I built a few "growbuckets". They're just buckets full of water, nutrient and air stones in the bottom. The plants were started in a "fogponics" bucket which is working perfectly with perfect white roots, but when I place them in the "deep water culture" bucket the roots rot and the plants die. I think the water doesn't have enough oxygen, so I'm thinking... is it possible to use an air pump to create some kind of water spray in the water buckets? Kinda like an aerosol can. That's one of the options I'm considering. The other one is using my fogponics controller to make a pump fill the buckets every two minutes and let the water drain out into a bigger reservoir, that way the roots will have time to breath and never dry out.
These plants had perfect roots in the fogponics bucket. A few weeks after I placed them in the deep water culture bucket the roots rotted out and the plant died.
or you could just use dirt like a normal person.
>>908917
No
I think I'll make an ebb and flow system.
My controller can function as a timer, so that the pump will fill the pipes for a few minutes and the water will return through the fill hose during the drain stage. 3m of 100mm piping will require about 20 liters to fill, with a 2500L/h pump that gives me a 30 second fill time. I think this will work.
>>908899
I You need to use hydrogen peroxide instead of water, so you will have 50% more oxigen than before! Just ask any drug store about this compound and substitute the water with it.
Get a bigger airpump for your stones?
or use a waterpump instead that circulates the water from the bottom to the top but refills the bucket a few inches above the water surface to drag down some air and agitate the surface.
>>908933
A bigger pump would be really loud, besides it, it seems like pythium will grow in the water anyway since the sun warms up the bucket a lot. I have a few plants in the buckets that are held in place by floral foam blocks. Their roots that are submersed are dead and rotten, but the ones that are growing into the foam are fine. I'll make an ebb and flow system. I have a 26L reservoir. I'll put the air stones in that instead. It should be a simpler system overall.
You drowned the roots OP. You need a bigger airstone to supply more oxygen. You can't just leave them in the water. And if your roots start turning yellow, add a little bit of peroxide to the water, like a cap full or two. It'll kill the bacteria, which means don't use bacteria based ferts (such as ones you put in soil). Got to get hydro specific ferts.
>>908899
You really should try here: >>>/out/618806
Also, don't use airstones. You need to turbulate the water's surface. The best way to do that to get oxygen into the water is through a waterfall. Exactly what most all aquariums use.
There are sprayers you can use for misting the roots without sinking them into full water. The method is called, "Aeroponics". I suggest you google up "DIY Aeroponics".
There are tons of different methods as you can see by this image search.
https://www.google.com/search?q=DIY+Aeroponics&tbm=isch
>>908960
>There are sprayers you can use for misting the roots without sinking them into full water. The method is called, "Aeroponics". I suggest you google up "DIY Aeroponics".
They require a much larger pump than what I can afford
>Also, don't use airstones. You need to turbulate the water's surface. The best way to do that to get oxygen into the water is through a waterfall. Exactly what most all aquariums use.
The pump that is good enough for a waterfall is also good enough for an ebb and flow, which is what I'm going to build, but I'll check that thread
>>908899
switch over to a partial kratky method, especially since you're already starting with the roots.
It sounds like your roots aren't getting enough air, yeah. an easy fix for that is kratky, instead of floating the grow cups in the water, suspend them so only part of the roots are dangling and the grow medium is dry.
It will maybe SLIGHTLY slow down the growth speed, since the whole root system wont be getting the fertilized water, but you'll have the part of it that's out of the water able to get air.
Oh, and the only real worry is one plants roots will grow faster than the others' and leave them hanging in the air while it drinks up all the water.
>>908969
I'll lower the water level for a while
>>908963
>They require a much larger pump than what I can afford
$10-$20USD? The head needed is only a few inches for a submersible pump. Adding an attachment to the top to make it spray is super cheap too ($2.)
Google, "Mini DC submersible Water Oil Pump".
$10.50
3 meter head
http://www.amazon.com/Docooler®-Ultra-quiet-DC12V-Brushless-Submersible/dp/B00JWJIC0K/
>>909027
That thing wouldn't be able to push water through a mist nozzle (they're usually high pressure), but it might be useful for another project
>>909031
You don't use a mist nozzle. You use a spray nozzle. You can get them for cheap at Home Depot
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Toro-570-360-Degree-Sprinkler-Head-Nozzle-2-Pack-53735/100340927
Couple it with this,
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SGMI0WE
>>908901
Its probably just because the roots were adapted for fogponics and couldnt function in deep water culture. I had the same thing happen to me. Once the plant is grown its deadly to switxh the system.
>>908922
Just do what this anon said, but with an autoflush.. I made one with a pond pump, plastic tray, a pvc pipe and a soda can.
>>908938
>the sun warms up the bucket a lot.
Bingo! Warm water holds less oxygen than cold water...so your roots rotted. If you can't keep it under 70F, I wouldn't even try. Peroxide is just a band-aid.
A recirculating system with a waterfall and high flow rate would be nice, but ebb & flow is super easy and cheap.
Do you like it, /diy/kes? I still need to build the stand, but it seems like it might work
