Everything's a small part of a bigger picture, buy getting the small parts right is what makes the big picture beautiful
...and winning an argument when the argument is about how to factually do something can very often serves much more then ones ego.
But you're wrong, you can't win an argument that you started, just because you're wrong and don't see how.
He is right about the aeration, about the RW being a wicking media that will saturate and therefore deprive early root systems of essential oxygen, hindering long term development.
He is also right about air in the reservoir mixing the solution, causing particles of specific nutrients to reach equilibrium in suspension. Without suspension and equilibrium your plants root system is getting uneven amounts of nutrients, and insufficient amounts of nutrients as particles are dropping out of solution due to gravity and are resting on the bottom of your reservoir where they're of little use to the roots begging for them above.
On top of all that though, the pH of raw water is useless without proper aeration. Maximum Yield the magazine has an excellent article in there Sept/Oct Canadian issue which is freely available on their website, this article goes in the depth of detail on the why's of the above statement. But to summarize I quote this
"The pH of water rarely indicates how much acid or alkali is needed to change the pH. For example, it is not uncommon to have two different samples of water of equal pH where one requires four times more pH adjustment than the other. This phenomenon is due to the concentrations of bicarbonate and carbon dioxide present in the water. It is particularly pronounced with bore waters."
Proper aeration is REQUIRED to eliminate this factor. You may have a successful grow without focusing on this factor, but that doesn't mean you have an optimal grow.
Because of the above valid and correct points, you owe him an apology and if there was an argument YOU LOST.
the path to knowlege
