Root Problems

  • Thread starter MedicalMG
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MedicalMG

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So I've been using current culture for 4 years or so now. I used to run bennies no problem. Then out of no where with the bennies I started to get root rot and lost both tanks (2 -12 site). I Chalked it up to a lose and moved on. my next run I try bennies again like always. root rot occured and i lost both tanks. Which brings me to my current run. This time I went to the grow shop to buy uc roots, the grow shop guy said they don't carry it anymore and I should use this which I used. Now my 1 tank got root rot my second tank is growing well but on one plat I found root rot. so before I lose yet another tank I'm going to go buy DM zone. I just wanted to see if anyone had any insight to why all the sudden im having problems. My nutes are House & garden AB, drip clean, bud-xl, botainicare cal-mg. I recently stopped using house and garden amino treatment based off threads I read and stopped using armor-si for the same reason even though they never gave me issues in the past 4 years. Temps never go above 67 I check quite often. Also got a new RO filter recently (membrane and all) so don't think its that. Just want to hear peoples ideas.

My current plan is to get DM zone run it at max strength and then use it as a preventative in the future. then pair it with regen-a-root instead of HG roots. Beyond that run HG line minus the amino, and algen of course.
 
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MedicalMG

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no where around has DM Zone, they do have physan 20 though. The guy at the shop mentioned if watermax won't keep the brown at bay then I may have got a bacteria that I an't get rid of and I may as well trash the system. Also worth mentioning the brown that gets on the roots isn't slimy, it also does not smell like eggs. It honestly smells like dirt.

Ended up adding watermax at 3ml/gal guess well hope that protects the tank since only one plant in the tank has brown on the roots.
 
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All4freedumb

All4freedumb

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How's your air supply in each module, are your stones still pumping good? Are you running city or well water? CC still sells UC Roots, I'd give them a call and have some shipped out asap. What's your EC at and does it seem to happen about the same week of the grow or does it run wild as it chooses?
 
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MedicalMG

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Air stones are new each time (I worried about contamination). Does not happen same week just random but my ppm is 500 right now week 4 flower. The product I have has the same active ingredients as Uc roots. Also city water then through reverse osmosis filter (which is all new)
 
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MedicalMG

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Here is even a few posts on this forum about watermax being simular to Uc roots. I ended up ordering a bottle of DM zone. While I wait I'm using 3ml/gal of watermax
 
RoeBuck

RoeBuck

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I'm running almost the exact same nutrients as you are except with the addition of Multi Zen and Top Shooter. It's likely the Amino Treatment that was causing the problems. It's an organic product and H&G highly recommends not running any organics in these systems. Best to run a sterile system. Is the brown all over the roots or just at the water line?

The active ingredients in UC Roots is hypochlorous acid. When you add chlorine bleach to water a chemical reaction takes place and hypochlorous acid is produced. So UC Roots is really just chlorine bleach and water. Watermax is also hypochlorous acid, but apparently with the addition of some anti scaling components. The recommended dosage is probably a maintenance dose. A higher dose might be more effective but too much and you run the risk of root damage. I don't know what that dosage would be but their tech support probably could advice you.
 
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MedicalMG

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Makes sense. I use shooting powder and the rest of the line. Probably was the amino, won't do that again. I'll add more watermax and use DM zone when it gets here. Everything looks better since I quit the amino.It was on one plant on a spot, besides the tank that died.
 
RoeBuck

RoeBuck

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I made the mistake my second grow of using the H&G Root Excelorator and had a similar issue. I ended up getting a bio film on top of the water, which discolored the roots above the water line very badly and gave them an overall light brown coloration. I talked to H&G and they told me to stop using it and run sterile. I still got a descent harvest from that grow and since then I've gone sterile and not had any such issues again. I assume you changed out your water when you discontinued the Amino Treatment. If not, I would suggest you do so.
 
UCMENOW

UCMENOW

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RoeBuck. Good insight offered up, nice.
Heads up though, UC Roots is no less effective at descaling than the knock off you mentioned :) Both are produced using a similar process which is stabalizes the solution, keeping it from off gassing within 24 hrs and allowing for storage. Hypochlorous acid created from the dissolution of bleach in water is generally more volatile and dissapates
more quickly. You can use an ORP meter to measure when adding more UC Roots, other stuff or bleach is necessary.
Consider a target ORP of between 300-400.
 
RoeBuck

RoeBuck

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Thanks UC. I learned about using bleach from an older desertsquirrel post here on THCF. I picked up a Hanna Free Chlorine meter on the cheap from eBay to monitor levels. I tested UC Roots and it reads .03 ppm of free chlorine. Through trial and error testing I found I couldn't get the same reading by adding bleach directly. Even adding .25 ml to a gallon gave readings beyond an acceptable maintenance level. I ended up adding 1/2 ml of Clorox to 32 oz. of RO. I then add that solution to my system at 2 ml per gallon. That gives me a comparable reading to UC Roots. Through daily monitoring I find it has dissipated within 3 days. At some point I'm hoping to do a side by side with the same strain. One of my systems with UC Roots, the other with bleach.

I just learned about ORP last week and have an ORP meter on my list. The Hanna meter doesn't give me the accuracy I would like. I found a great web site with a ton of good information on hydro growing: https://manicbotanix.com/. Tons of good information there, including a very easy to understand explanation of ORP.
 
UCMENOW

UCMENOW

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Nice. I really dig manic botanix too. Funny article on the MBferts poser too.
 
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CreamCorn

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I started using the watermax and find it keeps my system much cleaner and has kept the roots much healthier. I used to us h&g roots excel but find regen-a-root works better for me especially if you get root rot.
 
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Sneakyx16

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Uc roots is the shit... said good bye to root rot for sure
 
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MedicalMG

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Amino treatment was the problem. My stupidity, oh well. Also love DM zone, watermax worked but I'd rather not have to keep reading. Wanted to ask though, I stopped using my silica at the same time I stopped using my amino. So I wanted to ask how many people use silica with there UC system? I used armor-si at low rates for years in the CC but this whole amino thing has me questioning everything.
 
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MedicalMG

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I started using the watermax and find it keeps my system much cleaner and has kept the roots much healthier. I used to us h&g roots excel but find regen-a-root works better for me especially if you get root rot.
I plan to use regen-a-root next grow also. What kind of usage rate are you having success with? The suggested amount?
 
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CreamCorn

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I plan to use regen-a-root next grow also. What kind of usage rate are you having success with? The suggested amount?


I just eye ball it at this point. I don't use much unless I'm have a root health problem. I just give it a splash.
 
RoeBuck

RoeBuck

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Amino treatment was the problem. My stupidity, oh well. Also love DM zone, watermax worked but I'd rather not have to keep reading. Wanted to ask though, I stopped using my silica at the same time I stopped using my amino. So I wanted to ask how many people use silica with there UC system? I used armor-si at low rates for years in the CC but this whole amino thing has me questioning everything.

Adding straight silica can cause other nutrients to drop out and become unavailable to the plants. It will also cause a pretty dramatic rise in pH. I add it to a gallon of water, then pH that solution. I then add it slowly to the system, about a quart an hour. I usually add it with every system change, which is every 18 days or so. Here's some good information on silica: https://manicbotanix.com/silicon-in-hydroponics/
 

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