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Post by carmen on Feb 28, 2018 12:09:42 GMT -5
So over the weekend I picked up a cheap $5 air pump and a 6-inch thin blue air stone. Used my drill to open up the hole just a little bit because for some reason the hole in the harvest is just a hair too small for standard hydroponic air tubing. It's working great and almost the entire surface of the water has bubbles now. As I understand, the water pump in the harvest or any AG for that matter is meant for aeration. Could I remove the pump and move the stone to the center of the reservoir? I can't seem to think of any harm in removing? I don't have to. Was just curious about getting the stone centered. I dunno. What do you guys think?
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Kate
AGA Bounty
Posts: 953 
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Post by Kate on Feb 28, 2018 12:20:19 GMT -5
I think it mixes/moves the water better than just an airstone would, alone. When you add nutrients, you really want them spread well throughout the system, and I don't think airstones alone would have enough movement. I have an airstone basically centered in my Extra, as well as the pump running.
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Post by drbanks on Feb 28, 2018 17:22:14 GMT -5
It'll directly keep the grow sponge wet, which is especially important if there aren't any roots yet, but even then, I don't think you'd want it to dry out.
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MaryL
AGA Farmer
Posts: 3,532
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Post by MaryL on Mar 1, 2018 10:49:54 GMT -5
Your plants will enjoy the extra oxygen from the stone, but I’m in agreement with the others that it’s probably best to leave the pump because it distributes water (and nutes) through the deck channels to the top of the sponges which then cascades back down again. The early AG models were like what you are proposing to do, and relied solely on the sponges wicking up the water from the bottom themselves. But then AG developed the delivery system through the decks as an improved method.
But adding the stone will boost your oxygen and your plants will love it and might even grow faster,
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