Thanks for the effort HR. And big thanks to Capulator. Those comparison picks are a good sign!

Thanks for stopping by and checking out the thread Doc!

Should be posting up a bunch of tea information/testing results in the next few days. Some seriously potent tea's for sure!

Cheers!

I agree. Looks like great white is not holding up. Lets get those 2nd and third tests done to be sure though.

Thanks again Hydro Rocks for all the hard work and effort.

I am currently looking in to making a liquid oil based foliar. This will help with spore germination in low RH environments. Props to Leadsled for bringing that to my attention.

Also, The bacterial spores take between 4 and 8 hours to replicate, and the fungal spores take 12-16 hours. The manufacturer and I had a long talk about making the tea as opposed to "just add water", and he came to the conclusion that brewing an aerated tea with a food source for 24 hours is the perfect way to get the spores started.

Thanks for sharing! awesome results.

Cap, glad it was a help.

More on ACT; I know most of you guys are pro's at making ACT but for the new people I will detail the steps we take to make the tea's. This post will be about making the tea and basics concepts of using a tea as an additional supplement to your existing nutrient system.

I will post the actual tea batch testing results and procedure in a separate post after the data is ready.

Using ACT in a system like the UC for example or any DWC or RDWC system for that matter is an art form almost. You must try and keep and maintain a almost perfect balance to keep things healthy. It is not rocket science by any means and ANYONE can learn how to use the tea's correctly. It will take a bit of practice for new users to hydroponics to find that "balance". But when you find it you will notice huge gains in plant health and yield and be using less nutrients than ever before.

Users fail in hydro using tea's usually because the bacteria will over run the system, or the opposite happens and good bacteria die out and the bad bacteria takes over the system.

To use biology effectively in a hydro system you need to have a bio filter to make a home for your colonies. Most hydro users fail to take this into consideration. I will not go into detail here on bio filters as there is lots of information on bio filters already out there.

When used correctly the additional ACT inputs plus a bio filter will make your water so crystal and clear you will want to drink it! It will also produce a huge white mass of healthy roots as shown in the picture below (last picture).

If you guys have not tried making tea's I strongly urge you to give it a shot. It is one of the least expensive ways you can increase every aspect of your growing plants.

It is ironic because making tea's and the hardware needed is cheaper than most ANY brand nutrient and yet the tea will give the maximum payback or "bang for your buck"!

We will start with the basic concepts of making the tea using Capulator's root pack. The investment plus the cost of the products will be money well spent and you will be able to make MANY batches that will last you a long time!

This will save you money in several ways; you will need less nutrients in general as the Tea's will also be supplementing nutrients for the plants and the biology itself produces food for the plants as a byproduct.

You will no longer need to use toxic poisons for bug control as well as disease control which are ALL benefits from using tea's. The natural way in harmony with nature is ALWAYS going to be your best bet. Use your resources in a BETTER way which leads to efficiency as well as healthy plants and most cases you should be able to cut your supply cost by as much as 50%! That is huge, no?

You will need the following:

(1) 5 gallon bucket (black if possible to shield the contents from light)

(2) Root Pack

(3) Food for the microbes to eat

(4) Small Aquarium air pump

(5) Small air stone

(6) 1/4 inch air line hose

(7) RO water

A note about the water you use to make your tea's with. We are learning more and more about water everyday. I urge you to google "magnetic water vortex" or "water charging".

It seems water can hold memory like a ram chip in your computer. You can also "program" your water. Sounds crazy I know but I assure it is all backed up by sound scientific principles and many test can be performed to prove this stuff is not "mumbo jumbo".

Just using a magnetic array that the water passed through on its way to the crops, improved that crop's yield by 20%! The crops also used less water or needed less water to remain healthy. This test was done on acres of farm land and there is a video available detailing the procedure and results.

A member here (Natural Therapy) posted a link to a documentary about water from 2006 in a thread in the smokers lounge. It is a bit outdated but still a excellent doc to watch on water, just keep in mind that this video is from 2006 and we have learned TONS more since that time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=79pnJusCSbo

I can not tell you how important your water is and how much you can improve your plants JUST by improving your water ALONE!

I can post a separate thread on water if anyone is interested. We have done extensive research on water treatment using magnetic field arrays with reversing polarity as well as "vortex" design and benefits. We do these studies and research as I think there is LOTS to learn about water and it seems like it is very relevant to hydroponics when your entire media and all is based on water alone (meaning no soil). We are MISSING a lot I think and most people on average just assume they know all about water, I mean hell we have been drinking it all our lives, right? Turns out we know very little about water.

To make the tea use a gallon of water (to make more just multiply the amounts given below), and keep in mind that the inputs do not need to be exact and there are several products that can be substituted for your favorite choice, the directions are not written in stone in other words!

Add to the gallon of RO water the following:

1 teaspoon of Capulator's Root Pack (1 teaspoon of nute pack and 1 teaspoon of the foliar pack can also be added or omitted)

1 Tablespoon of Earth Syrup or you can use non sulfured molasses.

Cant say enough how much we like these products from Progress Earth for microbe food, The Earth Kelp and the Earth Syrup are GREAT products for making ACT, matched with Capulator's packs, you honestly need NO other products or inputs to create and produce some seriously potent and diverse tea's. Capulator has done his homework and provides ALL the microbes needed in extreme concentrations.

1 Teaspoon Earth Kelp

Optional inputs are almost limitless. Liquid Karma is a good add, as well as any kelp based product. Keep it simple at first and add to your tea's one or 2 components at a time.

Careful not to add to much fulvic as it will cause deformed leaf growth!

Now add air stone and bubble for 48 hours, no more than 72 hours without additional inputs (Microbes will need more food).

The shorter bubble times will produce more limited types of bacteria. If your going for more fungi species and diversity then longer bubble times are needed. No shorter than 14 hours bubble time is suggested and no longer than 72 hours.

Remember that bacteria multiply but fungi in general do not but instead grow larger and expand, which is why it takes more bubble time to get good strong fungi colonies going.

Also note that hydro users need to make sure and filter any "carrier" product out which is usually sand or clay and will never dissolve in the water. This is a MOST important step to be done correctly. Make sure your filter does not have holes in it that are too small and will actually filter out the bacteria as well.

The best way to "filter" your tea is to wait until your done bubbling the tea and all the carrier product should have settled to the bottom, turn off the air pump and wait a few minutes then collect the top water only leaving the sediment behind at the bottom of the bucket.

This is a for sure way to make sure you get all the biology and end up with a very clean and pure product (tea) that is super potent!

DOSAGES;

The ACT dosage can be 1 cup to 5 gallons of water. This dosage can vary depending on how strong you want your tea's to be (bubble time) and if your applying to maintain as opposed to applying to treat a problem.

Maintenance Dosage is usually around:

5ml per gallon

1 Cup Per 5 gallons

Average brew or "bubble" time is minimum 14 hours and suggested about 18 to 24 hours for max potency.

Run them for 72 hours for max diversity of species (advanced users)

PICTURES;

The first picture below was taken right after mixing the inputs for the tea.

The 2nd picture shows the same bucket 12 hours later.

The 3rd picture shows how super clear the water is in a system after it exits the bio filter, crystal clear and super clean! (The bio filter itself is not shown)

The last picture shows a healthy root system that was maintained with tea's in addition to the nutrient system.

Cheers!

Capulator said:

I agree. Looks like great white is not holding up. Lets get those 2nd and third tests done to be sure though.

Thanks again Hydro Rocks for all the hard work and effort.

I am currently looking in to making a liquid oil based foliar. This will help with spore germination in low RH environments. Props to Leadsled for bringing that to my attention.

Also, The bacterial spores take between 4 and 8 hours to replicate, and the fungal spores take 12-16 hours. The manufacturer and I had a long talk about making the tea as opposed to "just add water", and he came to the conclusion that brewing an aerated tea with a food source for 24 hours is the perfect way to get the spores started.

Click to expand...

I first started with ACT about 8 months ago. I bought a Bountea system and have since come up with my own ingredients although I still start with Alaskan Humus.

I found I had much better results using Great White in my tea. The Bountea instructions advised to not add their Bennies until the last few hours and after settling on Great White (up until now) I decided to add Great White into my tea instead of just adding to water. I found that the Great White had visibly better results when added to a tea and oxygenated.

Can't wait to try your bennies Cap. Thanks for all this work you are doing.

Thanks to Hydrorocks also for his input. Got some good stuff from your ACT info.

Going now to find a Biofilter and get eddycated on Water all over again...lol

if anyone is interested here is a link

that, as far as I could find, was the only successful control of an active pythium infection in Hydroponics by using these two biological microbes.

Pseudomonas fluorescens and Pseudomonas chlororaphis.

Wow thanks I just broke my pen taking notes!!!! Great post!!

For bio filters you can make a home made one, or look in to koi pond supply. There are some really nice and not too expensive koi pond bio filters that will both provide a home for your microbial life and will definitely keep the water pristine.




here is one I found with a quick search that would do a fine job. If you have a local koi pond store to go to, you can check them out there.

i found a link for a really easy homemade style one, super cheap and i'd only need to run a splitter off the airline that goes to the bubble wall already in the rez(no need to buy any more pumps!). plus if it adds more bubbles to the rez that can't be a bad thing.

what do you guys think, should work right?
http://www.fishlore.com/aquariummagazine/sept09/diy-aquariumfilter.htm

i'm thinking about using hydroton as the growth medium in the container, as opposed to rocks or gravel.

i like the idea of keeping the slime levels in the rez low, as well as providing the bacteria a nice homestead.

What temps are best for ACT? Great info and so ready to rock this knowledge. Damn revamp is taking for ever... typical red hen story...LOL

if you have the right balance you can run higher temps. nute uptake is better around 76-80 degrees.

the key is to have the good shit out competing the bad shit (and in some cases literally devouring the bad shit)

HydroRocks said:

Quick note about Roots Excel from House & Garden and why we are including it in our tea testing. We did extensive testing with this product about 2 years ago. We found it contains NO biology at all even though most growers that use it, SWEAR that it does.

It is basically a growth hormone plus vitamin additive and a few amino's. With that said, we also found it contained materials that would help to induce the growth and existence biological life forms. And with THAT being said, we should add that there are SO many cheaper and better ways to achieve this.

You can mix almost any growth hormone along with a little superthrive and get the same exact thing.

Cheers!

Click to expand...

Yup...been there and done that. I have found that using bennies with plain water work best for clones....when I clone anyway.

I cut 100 clones and used either plain water, water and bennies, water+bennies+hormex, and Water+ RE and bennies.

I found that i got roots pretty much all at ten days, but I had way more roots with the tray i used just water and bennies in. I was kinda surprised.

Here are a couple pics... the first two are of one of the other combos, the second three pics are of the water and bennies.



I do have more pics and can seperate them out more but they are a pain to upload and the it was such a noticable difference that i didn't bother back when i did this in January.

Once I got them in Rockwool I did more experimenting with RE, RapidStart, Clonex and Hormex, Water and Bennies and the best thing I found was to keep adding bennies, even if going into a sterile reservoir, but just bennies, Hormex, and a mild nute solution and I fed the bennies using General Organics CalMag plus because it has sugars and molasses in it. Good shit.

Sorry if I went a little off topic...

Just a FYI- If you clone with strong biology you risk shock to the plant when you transplant to sterile conditions and all the biology dies.

It is best to clone with just water, maybe a rooting gel. The main job of most cloning gels are to sterilize the environment and plant stem, and apply the hormone.



Sterilize = kill all biology (anything that is alive)

HydroRocks said:

Just a FYI- If you clone with strong biology you risk shock to the plant when you transplant to sterile conditions and all the biology dies.

It is best to clone with just water, maybe a rooting gel. And another FYI- guess what the main job of most cloning gels are? To sterilize the environment.

And for those that have not connected the dots yet;

Sterilize = kill all biology (anything that is alive)

Click to expand...

You know I was kinda worried about that. It was just nagging at the back of my mind the last time I watered them by hand and used bennies, 'cause it is kinda counterintuitive to feed something and then kill it. This run is the first time that I am running a very sterile enviroment. I am using Zone and H2O2 at almost double label directions. Yeah I was a little worried about not just shock but worried it might actually kill the roots and let pythium set in. I am sure when fungi and bacteria die it could be as problematic as when anything organic dies, as in becoming a vector for Pythium, although I guess thats where the Zone comes in at. Either way it is a risk. I might just clone with the Hormex this time since it is water based. I do like the results I get with the stronger IBA concentrations, 3000ppm gave me much fatter roots than when using the 1000ppm concentration.
I do know this, the old adage about big roots = big fruits is true for me. Every run I come a little closer to that 1 gm/watt goal.

I guess I got lucky, or the biology wasn't strong enough ;o) I am kinda intrigued about this now. I guess more testing is coming up. I have a feeling that I might do better with running a live res, but maybe first making sure I am starting with almost Hospital grade water and then starting with Caps bennies.

here is the last pic I could take of those same clones after I got them in the table. I almost wish I had gone with teas and a live reservoir this time but just don't have time to lose anything to the learning curve.

You are defiantly on the right path, that is for sure. Keep experimenting.

Your clones and roots look excellent!

+Rep for you!

I have found that you have to keep a "balance" between the two worlds. One method we have found that works very well is to use biology and about every 2 weeks you sterilize, flush, then refill and recharge with biology for another 2 weeks, repeat process.

To try and actually sterilize your environment is a waste of time. You will never succeed and there will ALWAYS be biology present. It is in the air, it is on your hands, towels, tables, every corner inch and crevice has bacteria. It is literally EVERYWHERE! So to try and get rid of it completely is senseless and a battle you just can not win. God knows I have tried!

So that is the philosophy behind the "sterilize every 2 weeks plan".

It seems to have eliminated all root problems and plant health as well as pest control problems in 100% of the problem gardens that I have come across in the last few years. So the method defiantly does work if completed corrected.

Note here that what it will NOT fix is things like to high a temperature or to low a humidity level.

If anyone attempts this method you need to understand that YOUR environment and bacteria is different from mine or anyone else so nobody can tell you exactly when you need to change the water, treat with biology, and sterilize. The amounts and times will depend on your water source and growing environment.

With a few simple "tries" you should be able to "dial in" to that balance easily.

Cheers!

HydroRocks said:

You are defiantly on the right path, that is for sure. Keep experimenting.

Your clones and roots look excellent!

+Rep for you!

I have found that you have to keep a "balance" between the two worlds. One method we have found that works very well is to use biology and about every 2 weeks you sterilize, flush, then refill and recharge with biology for another 2 weeks, repeat process.

To try and actually sterilize your environment is a waste of time. You will never succeed and there will ALWAYS be biology present. It is in the air, it is on your hands, towels, tables, every corner inch and crevice has bacteria. It is literally EVERYWHERE! So to try and get rid of it completely is senseless and a battle you just can not win. God knows I have tried!

So that is the philosophy behind the "sterilize every 2 weeks plan".

It seems to have eliminated all root problems and plant health as well as pest control problems in 100% of the problem gardens that I have come across in the last few years. So the method defiantly does work if completed corrected.

Note here that what it will NOT fix is things like to high a temperature or to low a humidity level.

If anyone attempts this method you need to understand that YOUR environment and bacteria is different from mine or anyone else so nobody can tell you exactly when you need to change the water, treat with biology, and sterilize. The amounts and times will depend on your water source and growing environment.

With a few simple "tries" you should be able to "dial in" to that balance easily.

Cheers!

Click to expand...

you know what I think it might have been you that i got the idea about doing what I am doing now. I started off with a clean rez and Zone at 1ml/gallon, I just did a rez change and right before (per someones advice, think it was you) I did my H2O2 at 5ml/gallon and ran one flood after letting it settle in the rez for about 3 hours. So far it is working fine. Playing around with idea of doing a every day add of h202 at 1/3 of 6ml/gallon to maintain a more steady ppm in res...still conjugating on that one...

Cheers back at ya ;o)

you know next year i will be hiking the Camino de Santiago...after that i will be doing some Family Tree visiting in Ireland/Uk/Denmark/.....can't wait...been on my bucket list for awhile now.

Root Pics

These are Black Congolese/HP cuts @ 4 weeks using Capulator's bennies. I'm using the root pack in teas and inoculate w/ the nute pack just before watering. During the first 3 weeks, the roots are kept somewhat constrained and N is moderately applied; the goal being to build up carbohydrates and develop the rhizosphere before bumping to 3 gal for 10 - 14 days during which time the above grade vegetative really takes off.

coco/peat/rice hull substrate w/ & custom, dry, organic mineral mix. (mined, micronized, hydrolyzed, flours, meals, guanos, EWC, humus, etc.)

Not at all Ganja! Nice looking roots you got there bro, looks like fat spaghetti noodles..:)

Thanks for sharing!

man the fracking roots are awesome....

pretty clean fingernails too for a dirt farmer :O)

Here's a thread that shows the active ingredient formulas for 15 cloning solution products:


The suggested ratio of NAA : IBA is 1:2. My supplier also suggests dipping the entire cut, not just the stem, into solution. I'm relatively new to mixing my own, and am going to take a shot at rooting in sponge plugs similar to what you guys are doing. Will introduce the bennies incrementally to begin exploration for the sweet spot. I didn't use rooting hormone w/ the plant root shots from above.