Simple DWC in 25 gallon tote

Mgalekgolo

Active Member
Water res temp is ~67.8 degrees F, ambient is 76-80 degrees
PPM is 556
PH is high at 6.3

The new growth seems to be happening very fast in comparison to soil, and with the length of the roots vs the amount of growth I feel like these have the potential to become some monsters.
It also doesn't exactly look right to me, it's very possible my nutrients are imbalanced.

I think it's time to switch out the solution in the res, I will be going to walmart to see if I can find some RO water.

Still unsure about root rot, I don't think I have it but how do I tell for sure? When I run my fingers along the roots I get a brownish liquid that has no smell.

20190217_122530.jpg


20190217_122643.jpg

20190217_122626.jpg

 

Attachments

Mgalekgolo

Active Member
Switched out my water res today, used the drill pump to remove the existing water using a mesh screen I found at walmart next to kitchen sink department held on with a zip tie. Emptied into a 5 gal bucket and took a little over 4 trips, probably a minute to fill the bucket with the drill pump and my drill on 2, very quick. Used a 2 pack of washer hose to screw onto the drill pump. Thank you again, OldMed. Great suggestion. I also washed the entire tub and air hoses, it wasn't really dirty but I wanted it to be clean.

Used 1/4 of the recommended dose using a 1:1:1 of the GH trio, giving me a reading of 443PPM. Will be increasing this as I see fit. Also added 2ML of the fungicide. Also added I think 5 ML of calmag, not sure if I need calmag but I used it.

I took the net pots and washed the roots with tap water, and they're a nice white color with some light beige staining now.

So 443 PPM
5.56PH

20190217_183635.jpg
 

jjng5

Well-Known Member
So ec in most cases is interchangeable with PPM? Nice chart, thanks!
For the most part. PPM meters are usually a little cheaper and easier to find at lower price points. EC is a new technology; but PPM uses EC in the way it calculates ppm anyways. So whats the big difference?
 

jjng5

Well-Known Member
Mgalekgolo -- I see you're having some root disease issues in there... isn't that the most frustrating!
 

newguy123

Well-Known Member
Hey man just wanted to drop by and give you some adveice since I started the same way but even smaller.

I started with a 14G tote and then built a 27G tote like yours, tote from home depot and added a drain valve with a bulkhead fitting so I could change the res easily.

Let me tell you right now, if you want the best hydro setup for a home grow, get a waterfarm and it will give your great result with simplicity.

 
Last edited:

Keesje

Well-Known Member
For the most part. PPM meters are usually a little cheaper and easier to find at lower price points. EC is a new technology; but PPM uses EC in the way it calculates ppm anyways. So whats the big difference?
I don't think it is a new system, but perhaps a system that is not widely used in the US yet.
In my opinion using EC is far better, because you can make no mistakes.
With this I mean that several companies use different ppm systems as this pic shows.



So the pic shows that an EC can have different outcomes with different brands of meters or nutes.
Where as EC is always the same.
It is a bit the same with Gallon. I read a post by someone and was wondering about the amount of water he used.
Turns out he was from the UK and used British Gallon is different.
1 UK Gallon = 0.83 US Gallon.
Liters is way simpeler, especially because it divides easier by factor 10.
Not saying that the US or Britain should adopt the metric system (although it would be easier in the end for everybody, as Sheldon Cooper states) but for 'scientists' as we are on this forum, it would be easier.
 

jjng5

Well-Known Member
@Mgalekgolo you def have root rot my man. In your earlier photo the brown sludge on the roots looked like early root rot but I couldn't be sure if it wasn't just brown stain on your roots from the res but in your follow up photo where the roots were looking stringy and less white in color there was no question.

When this happens I'd give beneficial a try for a very brief time. You did the right thing; washed the roots under water, change res, add beneficials, etc... and if no better in a short time then switch to a sterile res. Buy some calcium hypocholorite cheap online -- a pound of this stuff will cost you maybe $10 and last you forever. Dilute it down to the "pool shock" recipe and then add 1mL/gal of res.

Don't bother adding H2O2 to your res, it's a waste of time. H2O2 does not kill many root rot Pythium or related diseases. I wish people on here would stop recommending H2O2 as a solution. It's fine to utilize as a cleaning and disinfection agent. It's good at cleaning brown sludge off your roots if you want to them soak in a bucket. But that's it. Calcium hypocholorite diluted to pool shock formula, 1mL per gal, re-added every 3 days. No more root problems guaranteed.
 
Last edited:

Grow24/7

Well-Known Member
Hey man just wanted to drop by and give you some adveice since I started the same way but even smaller.

I started with a 14G tote and then built a 27G tote like yours, tote from home depot and added a drain valve with a bulkhead fitting so I could change the res easily.

Let me tell you right now, if you want the best hydro setup for a home grow, get a waterfarm and it will give your great result with simplicity.

Ever use Octopots before. I my self have thought about the waterfarm set up. Do you get good results with them. because I have never seen any thing that great in waterfarm setup.
 

Mgalekgolo

Active Member
I think I got most of the root rot, I skipped changing the res for now as an experiment. I cut a small amount of the roots off the plant on the right, cleaned off the brown shit on both of them and added more of the ag garden friendly fungicide. Most of the brown stuff was at the top of the roo
ts.
20190304_130112.jpg

The plants didn't seem to notice the roots being cut, nothing really unusual in terms of growth except how fast the plants are growing. Small brown dots however on a handful of leaves.

I raised the light to encourage stretch.



20190304_130101.jpg

The plant on the right had shorter roots, took longer to recover and is definitely smaller but not by much.

20190304_130105.jpg

I'm thinking I need to increase nutes from 900PPM to 1100, I'll do that when I replace the res.
 

athomegrowing

Well-Known Member
If you were dedicated to make 4 plants work in that one bin, look in to using very fine mesh to hold the root ball. I'd put an air stone at the bottom of each netted slot and let the roots grow. Would probably help to secure the net to the floor of the tub, so its not like a bag twisting around in the water. Perhaps secure the net like quadrant to the inside of the tub.
 
Top