The BubbleHead Gang

Dystopia

Dystopia

Active Member
stumps said:
Thanks that helped. how often should I clean the rez out? every two days? After the next chnge I expect there to be a lot less gunk in the water. After cuting off the slime.
Click to expand...
Short answer: if you can keep your conditions right (light-proof res, high dissolved oxygen with either low water temps or H2O2 preventative treatments) then the initial cleaning and regular water changes (like once or twice a week, at least initially, to flush dead organic material) should do the trick. If you slack off, however, you can probably count on a reinfestation. If the infestation is advanced then some plants probably can't be saved.

Long answer: the thing is, these algae, bacterial, and fungal pathogens will always be present and waiting to take over if conditions are right. Algae will grow if there's light, and bacteria and pythium fungi like higher water temp and anaerobic (low DO ) conditions along with organic material to feed on.

You could probably control an infestation just by light-proofing your res and lowering your water temp so that it's consistently in the 65-68* F range. Or you could do it with a strong H2O2 solution. The only problem is that all the algae, bacteria, and/or fungi you killed - along with the dead roots - is now dead organic material floating around in your reservoir. This is the stuff you want to get rid of with your initial cleaning.

But no matter how well you clean the pathogens will always be present in the roots, ready to take over if you slack off. The single most important thing, in my opinion, to prevent recurrence is to increase the DO in your water. Lower water temps will do this. H2O2 will, too.

H2O2 is basically water (H2O) with an extra oxygen atom. It's this extra atom that makes H2O2 so beneficial. It does two things:

1) It sterilizes the water, killing the nasties. The extra oxygen atom is highly reactive - it wants to attach itself to something to become stable - and can attack nearby organisms (remember, nasties don't like oxygen). Many disease causing organisms and spores, as well as algae, are killed by oxygen. The H2O2 will also take care of any dead organic material. Don't use H2O2 with organic nutes, it also kills the beneficials. I personally wouldn't recommend organic nutes in high res temps, but I'm sure it's possible.

2) It oxygenates the water. The extra oxygen atom will attach itself to another oxygen atom forming a stable oxygen molecule. This increases the level of DO in the water.

So if you can keep your water temps down OR maintain a preventative H2O2 regimen then you shouldn't have to do additional cleanings beyond the initial cleaning. If you can't, then count on a constant battle...:peace:
 
Dystopia

Dystopia

Active Member
MeisterYo said:
My cam is ass old and doesn't like close ups.
If I can get better pic I will but until then...


Click to expand...
Looks like excessive ph fluxuation and/or ph related nute lockout to me. What's your ph look like like, and do you chase it (constantly add ph up/down to try to keep the ph stable at, say, 5.6)?

In a balanced system the ph may drift up or down based on nute usage and will generally stabilize at a certain level, based on the type of water and nutes used. For instance, my nute solution starts out at 5.8-6.0 and generally drifts up to 6.2 and stabilizes there, no matter what I do. If I drop it down to 5.8 then within a day it will be back to 6.2. So I just let it stay at 6.2...if it starts to drift up/down from there it's telling me that I need to add more/less nutes with my top-off water.

It's continuously chasing and changing the ph that the plant may not like. I would say that if the ph remains in a range of 5.6 - 6.7 then leave it alone. If it doesn't, then you need to investigate why and correct the problem.

Anyways, what kind of water, nutes, and supplements are you using and what's your ph doing?
 
Dystopia

Dystopia

Active Member
MostlyCrazy said:
Hey D, wouldn't the ph flux affect the whole plant?
Click to expand...
Generally, I would say yes. I believe that the pictures MeisterYo presented are of two different plants. In the first two pictures the overall health of the leaves that you can see don't look good. Unless he's growing a strain like Blueberry I'd be worried about the red stems/veins, and I'd also be worried about the overall appearance of the leaves:


MeisterYo said:


Click to expand...

Of course it's impossible to tell the coloring of the plant under LED's; regardless, I think these pictures are of a different plant:

MeisterYo said:




Click to expand...

And if it's nute lockout of a mobile element then the plant will suck the nutes out of the lower leaves first.

But yes, you make a good point. I would like to see some pictures of the overall plant under normal lighting and know the strain, type of water, nutes and supplements used, water temp, ph, etc. before making a definitive diagnosis. And even then I'd probably be wrong :eyesmoke:
 
M

MeisterYo

Well-Known Member
I will check the ph.

Yeah the plant with burn is not the pictured led plant.
Here's the whole plant. Its being bonsai'd as a fun decorative plant.


The other plant in the picture is a phototron pruned bagseed.

I'll try to get a normal shot of that one, being that its its crazy how bushy it is.
 
Dystopia

Dystopia

Active Member
drabstab said:
Molasses in a DWC?? Regiment suggestions?
Click to expand...
I would consider it if I was using organic nutes. The main advantage of molasses (at least in my understanding) is that it promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria and fungi, which are crucial when using organic nutes in hydro.

I probably wouldn't use it with chemical nutes, especially if I was using H2O2 as a preventative. But I really have no experience with molasses.

Most commercial carbo supplements are basically molasses. Humboldt's Honey Hydro Carbs, for instance, is pretty much molasses with some calcium added; they recommend 1-5 ml per gallon so that's where I would start...
 
M

MeisterYo

Well-Known Member
Dystopia said:
Bonsai, ha! You're on your own with that one...I wouldn't even swear that's a marijuana plant, LOL!
Click to expand...
Yeah, I think the led being so close make the leaves only for 1-3 fingers but its great because that node gets energy but the leaves stay compact enough to no over shadow lower portions of the plant.

I don't know much about the strain to be honest.

A Sativa that flowers into white buds definitely seems like an outdoor strain due to how long its flowering time is.

Some one said it was boggleman but hear the guy that gave it to me call it bubble fuck. but that could be something he came up with, but considering there is a bubble strain and a thunderfuck who knows.
 
RPsmoke420

RPsmoke420

Active Member
Roseman said:
be sure and dilute the mollasses with some cat urine.

LOL, I am just kidding.
Click to expand...
Lots of people doubt mollasses, but Jorge doesn't.

I attached a pic from Jorge's Cannabis grow book. He explains how the smaller bud on the left was grown using everything except mollasses. Then the MUCH larger bud on the right had the same growing conditions, but was also given mollasses. He says, from what he has done, Mollasses adds 20% more weight to the buds, making them swell and grow larger.

I will look it up again to see what amounts he suggests using. :peace:
 

Attachments

HomeGrownHairy

HomeGrownHairy

Well-Known Member
stumps said:
This root rot is starting to make me twich. Changed to a 5 gal. Water temp is steady at 68-70. ph is 6.8. Should I change water like every 3 days. The roots were turning white then yesterday I notice them looking real brownish again. Now today I see some little white shoots comming out of the muck again. Is it time to scrap it and start over? Can I save it? Is it worth it? Grrrrr lol
Click to expand...
Your pH is too high. Where did you read that 6.8 is okay for pot? Get it 5.5-6.5 (5.8 being purfect). A lower pH helps prevent root rot.:peace:
 
Dystopia

Dystopia

Active Member
RPsmoke420 said:
Lots of people doubt mollasses, but Jorge doesn't.

I attached a pic from Jorge's Cannabis grow book. He explains how the smaller bud on the left was grown using everything except mollasses. Then the MUCH larger bud on the right had the same growing conditions, but was also given mollasses. He says, from what he has done, Mollasses adds 20% more weight to the buds, making them swell and grow larger.

I will look it up again to see what amounts he suggests using. :peace:
Click to expand...
I don't doubt the benefits of molasses, especially in soil grows, where the symbiotic bacteria and fungi help with the uptake of nutrients. I'm not as sure of the benefits in hydro, where nutrient uptake isn't so much of a problem and keeping a sterile environment is important.

My main concern in hydro would be the molasses mucking up the system (depending on the system you were using). I'd have to see some more evidence of improvement in HYDRO before I used it. I'm curious, were Jorge's buds grown in soil or hydro?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top