DWC Root Slime Cure aka How to Breed Beneficial Microbes
- Thread starter Heisenberg
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Chargermane
Member
Chargermane
Member
So if I were to use the Mycogrow instead, what would be the amount of the mycogrow for the 2 gallons?
Heisenberg
Well-Known Member
In my experience since writing this thread, the biggest factor for bringing on slime for me is temperatures. If you already have an established consortium of bennies they will help guard against high res temps, but if you currently have slime you have to get your res temps down for them to have a chance. I've said before that correcting res conditions is the first thing that should be done. If you have slime then it's a good bet that res conditions are bad, but it's not a sure thing. You may have perfect res conditions and simply added the wrong product which brought on slime. In any case, bennies will have limited effectiveness unless you get your res temps down to low 70's.
I no longer brew tea for maintenance. I use kangaroots for some base bennies when I place plants into flower, and only once. I do this to ensure I have vigorous roots and also to prevent gnats breeding in the water. At 10ml per 5 gallons, a bottle lasts a long time. Before plants go into flower, I use no bennies. Instead I use rhizotonic which causes an explosion of roots. This is sloppy - I should be using some bennies on young plants. Since I do not, I have been slimed the last two summers. That has happened because I have forgotten to turn on the exhaust fan for my tent the last two summers (don't need it in the winter or spring) and the tent has gotten hot. It's usually less than 24hrs before I have discovered the problem, but, both summers, that short time was enough to bring on slime. It's interesting to note that it only affected newly rooted cuttings. The mothers in the tent were unaffected.
Now, I recommend people follow my original instructions for fighting slime because every situation is different. However, my situation is such that I did not even change the res on the effected plants. Turning on my fan takes care of the temp problem, and I simply brewed some tea and added it. I didn't even rinse the slime from the roots. Two days later I can clearly see new root growth coming through the slime.
Anyway, my main point is that bennies can help you get things back to normal, but they will not circumvent improper res conditions, especially high temps/low oxygen.
"Slime" is a generic term. All that we can be sure of is that it's non-beneficial microbes growing out of control. Not everyone has the same type of slime. In my experience, slime is generally not pathogenic, but it does strangle roots cutting off their oxygen, and this can quickly lead to root rot (Pythium, Verticillium, Phytophthora, and Fusarium) which can eventually enter the plant's system.
I no longer brew tea for maintenance. I use kangaroots for some base bennies when I place plants into flower, and only once. I do this to ensure I have vigorous roots and also to prevent gnats breeding in the water. At 10ml per 5 gallons, a bottle lasts a long time. Before plants go into flower, I use no bennies. Instead I use rhizotonic which causes an explosion of roots. This is sloppy - I should be using some bennies on young plants. Since I do not, I have been slimed the last two summers. That has happened because I have forgotten to turn on the exhaust fan for my tent the last two summers (don't need it in the winter or spring) and the tent has gotten hot. It's usually less than 24hrs before I have discovered the problem, but, both summers, that short time was enough to bring on slime. It's interesting to note that it only affected newly rooted cuttings. The mothers in the tent were unaffected.
Now, I recommend people follow my original instructions for fighting slime because every situation is different. However, my situation is such that I did not even change the res on the effected plants. Turning on my fan takes care of the temp problem, and I simply brewed some tea and added it. I didn't even rinse the slime from the roots. Two days later I can clearly see new root growth coming through the slime.
Anyway, my main point is that bennies can help you get things back to normal, but they will not circumvent improper res conditions, especially high temps/low oxygen.
"Slime" is a generic term. All that we can be sure of is that it's non-beneficial microbes growing out of control. Not everyone has the same type of slime. In my experience, slime is generally not pathogenic, but it does strangle roots cutting off their oxygen, and this can quickly lead to root rot (Pythium, Verticillium, Phytophthora, and Fusarium) which can eventually enter the plant's system.
Chargermane
Member
A couple questions for you. I am just doing 3 stand alone DWC buckets and they all have root rot. When I clean them like you said using physan20, do I let them just sit there in the water with no bubbles? Also, I just have the mycogrow, ancient forest and the molasses. Can you give the amount of mycogrow to use when I brew the tea? ( since i am not using ZHO powder and the other stuff)
Thank you!
Heisenberg
Well-Known Member
Bubbles are not important for the short time plants are soaking in physan. Physan tends to produce foam and a bubble stone may make it overflow.
I use about a 1/2 tablespoon of mycogrow for 3 gallons.
Stoned Tree
Member
Does anyone know if Floralicous Plus will feed the slime in DWC? I am going to be adding it with bennies but I am worried that bad stuff will feed off of it? I've realized that I had nowhere near enough air my first go and have bought a nice air spider thing from Modular Hydro. (I only had a single airstone before which bubbled just a portion of my res.) I believe I got mushy roots because of lack of O2 and high temps since the part of my roots that were out of the water and being misted were white but as soon as they went into the water they turned mushy.
Basically I got slimed my first go when I was using nutes and FP without bennies. I did add Bacillus Subtilis which cleared almost all of it up and it all collected in the bottom. My second go I didn't add FP but added Great White and some nutes and had no slime. I'm not sure if the slime stayed away because of the bennies or because I didn't add FP and it had nothing to feed on? Has anyone successfully used FP in DWC? Should I use it alongside bennies? Should I risk it? Would using it in a tea then adding it into the res lessen the effects of the FP? How should I go about doing this?
Thanks!
I have just hot knifed Budder. Now you have to do it too.
Basically I got slimed my first go when I was using nutes and FP without bennies. I did add Bacillus Subtilis which cleared almost all of it up and it all collected in the bottom. My second go I didn't add FP but added Great White and some nutes and had no slime. I'm not sure if the slime stayed away because of the bennies or because I didn't add FP and it had nothing to feed on? Has anyone successfully used FP in DWC? Should I use it alongside bennies? Should I risk it? Would using it in a tea then adding it into the res lessen the effects of the FP? How should I go about doing this?
Thanks!
I have just hot knifed Budder. Now you have to do it too.
Chargermane
Member
Eeeek...Started the tea before I saw this. I used about 2 teaspoons of the mycogrow for 1 gallon I'm brewing. I know I know..too much. As soon as I added that mycogrow to my bubbling gallon of water, it started foaming...almost over my bucket; had to scoop some of the foam out. It's all good now though. Is there such thing as adding too much mycogrow?
Heisenberg
Well-Known Member
You can use FP to feed the tea. The plants will still benefit from the substances but since it doesn't take as much to feed the tea it will be diluted. If you want to add it directly to the res you may want to add some bennies first, but in my experience, if you add it to well established plants with large healthy root balls, you'll probably be fine. If you're too worried about it you could try to set up a test bucket before you put it in the main res.Basically I got slimed my first go when I was using nutes and FP without bennies. I did add Bacillus Subtilis which cleared almost all of it up and it all collected in the bottom. My second go I didn't add FP but added Great White and some nutes and had no slime. I'm not sure if the slime stayed away because of the bennies or because I didn't add FP and it had nothing to feed on? Has anyone successfully used FP in DWC? Should I use it alongside bennies? Should I risk it? Would using it in a tea then adding it into the res lessen the effects of the FP? How should I go about doing this?
Thanks!
Heisenberg
Well-Known Member
The only danger of adding too much mycogrow is that the microbe population may explode and outstrip the oxygen. If you get an earthy or shroomy smell from your tea it should be fine. If there is any sort of foul odor, start over.
Heisenberg
Well-Known Member
To make good tea, microbes are needed. Where they come from is a matter of choice.
Stoned Tree
Member
Alright, thank you. How much FP should I be adding for a 2 gallon tea?
Chargermane
Member
Smells very earthy so I think I'm good. Ok, I brewed it for 48 hours, cleaned out all of my buckets and added one cup of tea per gallon. Going to let it sit there for 12 hours like you said before I add nutes. I don't need to adjust Ph right? Ph is at 8.0 with just the tea and RO water
Also, when I do add nutes and adjust Ph should I dilute the Ph?
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Chargermane
Member
Also Heisenberg, just check my roots. I was checking the air stones and noticed that my roots are brown now...looks like the tea particles are sticking to the roots or it stained it. Is this normal and does it go away? I saw in your first post about "after slime" but it doesn't really look like a "slime". Just kind of like dirt in the roots. And no, there were no chunks of anything in my tea
Chargermane
Member
Scroga
Well-Known Member
G
If the mycos are bieng devoured by the trichoderma and the like why bother?
Heisenberg
Well-Known Member
View attachment 3217646[/QUOTE]
Looks like afterslime to me. Looks like your problem has been corrected.
Looks like afterslime to me. Looks like your problem has been corrected.