Vented DWC?

Once the roots get long and grow down, could you lower the water level, keeping some of the roots in it but exposing some, and blow air from outside through across the water? It would oxygenate the roots above the water and hydrate the roots under it...?

Great idea just mount small fans accross the top. I let my plant finish every last drop of RO water, timing it till harvest. Which leaves more and more roots exposed, but im pretty sure that as long as you have good bubbling action going on it wont make much difference, although that could attribute to that boost at the end... Hmm...

Fans could possibly dry out the roots. there's an airpump in a DWC constantly pumping fresh oxygen in there.

I'd be scared to try it.

I was thinking that this might further oxygenate the roots

Don't NFT systems have the roots exposed to mostly air?

let me start by saying: I don't know but....
i would be too afraid it would dry out my roots.

I was just thinking about this too. Sometimes when I open my DWC bucket the air is so warm, I wondered if putting a fan would help.....

The roots should be fine....my only thing of wonder is...how would you get the fresh air in there without breaking the light proof seal?

reeffermadness said:

The roots should be fine....my only thing of wonder is...how would you get the fresh air in there without breaking the light proof seal?

Click to expand...

Maybe put a small fan on the end of a P trap, like they use under sinks and plumb it into the side of your rez where you want the air to enter.

I still think it's a bad idea, the air stones should produce plenty of oxygen.

However, it'd be cool if someone wanted to TRY it, maybe do a side by side with two plants, one with air vented in for the roots and bubble stones, and one bucket/rez with just bubblestones. to see what happens. If yours takes off with the vent, then I'll follow suit. I'm all for what works, but my setup is too small to try it, and risk the plants I have veggin.

Go for it! but I recommend only doing it to a one plant setup, incase things run afoul.

I would be willing to bet it would be fine, your roots are still moist pulling moisture, and nutes from the water below. Although It probably would be more effective to just have a small pump stirring up the water at the top of your bubbler.

The light trap would be easy. Image attached.

More than anything else, i'd be curious about whether it's even worth doing. I mean, basically you're making an NFT system, but different.

give it a go as an experiment but i think roots need oxygenated water - not just plain old oxygen - otherwise the roots would grow up into the air instead of down into the water.

If you expose the root to air you will need a way to keep them from drying out too much,
Basically you are trying to re-invent aero.

Earl said:

If you expose the root to air you will need a way to keep them from drying out too much,
Basically you are trying to re-invent aero.

Click to expand...

right. What i was curious about is since the roots are, say, only half-immersed (half exposed), would they stay properly hydrated?

I don't think they would dry out if you had enough bubbles in the tank.
but the biggest flaw in the design is, you cant have a fan pull air out, the motor will rust and die. You need to push air in at a controlled rate.

overall I agree with earl, your just reinventing aeroponics in a poor way

ultranyte said:

I don't think they would dry out if you had enough bubbles in the tank.
but the biggest flaw in the design is, you cant have a fan pull air out, the motor will rust and die. You need to push air in at a controlled rate.

overall I agree with earl, your just reinventing aeroponics in a poor way

Click to expand...

how do you know that it's in a poor way?

I see nothing wrong with the train of thought of taking something that works good, and trying to make it work better. None of us know the actual affects of it because no one has tried it, but we're all quick to say what the possible downfalls are, mainly because it'd be a shame to harm the plant.

I think it is an interesting idea, a side by side grow would be awesome. Who knows, this time next year, everyone with an aero or bubbler setup might be plumbing in lightless vents into their systems.

I personally love innovation.

It's poor because it has been tried and failed before, the plant just doesn't enjoy its roots swinging about in a wind tunnel. It needs proper ratios of nutes and O2/Co2

consider that people have growing for over 30 years, do you think no one has tried this crazy stuff before? it's just old failed ideas being recycled.. but who ones maybe someone will find something interesting

YaK said:

Who knows, this time next year, everyone with an aero or bubbler setup might be plumbing in lightless vents into their systems.

I personally love innovation.

Click to expand...

i somehow doubt that. I love innovation too. That's why i have a couple other threads with crazy ideas in them. Mostly i like to think and tinker... thinker!

ultranyte said:

It's poor because it has been tried and failed before, the plant just doesn't enjoy its roots swinging about in a wind tunnel. It needs proper ratios or nutes and O2/Co2

consider that people have growing for over 30 years, do you think no one has tried this crazy stuff before? it's just old failed ideas being recycled.. but who ones maybe someone will find something interesting

Click to expand...

I looked briefly and found no information. We're not talking about a wind tunnel either. We're talking about just enough air blowing across a third of the roots to keep the air from getting stale.

ultranyte said:

It's poor because it has been tried and failed before, the plant just doesn't enjoy its roots swinging about in a wind tunnel. It needs proper ratios or nutes and O2/Co2

consider that people have growing for over 30 years, do you think no one has tried this crazy stuff before? it's just old failed ideas being recycled.. but who ones maybe someone will find something interesting

Click to expand...

Okay. I didnt know that it has been tried and failed before.

I mean.. yeah, 30 years, it's a good assumption that someone has, but I havent come across it, though... I wasnt searching for it.

I guess the old addage "if it aint broke... dont fix it" would apply in this instance. but I still think experimentation and thinking out of the box (or rez) is kinda cool.

uh, if your not adding bubbles to your water it would not work. the water has to be aerated, blowing air to your roots will dry it out...the roots take in water..that has been oxygenated (aerated), the roots dont actually breath oxygen from the air.

This is total overkill but what I do in my 80L bubbler is 2 airpumps with 2 nozles each to 4 heavy duty bubble disks, drippers dripping from above, nutrient mister in the bubbler coming on every 2 hrs for 15 min. Any ONE of those scenarios would be adequate but I like overkill.