Good move not waiting for any reptiles mate........ even with a shaved butt ........ ;-)
I never use bleach as it will kill plants.... I use a solution with a lot of acid.... it eats calcium deposits [and, therefore bugs hidden within] but if you do not flush it all out it just lowers the pH instead of killing the plants.
Does your aeroflow use clear pipes ? I see systems with these and they often have a milky buildup inside ... so I change them for uPVC, hard black plastic.
Root rot is IME caused by insufficient oxygenation of solution or the pipes/pots getting too warm, making the solution too warm to hold oxygen .... giving insufficient oxygenation ... it is all in the design, add pumps and bubblers and lag your pipes and pots.
Good luck with the growing, & watch out for rogue spelchukkers, your butt may not handle another close shave.
The enzymes might definitely be behind the smell. It's basically just protein, which bacteria and fungi love to eat. Microorganisms also love to grow on surfaces and form biofilms, so that would explain the stinky tubes.
Without any organic additives, only autotrophic organisms (ie algae) should be able to grow. Keep light away from the water and roots and pretty much nothing will be able to live in your system except the plants. There's simply nothing to grow on: no organic molecules to break down and no light to turn CO2 into biomass. Of course there's a chance the little buggers will start eating your roots but proper water temps and plentiful aeration will prevent that problem.
I have my air pump outside my cab for this reason. Also I use frozen 20oz and 1 liter soda bottles to cool down my rez. Its winter time here so I just put them outside to freeze.
Mine smells like a fish tank in good working order, plant seem to love the bacteria and the roots grow right through any film. No slime on roots either.
I run DWC with Subculture and All three nute brands have an earthy smell. (AN, PBP organic, Blue label generic). I have had no issues and I run res temps of 71-75f
I run DWC with Subculture and All three nute brands have an earthy smell. (AN, PBP organic, Blue label generic). I have had no issues and I run res temps of 71-75f
Agreed...Out of the many different types of hydro systems I've run...they all had a certain smell. If your reservoir has foamy looking bubbles and sludge floating around...well that's a different story and a res change would be in order. As for bleach? Only after a harvest is finished and you are getting ready to clean your system out and let it dry for a few days before replanting IMHumbleO...