White stuff on hydroton. Help?

My problem: I'm noticing some white growth on the outside of my hydroton pellets. Is it mold? Is it fungus? Will it harm the plants (the picture of the baby plant is the sharksbreath)? What is a safe way to be rid of the mold?


My setup: I'm growing 18 plants in a closet: 14 Lowryder #2s, 1 Power Kush, 1 Sharksbreath, 1 LA Woman, 1 Lemon Skunk. The seeds started germinating on 2.17.2010, and they're in an ebb/flow system made out of 2 28qt plastic storage containers for each set of 6 plants. The seeds are each in peat pellets, surrounded by hydroton. The water floods for half an hour every three hours. The autoflower plants are still babies, so I'm using Pure Blend Pro Grow nutes at just shy of the recommended dosage. Above each set of 6 plants are 4 25 (or 26?) watt CFL bulbs hanging just about an inch or two over the plants (as close as I can get without burning them) and there's a box fan blowing across all the plants to provide them with fresh air. The lights are on 24/0.

I'm not sure what other info I can provide... if you want more pictures of anything, I'll be happy to take them; if you'd like more info about my setup, I'm happy to respond. Any advice I get will be greatly appreciated.

Some of that is salt build up.. Nor really a problem.

If you have mold growing on the top of your rocks then cover the top so light can not get in there.

You can take a pcs of platic and cut a slit in it and put that around the base of your plant.


Best of luck.

I added plastic sheeting to cover the net pots, and based on the recommendations from a post in the grasscity forums I also sprayed the base of each plant with 3% hydrogen peroxide diluted to 1%.

Other than the possible salt/mold/dried nutes -- how's everything look?

i was going to say salt buildup but it could be a fungus whats your himidity like ? i would just lay down some white plastic around the plant and stop light getting in , give it a week it should die off

even maybe buy an anti fungal spray

Salt buildup from nutrients evaporating. Happens to mine as well

Salt buildup.. its normal