As I just finished another successful water-only organic soil grow of autos on here in aerated SIPs; I thought the air pump deserved a review as it has just been a tank for me.
I acquired this Pawfly 7 watt, 254 gallon-per-hour adjustable aerator pump last summer, and have essentially been running it 24/7 without a hiccup since. It is manufactured for aquariums, ponds/water gardens, etc. and easily meets the needs of aerating 3-4 SIP reservoirs seed-to-harvest for me. It has a high and a low setting, but it is quiet and efficient enough that I run it on high from day one and can barely hear it outside the tent if nothing else is running. It came as a kit when I bought it which included a 4-outlet divider/manifold, non-return check valves, and some tubing (it also came with extra-large air stones but I did buy smaller airstones and extra tubing for my needs).
A lot of the health and success of my water-only organic soil grows I attribute to the aeration of my SIP reservoirs. I plant germinated seeds in the my final SIPs so the water doesn’t really start getting consumed for a couple weeks, but the pump keeps the water from stagnating early on, and it is still clear water when I chop, even at 100+ days. The oxygenation seems to be loved by the roots when they get there as tap roots consistently go down to the water reservoir and take over that space for the “root-ball” which envelopes the airstone (I have to rip it out at harvest every time).
If this thing gives out, it will likely be replaced by the same.
