Hydroponic Oxygen Infuser

by Scott Elkington

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Intro: Hydroponic Oxygen Infuser

I have been developing this device over the course of 10 years. this is a is a device that adds dissolved oxygen and oxygen microbubbles to water in a hydroponic system. Oxygen is important for plant growth and health in hydroponic systems for several reasons. First, dissolved oxygen is necessary for plants to convert CO2 into energy during photosynthesis. Second, oxygen helps to inhibit the formation of harmful bacteria and fungi, which can cause root rot and other diseases and encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria that keep the water clean. Perhaps most important is the the presence of dissolved oxygen helps the in the plants uptake of nutrients from water. See my previous instructable on this system from 2013. https://www.instructables.com/Mini-Hydroponic-aeration-tower/

STEP 1: Prepare the Material

Prepare the material your using to accept the Wine Vinturi's. I used an 1 3/4" hole saw. the Vinturi's are conveniently tapered in their outer shape so there are multiple possibility's fore hole size. Also drill a hole for the overflow elbow.

STEP 2: Prepare for Gluing

Glue the Vinturi's into place. Prepare by sanding the mating surfaces with 80 grit. Then if your using HDPE alcohol wipe it then lightly torch the mating surface on that but don't let it melt. then put it together. the taper on the Vinturi makes it east to pour the epoxy in from the top.

STEP 3: Glue It Up

Then glue the base that holds the Vinturi's into the PVC Pipe the overflow elbow can be glued in at this time also.

STEP 4: Check Out the Video

Please See My YouTube Video for further details

STEP 5: Why Have Multiple Venturi's

My greenhouse is a low flow system that is powered by 2 100 watt solar panels, thats right, the pump only runs during daylight hours. This has no ill effects on the plants. The multi venturi design is based on reducing flow restriction and reducing the size of the venturi low pressure tap (vacuum intake hole). The smaller the tap the smaller the bubble, the smaller the bubble the more surface area, the more surface area the more of an interface between the liquid and gas. So more gas can be absorbed by the liquid. More venturi's = more dissolved oxygen.

STEP 6: Conclusion

Over the years I have built many of these systems for Hydroponic deep water culture (DWC) I've used them indoors, Outdoors, Aerating ponds and my greenhouse. I've grown high CBD cannabis, tomatoes, watercress, broccoli, eggplant, basil basically anything except root crops. I've alawys had a stellar harvest (excepting a few times that I myself caused a failure or was raided by critters)

STEP 7:

See the video for more information.

4 Comments

carlosdreyfus 1 year ago

Great design, Maybe an acrylic ring can be welded to the acrylic venturi, It could be nice to to see it in a transparent acrylic tube. Just a thought. Great idea to introduce air. How do you measure the oxygen in water? is it another parameter to monitor like pH and nutrients? Thanks

Scott Elkington 1 year ago

Thank You, I do have one that I built with an acrylic tube but when it in the sun algae will start growing. I've noticed even with this one that algae will grow on the underside of the 1/2" thick white HDPE. I Have a General Tool dissolved oxygen meter and a Hach dissolved oxygen test kit.. I find using both keeps me sane.

CBGjr 1 year ago

Fantastic design! Question, I've done hydro before and have always used an air stone. Any thoughts on the effectiveness of one over the other or is this a case having the advantage because it's a passive system using using existing water flow? I like the passive nature of this design, one less thing to power and one less thing to go wrong.