbitrary temp is out dated.

So stating water should be no warmer than that has just stuck with those outdated low CO2 limited systems and wrongly keeps being stated as what is need even for systems not being limited by CO2 levels.

Dissolved oxygen levels as said in the article and again by me is not an issue with hydro or aero where the contribution of reservoir DO is of little consequence, therefore the need to keep temps low in the 70's to allow for higher DIO is not needed.

But once again old school thinking is hard to do away with. Very often (nearly always) that water is warmer than the roots temperature a few inches below the ground an a lot warmer than the roots temperture deeper than that. If the hih nutrient temperature in an of itself was detrimental there would be no plants on this planet. The more informative of the write ups is simply stating that colder water slows the multiplication of bacteria anf protozoa. That is true. But it is a simple fact that a very small amount of chlorine or H2O2 does this much more effectively much more cheaply than can any method used to lower the reservoir temperatures. The articles does not address the fact that high DO increases bacteria multiplication even with cooler temps.

Nor does it address the fact that aero or hydro sysy tems just don't need high Do reservoir water. I acn't underastand why a group of people who wy ill spend huge amounts om nutrients and most worthless nutrieny supplements would worry about the use of a very small amount of chlorine or H2O2 to solve a bacteria or protozoa problem that may develop in warm resrvoir water in reservoirs that are not changed out often enough to minimize the problem. All facts be known cold nutrient water is much worse than warm.

So really we are all stuck on an argument that is really based upon CO2 levels more than anything. CO2 levels set the desireable air and therefore nutrient temps at a maximum of the mid seventies. It has nothing really to do with DO levels or bacteria or protozoa levels when growing in a aero or hydro system. If you are running a non CO2 supplemented system then the old school opinon of air temps and reservoir temps apply, but the verbage about the reason being for increased DO or bacteria or protozoa control really has very liitle to do with it as those things are very simply addressed. And once agin if you are ragging soil or organic or immersed water growing needs into the discussion your opinion are mot to this discussion and should be discussed in a section other than aero and Hydro as they do not apply here.

Personally I keep my reservoir temps at no higher than grow room temps and no lower than grow room temps. My grow room temps are usually 85 to 90 degrees. So my reservoir temps are 75 to 80 degrees. My nutrient pumps at 25 psi and 50 to 80 micro medium pressure misters likely increase the temp a few degrees above thaose temps. I use chlorine for bacteria and protozoa control. I have no idea what my reservoir Do levels run any more as it really does not matter much. I do use a chiller as need to maintain my reservoir temps at a maximum high of what ever the room temp airconditioner thermostat is set at. I do not try to chill to below those temps. No benefit in it as my growing temps are not based upon ambient CO2 levels of 350 ppm or so..

60 to 75 is good for the water temp in the reservoir and 65 is best!

fatman7574 said:

Without throwing in a bunch of other off the wall unasked for information:

The best temperature for reservoir water is almost entirely dependant upon the type of system you are using to deliver your nutrient water, the medium your growing in and the type of nutrient (organic or inorganic). Organic nutrients need to be warmer than chemical nutrients, as well DO levels should be higher with organic nutrients. With chemical nutrient hydroponic system with an open media such as hydroton it does not really matter if you have much dissolved oxygen in your nutrient solution. The same goes for chemical nutrient aeroponic systems with misters, sprayers and atomizers. With those systems you just need to keep your temperature within about 15 to 20 degrees of your grow room temps so as to not shock the roots. Closer is desirable with atomizer and high pressure aeroponic systems. With flooded systems, rock wool and soil systems it is much more important to have higher levels of dissolved oxygen, but a temperture below 75 to 80 degrees is fine as long as you have some agitation of the reservoirs water surface to insure good gas exchange. Too cold of temperatures can shock the roots however. The shock to bare roots or roots in an airy medium like hydroton is more severe than with a medium like rock wool or soil.

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I keep my res at 68 degrees(DWC)