Ec rising IN RESERVOIR

try_hard

Member
If you're gonna go the steril chlorine route, you might want to consider calcium hypochlorite instead of bleach. You can google it, but it's basically 1g of calcium hypochlorite pool shock to 1 gal of water to make your concentrate. Then you add 1oz of that mixed concentrate per 5 gal of water in your res every 3 days.

A cheap bag will last a homegrower for years if not decades.

View attachment 5082227
Ok thanks
 

Wastei

Well-Known Member
If you're gonna go the steril chlorine route, you might want to consider calcium hypochlorite instead of bleach. You can google it, but it's basically 1g of calcium hypochlorite pool shock to 1 gal of water to make your concentrate. Then you add 1oz of that mixed concentrate per 5 gal of water in your res every 3 days.

A cheap bag will last a homegrower for years if not decades.

View attachment 5082227
It's way easier to use regular bleach than pool shock. There's even more sodium in Pool shock compared to most sodium hypochlorite based products since lye (sodium hydroxide) is used in the manufacturing of both. Bleach is intended for cleaning and sterilizing while Pool shock is only intended to sterilize.

My local brand of bleach (sodium hypochlorite) is about 90% pure compared to HTH which is often not more than 65% pure since it's intended for sterilizing pools and not cleaning floors etc. There's also bleach based on calcium hypochlorite but I've never seen that in real life and I would check all the data before using any new products.
 
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Wastei

Well-Known Member
@Wastei How often should I top up with bleach? You said every 2/3 days. Should I add full strength (5ppm NaClO) every 3 days?
I would add 3ppm to everything going in to the reservoir(new res, top offs etc). I use big water wessels like 8 gallons jugs with cap to keep the chlorine from dissipating. I think that's the easiest thing to do.
 

try_hard

Member
I would add 3ppm to everything going in to the reservoir(new res, top offs etc). I use big water wessels like 8 gallons jugs with cap to keep the chlorine from dissipating. I think that's the easiest thing to do.
Ok thanks I'll stick to that. 3ppm NaClO added to everything
 

PJ Diaz

Well-Known Member
It's way easier to use regular bleach than pool shock. There's even more sodium in Pool shock compared to most sodium hypochlorite based products since lye (sodium hydroxide) is used in the manufacturing of both. Bleach is intended for cleaning and sterilizing while Pool shock is only intended to sterilize.

My local brand of bleach (sodium hypochlorite) is about 90% pure compared to HTH which is often not more than 65% pure since it's intended for sterilizing pools and not cleaning floors etc. There's also bleach based on calcium hypochlorite but I've never seen that in real life and I would check all the data before using any new products.
I don't use chlorine much, so I'll have to trust you.
 

try_hard

Member
Hi, they seem to do better although still some signs of not well-being. Ec was stable for 2 days now and ph only rose a little (which is normal I guess).

Please take a look at them and tell me what you think. Is still something off or is this just recovery?

The leaves are pretty light colored not to say almost yellow, right?
 

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Scuzzman

Well-Known Member
yep easy fix- change to coco coir and top feed/water to run off - easy as - the above to many issues
 

Bucsfan80

Well-Known Member
I had family stuff recently and had to go out of town a week and while I was gone I had a caretaker just top off rez a gallon h20 a day. When I got back had this (see pic). I did a rez change and added calmag then my 3 nutes. All new growth since has been great.
16445489110063738232952013186472.jpg16445489603356986029478357999342.jpg16445489737114406515081203758173.jpg
 

Offmymeds

Well-Known Member
Hello everyone.

My setup:
I have a small 1.5m x 0.8m, 4 plant hydroponics setup. I got them as clones but I think it's their 4th week veg.
Plants are grown in 7.5L off brand airpots, filled with clay pebbles and watered 2x a day for 5mins via small flex hose rings with self drilled holes.
They get distilled water with Canna Aqua Veg + Biobizz CalMag + great white (once per res change aka once a week) at an EC 0.9 ms/cm and pH of 5.8 though it rises to about 6.0 over a day. I then pH down it to about 5.8 again.
Reservoir contains about 10L with 3 air stones from overall 2 pumps and a mixing pump for more agitation.

Condition:
Air temp: 25°C
Rel humid: ca. 60-70%
Co2 enriched
Water temp: 16°C
And overall about 250W of COB LED (5000K) with probably 40cm distance
Multiple fans

My problem is that my EC is rising in the reservoir over the day and even overnight pretty dramatically when they aren't watered. Yesterday night 0.9. Today morning about 1.3. pH is stable overnight and just seems to rise after feeding but then also pretty quickly. I had the same problem last grow but this time it's starting right at the beginning. 3 of the 4 look kind of healthy but maybe a little droppy. One of them on the other hand gets dry leaves that curl upward with brown spots. I almost get the feeling as if they have a deficiency and the EC rise is nutrient unrelated but I don't really know.

I had pretty bad root rot and a bit of green algae (although I think not to the point that it was dramatic at least) last grow but cleaned everything with a disinfectant (2% purolyt so 20ml concentrate in 1L; sensors, hoses and connectors, walls...) and replaced the clay pebbles and the pots afterwards. But this time the plants don't look affected the same way they did last time.

Attached photos are just of the sick plant but I will post the others later when I get the chance.

Any advice, recommendation, suggestion, thoughts or prayers... At this point really anything, is greatly appreciated.

If I left anything important from tubing length to dick size just ask and I'll respond ASAP.
I posted the same question a few months ago. Had to resolve it through the process of elimination. My problem ended up being a nutrient that I used had gone bad. I am using Jack's 3-2-1 formula and the Part B of the Jack's that had been stored in my garage had gotten damp because it was in a cheap plastic container. I didn't think it would matter & being as cheap as I am I didn't want to throw it out even though I literally have a lifetime supply of the stuff. I am so damn cheap that it bites me in the ass many times.
 

Wastei

Well-Known Member
@Wastei Could the pics I posted earlier show signs of potassium deficiency?
Looks more like Mg def to me. Very common with high intensity LED's. What light do you use? It's better to let the plant grow in to the light then aiming for closest "highest optimal intensity" and measuring light distance, every plant response differently. They don't need much to flourish in veg, just enough to keep stretch and internodal length down.
 

try_hard

Member
Looks more like Mg def to me. Very common with high intensity LED's. What light do you use? It's better to let the plant grow in to the light then aiming for closest "highest optimal intensity" and measuring light distance. They don't need much to flourish in veg, just enough to keep stretch and internodal length down.
ok thank you that could be it.
I in fact use high intensity LEDs from Luminus. I can increase the distance.
I have about 300W for the space you already saw many times here. 1.5m x 0.9m (5ft x 3ft) is the size of the tent but I think that they use up about 0.75m² (8 ft²). They should probably put out about 700 - 800 umol/s. More or less even spread to probably 600 umol/m²/s PPFD.
Do you have a target PPFD in mind?
 

try_hard

Member
Hi everyone,

Water consumption rose over the last few days and EC went down from about 1300 to 1200 μS/cm for the first time in weeks. Ph is about stable around 5.9.

But the deficiency/symptom seems to progress. Updated pictures attached. 4 pictures of the plants, one for each. And 4 pictures of close ups of damaged plants.

@Wastei I pulled the lights back and measure about 500-600 μmol/s^2/m PPFD which should be pretty low.

Ca. 25°C temperature
Ca. 60-70% rel humid
 

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Wastei

Well-Known Member
Hi everyone,

Water consumption rose over the last few days and EC went down from about 1300 to 1200 μS/cm for the first time in weeks. Ph is about stable around 5.9.

But the deficiency/symptom seems to progress. Updated pictures attached. 4 pictures of the plants, one for each. And 4 pictures of close ups of damaged plants.

@Wastei I pulled the lights back and measure about 500-600 μmol/s^2/m PPFD which should be pretty low.

Ca. 25°C temperature
Ca. 60-70% rel humid
They seem to respond well to the treatment then. They gonna look worse before they get better. All the yellow leaves are going to fall off. Do you feed 15 min 5 times a day? I'll try to aim for most of that feedings during lights on and only feed enough to keep the Hydroton moist throughout the day and night.

You need to circulate that system pretty often to keep them happy. Impossible to overwater in Hydroton/clay pellets, it's the water being stagnant that you don't want causing the roots to be unhappy. Keep feeding nutrient solution with oxidizer(bleach) and they will improve, there's a lot of roots that need to be broken down and removed by the circulating water. Hope that make sense, Cheers!
 
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