Trough aeration increases plant growth!!

[Chris Smith]

I have seen several aquaponic farms in the area that have been adding supplemental aeration in their troughs and getting dramatic increases in plant growth in the immediate area of the aeration. Seeing this happen has prompted me to add aeration to my troughs. I just got done running main lines with a blubber every 4 feet in my troughs. I hope to increase my plant growth with the extra DO.

I plan to add an air stone every 2 square feet in my micro system as experiment to compare to the commercial system.

My current theory and direction are going toward a low water transfer of about 2 gpm through the troughs and high aeration. I will down size on the water pumps and add to the air pumping capacity. My electricity costs $.44 kw hr so I want to get the systems as efficient as possible.

 

 

[Ryan Chatterson]

"Had to giggle at my own caution here. I thought the same thing, but then checked my near identical response because I thought things may be different in the US! A 45 Watt water pump drives my large research greenhouse, while the smallest vortex blower I could find, at 70 watts, cannot push air below 1 meter in depth. I quietly think there is scope for pump-driven large systems without air stones."

This also would come down to the type of airpump you use Kobus. Blowers are designed for low pressure(depth), high volume applications where something like a piston or diaphram pump will push less air but push it much deeper. I was also relating an airpump to a water pump as a water moving device. When you look at it from an aeration stand point, there are other requirements/situations that will have to be factored in depending on the specific application.

[Arik Alan]

Chris, have you explored the use of an add o miser for increasing DO in water?  large air pumps take a lot of power to operate.  an add o miser may not increase operational cost outside of cost of materials.

[Chris Smith]

 

Aloha Alan, I have been researching how to make an add o miser to increase the DO in my system for a while now .Do you have any links for designs or units for sale? I really like the idea of micro bubbles around the roots of my plants!  I am sure it would promote very rapid growth.

Chris
Arik Alan said:

Chris, have you explored the use of an add o miser for increasing DO in water?  large air pumps take a lot of power to operate.  an add o miser may not increase operational cost outside of cost of materials.

[Michelle Silva]

I'm interested in learning more about this too..sounds great.

Chris Smith said:

 

Aloha Alan, I have been researching how to make an add o miser to increase the DO in my system for a while now .Do you have any links for designs or units for sale? I really like the idea of micro bubbles around the roots of my plants!  I am sure it would promote very rapid growth.

Chris
Arik Alan said:

Chris, have you explored the use of an add o miser for increasing DO in water?  large air pumps take a lot of power to operate.  an add o miser may not increase operational cost outside of cost of materials.

[Chris Smith]

An Add O Mizer is a product name for machine that will saturate water with oxygen. I have seen the technology referred to  as O2 atomizers. Basically air is pumped into water which is under high pressure causing the air is turn into a liquid state. When the water leaves the unit the pressure is released and millions of micro bubbles are formed in the water as the air turns back to a gas. Same principle as soda cans.

Here is a link to Add O Mizer. http://cleanwaterscientific.com/the_add-o-mizer

 

I am looking for a DIY way of doing the same thing. Anybody have any ideas or info?

[Arik Alan]

saved these. im currently lookin for cheap tanks similar to what was used here  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjCT4YXNb7U

 

anyone know where cheap venturis or used tanks / smaller well tanks could be refused from? maybe old water softener systems may have them???? one mans trash....lol

Michelle Silva said:

I'm interested in learning more about this too..sounds great.

Chris Smith said:

 

Aloha Alan, I have been researching how to make an add o miser to increase the DO in my system for a while now .Do you have any links for designs or units for sale? I really like the idea of micro bubbles around the roots of my plants!  I am sure it would promote very rapid growth.

Chris
Arik Alan said:

Chris, have you explored the use of an add o miser for increasing DO in water?  large air pumps take a lot of power to operate.  an add o miser may not increase operational cost outside of cost of materials.

[Green Acre Aquaponics]

We read that plant growth is impacted greatly with more DO and the study had as much as 28% saturation.  We too have 6" medium pore airstones in our troughs, 4' apart.  Before this we had 2" airstones but not only did they float and not stay in place, we didn't like how much air they were providing.  Since changing to the larger stones we are averaging about 10ppm DO and the plants responded nicely. 

 

'

[Rudy S]

HEY GUYS! So happy I found this site tonight!

Coming from a hydroponic cannabis background I was shocked when I saw how little air was added into most aquaponic DWC beds.  I believe there's a big difference in having enough air, and having ALOT of air.  The more air the faster the growth.  I'll be researching the add-o-mizer, looks cool. 

Here's my homemade venturi.  When you put it on the pump INTAKE the impeller will chop up the air into little bubbles.  For my pump that's actually moving water I didn't alter the impeller, but for another pump that's used soley for aeration I attached whats called a Bio Chip to chop up air bubbles even finer

The 2nd pic shows the face of my pump, intake on right, outflow on top.  The piece screwed in with an airline nipple is found in the sprinkler section at home depot. I had to add this little o-ring type thing to the inside, PITA, but other than that it's simple and works gooood!

[Rudy S]

"Operation: Water is pumped through the contact chamber under pressure. At high pressures the water is able to naturally hold much more oxygen, also the oxygen bubble size is reduced which increases the gas / water interface. Any un-dissolved oxygen will rise up the column as bubbles and will be drawn back through the venturi into the water stream. Thereby increasing efficiencies higher than conventional cone systems"

Arik Alan said:

saved these. im currently lookin for cheap tanks similar to what was used here  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjCT4YXNb7U

 

anyone know where cheap venturis or used tanks / smaller well tanks could be refused from? maybe old water softener systems may have them???? one mans trash....lol

[Michelle Silva]

I have a friend who sails and he said there is something that is set up on a sailboat with an elbow to help bring air into a hatch for when it is anchored...we were wondering about the possibilty of  using something like this to force air into the water to increase the DO? I think he said something like it only needs around 3 knots to bring the air in. Are there any other sailors that know what I'm referring to.
We may just try it out..I'm waiting for our highschool intern to bring a DO meter.
Chris Smith said:

An Add O Mizer is a product name for machine that will saturate water with oxygen. I have seen the technology referred to  as O2 atomizers. Basically air is pumped into water which is under high pressure causing the air is turn into a liquid state. When the water leaves the unit the pressure is released and millions of micro bubbles are formed in the water as the air turns back to a gas. Same principle as soda cans.

Here is a link to Add O Mizer. http://cleanwaterscientific.com/the_add-o-mizer

 

I am looking for a DIY way of doing the same thing. Anybody have any ideas or info?

[Rudy S]

I lived on a sailboat for 5 years, we had one.  Its probably called a few names but I can't think of what we called it, wind sock or somethin. Anyway I can't see that working too well.  There WAS more air pressure generated than you'd think but to push it underwater any distance... donno about that.

Try it though and get back to us!

[Michelle Silva]

Thanks for your input. I think he called it a wind scoop. I was thinking it would have to multiple entrances since it wouldn't push too far along..will  add it to the list of experiments I'm trying out here. I think I was mistaken about the three knots thing,don't think it would need to be that much.

Rudy S said:

I lived on a sailboat for 5 years, we had one.  Its probably called a few names but I can't think of what we called it, wind sock or somethin. Anyway I can't see that working too well.  There WAS more air pressure generated than you'd think but to push it underwater any distance... donno about that.

Try it though and get back to us!