What do you think about air pumps
 

I am new to actually doing Hydroponics but have been interested in it for years.
I just put together two different systems, one uses pvc, two liter bottles and a reservoir like Ron's 11 plant system. The other one is a 32 plant system with baskets that suspend over a holding tank and both systems are ebb-and-flow design. But my question is, I haven't seen anyone talking about Air pumps for oxygenating the nutrient solution in the reservoir. Any thoughts, is it worth the electricity?

Aeration
 

Unless your changing your nutrient every week or so, it does not hurt to oxegenate it. Helps in uptake and more importantly keeps nutrient from stagnating. Keeping the nutrient well oxygenated also swings the microbial equilibrium in factor of the beneficial microbes in the nutrient, as does starting with a clean system and equipment. So, start with clean system (i.e, 10% bleach clean out, rinse, fill then oxogenate nutrient.

what kind of pumps would you recommend to start with?

My air pump is for fish tanks and says it is for 30-60 gallon fish tanks. I got it from Wal-Mart. I live in Lake Havasu AZ. and because it gets so hot here most of the year the electric bill is already very high. So I am still wondering if it uses more electricity than it is beneficial to the plants.

Pennies
 

If your pinching pennies that tight probably should find a new hobby:). The air pump is probably costing a dollar or two a month to run. There are several sites, or some simple math to use to determine whAt it is costing to run it. You just need to know what you are paying per kwh...look on your bill or call utility provider

I don't appreciate the Dig at me. I just started the pumps 3 water and 1 air this week so I am unfamiliar with many aspects of Hydroponics. As far as the electric bill during the summer time when the temp reaches 125-130 degrees during the day and 95-105 degrees at night the electric bill can reach over $700 a month. I don't know how many pennies you have but that is a lot of pennies to me, so excuse me for asking.

I have not yet seen any commentary on the use of H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide).

I use 35 % diluted 11 times to get 3 % then add it at a rate of 3 ml per lt.
I also use an air pump.

H2O2 at 35 % is needed because the 3 % may have stablizers and not be food grade and breaks down faster.

I am in Calgary and I am looking for an EC/CF meter with TDS and PH all in one. PM me...

air pump
 

Where I live, the summers can get very hot and humid. Basic chemistry is that the hotter the liquid, or in our case, the nutrient solution, the less gas it can hold. This will be my first summer trying this, so I am using a 2 line pump from Eco, I believe, with two air stones. As it gets warmer, I will place frozen bottles of water in the reservoir in the morning, to help keep the temperature down somewhat. Also, as money avails itself, I will try to insulate the reservoir.

Also, the air pumps make the reservoir less attractive to mosquitoes. This is from my local mosquito control department, which the director lives next door.

Running the pump is obsolutely worth it. I run 3 pumps 24/7 and the difference in your light bill should be very small. Also as stated before, I add 1 tablespoon of H202 to my reservoirs once a week. I dont believe there is such a thing as giving your roots to much oxygen unless you dry them out. I premix my nutrients and have them bubbling, I have a bubbler in my reservoir and one in my bubble cloner.

I would like to know more about the H2O2. I know I started this thread but I some how missed or forgot about the reference to the H2O2. Would that be the same thing as the hydrogen peroxide that you get in the medicine isle at the grocery store? And does it give good results?

The hydrogen peroxide you get at 3 % at drug stores has a stabilizer in it and is not food friendly. H2O2 will give up more of it O as the solution heats up. I use 30 % H2O2 and mix 11 water to 1 H2O2 and use that at a rate of 3 mil per Lt of solution. You can have too much O in the solution if added with H2O2 - you might bleach the roots.... H2O2 is great for house plants that have gotten root rot...

Ive used 3% H2O2 for years without any problems. You just need to use it in the right concentration. I use 1 Teaspoon per gallon of water and have for many years. Peace

I avoid using the common 3% hydrogen peroxide you normally find at drug stores. This is because such low percentage solutions are unstable, and chemicals are added to the peroxide to keep it from breaking down before it can be used. I did a little research because I did not know what chemicals were used for this, or if the plants uptake these chemicals, or if there was a health risk associated with any of these stabilizing chemicals.

Hydrogen peroxide is usually stabilized with acetanilide. Acetanilide is a synthetic compound that was first used for its fever reduction and pain killing properties in the late Nineteenth Century. For many years it was utilized as an alternative to aspirin to treat various ailments, but large-scale medical use stopped when the toxic side effects of consuming acetanilide became apparent. This was enough to make up my mind to use 35% hydrogen peroxide instead.

The above 2 paragraphs where taken from the url below.


Using Hydrogen Peroxide in Your Hydroponics Gardening System