DWC pH help please!

Al B. Fuct said:

oh, and.. if your pH is bumping up and you suspect fungal problems, it's solved by adding 50% grade H2O2 @ 1ml/L of nute solution, every 3-4 days.

DWC ops run without H2O2 often have fungal probs in the roots. When it's really bad, it looks like a gel coating the roots. H2O2 will solve it in a few days and prevent recurrence. You get the side benefit of enhanced root oxygenation when the H2O2 breaks down on contact with the fungus.

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Hi Al, nice to talk to you finaly
I'm pretty new to the whole thing, trying to learn....
I was wondering, in my res (chilled at 69/drain to waste) I get this slime stuff build up on my cords/lines that are submerged in the res. I'm not sure, but I think it is causing my ph to drop a bit over time. Is that so, or is it normal for the ph to wander down a little? (I use Aqua Flakes)

I have a couple more questions for you, but I'll hit you up on your thread, as to not hijack this one

Thanks mate,
Unity

unity said:

I get this slime stuff build up on my cords/lines that are submerged in the res. I'm not sure, but I think it is causing my ph to drop a bit over time.

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I'd expect the pH to go up rather than down, but there's little doubt that the goo is a fungal growth. It's a bucket of yummy food, it's hard to blame the little beggars for stopping in for a nosh. Regular application of H2O2 at the suggested rate will close the snack bar.

Al B. Fuct said:

I'd expect the pH to go up rather than down, but there's little doubt that the goo is a fungal growth. It's a bucket of yummy food, it's hard to blame the little beggars for stopping in for a nosh. Regular application of H2O2 at the suggested rate will close the snack bar.

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Thanks mate

Al B. Fuct said:

oh, and.. if your pH is bumping up and you suspect fungal problems, it's solved by adding 50% grade H2O2 @ 1ml/L of nute solution, every 3-4 days.

DWC ops run without H2O2 often have fungal probs in the roots. When it's really bad, it looks like a gel coating the roots. H2O2 will solve it in a few days and prevent recurrence. You get the side benefit of enhanced root oxygenation when the H2O2 breaks down on contact with the fungus.

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my res is about 60 litres, does the 50% mean i got to put loads of h2o2 in or does the 50% refer to a type of h202?? thing is my neighbour is a hairdresser and im broke so was baningon pinching some hydrogen peroxide off him...

got the tank temp down with aluminium foil and a reflective piece o plastic anyway and have water filtered some in a bucket ready for swapping....which leads me to the next question....willmy filtering minimise potential fungal problems considering the current tank is straight tapwater???

one final question...im usingflood and drain and have had ph problems ever since i built the system, yet the plants are loving their hydroton pebbles. Is the ph socritical with such a method considering im only flooding every 6 hours; once after thelights goout,one before they come on and at 6 hourly intervals inbetween.Im vegging at the mo but intend to flower in a week or two...attached a pic for your info and any help fromyou good people gratefully recieved, please feel free to chip in withany ideas/suggestions...

make tea not war

bob

bouncy bob said:

my res is about 60 litres, does the 50% mean i got to put loads of h2o2 in or does the 50% refer to a type of h202?? thing is my neighbour is a hairdresser and im broke so was baningon pinching some hydrogen peroxide off him...

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I'm referring to 50% grade H202 (supplied as 50% water, 50% H2O2), sometimes referred to as 'horticultural grade'. Applied at 1ml/L of tank volume every 3-4 days, so 100ml per 100L of tank volume. Usually found at hydroponics shops or chemical suppliers.

You can also use 35% "food grade" H2O2 (used for sterilising food prep equip), but the dose goes up to 1.7ml/L.

3% pharmacy & beauty grade H2O2 is very weak and not generally useful in hydroponics as it must be applied at 17ml/L. Gets out of hand when dosing large tanks every 3-4 days.

.willmy filtering minimise potential fungal problems considering the current tank is straight tapwater???

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Probably not. If your tank is open to air, spores will land in your nutes and colonise them that way.

one final question...im usingflood and drain and have had ph problems ever since i built the system,

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what sort of pH problems? Rising? If so, can be caused by fungal crap, will be sorted with H2O2.

Is the ph socritical with such a method

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Yes; in hydroponics, if the solution pH is wrong, certain nutrients can be 'locked out' or made unavailable to the plant. This will reveal as nute deficiencies despite adequate nute strength. The ideal pH is about 5.8. Bad things start happening outside of 5.5-6.3.

I'd flood more often than every 6h in pellets.

Al B. Fuct said:

Duly noted on the h2o2andthanks again for sharing your knowledge...me thinksim going to change the water and seal the tank with cling film.... fingers x'd...when i harvest can afford a proper tank with a lid

I'd flood more often than every 6h in pellets.

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just changed to every 4 hours in light for 15mins a blast....will that be sufficient???

a friend has given me some oxyplus....will that do for starters???

bouncy bob said:

just changed to every 4 hours in light for 15mins a blast....will that be sufficient???

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15 mins is a bit long. You're probably using a mechanical timer that only allows 15 min increment settings. Go pick up a digital timer. They can be programmed in single minute increments. Flood up to the overflow level and then shut down your pump. Depending on your tray size and pump capacity, that will be a little closer to 2-4 mins.

bouncy bob said:

a friend has given me some oxyplus....will that do for starters???

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Oxyplus is a brand name used by a number of wholesalers and retailers for H2O2 which they have repackaged from bulk containers. Most often, it IS 50% grade, which is just what you need. Check the label.

Downside to buying little (500ml-1L) bottles of 'Oxyplus' is that the per litre price will be jacked WAY up. Not at all unusual to see the stuff at $15/litre or more.

I buy 25L 'carboy' jugs of 50% H2O2 from a wholesale chemical supplier, about $125 ($5/litre), lasts months and months.

Al B. Fuct said:

15 mins is a bit long. You're probably using a mechanical timer that only allows 15 min increment settings. Go pick up a digital timer. They can be programmed in single minute increments. Flood up to the overflow level and then shut down your pump. Depending on your tray size and pump capacity, that will be a little closer to 2-4 mins.

Oxyplus is a brand name used by a number of wholesalers and retailers for H2O2 which they have repackaged from bulk containers. Most often, it IS 50% grade, which is just what you need. Check the label.

Downside to buying little (500ml-1L) bottles of 'Oxyplus' is that the per litre price will be jacked WAY up. Not at all unusual to see the stuff at $15/litre or more.

I buy 25L 'carboy' jugs of 50% H2O2 from a wholesale chemical supplier, about $125 ($5/litre), lasts months and months.

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got a digi anyway....prob about 3 mins i rekon....i have 2 pumps but one rises 2.75m so think that will be overkill...

unfortunately im on a shoestring till harvest but any other money saving tips will be more than welcome...

peace

Pump capacity is a real non-critical issue in flood ops. As long as the pump can fill the tray to the overflow tube in a few mins, cool.

If you're using pellet media, it's better to flood more often for shorter periods. It won't take long to saturate the rootballs, no point in flooding longer than it takes to hit the overflow. Draining back causes fresh air to be drawn into the media.

BTW, 50% H2O2 should be handled with EXTREME caution. It will give you chemical burns on contact. Use rubber gloves and eye protection. If it contacts your skin flood with water promptly.

You seriously don't want this stuff in your eyes. Don't use straight 50% grade H2O2 in a spray bottle! If you want a plant-safe disinfecting spray, dilute with 10 parts water to 1 part H2O2.

Al B. Fuct said:

Pump capacity is a real non-critical issue in flood ops. As long as the pump can fill the tray to the overflow tube in a few mins, cool.

If you're using pellet media, it's better to flood more often for shorter periods. It won't take long to saturate the rootballs, no point in flooding longer than it takes to hit the overflow. Draining back causes fresh air to be drawn into the media.

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more often??? me flodding 5 mins every 4 hours in light...then two in dark...is 6 enough in 24 hours????

off to get me some open sesame soon...me biatches need to flower as getting too damn big...

and my ph/sludge problem is now sorted thanks to tin foil and baby sterilising fluid...

and by the way when betty and stil are blooming(bearing in mind they are both in big buckets of soil) how much/often should i be feeding my biatches? its a bit of a pain doin hydro and soil in the same room but got no choice sadly as bang out of space....

thanks again forallyour help

bob

7 is not bad LOL. You want it between 6.5-7. Yes purified water is very friendly. Fulvic Acid and Humic Acid also act as a NATURAL PH down when used together.

bouncy bob said:

more often??? me flodding 5 mins every 4 hours in light...then two in dark...is 6 enough in 24 hours????

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No need to flood in lights-off.

If I were using pellets, I'd flood 5x/lights-on, about 3-5min per, or to the overflow level then shut down, however long that takes in your system.

What's a biatch?

LiveVibe said:

7 is not bad LOL. You want it between 6.5-7. Yes purified water is very friendly.

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6.5-7 is way too high for acid-soil loving cannabis. This will lock out Zn, Fe, and Mn, causing apparent deficiencies despite nutrient ppm being adequate. 5.8 is the magic number.

Purified water may be 'friendly' (does it say 'how do you do?' ) but it's fully unnecessary. Distilled & RO water will be absent Ca & Mg found in ordinary tap water and they will have to be replaced with supplements.

Al B. Fuct said:

No need to flood in lights-off.

If I were using pellets, I'd flood 5x/lights-on, about 3-5min per, or to the overflow level then shut down, however long that takes in your system.

What's a biatch?

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biatch = old mother

i only flood just after lights out and once just before lights on cos someone on this site said it was cool to do so...

peace

bouncy bob said:

i only flood just after lights out and once just before lights on cos someone on this site said it was cool to do so...

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The plants transpire almost nothing in lights-off and thus don't need flooding.

Flood pellets right at lights-on instead of significantly (hours) before. If, for example, flowering lights come on at 12:00, flood times will be 12:00, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, 8:00, & 10:00, only for the duration required to reach the overflow..

hello ali

all goodin dahood....

quick question....

air extraction at night or no???? considering they produce co2 at night was thinking no but any helpgratefully recieved...

bob

bouncy bob said:

air extraction at night or no????

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Nope, no need.

considering they produce co2 at night

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They do?

Al B. Fuct said:

Nope, no need.



They do?

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THEY DO.....

thanks ali bongo...

make tea not war