aeration of the nute tank

[gringo]

I am finally beginning to get the bits and pieces together for my new plan for a stealth cupboard/ shower recess... love this site, its making life soo much easier....

I was wondering whether anyone had any ideas about the aeration of the nute tank. I understand a lot of people use airstones to create turbulence and add more oxygen to the water. please correct me if I've missed the point...

I used to keep a lot of fish in an aquarium so I know a little bit about that, and airstones are largely unnecessary and in some cases decorative. Rising air is mainly used in an aquarium to create an upward current of water, usually through a tube attached to an undergravel filter. OK, ok the relevance?.....basically, do you really need an airstone in that tank? Oxygen is transferred to water primarily via contact with the surface, when that surface is agitated, more oxygen penetrates. Can you eliminate the pump by say, using a slightly larger water pump with a t section which adds an inline tap to the side of your feeder pipe... the result... a directable current of water which agitates the surface, giving more oxygen, also keeping the nutrients moving, buit without the need for a pump? Its jsut I have been given a pump by a mate that pumps 1600L/hr, if I could release say half of that pressure, only 800L/hr goes to the plants and the rest jets into the nute tank itself, would this do the same job.

I can draw it if it will help and I am totally open to whatever the answers might be...

 

cheers

[pipeman]

yeah mate you can use a pump or "power head" to aerate your res. many people do.

 

and as you pont out, the actual bubbles from airstones don't aerate the water that much, its the disturbance they cause at the water's surface that does the trick.

 

out of interest there was another grower on these boards a while back who had a "skimming" setup which he said aerated the water better than airstones.

[Gazza2001au]

you can use a submersable pump some pumps come with airator hoses i think RIO is a good brand than comes with these but if using one of these pumps to airate your water wouldnt it be louded than using an air pump/stone? and i thought it was going to be a stealth setup? if air pupms/stones didnt work do u think DWC would yeld just as good? just a question to ask your self it doesnt matter how the nutrient is airated as long as it gets done im ganna stick with the air pump in my DWC atlease i know my pump aint ganna fail and my water levels can get low good luck with your project *thumbs up* keep at it and show us some pictures

 

Gaz

Edited February 4, 2004 by Gazza2001au

[gringo]

nice one, all understood,

and cheers pipeman for moving this thread.

 

I'm gonna give it a go, reckon it I can save on an airpump (I know I know they're real cheap anyway ;)but.. you know, every bit counts eh) and also noise, it'd be like when you're filling a bucket with a hose and then the water level reaches the nozzle, it goes quiet... that was...profound.... I should have another bucket...

[wassily]

Hey Gringo, the only catch I can see with that is that the res needs to be

airated 24/7, not just when you water. even if you water every 2 hours during lights on that's still a fair way off having a bubbler in there going all the time. The black foam airwands are fine and last forever, easy to clean - just stretch em while theyre on. They're as quiet as the pump you choose. If you've had fish you'll know what I mean, you've probably got a pump lyin around.

Good luck

V

[wassily]

Or you could just kill ya fish........

:: :: :: :: ::

[gringo]

funny you should say that, I accidently nailed a goldfish today while sticking it back in its waterbowl outside, got lazy and used my hand instead of the net to get it out of the bucket and next thing you know... GONZO!

cheers for the advice, I've got a pump knocking about but its pretty noisy, will have to invest.

rock-on

[wassily]

Yeah, the ph of skin freaks the fish out I think, puts it into shock. I've got this big white comet in a 200 litre minipond and itlooks like she's about to go belly up. Might be time to get a yabby.