Help! Why is there white foam in my Rez???

[Kylesidious]

I did my week two water change yesterday and now I’ve got white foam in the bucket. Pics and video below. Also since I changed my water, the plant is showing signs of what looks like overwatering. Not sure if the two issues are related.

 

[tobh]

We need more details.

What additives and nutrients are you using?

Water source?

pH?

EC/PPM?

Water temp?

Looks like straight up lockout. What are the conditions of the roots? White and glistening? Any signs of slime or other nastiness on them?

 

[Kylesidious]

We need more details.

What additives and nutrients are you using?

Water source?

pH?

EC/PPM?

Water temp?

Looks like straight up lockout. What are the conditions of the roots? White and glistening? Any signs of slime or other nastiness on them?

We need more details.

What additives and nutrients are you using?

Water source?

pH?

EC/PPM?

Water temp?

Looks like straight up lockout. What are the conditions of the roots? White and glistening? Any signs of slime or other nastiness on them?

This is what I just used for my water change yesterday.

1. General Hydro PH Up : 1ml/g
2. Botanicare Cal-Mag : 4ml/g
3. Cyco Grow A : 5.5ml/g
4. Cyco B1 Boost : 3.8ml/g
5. Cyco Zyme : 3.8ml/g
6. Cyco Grow B : 5.5ml/g
7. Cyco Dr. Repair 3.8ml/g

At this point I checked the PPM and it was at 400, I added an additional 5.5ml of both Grow A/B to get it to 550PPM and then I used General Hydro PH Down to get the PH to 6.1. My water source is distilled water. The water temp is currently at 66 F.

 

[Kylesidious]

Just checked and the PH is now at 6.7 and it was at 6.1 last night.

 

[tobh]

This is what I just used for my water change yesterday.

1. General Hydro PH Up : 1ml/g
2. Botanicare Cal-Mag : 4ml/g
3. Cyco Grow A : 5.5ml/g
4. Cyco B1 Boost : 3.8ml/g
5. Cyco Zyme : 3.8ml/g
6. Cyco Grow B : 5.5ml/g
7. Cyco Dr. Repair 3.8ml/g

At this point I checked the PPM and it was at 400, I added an additional 5.5ml of both Grow A/B to get it to 550PPM and then I used General Hydro PH Down to get the PH to 6.1. My water source is distilled water. The water temp is currently at 66 F.

What order did you apply the nutrients/additives?

.6 pH rise overnight is pretty drastic (i just went through hell with this myself). You may want to read this thread by @Aqua Man for the absolute best explanation I've seen on how to start a fresh res or do a top off.

As for the original question of the thread, enzymes are known to cause foaming. I'm not sure that you need the Dr. Repair either, it's an iron supplement from what I can tell, and may be causing more harm than good at this point.

 

[Kylesidious]

What order did you apply the nutrients/additives?

.6 pH rise overnight is pretty drastic (i just went through hell with this myself). You may want to read this thread by @Aqua Man for the absolute best explanation I've seen on how to start a fresh res or do a top off.

As for the original question of the thread, enzymes are known to cause foaming. I'm not sure that you need the Dr. Repair either, it's an iron supplement from what I can tell, and may be causing more harm than good at this point.

The order I wrote the nutrients out, is the order in which I mixed them into the water. I am definitely going to look at the thread you mentioned.

 

[tobh]

Have you noticed if there's anything in the bottom of the res? I'm wondering if perhaps something crashed out because of the order of application, or perhaps incorrect starting pH.

Why did you apply pH up initially? Was the pH of the water really low to start with? Ideally you'd start with a pH of 6.5 and correct to where you need it after adding everything. If using silica (doesn't look like you are) pH to 6.5 after adding the silica and allowing to mix for at least 15min.

 

[Kylesidious]

Have you noticed if there's anything in the bottom of the res? I'm wondering if perhaps something crashed out because of the order of application, or perhaps incorrect starting pH.

Why did you apply pH up initially? Was the pH of the water really low to start with? Ideally you'd start with a pH of 6.5 and correct to where you need it after adding everything. If using silica (doesn't look like you are) pH to 6.5 after adding the silica and allowing to mix for at least 15min.

I was told by Cyco to not use silica in DWC until last half of flowering due to it causing too much PH Fluctuation in DWC environments. I got the idea of adding PH up first to add alkalinity to the water by @Aqua Man. In what order should I be mixing the nutes to make sure I don't get lockout?

 

[Kylesidious]

I was told by Cyco to not use silica in DWC until last half of flowering due to it causing too much PH Fluctuation in DWC environments. I got the idea of adding PH up first to add alkalinity to the water by @Aqua Man. In what order should I be mixing the nutes to make sure I don't get lockout?

Also to be clear - If I had a PH Controller / pump in my set up, then I would use the silica but because I don't that is why I'm not using it.

 

[tobh]

I was told by Cyco to not use silica in DWC until last half of flowering due to it causing too much PH Fluctuation in DWC environments. I got the idea of adding PH up first to add alkalinity to the water by @Aqua Man. In what order should I be mixing the nutes to make sure I don't get lockout?

I would argue with the pH fluctuations statement. Sure, silica completely decimates pH initially, driving the initial solution upwards of 10. However, you can combat that by pH'ing down to 6.5 then proceeding to add your other additives. Once done with all additives, adjust pH to whatever starting pH you desire (I shoot for 5.5 myself). It acts as an alkalinity buffer, which also explains the pH up recommendation from Aqua Man. Gotta have both an alkaline buffer and an acidic buffer to keep the pH swings under control.

For mixing, I'd follow whatever Cyco's chart says. I've never used their line, so whatever the manufacturer recommends is what I'd go with. Just make sure to let the solution mix for a minimum of five minutes between applying each additive.

Also to be clear - If I had a PH Controller / pump in my set up, then I would use the silica but because I don't that is why I'm not using it.

As I said above, I disagree with their statement. DWC/RDWC/RDTW/UC/E&F all share the same fundamental properties. If silica caused so many issues, it wouldn't be one of the most highly recommended (nearly required) additives on the market now. Problems come about by misunderstanding how to use it properly, not because it's inherently combative towards control.

 

[Aqua Man]

Same. I use silica until late flower.

 

[tobh]

Same. I use silica until late flower.

On that note, when should one stop using silica? I've ran it since the start, just curious how long before harvest one should stop using it.

 

[Kylesidious]

Okay so I have an update. After our conversation I contacted a representative at Cyco and I brought up my concerns. They immediately said that part of my issue is that I am using Dr. Repair and CalMag. Dr. Repair does introduce calcium and magnesium, not only iron. Also Cyco's A/B also has some calcium and magnesium in it as well so with me adding the CalMag as well, I was giving too much calmag. He also mentioned it looked like I wasn't getting enough airration in the bucket so he recommended I upped the airration. I also brought up the question about why not use silica again with him. He had the same narrative as their grow chart saying not to use it in the res. He said that if I really wanted to use silica in grow, to use it at 25% as a foliar spray in grow, and then again in late flower.

So now - I went to the grow store and I bought a commercial grade air pump since I planned on getting one anyways, and now I've got two large air stones in the bucket and it's getting hella airration now. I also re-mixed my nutrient solution and removed the additional CalMag I was adding, and I also mixed the nutes in the correct order given to me by Cyco (which turns out I was doing incorrectly previously). I also didn't add the PH Up before mixing the nutes, and by the time I was done mixing nutes it was already reading at 5.7 so I didn't need to PH the water down any. The lights just went out for the day here so I will update you all in the morning. Hopefully with the added airration, and the new nute solution I will see the plan start to perk back up. *Crossing fingers*

 

[tobh]

Sounds like you corrected a few things today. I agree with the Cyco rep, silica probably throws off their pH buffers that obviously do a fantastic job by themselves. I'd still do the foliar during veg per their instruction as it is bar non the best additive I've ever used in terms of influencing plant structure and resilience to stress.

Keep us posted, sounds like you're on track now.

 

[Kylesidious]

Sounds like you corrected a few things today. I agree with the Cyco rep, silica probably throws off their pH buffers that obviously do a fantastic job by themselves. I'd still do the foliar during veg per their instruction as it is bar non the best additive I've ever used in terms of influencing plant structure and resilience to stress.

Keep us posted, sounds like you're on track now.

When I do the foliar spray, I only need to use PH'd water and the silica additive right? I don't need to make a complete nutrient mix for the foliar spray since those nutes are in the water?

 

[tobh]

When I do the foliar spray, I only need to use PH'd water and the silica additive right? I don't need to make a complete nutrient mix for the foliar spray since those nutes are in the water?

Correct. Make up the silica solution, pH, and spray. Do not add anything else.

 

[Reddman420]

I was told by Cyco to not use silica in DWC until last half of flowering due to it causing too much PH Fluctuation in DWC environments. I got the idea of adding PH up first to add alkalinity to the water by @Aqua Man. In what order should I be mixing the nutes to make sure I don't get lockout?

I use silica through my rdwc and do not have a problem. I run floraMax for the last 2 years. They are considered as a synganic product. My ph stays pretty stable. My silica is the next to the last thing that goes in only one product after beside my enzymes and denies with microbes. After that my ph is a little over 7 bring it to 5.8. If it rises sets steady at 5.9. The way you mix your nutes will greatly affect your ph if mixed wrong. I learned that the hard way. On my first grow my ph would climb to damn near 7 from 5.8 over night. I did some research and found out I was putting my silica in at the wrong time. Sine then I have not had an issue. Another thing that will GREATLY affect your ph is to much air in you bucket. One thing temps in your bucket will affect ph as well

 

[OldOneEye]

Base nutrients first, A then B, then cal/Mag, then stage nutrients, then additives, then ph, then microbes if you use them.