Hydroponics Questions - Algae, Beneficial Bact, Enzymes, Sterilization, etc

rkymtnman

Well-Known Member
(HydroGuard),
if you are in the States, Ebay Southern Ag Garden friendly Fungicide. same strain as hydroguard but a million times more concentrated for way cheaper.

Edit: dont let the fungicide in the name throw you off. it's beneficial bacteria
 

rkymtnman

Well-Known Member
eat up dead matter with pool brand enzymes (clear aid)
are you using this while the plants are in the system?
is it safe for plants? safe for human consumption if stored in plant tissue?

i tried pond enzymes and i thought they sucked in general.

HTH pool shock (sterile) or Southern Ag GFF (bennies). currently on the bennies route.

but if i was commercial using hundreds of gallons of water, chlorine.
 

RFFT

Member
are you using this while the plants are in the system?
is it safe for plants? safe for human consumption if stored in plant tissue?

i tried pond enzymes and i thought they sucked in general.

HTH pool shock (sterile) or Southern Ag GFF (bennies). currently on the bennies route.

but if i was commercial using hundreds of gallons of water, chlorine.
Whatever I use, it needs to be safe while plants of all ages are in the syatem. I have no idea if the pond enzymes are safe. And not sure if effective either.

So far the concensus is to just go with the benis and/or chlorine. I will add in a moment to a zone of mature/healthy plants.
 

RFFT

Member
if you are in the States, Ebay Southern Ag Garden friendly Fungicide. same strain as hydroguard but a million times more concentrated for way cheaper.

Edit: dont let the fungicide in the name throw you off. it's beneficial bacteria
Same with the DefGuard. Much more concentrated. At $20/week I can live with it. Pending that dosage rate (1 pint) is effective.

I do like Southern AG products tho. I’ve used them before.
 

rkymtnman

Well-Known Member
Yikes. That was close LOL.

So 4 grams total for my system?
I was hoping you saw that in time!

If you have algae currently, I would give them a blast at 3ppm to start with. 12 grams. then in about 3 days, try the 1ppm (4 g).
killing the algae is going to use up a bunch of that chlorine really quickly.
 

infdjedi

Well-Known Member
I am no expert in NFT, and just learning DWC myself.. but I think there should be little net pots in the holes of your tubes and the roots hang down into the solution.. not that the entire plug sitting on the bottom of the tube. Sort of like this..
1572911604727.png

It seems as though you could get an anaerobic area just under the plug.. sort of like where your slime is forming.

Another one.. 1572911766613.png
 

RFFT

Member
I am no expert in NFT, and just learning DWC myself.. but I think there should be little net pots in the holes of your tubes and the roots hang down into the solution.. not that the entire plug sitting on the bottom of the tube. Sort of like this..
View attachment 4416541

It seems as though you could get an anaerobic area just under the plug.. sort of like where your slime is forming.
Not an issue. Not with 24 hr recirculating solution. Moving water is aerobic water.
 

Wastei

Well-Known Member
Not an issue. Not with 24 hr recirculating solution. Moving water is aerobic water.
You still don't take advices heh?. Don't you want to grow up and not be in the mindset of "I already know how to grow". You don't. You clearly have ego issues and should listen to other people who can grow healthy plants so your able to learn something. You're so narrow minded it scares me.
 
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myke

Well-Known Member
Simple roll of white plastic over your pipes will solve the light leaks,as said lift your plugs or do away with them there your problem.Bubble clones hang in small net pots no plugs.
24 hr flow is also causing problems,try no flow at night they need to breath.Think ebb and flow.Good luck.
 

myke

Well-Known Member
Edit that above post,I missed the years of experience doing this.Crazy to think this works well, obvious youve had success before.Anyway good luck ,Ill second the pool shock cheap and effective.
You dont see peat plugs in hydro much,have you tried rockwool?
 

RFFT

Member
Edit that above post,I missed the years of experience doing this.Crazy to think this works well, obvious youve had success before.Anyway good luck ,Ill second the pool shock cheap and effective.
You dont see peat plugs in hydro much,have you tried rockwool?
They’re not peat. They look like it, but they’re not.

Rockwool holds too much water and would indeed be a problem in not letting the roots breath.
 

RFFT

Member
Hey, RFFT, how did the chlorine work out?
So far, I have all 3 methods running side x side. Each are “working”.

I will increase the chlorine amount as suggested.

Very hard to tell after only a few days. Usually takes 2 weeks for algae to start showing on a freshly flipped zone. And for zones with established algae, I think it’s harder to see the differences. But so far, all feed tubes are still running clean.

Im really hoping the chlorine is the longterm solution.

As for the wilting babies, they came out of it 12 hrs after adding the beni’s & enzymes. Tho, the sludge buildup still remains. I was hoping it would get eaten away quickly but i may be too impatient.
 

myke

Well-Known Member
So your running feed tubes? What like 1/4” lines? Can’t see them in the photo.
 
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