SIP GrowBucket Growers - Borrowing the AirDome from AutoPot

[ExNavyInSTL]

I just harvested and cleaned out my buckets. I didn't take photos, but I've never seen roots like I had with the air stones compared to not having them.

Although, in fairness, I could be getting better with my grows too.

One lesson learned: Run the stone 24 hours a day. DO NOT shut off when the lights go off. I still don't know why that is even suggested.

Why I feel this way: Two of the stones just became too clogged up to be effective. You don't know this until the grow is over.

By keeping the air going I'm hoping it doesn't give anything time to set up in the pores of the stone.

Follow my suggestion and make a 2nd hole next to your overflow hole. There is room on the back of the GB insert (inside the bucket) where it meets the bucket wall. Doing this helps keep the depth indicator moving freely.

Even so, you'll still have to jiggle the air line to get it out of the way sometimes. It is not necessary, but helpful.

I added putting landscaping fabric over the top of the GB insert as well as over the air dome underneath. Probably not necessary, but I like to think it keeps crap out of those spaces. Note: it does NOT help stop roots from finding their way to the air stone . They are going to find that air source.

Can’t believe I missed this thread. I’m a GroBucket freak lol. I’ve been wanting to come up with a way to add an air stone to the reservoir and will probably give this or something similar a try soon.

 

[Pigskin Fanboy]

I just harvested and cleaned out my buckets. I didn't take photos, but I've never seen roots like I had with the air stones compared to not having them.

Although, in fairness, I could be getting better with my grows too.

One lesson learned: Run the stone 24 hours a day. DO NOT shut off when the lights go off. I still don't know why that is even suggested.

Why I feel this way: Two of the stones just became too clogged up to be effective. You don't know this until the grow is over.

By keeping the air going I'm hoping it doesn't give anything time to set up in the pores of the stone.

Follow my suggestion and make a 2nd hole next to your overflow hole. There is room on the back of the GB insert (inside the bucket) where it meets the bucket wall. Doing this helps keep the depth indicator moving freely.

Even so, you'll still have to jiggle the air line to get it out of the way sometimes. It is not necessary, but helpful.

I added putting landscaping fabric over the top of the GB insert as well as over the air dome underneath. Probably not necessary, but I like to think it keeps crap out of those spaces. Note: it does NOT help stop roots from finding their way to the air stone . They are going to find that air source.

What about drilling really small holes the length of the fill tube and run the airline between them and using something like bread ties or pipe cleaners to hold the line in place against the inside wall of the tube ? That way it won’t interfere with the float indicator ? I fill mine with a 12vdc water pump and stick the hose all the way in to the bottom and just watch the overflow hole for the first sign of water and then shut the pump off.
I have a multitude of air stones, I’ve got the flat round pucks about 6-8”, I’ve got the cylinders about 3” around & 6” long and then small ones about the size of a thumb. I’ve been thinking about this alot and glad I ran across your post
I’d imagine you have to keep the reservoir full at all times to have aeration. I have a tendency to let mine bottom out for at least a couple days and then refill so that will take some getting used to, for me. I can literally go a week between watering/feeding now with no ill effects that I’ve seen. Any more than that and they are suffering lol.

 

[ExNavyInSTL]

Sure. So many ways to run that line.

This last grow I top water/fed every day (in coco) and used the bottom reservoir as a catch tank. I'd do my best to time it so that I didn't spill over from the overflow hole into the over-flow dish I have the buckets sitting inside. That mostly works, but I realized I need the Wet part of my Vac to be the main setup. : )

I'm just using the 1.5 (or 1.6") little stone. They are $6 or so for 4 of them. I was able to reuse 2 this time. But, they are cheap enough to get fresh ones.

This time I may allow for a little more dry back. Although, I don't think feeding every day from the top set me back any,

What about drilling really small holes the length of the fill tube and run the airline between them and using something like bread ties or pipe cleaners to hold the line in place against the inside wall of the tube ? That way it won’t interfere with the float indicator ? I fill mine with a 12vdc water pump and stick the hose all the way in to the bottom and just watch the overflow hole for the first sign of water and then shut the pump off.
I have a multitude of air stones, I’ve got the flat round pucks about 6-8”, I’ve got the cylinders about 3” around & 6” long and then small ones about the size of a thumb. I’ve been thinking about this alot and glad I ran across your post
I’d imagine you have to keep the reservoir full at all times to have aeration. I have a tendency to let mine bottom out for at least a couple days and then refill so that will take some getting used to, for me. I can literally go a week between watering/feeding now with no ill effects that I’ve seen. Any more than that and they are suffering lol.