My roots are slightly brown. What do?

Hello,

I just started doing hydroponics the roots are turning brown I think it might be the “brown slime algae”.


What I use:
DWC 5 gallon
4 cherry tomato’s 8~inches tall soon with 4 peppers... at some point it'll be "something else"
Air pump with 2x 6inch air stones
Drip system with .5gal/h drippers (on 30mins every two hours)
Sledgehammer from foxfarm (2-3 drops a week) *there is very little to no brown algae in the water tank.
LED light panel (think it’s equal to 100watts) and a 65watt grown light
DWC is inside a reflexive box I built so light bounces around.
Temp is around 70F
PPM: 500-650
PH: 5.5-ish
Nutrients 15-5-15:
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS:
TOTAL NITROGEN(N).......... ..............15.0%
01.1% ammoniacal nitrogen
11.8% nitrate nitrogenn
02.1% urea nitrogen
Available Phosphate(P2O5) ................ 5.0%
SOLUBLE POTASH (K2O) .................... 15.0%
Calcium (Ca) ............................. 5%
Magnesium (Mg) (Total) ................... 2%
02.0% water soluble magnesium (Mg)
Boron (B) ................................ 0.0187%
Copper (Cu) .............................. 0.0187%
0.0187% water soluble copper (Cu)
Iron (Fe) ................................ 0.0750%
0.0750% cheleaste iron (Fe)
Manganese (Mn) (Total) ................... 0.0375%
0.0375% water soluble manganese (Mn)
Molybdenum (Mo) .......................... 0.0075%
Zinc (Zn) ................................ 0.0375%


I read about Mycogrow with earth worn castings should I try doing that or something else?

Also where can I order it? no hydroponic stores around here.

You're growing tomatoes and peppers then you post on a cannabis forum? SURE

Do you have pics of the roots? If you do have algae, it's been there more than a few as it's already starting to deprive the roots of oxygen. On top of that, assuming the algae is decomposing, it may introduce toxins into the system, pretty much opening the flood gate for pythium. That said, algae requires light to grow.. control light to all critical points.. and I would also peroxide the system and give it a good scrub at any point accessable.

(Proviso: Am brand new to hydro, but have a solid background in horticulture. I am sure there's other methods, techniques, and mixes that may prove more useful depending on the type of algae identified, how bad it is in the system, etc.. so by all means just take my advice as questionable until someone else chimes in - it wouldn't bother me, and would rather not see plants die as a result of my advice - there's a few others who've already given advice that killed the plants of other RIU members.. I don't wish to join that club.)

Have you tried h2o2? otherwise known as Hydrogen Peroxide?

It's great for hydro applications... I'm not gonna go into detail about the science of it, but essentially, the h2o2 splits and whats left is 1 oxygen molecule and h2o... H2o being water and the extra oxygen molecule helps to provide extra oxygen to your roots... and somehow it cures root rot and I believe algae as well.

I used to do 2 tsp. per gallon of solution of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide... building up from a half strength starter dose

hope this helps

and I forgot... h2o2 dissipates very quickly. I would add 2 tsp. per gallon of 3% hydrogen peroxide straight into my reservoir every morning


also, airstones? how many airstones do you have in your reservoir aerating your water?

hit it with h202 and start some [h=3]Heisenberg Tea and your good[/h]

mr2shim said:

You're growing tomatoes and peppers then you post on a cannabis forum? SURE

Click to expand...

I'm going expend once I understand the basic's just figured tomatoes and peppers were a good starting point -_-

PersonalJesus said:

and I forgot... h2o2 dissipates very quickly. I would add 2 tsp. per gallon of 3% hydrogen peroxide straight into my reservoir every morning


also, airstones? how many airstones do you have in your reservoir aerating your water?

Click to expand...

2x 6inch air stones. I'll try some Hydrogen Peroxide till I can get a Heisenberg tea going.

Thanks for the help.