# How long to aerate water?



## Bongofury

How long to aerate water before watering plants? I'll be using a 35 gallon rain water barrel, a 4 way valve and 4 aeration stones driven by a 60 gallon air pump.


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## sopappy

What a great question. I keep two green bins full of city water prepping for hydro or dirt and both are constantly bubbled. I wonder if it's necessary, maybe 5 minutes an hour saturates (hahaha wrong word for sure) the water and the rest is waste.<br />


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## Grower13

Bongofury said:


> How long to aerate water before watering plants? I'll be using a 35 gallon rain water barrel, a 4 way valve and 4 aeration stones driven by a 60 gallon air pump.


 

the bubbles are more about keeping the nutrients mixed...... those air bubbles move a lot of water........ some peeps put in a small 100 gph water pump on a timer to come 30 mins or so before they water to mix their water/nutrients.......... my air pumps run all the time.


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## Hushpuppy

I would run the aeration constantly. There is anaerobic bacteria than can set up shop in the stored water if it isn't well oxygenated with proper aeration.


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## Bongofury

sopappy said:


> What a great question. I keep two green bins full of city water prepping for hydro or dirt and both are constantly bubbled. I wonder if it's necessary, maybe 5 minutes an hour saturates (hahaha wrong word for sure) the water and the rest is waste.<br />



Thanks sopappy. I'm glad it's worth it. I couldn't find a solid answer on the net, so I figured I'd ask the pros. Thanks man.


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## Bongofury

Grower13 said:


> the bubbles are more about keeping the nutrients mixed...... those air bubbles move a lot of water........ some peeps put in a small 100 gph water pump on a timer to come 30 mins or so before they water to mix their water/nutrients.......... my air pumps run all the time.



I have an extra timer Grower, and thanks for all the help on my current grow. They are doing awesome.  



Hushpuppy said:


> I would run the aeration constantly. There is anaerobic bacteria than can set up shop in the stored water if it isn't well oxygenated with proper aeration.



You guys are good growers. Thanks Hushpuppy. Constantly it is.


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## The Hemp Goddess

I'm with hush--aerate it constantly if it is to sit.  If you are talking about aerating a bucket of water to evaporate chlorine, I think that 12-24 hours is good.


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## Bongofury

Thanks for the info THG. I'm talking about aerating rain water for added oxygen. Figured I would give my plants that little extra boost.


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## Rosebud

I run my teas for 24 hours with bubbles. Sometimes 48 hours.


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## sopappy

Bongofury said:


> Thanks sopappy. I'm glad it's worth it. I couldn't find a solid answer on the net, so I figured I'd ask the pros. Thanks man.



 Indeed, I just scooted down and turned them back on haha 
I find the same thing, the search is not all that great here and the net is so full of experts now, you can waste a lot of time searching


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## sopappy

Rosebud said:


> I run my teas for 24 hours with bubbles. Sometimes 48 hours.



 I'd toss a pump in there too. Doc calls it a flume, mixes up solutions real good.


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## bud88

Aerating the water will raise the pH so be sure to check it prior to using and adjust to where you want it. :48:


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## Bongofury

I will keep an eye on the ph Bud88.


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## sopappy

bud88 said:


> Aerating the water will raise the pH so be sure to check it prior to using and adjust to where you want it. :48:



 Not me, mine falls and so does my ramp in hydro.


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## bud88

sopappy said:


> Not me, mine falls and so does my ramp in hydro.


What type of water do you have? Mine is well water and an overnight aerating ups my pH .8.

I guess I should change that to ....aeration will change your pH....lol....


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## Bongofury

sopappy said:


> Not me, mine falls and so does my ramp in hydro.





bud88 said:


> What type of water do you have? Mine is well water and an overnight aerating ups my pH .8.
> 
> I guess I should change that to ....aeration will change your pH....lol....




SCREAMING AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH !!!!!!!!! LOL I'll just keep an eye out and I'll let all ya'll know what happens with my rain water gents. I have everything but the barrel.


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## Hushpuppy

Welcome to college Chemistry101 my peeps  Aerating will certainly cause a change in the pH because of the chemicals in the air reacting with whatever is in the water. So its always good to check the pH of water that has been sitting or aerating. Once you know what to expect from it, its not quite so critical. However, rainwater and well water can change the chemistry so never take it for granted that its going to be one way all of the time.


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## The Hemp Goddess

Be sure and check the ppms of your rain water, too.  I live in the mountains surrounded by national forest and the largest wilderness area in the lower 48.  Our rain water is quite pristine.  Rainwater from industrial areas can have nasty things in it.


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## sopappy

bud88 said:


> What type of water do you have? Mine is well water and an overnight aerating ups my pH .8.
> 
> I guess I should change that to ....aeration will change your pH....lol....



 City water 7.8 out of the tap, I let it sit overnight (lot's o' bubbles) and it'll be 7.0 next day. Funny, the same amount of change the other way. 
With my ramping down in hydro too, I'm thinking there's a connection.


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## 000StankDank000

If you are on city water they are probably using chrlamine instead of chorine these days. It does not bubble out of the water you will need a charcoal filter. Like the little boy filter I just bought. $140 CDN .

Then I'd still bubble my filterd water to add oxygen and keep the nutes from falling out of the solution.  I like to use a pump and air stones the pump adds heat to my Rez


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## sopappy

000StankDank000 said:


> If you are on city water they are probably using chrlamine instead of chorine these days. It does not bubble out of the water you will need a charcoal filter. Like the little boy filter I just bought. $140 CDN .
> 
> Then I'd still bubble my filterd water to add oxygen and keep the nutes from falling out of the solution.  I like to use a pump and air stones the pump adds heat to my Rez



 Another little nugget and another mystery solved, thank you, stank.


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## sopappy

000StankDank000 said:


> If you are on city water they are probably using chrlamine instead of chorine these days. It does not bubble out of the water you will need a charcoal filter. Like the little boy filter I just bought. $140 CDN .
> 
> Then I'd still bubble my filterd water to add oxygen and keep the nutes from falling out of the solution.  I like to use a pump and air stones the pump adds heat to my Rez



 I'm going to bump this, Stank, Why did you do it?  Issues? yellow leaves? My grow store chap said, in 13 years, he's never ordered the cannister for chloramine. He knows it's in our water, said it didn't matter unless I was organic ???  I'd still use that Mycohaiza? stuff, it's after the cannister  and I'm wondering if it would reverse my ramp (I didn't say normalize


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