How an Air Pump Can Benefit Your Grow System

Air pumps are fundamental tools in any system with a reservoir (talking to you, Deep Water Culture growers). Why's that then?

The Root Cause

Your plants need oxygen. That's a given, but their roots are unable to get sufficient levels of oxygen from photosynthesis alone. This means they have to scrounge what's available from the environment they're in.

Air Pumps, Aeration and Nutrient Uptake

Depending on your grow system, you can use an air pump to either oxygenate your nutrient solution or distribute air directly to your plants' rhizosphere. By pairing an air pump with air stones, you can shrink the resulting air bubbles. This'll provide a larger surface area to keep your nutrient solution adequately mixed and oxygenated which in turn will maximize root growth and nutrient uptake.

Types of Air Pump

There are two main types of air pumps: centrifugal and positive displacement. Both work well for indoor gardening, but each comes with pros and cons depending on the size of your system.

A centrifugal air pump uses a spinning impeller to move air through a tube. This type of air pump is most commonly used for aquariums because it creates a strong current of water that helps keep fish healthy. It also works well for growing plants indoors as it moves air at high speeds and creates a vacuum inside the container, sending a powerful flow of oxygen into the plant roots without being disturbed by the movement of air. It also helps prevent algae growth, great success! However, centrifugal air pumps tend to be noisy and require frequent maintenance.

A positive displacement air pump uses a piston to push air through a tube. These pumps tend to be quieter than centrifugal pumps and do not need as much maintenance. They create a steady stream of air that keeps plants healthy. However, these pumps are less effective at moving large volumes of air quickly.

Do I NEED an Air Pump Though?

Again, it depends on the system. If you're running a DWC system then yes. Any system which keeps plant roots submerged in the nutrient will benefit massively from the consistency in aeration, nutrient uptake and the discouragement of pathogen growth. As far as which air pump to invest in, Hailea's range is always a good shout. They all feature adjustable outputs, offering maximum flexibility in a range of outlet options with minimal power consumption.