I am thinking that a back-up air pump would be a good idea. My plan is to buy BOYU S-2000 480 L/hour from a local vendor. Would this be sufficient to support the grobo in the event of a breakdown?
thanks!
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A backup air pump is great to have, however, depending on how strong your pump and airstone is, it can cause damping off by over saturating your cocopod. I would recommend adding the backup airpump after the water level reaches the middle, which I believe is during early vegetation (thanks @SilverGrobo ). The bubbles are great in keeping the nutrient fresh and mixed as well as providing more oxygen to your roots. Just make sure it doesn’t soak the cocopod as damping off is the #1 killer of cannabis DWC grows
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Yes, I have noticed that damping off is a concern. I was actually planning to just keep it as a back-up in case the grobo breaks (seems like this might be the biggest problem after damping off/root rot). I dont wan to risk choking my plant😊
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As long as the water level is at the tip of the roots, you wouldn’t have to worry about the air pump during early phases (think Kratky method). But do keep an eye on the air pump. I come by my grobo to listen to the hum on the daily just to make sure its running. If you really need to run a backup at this time, I would highly recommend running it on the lowest setting and put the airstone on the side instead of the middle of the reservoir so it doesn’t damp your medium so much.
Indeed, if you haven’t picked up hygroguard yet and your water temp is 72f and above, I recommend adding it at full strength to your grow as well, this will help fight against root rot.
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Understood. As long as the grobo is running smoothly, my back-up pump will stay untouched, away from the reservoir😊
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Great thinking to be mindful of dampening off issues @Vicc
If you decide to experiment try a regular fish tank pump.
I use this pump and stone with my existing set up.
I put my stones on the far right and the far left of the box and have never had dampening off with this setup.
But leaving your new pump as a backup is an excellent idea!
Uniclife Aquarium Air Pump Dual Outlet with Accessories for Up to 100 Gallon Tank
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I use my spare my grobo pump stops when my internet goes down my pump works when I plug it in the wall
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This is similar to the one I have and use in the corners of my Grobo alongside the original.
The only difference is the actual airstone. It’s a small panel stone instead
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How do you like it?
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I really like it! Works perfectly for my needs.
And they’ve never unexpectedly shut offf which is a huge benefit 
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