Air Pumps & Accessories happyhydro | TeaLab Bubble Snake Compost Tea Aerator

Bubblesnake: THE Compost Tea Aerator

The BubbleSnake Aerator is the solution to your brewing woes. Say goodbye to tough-to-clean air stones that harbor harmful bacteria. With the BubbleSnake, all you need is an air pump and you're ready to start brewing. The unique design creates larger bubbles that mix the brew thoroughly, ensuring optimal oxygenation.

The goal of a good compost tea is to create a harmonious composition of bacteria, fungus, and protozoa in the soil and on the plants. Providing plenty of oxygen to the microbe colonies will help them thrive.  

FAQ

What Size Air Pump Do I Need For This Compost Tea Aerator?

It is recommended that you use a 1100+GPH pump, such as the Active Aqua Commercial Air Pump for the 5 gallon bucket and the 1750 GPH Air Pump for the 50 Gal brewer. 

How to Clean:

Cleaning has never been easier! Made from Finish Grade PVC, the BubbleSnake is resistant to staining and wipes clean with ease. Simply pop off the end and blow it out with water. 

What Do I need to Make Compost Tea?

• 5 Gallon Bucket (lid optional)

• Air Pump + Air Tubing + Air Stones - Oxygenates the tea, keeps it from becoming stinky/anaerobic. Air pump large enough to circulate the water in addition to bubbling. 

• Compost Tea Bags - something to contain our compost/worm castings

• Compost / Worm Castings

• Tap Water Conditioner If you're using tap water and your local municipality uses Chloramine, you should probably get these. If not, you can skip it by bubbling, see recipe below. 

How To Make Compost Tea:

1. Clean a 5-gallon bucket and all equipment going into the tea; airstones, tubing, etc. 

2. Fill bucket with room-temp water leaving 3-4 inches of space at the top.

3. Treat water with Tap Water Conditioner or bubble for 8-24 hours before adding anything at all - this will get rid of Chlorine and Chloramine. 

4. Add the compost bag, full of 2-3 cups of compost/castings or nutrients unless otherwise specified 

5. Massage the tea bag to make sure it's all wet and the air is expelled. We want this to fully submerge.

6. Mix 2tbsp molasses with a cup of hot water, this helps it mix better. Add the molasses mixture to the bucket, stir.

7. Aerate the tea, using the Bubble Snake or Airstones, connect to an air pump making sure there are no dead zones, bad bacteria will form in those places.

8. Turn the pump on and you're on your way to bubbling for 24-48 hours until you have useable tea. At 24 hours, bacteria and fungi have reproduced and between 30-48 it's in prime effectiveness. 

9. Your tea should small earthy, not rancid. If it smells rancid, like ammonia, something went wrong, bubble for a couple more days and if the smell doesn't resolve itself, discard and possibly consider a different source of compost. Upgrading the air pump or increasing the stones would ensure more oxygen which would help prevent the anaerobic (without oxygen) bacteria from thriving and creating this rancid type of tea. 

How to Use Compost Tea:

Water plants directly with compost tea, from when they have their first true leaf at 50/50 ratio, of then they are 4-6 nodes apply tea at full strength. 

Repeat every 1-4 weeks with teas.

If you are foliar feeding with this tea, stop foliar feeding after week 4 of flower.

For Soil Drenches, consider adding fish hydrolysate, and if foliar feeding, plants love the addition of the increased micronutrients liquid kelp provides.