DingusKhan's Schnorklbin-RDWC without an electric pump

[DingusKhan]

Here's a little something I hacked together from stuff I learned here on awesome tutorials by Nebula, Sirius, and others as well as YouTube, but I can't find it again to give credit. If you know the source of this basic idea, please shout out!

There have been a few noobs posting questions and some already seasoned growers taking up bubbleponics, that I wanted to share what I came up with. Recirculating DWC without an electric pump in your reservoir by means of the Schnorkl.

Starting from the bottom, the Schnorkl is a 3 inches of 1/2 tubing, with 7 or 8 inches of 3/8 black tubing stuck in the end of it, snugly, and a barbed elbow or T stuck in the end of that. About an inch from the end of the black tubing where it is stuck into the clear tubing, carefully bore a hole into which you can poke the end of 1/4" air tubing.

Drill (2) 1/2 holes, close together, in the top of your grow container of choice, along with the necessary holes you need for your grow cup, air-stone hose, and access for checking your roots and change noots, being careful to close light leaks.

Disconnect the top fitting from the Schnorkl and poke it up through one of the 1/2 in holes a little bit, install the barbed fitting, and slide the tubing back down into the lid until it fits snugly. Poke another short length of black tubing through the other hole you drilled close to the first hole and pass your length of 1/4 tubing through it. The short piece of black tubing is to keep light out of your bin where the clear tubing goes in. Insert the lower end of the air tubing into the hole that you bored so that it pokes up toward the black tubing, about an inch.

A 2 line air pump or an air splitter is needed to aerate 2 lines, one for the Schnorkl, and one for an airstone in your reservoir, just like you would otherwise use.

When the lower end of the Schnorkl is a few inches below the surface of the water and air is blown in, bubbles are formed in the 1/2 chamber that rise and hit the narrower 3/8 tube, water is forced with the bubbles up the pipe, and into your grow cup at a gentle dribble. No submersible pump needed to warm your reservoir! Extra air, no moving parts, you can even use stuff that might plug pumps with little holes.

You will need to adjust the length of the short piece of pipe down at the end to get the flow you desire. It doesn't give a steady stream like a pump, but it's more than enough to keep the hydroton wet around most of the seedling with freshly oxygenated nutrient solution. They seem to like it.

I hate to recommend walmart, but they carry Sterilite Stacker Bins that come in 2 sizes with the same lid. I like to use the smaller ones for smaller plants (duh), and swap the plant in the lid onto a fresh container to change nutrients. BOOM!

Thanks again for all who share here, both their wisdom and their questions! Peace.

[alltatup]

That's brilliant, Dingus!!! So it's like once you get it going by blowing into it, it keeps circulating the water... You don't have to sit there and blow air, do you?

[DingusKhan]

Actually yes. It's the air bubbles getting pumped into air line connected to the bottom of the clear, 1/2 tube at the bottom that rise up the tubing, pushing some water up the tubing. Enough water has to get splashed by the bubbling to hit the bottom of the 3/8 inch black tubing so that water gets forced all the way up the tube and is blown out of the top into your grow cup.

You also have another air line feeding an air stone in the reservoir.

[Californiakid]

I'm going to file this away for later use. Thanks Dinguskhan

[DW2]

Howdy DingusKhan, the GH Hydro farm uses an 'air lift' method for their drip rings. Nice application for a multi plant reservoir.

[DingusKhan]

Yes, I think that does the same thing. I have one installed in the lower bucket in the picture, but when I got it, I thought it was for attaching to a submersible pump, and set it up that way. This was mostly inspired by the air-driven aquarium filters that sit in the corner of the tank with air being blown through them too.

I'm planning on a larger tote (the ones that are on sale at Costco right now, I think 27 gallon) with 3 or 6 clones in it to try an SOG grow in my 2x4 tent. I think I will set 3 double headed schnorkls between each pair of cups. I'm going to need a bigger air pump.

I've been aiming for easy, fun, grow, little pressure for achievement other than don't die, don't suck. I want to see if I can get a full pound out of a single grow, and so far I'm getting 4-8oz per single-grown photo plant in about 5-6 months with 300 and 400 watt LEDs.