Ahw, root rot? Crap! Trying to fix now - pics

[enigma2118]

Hey there everyone. I was hoping to start my grow journal tonight, but it looks like I have a bit of an issue on my hands. Does this look like root rot to you, or just sediments collecting. I'm not using that much nuet yet, around 600PPM. You can see it on the roots and on the bucket where the water line is/was.

Here's some pics, I'm gonna go do a full res change now and go out and buy some more air line so I can place my air pump outside the cab.

Any help will be rewarded in the afterlife, I promise.

 

[enigma2118]

ps the browned tips where an older issue, not worried about it now, those were the original clone leaves, all the new ones since being put into the bubble bucket look great.

The plants don't seem to be suffering. Just want to make sure this isn't root rot. If it is I'll hydro-peroxide etc.

 

[enigma2118]

Okay, still not sure what the problem was. It looks like brown mud or brown dirt. This started when I introduced a full nuet mix, but I'm still at only week 1 nuet schedual according to FoxFarm. I do have the correct FF nuets by the by (hydro)

I'm thinking it is the nuets. It looks like the brown nuets I put in (big bloom) but why are they gathering on the roots and on the side of the bucket?

My best guess was it was the water temp in the bubble buckets. I measured it last night (at about 3 and 1/2 hours after lights on) and it was 77-78 degrees. Hummm. I thought this could be the reason, and it's doing something to the nuets.

So I foil taped the top of the buckets (thinking that one black part, the net pot, was bringing heat into the bubble bucket.) Then I did a full res change. Washed off the brown stuff as best as I could in a light hydro-peroxide bath. Moved the air pump outside the cab and put a cup of ice under the air pump to cool the air being bulled in by it.

This morning the BB temp was 72 degrees. Ice was melted by then. I was hoping it would bring it down more, but it's a start.

Is putting ice into the bubble bucket an option, or will they damage the roots while being tossed around by the air stones?

Plants got wilty during all of this, but looked better this morning, standing up fully again.

Oh boy, any advice?

 

[enigma2118]

I also taped the inside of the netpot lid as there was not enough hydroton to fill to the top (I was choking the clones when I had it filled up, had to take out some to let them breath.) I think maybe some light was getting in, even tho I tried to block it with some paper-plate or bowls as seen in the pictures.

example of taped up netpot lid.

 

[enigma2118]

I do believe that my nuet strength is low. My plants are def beyond week one size, and were clones too. They have a small but nice root bundle. They are on their 5th nodes. So while it could be too much nuet, I don't think it is.

I'm reading now that a lot of people find brown sludge build up, ring formation in their bubble buckets when using Fox Farm. I need to research this more. I hope I didn't just freak out and do way more than necessary. I'm sure taping up the lids and moving the air pump was a good idea anyways.

I'm also wondering if FF nuets do something when they get too warm. 78 deg F is prob waaay too warm I'm guessing. I hope getting it down to the 72 deg will help.

 

[Neo 420]

You want the rez temp around 68. Don't use any organic nutes also.

 

[HempAlchemist]

organic nutes will cause roots to stain brown. believe its the humic and fulvic acids found in good organics. this shouldnt be a big problem as long as your rez is kept at a cooler temp around 65f-75f, with 68f being the target. organics and hydroponics dont really go well together. not saying it cant be done, just there are a lot more microbial life in a rez and if your temps go a lil off your gunna create a breeding ground for the bad microbs. I would use a 3part nute and maybe an organic additive like floralicious plus. what ever route you take get the temps down a lil bit and you should be fine
H.A.

 

[enigma2118]

Update, don't think it root rot PICS

Update, don't think it root rot PICS

Ok, here's my thinking at this point. I had another post just prior to all of this about my PH swings. This must have been the reason. As I see this brown sediment collect more, the PH swings are more drastic.

I'm worried that this brown sediment while not rotting my roots, are choking them off.

This has got to be the nutrients. Maybe they are getting too warm, but the reservoir temps are staying about 72 degrees. I don't think that's the issue in of itself. It may be too warm for the exact nuets I'm putting in though.

Maybe it's the fact that they are FF organic. Here's a biggie. One of my bottles, the Grow Big I believe, was already open when I got it home. The others Big Bloom and Tiger Bloom had a protective seal. I don't know if the GB doesn't come with that seal or not. But I've become very suspicious of this.

My two bubble buckets started with the same nuet ratio mix. Now, a couple of days later, the two buckets look very different. One has a very murky water mix. The other has much more clear water with some nuet stuff floating around.

Both are collecting the brown sediment on their roots.

Here's a whole bunch of pictures. After the pictures I'll put down my data I've collected.

Any guru out there is more than welcome to drop some knowledge.

I'm thinking of picking up some new neuts.


Thanks everyone.

BUCKET # 2, CLEARER, NUETS SEEMED TO HAVE FALLEN TO BOTTOM OF BUCKET

****DATA****
Day 1 after res change (NOT actual day 1)
StrawB PH=4.90 PPM=550
AK PH=5.23 PPM=488

Day 2 -
StrawB PH=4.88 PPM=520
AK PH=6.95 PPM=485
adjusted the AK with PHDown
2nd reading AK PH=5.5 PPM=499

Day 3 - Measure Tap Water today. PH=8 PPM=167 pretty much always the same.

StrawB PH=6.69 PPM=549
AK PH=6.34 PPM=511
adjusted both with PHDown AND tap water
Adj StrawB PH=5.88 PPM=485
Adj AK PH=5.88 PPM=475

Day 4-
ROOM- 46% - 82˚ 62%~32% 84˚~72˚
StrawB PH=6.40 PPM=495
AK PH=6.20 PPM=475
*Noticed that not much water is missing between measurements. I don't think this would solve the PH or PPM issues. Plants just aren't that big/thirsty yet.
Adjusted StrawB PH=5.15 PPM=698
Adjusted AK PH=5.02 PPM=652

Noticed the over build up of brown stuff mostly on AK plant. Got worried on this day.

Day 5- (scary day)
ROOM- 52% 82˚ 65%~43% 84˚~72˚
StrawB PH=6.28 PPM=707
AK PH=6.33 PPM=666 (ah! sign of the devil!)
Reservoir Temps=78˚

So on scary day I decided that what I had was root rot (oops) and that I should cut off the infected root (oh man) and dip the plant in a light Hydrogen Peroxide bath, do a full res change. I kinda pulled a Law and Order Special Victims Unit on this poor baby AK. Straw B just got a full res change.

Days later I look at the "rotted root" I cut off (kept it floating in some water) it looks fine. Ugh. It was just this brown sediment collecting on them.

I also was worried that this may be algae causing root rot. So I taped the inside of the net pot to block the area not covered by hydroton kinda like so..

I moved the air pump out of the cab, and placed it in the room on a stand over a cup of ice so that the pump now pulls on cool air.

I also foil taped the netpot lids. They were the only part of my bubble buckets not foil taped. This was all to cool down the res temps.

Adjusted StrawB - PH=5.62 PPM=536 66.7˚ (still cold from the tap)
Adjusted AK - PH=531 PPM=582 67.2˚

END SCARY DAY

Day 6
ROOM - 55% 79˚ 74%~44% 84˚~72˚
StrawB - PH=6.65 PPM=558 73˚
AK - PH=5.68 PPM=623 72.5˚
Gave each some PHDown
Adjusted StrawB PH=5.85
Adjusted AK PH=5.57
didn't take PPM measurements, D'oh!

Day 7
AM
StrawB - PH=6.75 PPM=610 73.7˚
AK - PH=7.07 PPM=645 72.8˚
gave each 1/2 gallon of PH low adjusted H2O
Adjusted StrawB - PH=5.86 PPM=554 same temp
Adjusted AK - PH=5.75 PPM=595 same temp

PM
ROOM - 48% 81˚ 66%~48% 82˚~72˚
StrawB - PH=6.30 PPM=552 72.1˚
AK - PH=6.25 PPM=592 71.4˚

And now I gotta go take care of that PH.

So hey, thank you all again. Hope you're up for a puzzle.

 

[enigma2118]

quick update

quick update

Well, decided to wash out the buckets again. Full res change with just PHed water. I spray washed the roots. More brown gunk. It all washed off, but my roots seem thinner. I think the brown stuff has been choking them. The reservoir smelled bad prior to cleaning.

 

[Neo 420]

Its either root rot or brown algae..

 

[enigma2118]

Yeah, read all about brown algae last night. Really afraid that's what it is. Sounds like a nightmare to get rid of. It must have come from the nuets as that was when it started. Otherwise this is all brand spankin' new cleaned setup.

I'm going to try some new nuets tomorrow or the next day. Try to really flush it out with just PHed water over the next 2 days.

Crossing fingers and hoping against hopes it was just spoiled nuets and that this can maybe still possible clear up. Hell, toes crossed too.

Think I'll stay away from organic nutes from now on. And in particular, bottles of already opened nutes! I know I can't completely blame the store that sold them to me, as I can't really know if that is the reason. But it sure feels nice to blame someone else!

 

[kaiser_soze]

looks like algae to me.

 

[enigma2118]

today's plan

today's plan

So today I am going to pick up some General Hydroponics non-organic nutrients. I've been able to wash off any visible brown muck. I don't know how easily "brown algae" is supposed to wash off, but this stuff came right off with no effort. So I'm still hoping this is just spoiled nutrients. Maybe even a bacterial or algae growth that isn't the dreaded "brown algae". We'll see in a little while I guess. Because while I can't see any brown stuff, and the babies have been flushing with just PHed water for the last 2 days, if is IS brown algae, it will come back. I've cleaned very well, but from what I read you need some serious sh*t to kill off all the micro-bacterial algae. The stuff you can't see.

So with just PHed water, no brown growth. Now I'll add chemical nuets. See what happens.

My older bro, a much more experienced person than I, still has hopes for me.

 

[enigma2118]

new nutes

new nutes

So I picked up some Aqua Flakes A and B, some Drip Clean and something else for the flowering stage. Guys at the shop are pulling for this all to be nutrient build up. We'll see!

 

[Neo 420]

Well ..Whats the update???