# Recommend me a pump



## deadkndys (Jan 29, 2016)

So I am in need of a new pump for my dwc tote.  Because the two I bought are too weak. Its a 18 gallon tote 3 plants in  8in net pots. How many gph should the pump I get use? I was going to get  a dual outlet pump that is for 60-100 gallon aquariums. Or one that is  rated at 126 gph.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Jan 29, 2016)

I just got this one and am happy with it.  IMO, the more bubbles, the better.  This one is 240 gph and fairly quiet.  [ame]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JPEVMC?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00[/ame]


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## trainfriend (Feb 10, 2017)

deadkndys said:


> So I am in need of a new pump for my dwc tote.  Because the two I bought are too weak. Its a 18 gallon tote 3 plants in  8in net pots. How many gph should the pump I get use? I was going to get  a dual outlet pump that is for 60-100 gallon aquariums. Or one that is  rated at 126 gph.



You nailed it! General Rule of Thumb. You'd like your solution to recirculate about 7 time per hour. So one that moves 125 GPH should get the job done. 7 x 18 gallons = 126 GPH.  A 150 GPH will get you about 8 cycles per hour. I'm not so sure that going larger offers any benefits. Plus the fact that pumps add heat to the solution. (unless you have an inline refrigerated chiller)

Use caution however. Insure that the gravity feed tube FROM the epicenter/rez TO the plant module can flow back fast enough so the return line from the pump to the epicenter doesn't overflow the epicenter. (speaking from experience here) LOL

Then again...you have a 18 gallon Tote, correct?  What is its actual capacity in gallons? My guess is you're somehwat closer to 12-14 gallons of actual solution.


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## RubyRed (Feb 19, 2017)

OP  is asking about DWC, not a water farm/recurc 

TheHempGodess has you squared ..I too agree "More Bubbles Makes Happier roots" 


TCABS


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## tokenzen (Mar 21, 2017)

Get a Linear Air Pump, super quite not cheap but worth every penny. I use an Alita 35.
Alita, Air Force, Sweet Water, are just a few solid choices.


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## pcduck (Mar 22, 2017)

Nutes eat air stones. Use heavy duty air stones.


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## Hushpuppy (Mar 28, 2017)

Its real important to look at the amount of lift each pump has. It can be a high gph pump but if it isn't capable of lifting the water high enough then it wont work. I usually find pumps that will lift 3-4 feet. They work without issue.


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## Hushpuppy (Mar 28, 2017)

I just realized that you are looking for an air pump :doh: I was talking about a water pump.


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## B3henry (Dec 17, 2017)

How much do you really know about all those little air bubblers? 

*Bubble Diffuser Differences* http://www.mooersproductsinc.com/bubble-diffuser-aeration-differences/ 

*Pentair Air Diffusers* https://pentairaes.com/aeration/air-diffusers/show/all 

*Air Stones vs Air Diffusers * https://hydrobuilder.com/learn/air-diffusion-vs-air-stones-for-hydroponics/ 

Air stones are great Christmas gifts.


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## sopappy (Dec 17, 2017)

Hushpuppy said:


> I just realized that you are looking for an air pump :doh: I was talking about a water pump.



ditto... I was wundrin' what the heck THC was talking about


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## sopappy (Dec 17, 2017)

B3henry said:


> How much do you really know about all those little air bubblers?
> 
> *Bubble Diffuser Differences* http://www.mooersproductsinc.com/bubble-diffuser-aeration-differences/
> 
> ...



Where's that guy that was going on and on and on about dissolved oxygen? He'd have a field day with this.


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## B3henry (Dec 18, 2017)

sopappy said:


> Where's that guy that was going on and on and on about dissolved oxygen? He'd have a field day with this.


 
Hey pappy, here's more about those bubbles, trivia stuff to ponder and talk about when the "smoking lamp is ON" (US military terminology) in the morning @ 10 AM. 
Gas bubbles in any hydroponic life support system do many different things you may or may not be aware of at a casual glance.
If you practice DWC or RDWC cannabis growing and you really like to see and hear air bubbles, air bubblers have serious DO limitations in intensive DWC grows. As air bubbles pass through the bubble rocks, rise to the surface the air bubbles dissolve a little bit O2 gas and 400 times more nitrogen gas into reservoir water. There is some water cooling effect as the air pressure drops when the air is forced through the air bubbler under pressure greater than ambient barometric pressure. Rising gas bubbles (makes no difference what kind of gas bubble) activates protein skimming or foam fractionation. Rising gas bubbles through the water column help clean up that nasty reservoir water bringing that nasty stuff in the water to the surface so you can rake it off the surface of your reservoir water. Gas bubbles do that sort of stuff too.
If you are really sick and tired of buying, using and replacing those junk air bubblers that stop-up all the time there are far better options available. I think the very best bang for your hard earned buck is a NanoBubble generator:
*Nanobubble Generators  http://www.oxydoser.com/  This is an example of only 1 commercial brand of Nanobubble generator. 
*What are Nanobubbles  http://www1.lsbu.ac.uk/water/nanobubble.html  Check this out if you have no concept of Nanobubbles; how they are made and what they can do for your crop grown in a hydroponic DWC life support system.
Nanobubbles are very interesting from not only a water chemistry point of view, but also from the physics point of view too. These tiny cavities of gas in the water column remain suspended for weeks and they do all kinds of things that conventional gas bubbles cant do with electrical charges on molecules applied in the hydroponic growing industry. Nanobubbles are really special.


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## B3henry (Dec 18, 2017)

Oh, I forgot to add this Breaking Industrial News release from the hydroponic farming business dated December 7, 2017:

Posted on 12/07/2017
*Moleaer&#8482; Launches nanoBoost&#8482;, the Most Efficient Oxygen Delivery Mechanism for Commercial Greenhouses*

https://hortamericas.com/category/blog/news/  and https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/moleaer-launches-nanoboost-the-most-efficient-oxygen-delivery-mechanism-for-commercial-greenhouses-661824743.html


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## sopappy (Dec 19, 2017)

I have buckets and tubs, I only use the one stone in each system, but I do run constant circulation, water falling and splashing or flowing through hydroton. Fed by wee fountains. You don't mention those but I'd like to think it helps with the DO


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## sopappy (Feb 2, 2018)

pcduck said:


> Nutes eat air stones. Use heavy duty air stones.



I ordered a couple replacement circulation pumps and was tickled pink to find they had a venturi set up house to suck air in to the water flow as it circulates the water.


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