Help! White stuff on roots in dwc! What is it and how do I fix it?

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Girlonbikes

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So this is where opinions take over.

If this were me, I would start by a full water change. If you are using tap water, it already has chlorine or similar in it. If RO water, then I would add 10ml 3% H2O2 to the res water per gallon, no nutes just PH'ed and let it run for 1 day. Take a close look tomorrow and post pics. The expectation would be to do it again tomorrow, but this time add the nutes back in. You may end up dropping H2O2 as well depending on what you see.

Peroxide does damage the roots as well so you don't want to over do it.

If it looks improved tomorrow, add the peroxide treatment to your normally scheduled water changes until you harvest. I find these helpful when running sterile:

I am using tap water, so I shouldn’t add any h202?
 
Moe.Red

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Yes you still need it because tap water didn’t prevent the problem. But using chlorinated tap water will prevent the bacteria colony from properly establishing when you add hydro guard. Chlorine works like h2o2 killing bacteria

If you have ever worked with aquariums the same rules apply. You have to let the water with chlorine in it sit for a few days before it can bed used.

going forward you have 3 options

embrace the sterile res
Prep your water to eliminate chlorine prior to use
Move to RO water.

If you choose #2 sodium thiosulfate is a quick fix to render chlorine and chloramines biologically inert for immediate use. This way you can use tap water right away with benes

if this is something you see yourself doing a lot of going forward an RO system is the best way to go for many reasons. If this is a one plant a year kinda thing hard to justify.
 
smokedareefer

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Looks like mycorrhizae to me which is a beneficial fungus. If your grow was suffering I'd guess maybe not but everything else looks great.
I agree, my recommendation is to do nothing.
 
Smokey0418

Smokey0418

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Just another opinion, lol.

you have a substantial amount of slime there, to do nothing would be a mistake imho.

cover in garbage bag , and rinse that crap off the best you can. Stop the suffocation.

Then do peroxide or pool cleaner .

or non chlorinated water with double doses of guard and don’t forget to do your pot too.

Enjoy
 
smokedareefer

smokedareefer

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Just another opinion, lol.

you have a substantial amount of slime there, to do nothing would be a mistake imho.

cover in garbage bag , and rinse that crap off the best you can. Stop the suffocation.

Then do peroxide or pool cleaner .

or non chlorinated water with double doses of guard and don’t forget to do your pot too.

Enjoy
Peroxide or pool cleaner also kills good bacteria.

@JDC nailed it, mycorrhizae.
 
Girlonbikes

Girlonbikes

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Peroxide or pool cleaner also kills good bacteria.

@JDC nailed it, mycorrhizae.
There isn’t any slime that I can see. I am a bit nervous to stress my plant with h202 and stunt it as it’s in the bulking phase so I’m going to wait and see how it continues to grow and watch for any slime or deficiencies like a hawk for now. I’ll try and top off with cold water daily as well and see if that helps.

if I do want to use a frozen water bottle, will that make the water too cold for the plant to uptake nutrients? I’ve always been confused by people who put frozen bottles in their reservoir. I would’ve thought that cold of water would shock and kill the roots
 
Girlonbikes

Girlonbikes

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I’ve gotten more people (in other forum places) saying they think it’s mycorrhizae as well and I’d hate to freak my plant out at this stage by drastically changing her environment
 
Moe.Red

Moe.Red

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I’ve gotten more people (in other forum places) saying they think it’s mycorrhizae as well and I’d hate to freak my plant out at this stage by drastically changing her environment
How did mycorrhizae get in the res? Did you put it there? It's not the kind of thing that floats around in air looking for a RDC to live in.

If you are taking tap water direct into the bucket, that is a harsh environment to start in anyhow. The stuff they put in municipal water is designed to kill any microscopic life.

I agree you could do nothing and finish the grow, but next time you will need a plan to prevent root issues.

This is where the internet can actually hurt you - you are getting into the area of opinions and you really don't know who to believe. Ask yourself this - if using water from the tap and not adding anything but hydroguard (contains no mycorrhizae) - what are the chances you have a colony of them? IMO approaching zero. I still don't see it in your pics either.



This is what a colony looks like

Micorrizas20 blog full
 
Moe.Red

Moe.Red

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About the frozen water - I've never done that or used such a small amount of water but I can't imagine it will hurt.
 
Smokey0418

Smokey0418

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I’ve gotten more people (in other forum places) saying they think it’s mycorrhizae as well and I’d hate to freak my plant out at this stage by drastically changing her environment
Don’t know it’s name , I just call it slime .

Been there , done that . Don’t like it and don’t want it .

Was rapidly taking the life from my plant.

I now chill to 71 for speedy growth and use orca mycorrhizae in my ro water as a preventative measure .
 
Girlonbikes

Girlonbikes

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How did mycorrhizae get in the res? Did you put it there? It's not the kind of thing that floats around in air looking for a RDC to live in.

If you are taking tap water direct into the bucket, that is a harsh environment to start in anyhow. The stuff they put in municipal water is designed to kill any microscopic life.

I agree you could do nothing and finish the grow, but next time you will need a plan to prevent root issues.

This is where the internet can actually hurt you - you are getting into the area of opinions and you really don't know who to believe. Ask yourself this - if using water from the tap and not adding anything but hydroguard (contains no mycorrhizae) - what are the chances you have a colony of them? IMO approaching zero. I still don't see it in your pics either.



This is what a colony looks like

View attachment 1232337
Hmm that doesn’t look like the white stuff I see. I think that is a good point to make. I’m still confused about how much 3% h202 I should add to my reservoir. I do not have RO water, and I’ve only ever grown with tap water that I do not wait to dechlorinate. I grow one to two plants a year.
 
Girlonbikes

Girlonbikes

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I cleaned the rez today. It’s a 5 gallon bucket, so I used 15ml * 4 gallons to be safe and not overdo it. I added 1 gallon worth of flowering nutrients and I’m going to check on the roots tomorrow throughout the day and if it looks like it’s helping I’ll clean the rez again and replace with the same stuff I said above.

hope that sounds reasonable. At this point I don’t want to stall my girl or let the white stuff run rampant. I got some hygrozyme, and i was going to try hygrozyme and hydroguard once I finished using the h2o2. Then I may look into a chiller for next grow.
 
Girlonbikes

Girlonbikes

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Before (white growth) and after (no white growth on the lower roots) from the two days with h2o2
 
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Girlonbikes

Girlonbikes

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So n Thursday I changed the water to get rid of the h2o2 and add back in nutrients and hydroguard and hygrozyme.
Just checked the rez again and I see more white stuff but also my roots are exploding with little hairs which is good right?
 
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Girlonbikes

Girlonbikes

171
93
So n Thursday I changed the water to get rid of the h2o2 and add back in nutrients and hydroguard and hygrozyme.
Just checked the rez again and I see more white stuff but also my roots are exploding with little hairs which is good right?
it’s hard to tell between the root hair fuzz and any white growth (wish I knew what it was and if it was bad or not)
 
Girlonbikes

Girlonbikes

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She is still bulking just fine and shows no issues. Smells incredible and I tried smelling the rez and nothing smells off in there either.

She has 3-4 weeks til I have to chop her
 
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smokedareefer

smokedareefer

1,773
263
How did mycorrhizae get in the res? Did you put it there? It's not the kind of thing that floats around in air looking for a RDC to live in.

If you are taking tap water direct into the bucket, that is a harsh environment to start in anyhow. The stuff they put in municipal water is designed to kill any microscopic life.

I agree you could do nothing and finish the grow, but next time you will need a plan to prevent root issues.

This is where the internet can actually hurt you - you are getting into the area of opinions and you really don't know who to believe. Ask yourself this - if using water from the tap and not adding anything but hydroguard (contains no mycorrhizae) - what are the chances you have a colony of them? IMO approaching zero. I still don't see it in your pics either.


Screenshot 20220412 040417 Gallery
Screenshot 20220412 040417 Gallery

This is what a colony looks like

View attachment 1232337

Picture on the right is close up from op latest picture

Screenshot 20220412 040417 Gallery


Ps: your going to need a better microscope (refrenced in another thread)
 
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