Compost Tea Aerator - The BubbleSnake : 5 Gallon Bucket Aerator

I mean, I wouldn't drink the tea myself, but the gardens love the tea. ;) This is basically a PVC pipe bent and drilled. The thing that sets it apart is that it just fits and works for the job. Attached the top half to the bottom half by shoving them together, no need to glue. The ring at the top is where we hang the strainer bag for the tea to brew. We got some taps from here and put one in the bucket we got from the big box orange store. Since the aerator is plastic and would float, we found it best to twist it so it is under the valve to help hold it down while getting everything in place. Also, when you put the tap into your bucket, don't put it at the bottom to help minimize any sediment from getting stuck in your valve.

The bubble snake is a great addition to my tea making regimen. For all the reviews that say they can make it cheaper, blah blah blah, there is no way you can go to the hardware store and buy everything you need to make it, then come home and put it together, for the cost of this thing. It is a great piece of equipment, I have made several compost, worm/guano teas with this thing and it is worth every penny, easy to clean, great bubbles, hook for hanging tea bag, what more do you need, and did I mention easy to clean? Just remember the bungie cord, to hold it in the bucket, because this thing really makes some bubbles with the right pump. Thanks to tea labs for this 5 gallons model that I have. It took a few days to get here but it is quality! 5 stars in my opinion!

Perfect for adding air to my compost tea. Easy to set up. It will try to float on ya when the air is running through it so I use tape to hold it down. Simple and easy I recommend it 100%

Works great. I love how simple the design is, however; I do have a couple small issues that are easily fixed. 1. I’m using an extremely strong pump 1700+gph and the device itself can not free stand without a counter weight to hold it down as if the bag loaded with amenities hanging. I just use a heavy padlock to achieve the weight I need so I can de-chlorinate my water before I start a brew. Without the weight, the whole thing tips over and doesn’t pump properly. Simple problem, simple solution. 2. I am not a fan of the black coating on the PVC. It makes for difficulty removing the pieces to clean repeatedly and it kind of feels like you’ll snap it when the pieces get stuck for a second and you have to break it free. The coating ends up flaking off and I have to clean it from my water containers. That being said, I love the thing, and I just ordered their barrel sized version. Waiting on that and the compost bag this week. I think I’ll do the same to this one, and just lightly sand where the PVC connects to coupling and eliminate the issue from the start. A personally handwritten note was included with my TeaLab Aerator as well as some free mystery seeds that I’ll be growing after this harvest! The note was a very nice touch, and to be quite honest, it legitimately made me feel special, and not just another sale. Thank you, seriously. Simplicity at its finest with a clever design. I look forward to future business together.

Such a simple, but genius idea. I hooked mine up to a pump that might be a little stronger than necessary, but it is holding up great! The only issue is that it really wants to float when the bubbles start going. I used some shop string and the loop that is attached to the top of it and the sides of the bucket to hold it down inside the bucket, which worked much better than expected. I intend to use a brick next time. It made richer compost tea than not using anything at all--it was super dark and just looked happy. Any noise came from the pump I used. The bubbles sounded like a tiny spa. Would recommend.

Excellent tool, it's harder than one would think to build a properly functioning tea brewer, this one is worth the $$. Very happy!

While i liked air stones to a degree, many of them are cheaply made and break after a short time and i always worry about what they are made with and that leaching out into my tea solution. Air diffusers are much better but can be pricey. Recently started using autopots and i wanted something i could use that would help with making compost teas. A buddy turned me on to this and i could not be happier. It's made out of PVC and is a breeze to setup. Put the pieces together, attach your air hose and your off. I bought the 5 gallon version and it works perfectly for both a 5 gallon bucket and the standard 12 gallon autopot reservoir. It has a metal ring to clip your compost tea bag to and wow does this thing really make bubbles. I put my tea mix in a very fine cheesecloth type of tea bag to try to keep sediment out of the res. This thing moves and bubbles so much water it brews the tea without issue even in a super fine bag. Highly recommended!

I bought this in 2021, and it's still going strong. I have found that with my air pump, the force of the air causes the liquid to jump out of the bucket. So, I only put about 4 gallons of water in the bucket, and takes care of the problem. I still have a tray under it to catch the occasional splash. As for the bubbler floating up in the bucket with the air on, I just use a small bungee cord hooked to where the bucket handle attaches to the bucket. Problem solved. My recipe is simple: 1.5 cups compost, 1/3 cup black strap molasses, 2.5 tablespoons kelp meal, 2 teaspoons fish hydrolysate, per 4 gallons H2O, and bubble for 36 hrs at room temp. The goal here is to multiply the beneficial microbes (bacteria, fungi, protozoa) from my compost in an oxygen rich environment. Some folks simply top dress with compost and water it in, which works too. I've also used it to continuously stir my alfalfa meal tea with good results in 24 hours. Hope this helps somebody.