root rot 4 ever

[ukbigbud]

:sweatingHi basically on the last couple of grows ive done flood and drain where it floods to the pots then goes back to a main tank after a certain amount of minutes. ive always had at least one plant die at the end of flower where the water starts to smell like a swamp and then the others start to get affected. obviously they will never yeild to their full potential. for the sake of carrying pebbles around im planning on doin rdwc which is an 18litre pot with a net basket in the top holds about 2litres of pebbles. the water will stay in the pots for around 7 hours flood out then back after another hour.

where i need help is, if im gettin root rot in flood and drain where the plants are not sat in water for a lengthy time, what will happen with the new system???

ive used,

roots excelurator
regenaroot
wiltguard

ive used these all the way thru at some point.

i want to use the canna range eg cannazym and the boost but you cant use these with h202 ???

any one any suggestions where i can relax about this. thanks for reading.

 

[Donk Frog]

What temp is your rez running, your room?

 

[green punk]

I have heard of root rot that sticks around, grow after grow. Are you doing a perpetual? If not, how are you cleaning your set up? 10% bleach works well. Are you replacing your hoses, pumps, air stones. What is your media? I was told about a product called Pythoff, made by some aussie co. The dude said it worked well, it runs as an additive w nutes.
I personally throw out all hose, pumps and i grow in perlite which I throw out too between runs. I already talked bleaching.
The conclusion I have reached is that pythium can some how get into the plastic of systems and stay there causing pains for the grower.( just my observation).

Cleanliness. Look at some of the variables. Maybe scrap, and restart?

Good Luck, Grow Hard

 

[smokestack23]

Wow..so many things can cause it and there are so many ways to fix it.

If it's stinky it's rot or pythium. It could have started as brown algae though. If you're getting it in E&F, if you don't change anything you'll get it in RDWC too.

I'm a firm believer in non-organic in hydro. To me, organic hydroponics is an oxymoron. When I do hydro, I want sterile conditions.

Things that can cause rot are: high water temps, non oxygenated solution, light getting at the solution, introduced pathogens, the use of enzymes and sweeteners...

You have to make sure no light is getting in. The temps stay below 70deg, your water is constantly and fully oxygenated..

You can/should always run a preventative regimen of "sterilizers" or beneficial bacteria and fungi.

Personally I use Dutch Master ZONE one week and SM-90 the next and alternate like that throughout the flower cycle. My RDWC systems circulate 24/7 and each pod has an airstone in it. NO light gets in to my reses or tubs. I don't have a chiller but I keep my res in a cooler room and use smaller feed and drainlines to keep as much of the solution in the cooler room at any given time. I have no problem keeping it cool even on the hottest summer days and without a chiller.
I clean my systems between runs with H2O2 and Physan 20 and I replace the systems after two cycles. They're a bit labor intensive to build but CHEAP (like maybe a hundred bucks...about the same as a litre of AN piranha or tarantula or whatever that expensive stuff is) and imo, you can never get all your pipes and tubes and elbows...completely clean. It's pretty cheap peace of mind. I re-use the uniseals but everything else including the pump goes. Once you've built it once or twice and have all the measurements..it isn't a WHOLE lot of work.

Brown Algae is a bit different than the "normal" old rot. Zone, SM-90, H2O2...won't kill it. Physan 20 will but if you're close to harvest...I wouldn't use that nasty shit.
This is the one time that I find it acceptable to mix organic and hydroponic. I have a jar of Great White beneficial bacteria and fungi as well as a bag of EWC so that if I ever DO get brown algae late in flower, I'll whip-up a bene tea and let the critters eat the algae.

NEVER try to CURE root slime with enzyme products (like hydrozyme). Enzymes seem to give root pathogens an explosive growth boost.

SO...to avoid root problems..
-keep it cool
-keep it dark
-keep it oxygenated
-keep it clean
and...use something to help keep that shit away in the first place.

PEACE and good luck

 

[ukbigbud]

thanks for all the fast feed back!!! my room is 27-28-29, so that means hot water dont it, i have no chiller. the systems cost alot of money and im not the most practical at all. so the pump in the main tank to the feeder tank in theory will still be contaminated wont they?? i only cleaned them with hot soapy water??

what nutes should i use if i cant use enzyme stuff. would i get good results just using aqua vega, aqua flores and maybe just pk13/14??? keeping it simple?? but i dont think i can buy sm90 in the uk???? ive seen au60??? and with rdwc because the water will be in the bucket for ages they will get warm wont they?????

thanks again

 

[smokestack23]

Clean with bleach, peroxide, and/or physan20.

You dont need to use SM-90. Zone is just as good or better. Some people use bleach and some use H2O2.

I'm not quite getting the system you describe.. If it's recirculating, you should keep the res in a cooler room. If it's a standalone setup..you should make it with a separate remote reservoir.
These systems are very simple and inexpensive to make. You can get hose and pipe at any hardware store as well as tubs or pails. You can buy netpots at a growshop or online...or you can use substitutes that cost pennies like plastic pen baskets at a stationary store etc.
Airpumps and stones from pet stores or walmart are CHEAP as well and will work just fine. Don't laugh but I use $19.00 160gph submersible pumps in my systems and they work fine.

I'm not familiar with those nutes you listed. When I say to avoid Hygroslime ..that isn't a nutrient..it's enzymes to break down dead roots and stuff and make them available to the plant (and algae) as food.

For nutrients..just run any reputable company's base nutrient line. Other than the conditioners (like SM90, Zone, H2O2...) and maybe some CalMag if using RO water, I'd stay away from additives until you get the system and strain dialed-in on the base nutrient regimen.

Hope that helps.
PEACE

 

[St3ve]

how are the plants sitting on the table or in the pots? It sounds to me like the water is not completely draining away from them and they are sitting in some portion of water.

I had trouble at one time so I jacked up the back of the table on a 2x4 to achieve more fall. This drained it much better and I never had a problem again.

 

[ukbigbud]

this is the system, big tank floods to the black brain pot with float valves in it

 

[Jalisco Kid]

If that is your system take a row and harvest it and buy yourself a chiller. Going to a rcdwc will not cure hot water. I would use physan to clean your system because the bubbling action will get in nooks that bleach can not. JK

 

[smokestack23]

Yeah..a row or maybe even just one plant! They aren't THAT pricey..you'll need a big one for all those though.
PEACE

 

[St3ve]

I still think its the water sitting in the bottom of those buckets. Google on ways to raise the buckets higher than main bucket so you can get all of the water out of the bottom of those pots.

IMHO I don't think its the temp of the water. If I am right, then you'll spend the money on a chiller and then have the roots still sitting in cold water with no o2 in it.. Seems like it would be cheaper to experiment with draining the buckets anyway so why not give that a shot first?

 

[ukbigbud]

hi, the bases the pots sit on are slanted so there is hardly anywater in the bottom when it drains at all!!! also where does a chiller go in regards to the system??

 

[St3ve]

In a system like that you're going to have to keep the big rez cool so you want to pipe the chiller to the rez and toss an appropriate sized pump in the rez. The instructions that come with the chiller will show you just how to do it.

 

[smokestack23]

Well maybe first go out and buy a one dollar passive glass aquarium thermometer. Like St3ve said..no point buying a chiller if temps are fine.
It's been a while since I read your op so I kinda forget what kind of system you're running....but...if your water temps are fine (below 70)...aerate the solution either by creating a waterfall or other movement of your solution..constantly, and/or...add an airstone to your res and/or each of your sites (unless you're doing E&F of course).
Peace

 

[ken dog]

Probably a case of fungus gnats.