Why do I have an airstone in my reservoir?

I'm a noob to hydro (except for all the reading I've done) so I put one of the long thin blue airstones in my 18 gal reservoir (for a flood table) like I was told. I've been reading everything I can find about the purpose airstones but I'm still a little confused. Pardon me if my questions are retarded + reading= .

I keep reading "use airstones to aerate your tank." Okay, but what is that doing to help my plants? To me it looks like I pump air into my water and it comes right back out the top, is there any evidence that some of the O2 actually stays in the water? Secondly, WTF is the stone for? Is it just to weigh down the air tube?

uhhwhat said:

WTF is the stone for? Is it just to weigh down the air tube?

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yes
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NLXSK1 said:

yes
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LOL! Wow, that was the easiet question on RIU!


Best of luck to your grow op!

My best guess with flood tables is the airstoners are there to keep from drowning your plants when you fill up the tray. Yes oxygen dissolves into water and lower water temps hold more DO "dissolved oxygen"

I don't use flood table but I was thinking of toying with a small one to try it. I have two airstones per 15 gallons res on my aero though.

Sitting water stagnates quite quickly, especially water with nutes in it. Keeping the water well aerated stops nasties from growing in the res.

the airstone diffuses the air going into the water into smaller bubbles so the air has more surface area and can be better absorbed into the water.

plant roots require oxygen in order to absorb nutrients. just as the leaves need co2, the roots need o2. overwater a plant in soil and it dies, airstones in the res prevent this in hydro systems.