Ok,
@jonnynobody , Im finally getting around to replying to your excellent post.
So I pulled back some perlite to expose roots at the top of the container and snapped a picture:
Notice the amber color on the roots. Resembles a 50 year old bar whore's nicotine stained teeth:
Perlite is known for having millions of microscopic pores that hold moisture. The moisture in this case is from the nute mix in the bottom of your hempy bucket. How is it that only the roots are stained and the perlite isnt even darker brown? Your picture is clear enough that you can see that the perlite is damp.
You are pouring that nute mix over the top of the perlite and those roots, but only the roots stain? That doesnt quite compute for me.
To me, this is another indication that the brown on the roots has to be bacterial growth.
In the second pic, why would some of the roots have brown tips, but be white closer in to the pot? I cant see how a contact stain could work that way.
I noticed you were using those products while using organic fertilizers. That's akin to sparky dropping a load of biscuits on the kitchen carpet, spraying it with some lysol, and calling it a day. It's just not going to work like that. Hydroponic reservoirs need to be kept sterile. Adding organic amendments or fertilizer to a hydroponic reservoir is no bueno.
Wait, what? Floralicious is as organic as it gets - isnt it? Seems to me you are the one nuking your rez with organics that will explode bacterial growth?
Ok, your turn