Gently separate (we're using mother-in-law's tongue) plants, remove dirt from plants
We then filled the pot with recycled glass 3" up from the top, placed our filter in it, then filled another inch of rocks, placed the plant, and then filled the bucket with rocks. 

test air flow w/ flow meter each configuration before placing in the pot- 0.65 liters per minute (discard-a-stone coarse bubble), 0.7 liters per minute (aqua mist 1 cm), 0.65 liters per minute (aqua mist 5 cm x 14 cm)

Tube length has a negligable effect on air flow- we tested both short (4") and long (6') and saw little difference between the two. 
Is there a limit for how much air flow is too much for the plant? (temperature difference, etc.)

epoxy to fill in the holes of the plastic pot that we're using (BE SURE TO THOROUGHLY SEAL HOLES), seran wrap, use one of the existing holes to run the tube through the pot. It's useful to find a pot that has sufficient gaps to run the tubing underneath without crimping. Leave enough room with the tube to have at least a few inches running outside of the pot, Make sure to have enough tubing to allow the filter used to sit above the water level. 

Leave an inch in between the root systems and the air intake system to avoid suffocating the filter without losing air flow within the plant system.
With this setup, we're getting 0.95 liters per minute of airflow

to reverse the motor
remove diaphragm from the pump and reverse it- vacuum bingo! (GIF LOCATION)

http://www.wolvertonenvironmental.com/airFAQ.htm