Growth in water WTF???

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rojimmy53

Member
Ok I am indoor in a garage 20x11x8 5000 watts HPS (3 Dimlux pro series 1000, 3 old-school xxx hoods 1000’s) Running CO2, A/c 10000 BTU’s adding another 10000 in the next day. Trying to run mostly sealed but I do have an 8" exhaust running through a carbon filter and a 8" intake which I may discontinue now with the second AC. (The 'ol condensation issues on that intake). No water to garage so I run a hose from my sink to a 55 gal plastic can. From the can I have an automatic pvc sprinkler system to water with. Inside the can is an airstone and a 1/4hp pump hooked up to pvc system. All this is brand new.


Among other issues what I am posting about here today is this freaking stuff growing in my can after only 3 days. What I do is… mix a 5 gal concentrated bucket of tea of which I mix 50:1 with water so a gal of nute tea per 55gal can…and yes the tea also contains water. The 5 gal bucket is kept in a separate room under no heat/cold control so it gets hot and cold whatever(mostly cold now-I am in CO) and I have no problem with growths. The 55 is in my room I’ve measured the temp in there at 60 to 85ish maybe even above but not this past 3 days. This 55 only lasts for 3-4 waterings so it is constantly changed out and cleaned. This has now happened 3 or4 times consecutively and I am a bit stumped. I have wasted a bunch of nutes as I’ve tossed a good 50 gal of water/nute mix when I notice this growth (I HAVE also watered with the contaminated? water on accident). As you can see darker looking floaties and there are also fuzzy. kinda mold looking things floating around. They do settle to bottom of can, of course this is where the pump is.


I am going to move the 55 to the other room where tea is and see if it matters. Kind of a pain, not ideal and messes with my setup style but can be worked out like most things.
 

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Renfro

Renfro

Well-Known Member
Not sure I understand your process, you take 5 gallons of "tea" and add it to the 50 gallons of water and then growth happens in the 55 gallons? If so then the growth is likely just the bacteria from your tea multiplying. If that's the case then it shouldn't pose a concern, in fact it's what you are after, more beneficial bacteria.
 
R

rojimmy53

Member
Renfro said:
Not sure I understand your process, you take 5 gallons of "tea" and add it to the 50 gallons of water and then growth happens in the 55 gallons? If so then the growth is likely just the bacteria from your tea multiplying. If that's the case then it shouldn't pose a concern, in fact it's what you are after, more beneficial bacteria.
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So I make a concentrated solution in a 5 gal bucket which then gets mixed at a 50:1 ratio with water in my big 55 gal can. So what you said basically....yes...So ok cool I was hoping that might be the case, really could not think what the heck else could be going on. I wonder why this growth does not happen in the 5 gal concentrated solution which will sit for 3-4 weeks in 5 gal bucket.
 
K

Kushandjams

Member
Are you growing hydro or in a medium? Sometimes I get medium in my res and it floats around and is a landing pad for stuff to replicate on. I've never worried about it
 
K

Kushandjams

Member
Tbh it kinda just looks like soil or peat particulates, could be working it's way back through your pump with a bit of back pressure. I think if it was like an algae like substance it would float to the top
 
R

rojimmy53

Member
Agreed it looks like that but up close it is more a bacteria like growth there are even like more white mold looking pieces as well in there. Not impossible that some soil got into the pvc lines but very unlikely and again not impossible it made its way back through the pvc array, the 25ft hose and the pvc manifold and then back through my pump line but once again unlikely. I am going to investigate tonight to see if it floats with lights on as some algae floats during day sinks at night.
 
ilovetoskiatalta

ilovetoskiatalta

Well-Known Member
rojimmy53 said:
Ok I am indoor in a garage 20x11x8 5000 watts HPS (3 Dimlux pro series 1000, 3 old-school xxx hoods 1000’s) Running CO2, A/c 10000 BTU’s adding another 10000 in the next day. Trying to run mostly sealed but I do have an 8" exhaust running through a carbon filter and a 8" intake which I may discontinue now with the second AC. (The 'ol condensation issues on that intake). No water to garage so I run a hose from my sink to a 55 gal plastic can. From the can I have an automatic pvc sprinkler system to water with. Inside the can is an airstone and a 1/4hp pump hooked up to pvc system. All this is brand new.


Among other issues what I am posting about here today is this freaking stuff growing in my can after only 3 days. What I do is… mix a 5 gal concentrated bucket of tea of which I mix 50:1 with water so a gal of nute tea per 55gal can…and yes the tea also contains water. The 5 gal bucket is kept in a separate room under no heat/cold control so it gets hot and cold whatever(mostly cold now-I am in CO) and I have no problem with growths. The 55 is in my room I’ve measured the temp in there at 60 to 85ish maybe even above but not this past 3 days. This 55 only lasts for 3-4 waterings so it is constantly changed out and cleaned. This has now happened 3 or4 times consecutively and I am a bit stumped. I have wasted a bunch of nutes as I’ve tossed a good 50 gal of water/nute mix when I notice this growth (I HAVE also watered with the contaminated? water on accident). As you can see darker looking floaties and there are also fuzzy. kinda mold looking things floating around. They do settle to bottom of can, of course this is where the pump is.


I am going to move the 55 to the other room where tea is and see if it matters. Kind of a pain, not ideal and messes with my setup style but can be worked out like most things.
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What kind of 1/4 pump are you using?
 
R

rojimmy53

Member
ÒÒlegilizeitÒÒ said:
Is it pitch black inside your drum?
If you can make sure absolutely no light gets to the water, you use an air stone, and try to keep the temp below 75, you shouldn't have an issue.
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drum is black but there is a 5" diameter hole which certainly lets in some light I'm sure from the room. I do have an airstone in there regularly. So what do you think it is? Just rapid bacteria growth? I mean it went from zero to 100 to 100000 so to speak in a day or two. I understand bacteria can multiply rapidly esp. with high temps. I guess I'll try playing with temps and keeping it down. That;s really the biggest factor I thought of. Why 75? Just curious as I'm sure that will be impossible if I leave barrel in grow room itself. Do you see this as harmful? I have certainly watered with it.
 
ҖҗlegilizeitҗҖ

ҖҗlegilizeitҗҖ

Well-Known Member
rojimmy53 said:
drum is black but there is a 5" diameter hole which certainly lets in some light I'm sure from the room. I do have an airstone in there regularly. So what do you think it is? Just rapid bacteria growth? I mean it went from zero to 100 to 100000 so to speak in a day or two. I understand bacteria can multiply rapidly esp. with high temps. I guess I'll try playing with temps and keeping it down. That;s really the biggest factor I thought of. Why 75? Just curious as I'm sure that will be impossible if I leave barrel in grow room itself. Do you see this as harmful? I have certainly watered with it.
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Optimal DO (dissolved oxygen) is at 68, above 75 you are seriously depleting the waters ability to retain air
 
ҖҗlegilizeitҗҖ

ҖҗlegilizeitҗҖ

Well-Known Member
rojimmy53 said:
drum is black but there is a 5" diameter hole which certainly lets in some light I'm sure from the room. I do have an airstone in there regularly. So what do you think it is? Just rapid bacteria growth? I mean it went from zero to 100 to 100000 so to speak in a day or two. I understand bacteria can multiply rapidly esp. with high temps. I guess I'll try playing with temps and keeping it down. That;s really the biggest factor I thought of. Why 75? Just curious as I'm sure that will be impossible if I leave barrel in grow room itself. Do you see this as harmful? I have certainly watered with it.
Click to expand...
I guess I should correct myself that DO is highest at 68, thats not true. It gets higher as it gets colder more or less. But for plants in hydro 68 is optimal because it allows a high DO but isn't too cold for the suspended roots.
dissolvedoxygen_fresh-salt.jpg
 
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