How to aerate troughs?

[Karen Swanberg]

Hi all;

I'm working on my DWC system based mostly on the Friendly-style of AP. It's time to aerate the troughs. How do you do that?

I know the basics, I have the blower, the pvc, the airhose and stones etc. but how to you actually lay it out?

 

Do you run the PVC down the length of the outside of the trough, and then drape the airhose over the edge into the water? Don't the rafts bump the airhoses?

 

Do you run the PVC down the center of the bottom of the trough, under the water, then attach the airhose/airstone all under water?

 

Do you just run the PVC to a few places along the trough, and then use really long airhoses to put the stones where you want them?

 

Do you lay the stone along the bottom of the trough? Or does the vibration cause even bumpered airstones to dig a hole through the liner (Dura-scrim in this case), or do you hang them along the sides, like in fish tanks?

 

Or, I just saw in another discussion that a friend of Chris Smith's runs soaker hoses down the length of the troughs, three per trough. Is that the best way to do it (I do like the simplicity! =) )?

 

Thanks!

Karen

http://www.howlingmoose.com

http://howlingmoosegardens.blogspot.com/

[Todd Winton]

My setup much smaller, but I just ran the tubing along the sides using hooks then up into the trough.  The rafts did not effect the tubing, or at least has not yet.

[Randy Turner]

Air from the troughs in Friendly systems comes from a 1" PVC pipe running down one side of the entire length of the trough, with the pipe inside of the trough wall. The pipe is not secured to the wall as far as I know but when filled with air, it floats just below the surface of the rafts. Drill holes for your airlines every 10' or so and use a DO meter to test oxygen levels at different locations along the trough. If it measures lower than you need, drill another hole for an airline where needed. 

 

Cut yourself plenty of airline for each airstone and place these horizontally on the bottom of each trough, with bumpers to keep it from rubbing through the liner.

 

As for soaker hose for aeration, it sounds so easy but I recall buying a soaker hose in California and it had a warning on the back saying this product contained lead so for that reason, I would avoid this since I'm trying to cut down on eating food with lead in it.

 

Good luck with your system up north, especially with your use of ground source heat pumps! I think this will be a great way for you to grow what no one else can grow off season and have a huge competitive advantage!