RDWC -Slime /clogging water lines

Hey all

new to RDWC.I have a 4 bucket system (13gallon buckets) with res outside of tent. Waterfall setup with air stones.



Running a water chiller as well.
PH is maintained around 5.7 -6.0.
water temps consistently at 67 f

plants were going strong then noticed growth slowed dramatically.
After looking at roots, noticed some white/brown slime clinging to roots. Also noticed water wasn’t flowing as well into the buckets.

I took the system apart and sterilized it all.

however, when I was flushing water lines, this stuff started coming out!! Looked like slugs but was clumpy slime.





Any thoughts? I did soak roots in a h2o2 bathwhile cleaning the system and ran bleach through system after draining and cleaning buckets.

cheers!

Do you run a sterile rez? Many people use pool shock or h202. I personally use h202 every time I add to rez.

I’ve been running 29% h2o2. I’m using approximately 45 gallons of water and add 100ml of h2o2.

I read an old post on here to try brewing a tea and introduce bennies instead of a sterile environment.

Im thinking about trying that method. I picked up some Hydroguard, myco (soluble), EWC and blackstrap molasses (non sulphuric).

A g sales person at our local grow store sold me on enzymes and I added. That was when the stuff exploded. I’ve since read that enzymes are like food for slime/algae.

Thanks for the repl

Trying to eat here man. Wtf!

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Sterile is the way!

That being said if you are doing h202 and still had that shit in your water lines something else may be going on.

H202 and enzymes don't mix. It's either one or the other.

.01g pool shock per liter. Salt based nutes. You will never have another problem.

Pythium in bloom. Yuck! I've always used good old bleach in hydro. I would treat that with 5ppm and run 5-3ppm residual. I add about 0.1ml 5% in my 32 gallon reservoir, that's about 0.5ppm.

Last run I ran 3 ppm in DWC with white pristine roots. I eat those roots daily as tea, no rot taste or smell what so ever. Cheers!

Chlorine dilution calculator

Failmore said:

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Sterile is the way!

That being said if you are doing h202 and still had that shit in your water lines something else may be going on.

H202 and enzymes don't mix. It's either one or the other.

.01g pool shock per liter. Salt based nutes. You will never have another problem.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply!

Not sure why our local store told meI can run h2o2 and enzymes together.

I was under the impression Pool shock was chlorine and chlorine is bad for plants but at this point, I’m ready to try anything.

cheers

Wastei said:

Pythium in bloom. Yuck! I've always used good old bleach in hydro. I would treat that with 5ppm and run 5-3ppm residual. I add about 0.1ml 5% in my 32 gallon reservoir, that's about 0.5ppm.

Last run I ran 3 ppm in DWC with white pristine roots. I eat those roots daily as tea, no rot taste or smell what so ever. Cheers!

Chlorine dilution calculator

Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion.

Would you only add during Rez changes? (I’m every 7 days) or add every couple of days?

Redfella said:

Thanks for the reply!

Not sure why our local store told meI can run h2o2 and enzymes together.

I was under the impression Pool shock was chlorine and chlorine is bad for plants but at this point, I’m ready to try anything.

cheers

Click to expand...

As another member likes to point out. Chlorine is an element consumed by the cannabis plant.

I tried the non sterile rout, used hydroguard. Just had all sorts of problems with rot.

Used h202. Didn't work for me. Shit is 45$ for the good stuff and I needed 2 jugs for 1 grow.

Now I use pool shock, 20$ will last me years. .01grams per gallon. And yes it is chlorine.

My res does not smell like chlorine at all.

Had my first true successful grow with no problems or issues. Not first grow. Just first grow that didn't have lock out and issues during flower from res problems.

Redfella said:

Thanks for the suggestion.

Would you only add during Rez changes? (I’m every 7 days) or add every couple of days?

Click to expand...

My res is only 10 gallons. So during flower I top up often. Just add more when I top up. During veg ill add a pinch every 3 or 4 days.

Redfella said:

Thanks for the reply!

Not sure why our local store told meI can run h2o2 and enzymes together.

I was under the impression Pool shock was chlorine and chlorine is bad for plants but at this point, I’m ready to try anything.

cheers

Click to expand...

Chlorine is a tertiary nutrient for Cannabis. It's all minerals. Pool Shock (Calcium hypochlorite), bleach (Sodium hypochlorite) do the same thing. Our local bleach is very clean so I use that.

You get sodium either way left from the manufacturing process in Pool Shock so it doesn't really matter which one you use. The small amount is beneficial if anything, I mean 3 ppm chlorine is safe to drink.

Here's the roots mid run with regular bleach in DWC.

Failmore said:

My res is only 10 gallons. So during flower I top up often. Just add more when I top up. During veg ill add a pinch every 3 or 4 days.

Click to expand...

Thanks again. Will give it a go!

Wastei said:

Chlorine is a tertiary nutrient for Cannabis. It's all minerals. Pool Shock (Calcium hypochlorite), bleach (Sodium hypochlorite) do the same thing. Our local bleach is very clean so I use that.

You get sodium either way left from the manufacturing process in Pool Shock so it doesn't really matter which one you use. The small amount is beneficial if anything, I mean 3 ppm chlorine is safe to drink.

Click to expand...

Thanks again! Much appreciated

Pretty much what everyone else has mentioned. Dont think enzymes and sterile mix. For DWC ive been reading the cons far out way the pros when using Bennie's. Not saying it cant be done, but for simplicity sake sterile is the way to go. I used 30 ml's of 13% food grade h202 for every 5 gals added to the res. Also occasionally add 30 ml's to rez even if not adding nutes or water, just to keep the bad stuff at bay. Hope this helps and gets you track to get rid of that junk in your lines.

I'm new to DWC and been having brown slime problems with live res, H202 only really kept it at bay. I had some success with the tea, completely got rid. I just tried to re introduce enzymes but it took off again. Lots of people saying sterile res is a better route is easier and i think i may go that way next time.....
I'm trying a chlorine based additive to rinse at the end of each week, seems to work, probably just cut out the bennies and use it full time.