Insuring minimal safe DO Saturation continuously 24/7 for several months to harvest in any hydroponic grow whether tomatoes, lettuce, pot, opium poppies or beneficial microbes is absolutely vital, plenty elemental O2 is the most important elemental supplement. Period. So how much is actually necessary... 100% - 105% DO Saturation is the magic number. Look at any DO Chart. Testing DO Sat. and a DO Meter is often totally beyond the concept or reach for the average hobby grower although a DO Test Kit cost $20.00 or so. Guessing and hoping the DO in the res water is safe is by far most popular because that's FREE and free is popular!
The "hydroponic experts" claim that "low oxygenation" or failing to provide and insure minimal safe oxygenation continuously does have consequences… roots and microbes get sick, suffocate, die and decay inviting massive fungal colonization that come and eat the dead roots and dead microbes that have suffocated for lack of oxygen. Fungi can smell sick, decaying roots like buzzards smell road kill. That’s a no-brainer.
On the up side, most growers claim they never and never have fungal problems, never need homemade brews or fungicidal chemicals, but for the less savvy growers that do have fungal infestations and resort to crisis intervention… they do seek all kind of special brews, cures and all kinds of chemical concoctions to fight and kill the fungal infestations. Some even use H2O2 in a last ditch effort to provide a few minutes of emergency O2 gas for a few minutes relief as the hydrogen breaks down upon contact with protein in res water. The H2O2 application also kills the few remaining beneficial microbes in the res water too,
A Eureka moment now - The primary reason that the O2Grow does not/did not sell well is because some very bright grower actually tested the DO with a DO meter in 65F – 70F res water and found the little oxygenation device did not run very much in chilled water. The DO Saturation was no different than the oxygenating capability with plain old ambient air, pumped with an air compressor through bubble rocks or diffusing into falling water or blowing air bubbles with a tire pump.
Then a real bright grower actually read and understood the O2Grow technical literature and discovered that the device cycles on-off by water temperature… the colder the water the less the electrolysis machine is running electrolyzing water and fractionating O2 and H2. The machine does not sample and measure the DO in the water like a DO Meter. The machine senses water temperature only, the warmer the water.
The device does produce pure 100% oxygen by electrolysis of water, but it simply does not produce enough oxygen to make any difference with chilled water, now you know why the little oxygenator failed to sell well, a major technical problem. There are other technical problems too.
No, I am not affiliated with the O2Grow company and have never been, but I have read their sales literature, technical data and I do understand the pro’s and con’s of their technology. I know why it does not work well in chilled DWC res water. The bullet point of the Grow's promotional literature is, “O2Grow produces 100% pure O2 gas” and “100% hydrogen gas,” that is absolutely true. If the res water contains any sodium chloride, “100% Chlorine gas” will be produces too.
The device simply does not produce enough 100% O2 to insure 100% DO Saturation 24/7 for months, that the problem and that’s exactly the same problem using ambient air. I have tested the DO with a DO Meter.
There are many technologies that will absolutely insure long term continuous minimal safe oxygenation (100% -105% DO Saturation), Nano bubble generators are worth researching.
Have a fine Easter tomorrow and please tell you kids the real story of why we Christians celebrate Easter before it's lost forever... if Jesus had not been executed... kids would have no Easter Bunny nor hunting colored chicken eggs in the yard tomorrow.
