What's the ideal air temperature around exposed roots in a DWC tank?

[CrimsonBud]

Hey everyone.
I'm about to start an indoor DWC grow in an area which is pretty hot and humid (outdoor avg. is 23° - 32°).
I have a water chiller to keep the WDC water on solid 22°, and an air conditioner to keep the air around plants on 24° - 28° (the ideal range for cannabis).

My plants got root rot in a previous grow, I noticed it started on roots that were exposed to air, so I decided to measure the air temperature inside the grow tank.
It was somewhere between the air and the water temperature, averaging on 24° - 27°, which's apparently too hot.

What is the ideal air temperature around exposed roots in a DWC tank?

Some of the preventative steps I'll be taking this grow:
* Raise water level inside the DWC tank to reach 2cm below net pots.
* Ordered a 5mm thick reflective sheet to completely wrap the DWC tank and insulate heat from LED lamps
* Ordered a small, splash-proof USB fan to tuck inside the DWC tank and keep the air moving
* Treat regularly with H2O2

Thanks.

 

[Cashmeh]

Ill suggest your rdwc not dwc due to running it through a chiller using a pump.

The temperate the room your air pump is in will be the tank air temp. I keep mine outside the grow room in a 60 degree room. My water temps are 73, with pumping 60 degree air into the buckets, and my grow room temps never get over 78. I have never measured but I would say its lower than my water temperatures. I would guess my tank air temp to be 70 due to the 60 being warmed a bit as it travels throught the water. Yet it could be between 73-77. I use a bacteria and no chiller, and i talk in F, apologies for not converting for you.

If your using bacteria, it wont matter what your water temps are or that air temp as long as its below 74f. I dont know how it works with chillers in sterile environments.

 

[Ponky]

How much peroxide how often?

 

[Brotofsky]

Good luck with the grow. I love growing DWC. Only suggestion is I would leave more than 2cms from the bottom of the net pot to the water’s surface.

 

[CrimsonBud]

Ill suggest your rdwc not dwc due to running it through a chiller using a pump.

The temperate the room your air pump is in will be the tank air temp. I keep mine outside the grow room in a 60 degree room. My water temps are 73, with pumping 60 degree air into the buckets, and my grow room temps never get over 78. I have never measured but I would say its lower than my water temperatures. I would guess my tank air temp to be 70 due to the 60 being warmed a bit as it travels throught the water. Yet it could be between 73-77. I use a bacteria and no chiller, and i talk in F, apologies for not converting for you.

If your using bacteria, it wont matter what your water temps are or that air temp as long as its below 74f. I dont know how it works with chillers in sterile environments.

Thanks, @Cashmeh, ur right technically it's indeed an RDWC.
I keep the grow room air temperature between 75f to 82f.
The air pump is in the same space and cannot be moved.
I tried taking the bennies & fungi approach but failed twice (miserably), it's too damn hot around here. Outside temps range between 75f - 95f.
Using H2O2 is the only to run a DWC (or RDWC) and hold off pathogens that worked for me so far.

 

[Aqua Man]

How much peroxide how often?

^^^^^

And 72f works great for my. Root rot is not caused by temps.... just false info.

 

[CrimsonBud]

How much peroxide how often?

Hey @Ponky
I got 14 gallons of RO water in my RDWC, I treat it daily with 10ml of H2O2 35%

 

[CrimsonBud]

Good luck with the grow. I love growing DWC. Only suggestion is I would leave more than 2cms from the bottom of the net pot to the water’s surface.

Thanks, @Brotofsky , that's what I initially did in the 1st & 2nd attempts, but both ended up with root rot in the areas that were exposed to air, and hence the question of what's the ideal temp in the exposed roots area.

 

[CrimsonBud]

^^^^^

And 72f works great for my. Root rot is not caused by temps.... just false info.

Hey @Aqua Man , you're suggesting the rot wasn't created directly by high temperature?
The water temperature is at a constant 72f.
I verified that there aren't any light leaks, and sterilized all my equipment before each grow.

 

[Aqua Man]

Hey @Aqua Man , you're suggesting the rot wasn't created directly by high temperature?
The water temperature is at a constant 72f.
I verified that there aren't any light leaks, and sterilized all my equipment before each grow.

Where do you keep the water level?

If you have root rot in a sterilized environment then it's not properly sterilized.

Where you diluting the h2o2?

Do you have pictures of said system?

Warner water just speeds up microbial reproduction. At high temos it can be an issue for DO.

 

[Ponky]

Hey @Ponky
I got 14 gallons of RO water in my RDWC, I treat it daily with 10ml of H2O2 35%

I would increase that to 17 ml. Although I assume it doesn't smell foul now.

 

[Aqua Man]

I would increase that to 17 ml. Although I assume it doesn't smell foul now.

To treat root rot yes. Also 35% needs to be diluted atleast 10 to one before adding to the system or roots will burn.

I think with RO the ph fluctuations can be a problem and I add some available silica.

Healthy plants are far far more resistant to infection. Sick plants are very susceptible.

 

[LexLuthor]

Maybe top feed a small amount once daily so the roots in the air get h2o2 on em?

 

[Aqua Man]

Maybe top feed a small amount once daily so the roots in the air get h2o2 on em?

Absolutely ^^^^

 

[Brotofsky]

Thanks, @Brotofsky , that's what I initially did in the 1st & 2nd attempts, but both ended up with root rot in the areas that were exposed to air, and hence the question of what's the ideal temp in the exposed roots area.

Use this or the like…

 

[Aqua Man]

Use this or the like…

Heard very very good things about this product. I use hygrozyme but haven't compared them.

 

[Aqua Man]

Hmmm hydro... think hygrozyme would be better after a very tiny bit of looking. So please don't take that ad fact.

 

[Brotofsky]

Heard very very good things about this product. I use hygrozyme but haven't compared them.

Expensive, but you get what you pay for

 

[Brotofsky]

Crap!!! I just gave a gallon away as I’m on an indoor grow break. I had no idea I could use it in soil.

 

[CrimsonBud]

Where do you keep the water level?
If you have root rot in a sterilized environment then it's not properly sterilized.
Where you diluting the h2o2?
Do you have pictures of said system?

I generally keep the water level at 2-3" below the pots, and diluting the h2o2 at about 1/20.
I rather not upload photos :)

I would increase that to 17 ml. Although I assume it doesn't smell foul now.

Thanks, I will try that. The h2o2 does keep things pretty fresh.

Maybe top feed a small amount once daily so the roots in the air get h2o2 on em?

Good idea, thanks! Would you say 5 minutes of daily top-feeding is enough?

Expensive, but you get what you pay for

Holy shizzle.. that's impressive.