Upgraded my air stones for compost tea brewing

[Proud Marine Dad]

I bought the medium 3" size ceramic air stones from Drs. Foster and Smith's website and they are much better than the cheapies from Walmart. I have two dual output pumps that I put a 'T' fitting in and made them into a single output to each stone. They aerate the water much better than before.

 

[brownb4]

does the "T" fitting make a big difference?

 

[Proud Marine Dad]

does the "T" fitting make a big difference?

Good question. I have not tried it without the 'T' fitting but I would assume the pressure from both pump outlets connected into one air stone should produce more air to the stones than a single line to each. I will have to try that out tonight and see.

 

[HotPeppas]

Pics or it didnt happen

 

[BenVanned]

Those pumps are rated per gallons. Also I would thing you would actually do better with more than one line and stone because it would cover more surface area and saturate the water more. I could be wrong because I have never bewed tea. Pet depot also sells flexible air "stones" which could be shaped to fit the bottom of the bucket to cover yet more surface area.

This is coming from an aquarist and novice grower. So I could be wrong.

 

[brownb4]

Those pumps are rated per gallons. Also I would thing you would actually do better with more than one line and stone because it would cover more surface area and saturate the water more. I could be wrong because I have never bewed tea. Pet depot also sells flexible air "stones" which could be shaped to fit the bottom of the bucket to cover yet more surface area.

This is coming from an aquarist and novice grower. So I could be wrong.

i've tried those flexible ones, found them for $2 on sale, and now i know why. i have much more air/bubbles from a stone

 

[Proud Marine Dad]

Those pumps are rated per gallons. Also I would thing you would actually do better with more than one line and stone because it would cover more surface area and saturate the water more.

I tried one pump with a single line connected to it and the other with both lines going to the air stone and the one with two lines into one is producing roughly 40% more bubbles (my estimation).
Here is a video with both pumps going and a single air stone connected to each.
The compost is in a 7" x 16" bio diesel filtering bag I bought off Ebay for $5 delivered and it seems good. It's 400 microns which is what I read somewhere was recommended by some expert as the best filtering size for the highest numbers of beneficial bacteria to make it into the water.


http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v207/MikeV/?action=view&current=2012_0809TeaBrewer0002.mp4

 

[kiddc]

snazzy air stones.