Quantitative Airstone Test. an end to the hype
- Thread starter legallyflying
- Start date
legallyflying
Well-Known Member
That only puts put around 4 liters a minute which is fine I guess. I would still say pick up some airstones.
BUT! Remember that you can use roots excelerator or any other rooting wonder agent that comes in a metal bottle with an airstone. The anaerobic bacteria in the rooting agent will gunk up..well everything really. This is another solution that adresses why you have gunk in your cloner. It's a big no no. The root excelerator is not for dwc or any situation where you need airstones
Are you using it?
BUT! Remember that you can use roots excelerator or any other rooting wonder agent that comes in a metal bottle with an airstone. The anaerobic bacteria in the rooting agent will gunk up..well everything really. This is another solution that adresses why you have gunk in your cloner. It's a big no no. The root excelerator is not for dwc or any situation where you need airstones
Are you using it?
legallyflying
Well-Known Member
Well welcome to the hydro game. Are you going to use DWC? If so, be sure to visit the brew our own tea thread (slime cure). Your going to shit yourself at how fast plants grow in dwc. It's normal until about week 3 then it just explodes!! ITs pretty fucking awesome really.
rzza
Well-Known Member
Thanks, i'm growing undercurrent/vertical. similar to this guy...
http://www.thcfarmer.com/forums/f158/60-x-1000-watts-under-current-hydro-20-tons-ac-some-co2-19366/
http://www.thcfarmer.com/forums/f158/60-x-1000-watts-under-current-hydro-20-tons-ac-some-co2-19366/
hellraizer30
Rebel From The North
welcome to the hydro world!
legallyflying
Well-Known Member
shit man, I can grow a clone almost three feet in 4 weeks.
hellraizer30
Rebel From The North
kinda what I was thinking
rzza
Well-Known Member
exactly lOl
woodsmaneh!
Well-Known Member
great report, that's how we make progress. I buy 8" blue stones by the box, 24 in a box and pay 15$ a box. Use them and toss, I do use a 9" pond defuser with 6,600 holes in it and it is low pressure, here is a pic. In my new 200 gal system I have a 280 w air pump with 9 8" air stones and 1 9" defuser. I run chillers and keep temps at 62 to 63 for max DO and to keep the bad guys at bay. The foam is from DM Zone it does that because the defuser puts out a ton of very small bubbles.
FishFarmSupply > Aeration > Air Diffuser
Flexair Fine Bubble Disc Diffuser - 9''
Quantity in Basket:
None
Product Code:
ED327
Price: $32.83
Shipping Weight:
3.00 pounds
Quantity:
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][SIZE=-1]Promotion Code:
FlexAir™ disc diffuser bodies are made of high strength polypropylene with 3/4 ” MNPT connections. Each diffuser has a minimum of 6,600 engineered air release orifices, which is up to 20 percent more than comparable models. The special design of the EPDM membrane, with its engineered thickness taper, results in full utilization of the membrane surface, even at low airflow operations. This results in improved oxygen transfer efficiency, along with maximum operational flexibility. The disc diffuser has an integral “triple” check valve to prevent fluid back flow. Normal airflow range is 0 to 5 cfm. Resistance is about 10” H2O when clean. FlexAir™ disc diffusers in stock have fine bubble EPDM membranes installed and weighs 2 lbs. Made in USA.
,
[/SIZE][/FONT]
View attachment 1806375View attachment 1806376View attachment 1806377View attachment 1806378
FishFarmSupply > Aeration > Air Diffuser
Flexair Fine Bubble Disc Diffuser - 9''
Quantity in Basket:
None
Product Code:
ED327
Price: $32.83
Shipping Weight:
3.00 pounds
Quantity:
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][SIZE=-1]Promotion Code:
FlexAir™ disc diffuser bodies are made of high strength polypropylene with 3/4 ” MNPT connections. Each diffuser has a minimum of 6,600 engineered air release orifices, which is up to 20 percent more than comparable models. The special design of the EPDM membrane, with its engineered thickness taper, results in full utilization of the membrane surface, even at low airflow operations. This results in improved oxygen transfer efficiency, along with maximum operational flexibility. The disc diffuser has an integral “triple” check valve to prevent fluid back flow. Normal airflow range is 0 to 5 cfm. Resistance is about 10” H2O when clean. FlexAir™ disc diffusers in stock have fine bubble EPDM membranes installed and weighs 2 lbs. Made in USA.
[/SIZE][/FONT]
View attachment 1806375View attachment 1806376View attachment 1806377View attachment 1806378
woodsmaneh!
Well-Known Member
[FONT="]Higher dissolved oxygen great for productivity, health and vigor
[/FONT] [FONT="]Research[/FONT][FONT="] > [/FONT][FONT="]Learn About Research[/FONT][FONT="] > [/FONT][FONT="]News[/FONT][FONT="] > Higher dissolved oxygen great for productivity, health and vigor [/FONT]
[FONT="]By Robert Fieldhouse
(Guelph, October 13, 2005)
[/FONT] [FONT="]Dissolving more oxygen into hydroponic solutions could boost greenhouse productivity and provide a whole host of other benefits too, say University of Guelph researchers.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Prof. Mike Dixon and Dr. Youbin Zheng, Department of Environmental Biology, are investigating the positive aspects of using an oxygen diffuser to increase oxygen levels in greenhouse hydroponic solutions used to grow roses, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. [/FONT]
[FONT="]
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Dr. Youbin Zheng, Department of Environmental Biology, is studying if oxygen levels can be boosted in hydroponic solutions to help growers ward off harmful microbes and boost productivity. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Preliminary results suggest a higher dissolved oxygen level increase productivity, health and root vigor in greenhouse plants, and helps keep harmful microbes in check.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“These findings are really beneficial to the industry,” says Zheng. “If we can use oxygen to boost plant health, making them stronger and more resistant to disease, we've discovered a very helpful tool.”[/FONT]
[FONT="]Oxygen isn't as prevalent in warm water as in cool water, so oxygen levels tend to be low -- about two to four parts per million (ppm) -- at high greenhouse temperatures, compared to eight to nine ppm in cool water. Under hot weather in the greenhouse, the root zone is especially short on oxygen, says Zheng, because root respiration depletes oxygen in hydroponic solutions. Excessive watering can further depress oxygen levels because it makes growth media, such as rockwool or coconut fibre, less porous, blocking air. These factors all weaken plant disease defense systems, making them more susceptible to disease-causing microbes such as Fusarium and Pythium which cause root decay.[/FONT]
[FONT="]To prevent this problem, greenhouse growers typically bubble air into hydroponic solutions to bring oxygen levels up to about nine ppm. But sometimes this still isn't enough.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Two years ago, the BC Greenhouse Growers' Association asked Dixon to investigate using even higher oxygen levels in hydroponic solutions. His literature review revealed that very little work had been done in this area suggesting the problem was largely ignored – until now.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Dixon and Zheng are using an oxygen diffuser recently developed and manufactured by Seair Diffusion Systems Inc., an Edmonton-based company with an interest in the greenhouse sector. The diffuser concentrates atmospheric oxygen, and dissolves it into hydroponic solutions. With this technology, oxygen levels can reach as high as 60 ppm in hydroponic solutions.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The research team is currently studying the effects of different oxygen levels, ranging from about nine ppm to 40 ppm.[/FONT]
[FONT="]So far, preliminary results are promising. But creating optimal supersaturated oxygen solutions requires extreme precision. Oxygen can be damaging at very high levels, says Dixon , so it's important to establish application methods for using this technology for different crops.[/FONT]
[FONT="]But if the methods can be worked out, Dixon says the oxygen diffusers are inexpensive and stand to emerge as an economical, environmentally friendly solution for growers looking to enhance their crops.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Greenhouse growers are voracious technical consumers – they'll try anything,” says Dixon . “But by the same token, they're also very shrewd business people, and they won't waste money unnecessarily.”[/FONT]
[FONT="]Dixon and Zheng will continue their research and will further investigate oxygen's effect on plant growth, physiology and disease. For example, they will inoculate greenhouse plants with specific microbes to see how the plants cope with this challenge under different oxygen levels.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Other researchers involved in this project include technician Linping Wang, graduate student Johanna Valentine and undergraduate student Mark Mallany, Department of Environmental Biology.[/FONT]
[FONT="]This research is being conducted at greenhouses in Guelph and Leamington , Ontario . It is sponsored by Seair Diffusion Systems Inc., Flowers Canada Ontario and the Fred Miller Rose Research Fund.[/FONT]
[/FONT] [FONT="]Research[/FONT][FONT="] > [/FONT][FONT="]Learn About Research[/FONT][FONT="] > [/FONT][FONT="]News[/FONT][FONT="] > Higher dissolved oxygen great for productivity, health and vigor [/FONT]
[FONT="]By Robert Fieldhouse
(Guelph, October 13, 2005)
[/FONT] [FONT="]Dissolving more oxygen into hydroponic solutions could boost greenhouse productivity and provide a whole host of other benefits too, say University of Guelph researchers.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Prof. Mike Dixon and Dr. Youbin Zheng, Department of Environmental Biology, are investigating the positive aspects of using an oxygen diffuser to increase oxygen levels in greenhouse hydroponic solutions used to grow roses, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. [/FONT]
[FONT="]
[FONT="]Dr. Youbin Zheng, Department of Environmental Biology, is studying if oxygen levels can be boosted in hydroponic solutions to help growers ward off harmful microbes and boost productivity. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Preliminary results suggest a higher dissolved oxygen level increase productivity, health and root vigor in greenhouse plants, and helps keep harmful microbes in check.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“These findings are really beneficial to the industry,” says Zheng. “If we can use oxygen to boost plant health, making them stronger and more resistant to disease, we've discovered a very helpful tool.”[/FONT]
[FONT="]Oxygen isn't as prevalent in warm water as in cool water, so oxygen levels tend to be low -- about two to four parts per million (ppm) -- at high greenhouse temperatures, compared to eight to nine ppm in cool water. Under hot weather in the greenhouse, the root zone is especially short on oxygen, says Zheng, because root respiration depletes oxygen in hydroponic solutions. Excessive watering can further depress oxygen levels because it makes growth media, such as rockwool or coconut fibre, less porous, blocking air. These factors all weaken plant disease defense systems, making them more susceptible to disease-causing microbes such as Fusarium and Pythium which cause root decay.[/FONT]
[FONT="]To prevent this problem, greenhouse growers typically bubble air into hydroponic solutions to bring oxygen levels up to about nine ppm. But sometimes this still isn't enough.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Two years ago, the BC Greenhouse Growers' Association asked Dixon to investigate using even higher oxygen levels in hydroponic solutions. His literature review revealed that very little work had been done in this area suggesting the problem was largely ignored – until now.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Dixon and Zheng are using an oxygen diffuser recently developed and manufactured by Seair Diffusion Systems Inc., an Edmonton-based company with an interest in the greenhouse sector. The diffuser concentrates atmospheric oxygen, and dissolves it into hydroponic solutions. With this technology, oxygen levels can reach as high as 60 ppm in hydroponic solutions.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The research team is currently studying the effects of different oxygen levels, ranging from about nine ppm to 40 ppm.[/FONT]
[FONT="]So far, preliminary results are promising. But creating optimal supersaturated oxygen solutions requires extreme precision. Oxygen can be damaging at very high levels, says Dixon , so it's important to establish application methods for using this technology for different crops.[/FONT]
[FONT="]But if the methods can be worked out, Dixon says the oxygen diffusers are inexpensive and stand to emerge as an economical, environmentally friendly solution for growers looking to enhance their crops.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Greenhouse growers are voracious technical consumers – they'll try anything,” says Dixon . “But by the same token, they're also very shrewd business people, and they won't waste money unnecessarily.”[/FONT]
[FONT="]Dixon and Zheng will continue their research and will further investigate oxygen's effect on plant growth, physiology and disease. For example, they will inoculate greenhouse plants with specific microbes to see how the plants cope with this challenge under different oxygen levels.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Other researchers involved in this project include technician Linping Wang, graduate student Johanna Valentine and undergraduate student Mark Mallany, Department of Environmental Biology.[/FONT]
[FONT="]This research is being conducted at greenhouses in Guelph and Leamington , Ontario . It is sponsored by Seair Diffusion Systems Inc., Flowers Canada Ontario and the Fred Miller Rose Research Fund.[/FONT]
legallyflying
Well-Known Member
Hey woodsman. So your not seeing issues with that cold of water? I recently started a fresh Rez (800 ppm) and lowered temps to around 63. I got allot of non burning rams horns. Did a little reading and found most temp recommendations in the 68 range. I backed off the chilling and the problem went away. At the same time however, my ppm dropped to 650 or so I can't definitively point the finger at temps 
.
Could be strain dependent?
. Could be strain dependent?
Oldgrowth
Well-Known Member
Ive got a great idea! Why dont you run the test on large res for the rest of us instead of putting down all the work he did. then we can find somthing in your test that makes it not valid to us?
hellraizer30
Rebel From The North
I run my water at 61 to 62f without issues
Mindmelted
Well-Known Member
I have used the same micro air difusser for 2 years.So your cost is way off base as you do not need to replace them.
legallyflying
Well-Known Member
You want to buy mine?
I'm actually pretty dead set against them for a couple reasons.
Cost is big.. 18 sites x $20= $360!!
You can't use just a couple of them on a splitter. They are really tight and air will flow to other more porous stones
They make the pump work harder
There is less air flow, yes the bubbles are smaller but overall, compared to the sheer number of bubbles coming off the blue stones it's really close.
The biggest reason..in a 40 gallon res, one 4" blue stone was able to provide max DO
They are high quality and very though. Not going to break them and reusing then is a plus. I think if you just need a couple might be a good investment. I need a total of 42 stones though for 18 site veg room and 12 site flower (With 2 stones each) . Thats more than $800 for a one time investment. That's equal to replacing the blue stones 20 times...which is 5 years worth of grows. I probably won't be growing in 5 years.
But anywho, many ways to skin a horse.
I'm actually pretty dead set against them for a couple reasons.
Cost is big.. 18 sites x $20= $360!!
You can't use just a couple of them on a splitter. They are really tight and air will flow to other more porous stones
They make the pump work harder
There is less air flow, yes the bubbles are smaller but overall, compared to the sheer number of bubbles coming off the blue stones it's really close.
The biggest reason..in a 40 gallon res, one 4" blue stone was able to provide max DO
They are high quality and very though. Not going to break them and reusing then is a plus. I think if you just need a couple might be a good investment. I need a total of 42 stones though for 18 site veg room and 12 site flower (With 2 stones each) . Thats more than $800 for a one time investment. That's equal to replacing the blue stones 20 times...which is 5 years worth of grows. I probably won't be growing in 5 years.
But anywho, many ways to skin a horse.