Plants are having a rough time!

Need some help here. New run started 2.5 weeks ago and seedlings are not growing like they should. The one shown is actually the biggest of 6. Running low pressure sprayers. EC at .395 with a base of .2. PH at 5.8-.9. The only thing thats changed with this run is I have replaced the screen in the 3" drain with copper mesh, hoping it would stop roots from getting into the res. Could this be leaching into the water and hindering growth? I am going to remove it I guess but fucking roots are unstoppable. Any thoughts? Also Im running them under T5's with 2 @ 6500, 1 @ 3500, and one actinic blue, is the actinic keeping them short, thats new as well.

If you have 4 6500s use only those for now. The 3500 and actinic will definitely slow things down compared to the 6500.. The 6500 is for veg.
EDIT: Ive done this too, with antic and other exotic aquarium bulbs and always have slower growth.

Could be something simple like an overlooked calibration of pH pen. It happens

I recommend water change with any problems while running hydro.

Cheap, easy, and normally solves any problems.

It's the copper.
Copper and Nutriants do not mix.
Replace the copper screen with some silk screen mesh. You can get silk screen mesh at any art store.
Paint strainers work well too.

Mustaine4prez said:

It's the copper.
Copper and Nutriants do not mix.
Replace the copper screen with some silk screen mesh. You can get silk screen mesh at any art store.
Paint strainers work well too.

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On it and yup tried all above. Cheap PH pen so calibrate lots, change water every 5-7 days, root tips on some are brown as well but just tge vey tips.

Thanks folks!!!

Mustaine4prez said:

It's the copper.
Copper and Nutriants do not mix.
Replace the copper screen with some silk screen mesh. You can get silk screen mesh at any art store.
Paint strainers work well too.

Click to expand...

I have lots of screen from a hash machine I built years ago, time to repurpose the old tumbler lol. Did make some superb black though. So the copper is out and silkscreen will go in Saturday. Keep it updated along with diary.

Cu interferes with Fe uptake among other things.

Thanks hotrod! I'm hoping they pick up. I was hoping the copper would stop roots from going into main res but it stopped the plants from growing I think lol. Do they not use copper paint on pots to make them root pruning? Oh well, dont try, dont learn I guess.

bellcore said:

If you have 4 6500s use only those for now. The 3500 and actinic will definitely slow things down compared to the 6500.. The 6500 is for veg.
EDIT: Ive done this too, with antic and other exotic aquarium bulbs and always have slower growth.

Click to expand...

Hmmm yup got lots of 6500's and 2700's so I'll change em out to the sunblaster 6500's, thanks! See this was the experimental grow and it went to shit lol. Should have stuck with the tried and true .

Ok changed lights, removed copper, refilled with 60ml of grow, 30ml of root nutes, teeny bit of cal mag, and now we wait lol.

Budley Doright said:

Ok changed lights, removed copper, refilled with 60ml of grow, 30ml of root nutes, teeny bit of cal mag, and now we wait lol.

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So.....
How is everything looking?

Well not great lol. Perhaps this is the culprit. Res temps got to around 71 which is not usually a problem but proof is in the puddin as they say. I've lowered temps and hooking up a chilled glycol loop with a heat exchanger I had lying around. Also added a bit of bleach today so we'll see. This run has been a real challenge and I'm only three weeks in. So is that rot? Never really had it before but no smell and roots are firm, not squishy. Could it be discoloration?

No bleach. If you need to clean your roots in a hydro system use H202 (hydrogen peroxide) store bought 3% at 5ml per gal to start. Also, the roots are going to find their way to the res no matter what you put in the netpots. This isnt a bad thing if you keep your res cool, clean and fresh. Also, just a heads up -if you run organic nutes, H202 will kill off any organic microbes in the nutes rendering them less effective/useless. Hope this helps you in some way!

Budley Doright said:

Well not great lol. View attachment 3533347 Perhaps this is the culprit. Res temps got to around 71 which is not usually a problem but proof is in the puddin as they say. I've lowered temps and hooking up a chilled glycol loop with a heat exchanger I had lying around. Also added a bit of bleach today so we'll see. This run has been a real challenge and I'm only three weeks in. So is that rot? Never really had it before but no smell and roots are firm, not squishy. Could it be discoloration?

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i been running this product line for almost a year now works great in DWC http://www.skunklabshc.com/
the tea complete well help them roots if your setup is running right h2o2 won't help just slow down growth 3% not strong I've used 35% did not work. hydroguard did not work for me..
it was the nute i was using not for DWC had organics in it change to skinklab and have not look back plants stay green all the way to harvests.

Not sure how h202 slows growth? It oxygenates the water and the roots and the only byproduct of it is water. Its cheap as dirt and readily available at any drugstore. Only real downfall to using it is it will kill off beneficial bacteria along with the bad bacteria if you are running organics.

HydroRed said:

Not sure how h202 slows growth? It oxygenates the water and the roots and the only byproduct of it is water. Its cheap as dirt and readily available at any drugstore. Only real downfall to using it is it will kill off beneficial bacteria along with the bad bacteria if you are running organics.

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was my plant just stop growing nothing seem to work that's all... did use the tea saved plant and it grew to finish but tasted like shit

https://www.rollitup.org/Journal/Entry/dwc-grow-2.30807/#comment-38194

HydroRed said:

No bleach. If you need to clean your roots in a hydro system use H202 (hydrogen peroxide) store bought 3% at 5ml per gal to start. Also, the roots are going to find their way to the res no matter what you put in the netpots. This isnt a bad thing if you keep your res cool, clean and fresh. Also, just a heads up -if you run organic nutes, H202 will kill off any organic microbes in the nutes rendering them less effective/useless. Hope this helps you in some way!

Click to expand...

OK. This guy has it right. Only thing is that the store bought 3% H202 is garbage in a Hydroponic system.
Get 29% or higher.
And it will NOT Kill roots, the roots love the extra Oxygen. Just follow the directions on the bottle. Assuming you buy it at the Hydro store.

Why not bleach? Everyone says not to use it but not why lol. It's basically chlorine right? Anyways I have used h2o2, tea, and straight beanies but this root thing is new. Also my net pots are in a upper tote with res below with sprayers, just trying to stop roots from getting into pump.