DWC Root Slime Cure aka How to Breed Beneficial Microbes

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Heis...I noticed you have amended your recipe and instructions. Note two posts back I am considering giving up on DWC at least temporarily. I'm getting too far behind as I was hoping to induce flower by Nov 1 and my root mass is pretty much a no go for that now. I'm thinking I have one more rez sterilization in me....Since my roots are so bad off and my plants are fairly small with not much roots anyway should I just snip them just below the net pots...how bad will that shock them? The weaker ones are already wilting....I've been misting them and it seems to help somewhat but I want to rid of this issue so I can grow happily.

wheeelman said:

Heis...I noticed you have amended your recipe and instructions. Note two posts back I am considering giving up on DWC at least temporarily. I'm getting too far behind as I was hoping to induce flower by Nov 1 and my root mass is pretty much a no go for that now. I'm thinking I have one more rez sterilization in me....Since my roots are so bad off and my plants are fairly small with not much roots anyway should I just snip them just below the net pots...how bad will that shock them? The weaker ones are already wilting....I've been misting them and it seems to help somewhat but I want to rid of this issue so I can grow happily.

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If you are having problems with the tea, the quickest fix is to switch to ebb and flow, coco drip to waste or even soil. Ebb and Flow will give you comparable results.

Some plants just do not come back from extensive slime damage. I lost multiple strains myself. Damaged roots rarely spring back to life. If your roots have been damaged all the way up to the base your plant is probably lost. If you see any hint of white or new growth, you still have a chance. If you follow the tea recipe and application you should see new shoots within a few days. If you still get slime, chances are you are adding something that is causing the problem.

For the wilting plants, try to increase the humidity and decrease the light/heat. Also try a very light foliar feed.

It's possible to snip about 20% of the root ball without seriously affecting the plant. Anything more is going to have a shock effect proportional to the amount removed. It's possible to remove as much as 90% away from a healthy plant without killing it, but it would take weeks to recover. The plant will always try to balance it's canopy and root ball, so if you cut a bunch of one the other wont grow until it's replaced. Dead roots are already gone and should be removed, all others, give them a chance.

Thanks..could be some of the nutes I'm using! I will have to go take another look. Also, I was adding nutes straight away but I see you said give it 12 hours or so before adding them back.

EDIT:

I just went take another look...the smell is actually subsiding some. I took a sample of water in a clear cup and it looked slightly tinted but no brown algae looking particles like usual...the water was basically clear with a tint. The roots don't look exactly slimy so I'm thinking that the brown somewhat foamy was just residual from the previous outbreak and the new bennies working on the roots. My ph is still not staying stable but I'm thinking the bennies are finally starting to do work. Do you know if the brown algae can out pace the bennies initially?

Also, the snotty stuff started to grow on the sides at the water line but it isn't really snotty anymore and kind of feels like the bennies were killing it off? I have also have a bit of bubble accumulation on the surface not quite a foam but almost. Sort of like in the brew...I don't recall that int he first run but is that a good sign?

Surface bubbles is a sign of biological activity. Combined with reduction in bad smell, it is very likely that the tea is fighting off the slime. Keep up the tea regimen with maintenance doses over the next week. Watch your temps and additives and let's see how it works out for you. Good luck!

Cheers,
Mr.bond

Thanks Bond....I think I will!!! I just added more Aquashield direct to the rez and also ZHO to the RapidRooter cubes and root area. I have another batch of tea brewing...a question though is nights have been cold so I left a space heater near the tea and I left it a bit high overnight by accident...I have good bubbles and foam already but the water wasn't hot by any means but certainly warm to the touch. I'm wondering how much heat they can take before it having an adverse effect?

Thanks again though for the response. One more thing I added a humidity dome with a foiler feed...hopefully that tides them over till the new roots appear.

Found an article: http://www.enotes.com/microbiology-encyclopedia/mesophilic-bacteria

Excessive heat can squeeze out the dissolved oxygen in the water, creating anaerobic conditions, and fostering in the bad smell and bad bacteria. If the tea brew was warm but smells ok then you should be fine. Trying to brew the tea above 90F would probably be difficult.

cheers
mr.bond

Glad I stuck it out...wilting is subsiding somewhat and there is new root growth starting to appear!!! PH has stabilized also!!!

On another note the tea did go bad...had a foul smell last night which was the end of the brew so I'm starting another. I should have enough in the rez to brew another batch and I will also just add the aquashield to the rez in the mean time.

Hey guys,

Still battling the slime, but I have a question. If i run the tea in my veg room in order to get everything healthy will it be ok to switch to a sterile system once into bloom or will this open up opportunity for bad things?

sprechenz said:

Hey guys,

Still battling the slime, but I have a question. If i run the tea in my veg room in order to get everything healthy will it be ok to switch to a sterile system once into bloom or will this open up opportunity for bad things?

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I actually do the exact opposite. I run sterile veg when the plants are young and roots sensitive. when I go into flower and the plants are more robust I use the beni's which will also increase uptake and overall health of the plant (within reason).

legallyflying said:

I actually do the exact opposite. I run sterile veg when the plants are young and roots sensitive. when I go into flower and the plants are more robust I use the beni's which will also increase uptake and overall health of the plant (within reason).

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That's the way I've understood it worked best. Well, that it was MOST beneficial during flowering.

hi guys,i been using the tea for about 6 weeks now and have notice some brown stuff on my roots and stems. Am i over dosing the tea or is this the dreaded brown slime? The older ones either develop roots or mushy stems. Only seen this in my cloner, do not know if clonex liquid is interfering with the tea. Also, water temps are on the low side at 67-69.

sprechenz said:

Hey guys,

Still battling the slime, but I have a question. If i run the tea in my veg room in order to get everything healthy will it be ok to switch to a sterile system once into bloom or will this open up opportunity for bad things?

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If your roots are robust and healthy, you will probably be okay. Doesn't make sense to me, but you should be able to do it.

georgeforeman said:

hi guys,i been using the tea for about 6 weeks now and have notice some brown stuff on my roots and stems. Am i over dosing the tea or is this the dreaded brown slime? The older ones either develop roots or mushy stems. Only seen this in my cloner, do not know if clonex liquid is interfering with the tea. Also, water temps are on the low side at 67-69.

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That is not the 'classic' slime, which is why new root tips are growing out of it. That clone should be fine, though it will probably stall before it takes off. That black sludge is the same as I got in my bubble cloner, with or without the tea. It does not hinder roots too much after they form, but it will make it very hard for the cutting to initiate roots. The trick is to add some housing for the bennies, such as floating hydroton, and change water every 2 days, or take a look at my clone setup here for the best way to incorporate tea into a cloner.

Yeah, i think frequent water changes is the key with aero cloners.

Heisenberg said:

That is not the 'classic' slime, which is why new root tips are growing out of it. That clone should be fine, though it will probably stall before it takes off. That black sludge is the same as I got in my bubble cloner, with or without the tea. It does not hinder roots too much after they form, but it will make it very hard for the cutting to initiate roots. The trick is to add some housing for the bennies, such as floating hydroton, and change water every 2 days, or take a look at my clone setup here for the best way to incorporate tea into a cloner.

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wow, what a relief. I am going to sleep better tonight! thanks heisenberg. So just change the water every 3rd day and add more tea? Also, i will start to clone in hydroton.
Also, i dont have to worry about my veg roots because they are established? Here are some pics, no sign of brown roots anywhere.

georgeforeman said:

wow, what a relief. I am going to sleep better tonight! thanks heisenberg. So just change the water every 3rd day and add more tea? Also, i will start to clone in hydroton.
Also, i dont have to worry about my veg roots because they are established? Here are some pics, no sign of brown roots anywhere.

View attachment 1862848View attachment 1862849View attachment 1862850

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yeah those look good georgeforeman... i dont see any sign of slime from those pics. although your water line seems a bit high in your DWC bucket. i wouldnt say your roots are established just yet, you'll know when you have a massive root ball in there... and you dont necessarily need to change your water every 3rd day, just top off with the tea every 3rd day... other than that looks like your grow is off to a great start!

cheers,
mr.bond

I use Oregonism XL in place of the ZHO. Is this a solid substitution?

http://www.aurorainnovations.org/oregonism_xl.html

neobes said:

I use Oregonism XL in place of the ZHO. Is this a solid substitution?

http://www.aurorainnovations.org/oregonism_xl.html

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Sure, Oregonism is similar to mycogrow in that it is already diverse. I have heard of people successfully fighting off slime using it alone.

Did some reading today...

If you are adding ZHO or some other fungal inoculant (not those mixed with bacteria) add it at the end of tea making, or add it directly to the res. We already knew mycos do not activate in the tea, and it seems most other fungi do not have time to multiply in 48 hours. Some fungi like trichoderma will germinate and grow bigger in the tea, but not reach fruiting stage. The more time myco spores stay in the tea, the more likely they are to be destroyed or eaten. You can encourage more fungi (and feed bacteria) if you add a little fruit rind to the tea.