Rahz
Well-Known Member
My experience is that new containers can be problematic because there is no established beneficial microbial culture. Bleaching them is only a temporary solution since it also prevents the formation of useful cultures. Using only synthetics doesn't prevent the formation of cultures in the media, so regardless of the game plan something is going to be growing on those roots. An established reservoir with a healthy bennie population could in theory be ran indefinitely without the addition of more bennies/carbs. A sterile reservoir without a culture is going to develop one. Even under ideal conditions root rot can be the first culture to establish in a new setup and would need to be dealt with.
Having said that, it's important to note that when it comes to establishing cultures not a lot is needed. 1/32 teaspoons of dry bennies and 1/16 teaspoons of a carb per gallon is enough to establish a culture in a sterile medium, or maintain a reasonable degree of activity in an established system. Using lots of sugar in hydro doesn't make sense and can easily take a situation from bad to worse. If conditions are ideal it shouldn't take much to sway the growth in ones favor.
So, generally speaking most microbial problems are going to stem from less than ideal conditions, but it can be useful to treat new setups with at least a dose of something beneficial to start things off right. The addition of bennies can be useful in correcting problems in established root systems rather than trying to sterilize, but should be a supplement to correcting the actual cause, whether PPM, PH, Temp, or oxygen content.
Having said that, it's important to note that when it comes to establishing cultures not a lot is needed. 1/32 teaspoons of dry bennies and 1/16 teaspoons of a carb per gallon is enough to establish a culture in a sterile medium, or maintain a reasonable degree of activity in an established system. Using lots of sugar in hydro doesn't make sense and can easily take a situation from bad to worse. If conditions are ideal it shouldn't take much to sway the growth in ones favor.
So, generally speaking most microbial problems are going to stem from less than ideal conditions, but it can be useful to treat new setups with at least a dose of something beneficial to start things off right. The addition of bennies can be useful in correcting problems in established root systems rather than trying to sterilize, but should be a supplement to correcting the actual cause, whether PPM, PH, Temp, or oxygen content.