A Guide to Building and Operating Bubblers

[MU]

masterly thread as usual MU

I'd really like to see some comparisons on grow techniques.   I think the only thing I know for sure is organic produces the finest smoke. The rest is up for debate with me. I think in terms of growth rate, yield etc I wouldn't be surprised if the bubbler method, done to its finest, would be the winner. Your thread might have brought me one step nearer to giving it a shot actually.

cheers Mu. the quality is in the detail as usual mate.

loveweed

357235[/snapback]

hi mate

thanks for the kind words of support.

come the autumn, i will be firing up the bubblers again, and this time will do a comparison between using the lucas formula vs the manufacturers guidelines for 3 part nutes.

ive been doing some reading on lucas and it seems to me the nutrient useage is very high under lucas so im interested to see how it will compare... following the lucas system, i reckon my ec would be "1.something" (at least double what i run with now), so it'll be interesting to see the difference.

cheers mate..

[Guest Ludacris2004]

hi again just been out today got all my stuff apart from an air pump so now im scowering ebay and have found two that may be of use just need opinion

Four Outlet airpump

2nd Choice

i think the 1st link is best?

also i hope to expand in future due to some more space available at the mo ive got a 4 plant vegin room and 4 plant flowering room so was wondering will the 1st pump beable to run both bubbler boxes?

[MU]

hi mate

both links go to the same page, but that first pump looks fine.. thats a 530L p/h pump if the max output figure is used, so should be fine.

that could run 7.2 toberlone airstones, so call it 8, which means it would be able to run 2 bubblers of 8 airstoines i would have thought.

edit: not sure if thats a total for all 4 outlets, or if you get 530L p/h per outlet.. if the latter, which i guess it must be, then you could run more than 8 airstones, im not sure why the minimum output figure is so low, theres quite a difference between the max and min figures...

in fact. 530L p/h out of 4 outlets could run 28 airstones, by my reckoning.

Edited May 12, 2005 by MU

[Guest Ludacris2004]

i just emailed the seller to ask some questions about it also do i need a non return valve so that water doesnt go back into the air pump or does that only apply to aquariums and for the airstones im gettin 8 12" aqua fizz air stones in each buckets is that ok?

[MU]

its safer to get a non return valve but if you make sure the airpump is always above the bubbler especially when switched off, then there should be no return of fluid into the pump.

i dont use valves myself and havent had any problems. its up to you.

8 12" aqua fizz airstones will be ideal for 4 plant bubbler.

[Guest Ludacris2004]

is there a site where i can get the manifolds from so i can connect 8 airstones to one outlet or 4 airstones to 2 outlets?

also how loud is 51DB anythin that sounds the same loudness

Edited May 12, 2005 by Ludacris2004

[MU]

is there a site where i can get the manifolds from so i can connect 8 airstones to one outlet or 4 airstones to 2 outlets?

also how loud is 51DB anythin that sounds the same loudness

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i dont use manifolds except the one that came with the compressor. i wire up the airstones in pairs and split with T-splitters. looks at the pics again in this thread of my airstone banks, and you can see how i do it.

this site says that normal conversation takes place at 60-70 decibels, so 51Db shouldnt be too loud.

[Guest Ludacris2004]

hi again sorry about all the questions but ive found some boxes for the bubbler but want to know how deep must the bubble box be so roots grow cuz ive found a box 71cm X 46 cm X 35 cm deep so i was just wondering if that is deep enough?

and also what size net pots should i use?

Edited May 13, 2005 by Ludacris2004

[MU]

hi again sorry about all the questions but ive found some boxes for the bubbler but want to know how deep must the bubble box be so roots grow cuz ive found a box 71cm X 46 cm X 35 cm deep so i was just wondering if that is deep enough?

and also what size net pots should i use?

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hi mate, no problem, ask away, i'll only answer what i know..

those dimensions are fine.

my shallower tubs, the 30L ones are 22cm deep and my bigger tubs are 31cm deep, so 35cm deep will be cushties...

the length and width will be ok too for 4 plants.

[Guest Ludacris2004]

what about the net pots cuz theres different sizes?

[MU]

ive only used the 4" ones myself, which work well.

theyre the perfect size if you plan to install clones in 3" rockwool (which is what i would recommend to start with as its easier (so long as youre comfortable using rockwool, and if youre not, you soon will be ! )).

Edited May 13, 2005 by MU

[Guest Ludacris2004]

you got any good advice on using rockwool i use to have an nft system but had to scrap it cuz cudnt use rockwool it seemed to dry out to quick the main root use to come out of the bottom of small rockwool cube then it just seemed to wilt and die so have u any advice on using them also if i can get the hang of it i can run my nft system also to compare

[MU]

hi mate,

using rockwool...

firstly, i should say, i do one thing completely differently to most i guess, because i fert my rockwool cubes with 1/5ml strength of canna terra vega, which is a soil fert, but it was all i had when i first learnt to clone in soil, as i was a soil grower, but it works perfectly well for me for both the 1" and 3" cubes, so i stick to what ive always done.

some people use formulex, but ive never seen it sold here in switzerland so ive never used it...

if you use a soil based fert, esp canna terra, use a 1/5 strength, at most for the water, and ph it to 5.8 - 6.0.

im sorry, i dont know how to do hydro without a ph meter and ec pen, so cant offer tips on that.

i'll do a step by step of exactly what i do, it works for me..

1) i fill a 3L measuring jug with water adding the amount of ph down that i know will reduce the ph to 5.8, and i add 3ml of canna terra vega, whcih is a 1/5 strength feed for that amount of water according to the destructions on the label.

2) i soak the needed amount of 1" or 3" rockwool cubes in the jug for only a few minutes. some people soak for a few hours or a day, i never do this and rarely have problems cloning in rockwool.

3) i pour about 1L of the liquid into a sprayer which i subsequently use for foliar feedings/sprayings of the clones at day 1, 3 , 5, 7, and 9. basically i spray them every other day.

4) i wont explain cloning, but i take the clone, dip it in clonex and plonk in the well squeezed 1" cube. make sure you squeeze the cube well but not so much that it looses its "springiness". you want all the excess water out of the cube.

5) plonk clones in prop under 2x36W flos about 6" away from the bulb. they dont need much light to root so dont need to be clone to the flo's.

6) i know that by day 4 the cubes are almost dry, but usually are ok till day 5, so i give them an extra good spraying on day 5 so that excess water will drip off the leaves and re-soak the cubes.

7) i check the next day (usually out of laziness) that none of the cubes are too wet.. this is day 6 and when you might see your first root clone, but its usually day 8 or 9, for me anyway, when most roots show through the cube.

8) i basically check then every 2-3 days that none of the cubes feel like theyre completely drying out... if any do, i spray the cube directly with the sprayer but not too much as the cube can easily be overwatered... if youre not sure, give the cube a little squeeze and see if it releases any excess. better to squeeze the cube and make sure its not waterlogged than to leave it waterlogged.

9) to transplant in 3" cubes, i prepare them as above, and give them a good squeeze too before inserting the 1" cubes into the 3" cube.

10) put under ordinary flo"s no more than 3" away from bulb im the veg/mum area and make sure the humidity stays above 50 degs, better nearer 70 if possible.

11) check cubes every couple of days for dryness and water manually by hand, again being careful not to soak the cube too much and squeezing excess out if necessary.

practice makes perfect, im v. so i hope i made sense...

edited to add: i also take the top off the propogator twice a day, morning and night, whilst theyre rooting, to change the air in the prop. i also leave the shutter thingies closed for the first 4 days, then open them bit by bit days 5-6, eventually keeping them fully open. i also wipe any excess condensation off the lid when i remove it to change the air in the prop.

i should also add, that im quite lazy and sometimes forget the clones for a few days... rarely lose a clone, even then.

also, if youre cubes are drying out too quickly, like every day or 2, then the temps may be too high...

if you get it right, you'll see roots thru the 1" cubes any day between 6-11 and roots through the 3" cubes 1-4 days later, so you should be installing the clones into the bubbler within 2 weeks if all goes well.

Edited May 13, 2005 by MU

[MU]

although having said that, 1 would suggest vegging the clone for a few days in the 3" rockwool cube, for maybe up to 5-7 days, and then put it in the bubbler with the hids a good 2-3ft away.

my point being its less risk to the young clone to suffer shock if its been vegged for a few days under flo's and is well rooted through the 3" cube before installing into a bub under strong lighting.

you could ofcourse install them in the bubbler as soon as theyre rooted through the 3" cube and continue with flo's for a few days before switching on hids... would be quickest this way.

Edited May 13, 2005 by MU

[Guest Ludacris2004]

riteo il try that but was wondering if you can get oasis cubs in the UK been reading on overgrow that they are better than rockwool bein ph neutral etc?