HydroBloom- How To Guide

1. WHAT IS NANO-BUBBLE TECHNOLOGY (NBT) & THE HYDROBLOOM ARRAY?

The HydroBloom is a modular array consisting of egg-shaped, nano-bubble generator technologies, or NBTs.

The HydroBloom utilizies the power of nano-bubbles, which are created by a water-driven vacuum that draws
in ambient air and then shears the air into microscopic bubbles, ejecting out of either end of the NBT.
The HydroBloom promotes the growth of plants by adding oxygen to a plants root zone, promoting the uptake
of nutrients.
The HydroBloom is easy to install and use, can fit almost any tank size, and is possible to be used without the
addition of any new pumps.
www.blueplanetenviro.com
media@blueplanetenviro.com
2. COMPONENTS & QUICK TIPS FOR OPTIMAL USE
Needle Valve:
Constrain each air-line by tying a loose knot or using a needle
valve. The less constrained the air-line, the more turbulence the unit
will generate. If tightly constrained, the unit will generate smaller
bubbles (see videos). Optimal formation of nano-bubbles occurs
when the bubbles are pulsing out of the unit.
Emitters:
There are two emitters on either end of the unit where air drawn into
the unit is sheared into nano-bubbles. These emitters should be
clear and may clog if the pressure is low, organics in the system are
high, or if the system is shut off for one or more hours. To unclog,
stick a toothpick, pipe cleaner, or zip tie through both holes. If the
unit is still clogged, carefully remove the unit, shake it and tap it
gently on a wooden surface, and then soak it in hydrogen peroxide
for an hour then connect to a hose at full pressure to rinse clean.
Inlet:
This is where water fows into the unit before spinning quickly
to generate a vacuum and draw in fresh air. This connects to a
submersible water pump or to your in-line piping system. 5 PSI
water pressure minimum is needed to effectively aerate. When
attaching a new unit or a cleaned one, be sure to wrap the threaded
area in PTFE tape to prevent leakage. It is a 1/2 MPT ftting that will
ft into a 1/2 FPT PVC ftting.
Air-line:
It should be hanging outside of the tank to draw in fresh air. When
units frst start, or when they are clogged, some water may come out
of the air-lines. To avoid fooding if a clog occurs, place the end of
the air-lines so that they face the water. If the unit is working, you will
hear air being drawn in. Air-lines should be cleaned once a month.
Replacement lines should be 3/16 ID.
1
2
3
4
5
Figure 1- A Single HydroBloom Aerator, or an NBT
1
1
2
3
4 4
5
Nipple:
It connects the air-line to the unit. Be careful when attaching and
removing the airline as the nipple is fragile and can break off. The
best method is to lightly place a fat screwdriver under the nipple
when attaching or detaching the air-line.
SPECIFICATIONS
3. KNOWN ISSUES & SOLUTIONS
1. Unit is clogged, not generating bubbles If more than one unit isnt working then it is likely that the sys-
tem is not generating enough pressure for the units to run.
1. Check that the pressure in the system is working as it should (5 PSI+).
2. Check that the water levels are not too high and reducing the systems pressure.
3. Check that there are no outlets missing NBTs as this will reduce pressure.
4. If the pressure in the system is working, the unit is likely dirty and should be removed for cleaning.
Remove the unit and replace it with a backup while cleaning.
2. Nipple broken This part of the units is very fragile! Be careful when attaching or removing air-lines by
placing a screwdriver lightly under the nipple. If only one of the buttresses of the nipple is broken, the unit
will still run: be extra careful when using. If the nipple is completely broken, contact Blue Planet for a re-
placement.
3. Unit is flooding water out of air-line The unit is probably clogged. See (a).
4. CLEANING
Like all aerators, HydroBloom requires some maintanence: prepare a cleaning schedule ahead of time to pre-
vent build up before it occurs. As long as the pressure in the system is high enough, clogging should not occur
because the organics will be sheered by the unit through force. Installing a prefilter on the water pump to only
allow material less than 3 mm through will prevent any major clogging issues.
Blue Planet recommends cleaning the HydroBloom units every 2 weeks. Clean one reservoir at a time. Be
sure to have enough HydroBlooms with you to replace all of those in that reservoir (with air-lines attached).
Unscrew the HydroBloom and replace it with a new one. Repeat along the entire reservoir. Take the dirty units
and tap them lightly on a wooden surface to shake up build up. Then take the units and airlines and soak them
in hydrogen peroxide or chlorine for an hour and then attach to a hose at full pressure to rinse clean.
5. HOW DO I KNOW IF THE UNIT IS RUNNING PROPERLY?
As long as the each unit has 5+ PSI it will be aerating the water. To test if air is being drawn into the unit, place
the end of the air-line to your ear and you should hear significant suction. If you want larger bubbles and more
turbulence, leave the air-line completely open. If you want to produce more nano-bubbles, and achieve higher
DO levels for longer, restrict the airline so that a shearing effect occurs at the emitters. The unit should be de-
livering bursts of small bubbles from each side. If you cant see the unit, place your fingers next to one emitter
and feel for a bursting effect.
Please check out this short video on optimal use of HydroBloom
vimeo.com/104737760 Password: waterfarmers
Dimensions: 4 x 3 x 2.5
Flow Rate: 3.5 GPM of water
Water Pressure Requirement: Minimum of 5 PSI. Optimal of 60 PSI.
Air line: 3/16 inner diameter (ID) vinyl tubing
Inlet Fitting Size: 1/2 MPT
www.blueplanetenviro.com
media@blueplanetenviro.com