onahah: The only root rot I have experienced was in the last grow. A plant developed some rot above the water line that stunted it's growth.
MCsqrd: I hadn't mentioned my pump yet. I tried using a 180gph pump but it wasn't big enough, I had to go with a 500gph pump.
SwampSavant: I have seen a lot a variability in size and stretch. Generally the bio buckets seem to maximize their potential. The main factor I see is how well the roots are developing. Sometimes the roots don't venture out from the lava rocks, other times as in my first grow this plant filled the bucket with roots:
I have no doubt of the massive root system growing under that girl. Beautiful looking lady. Big Toke also had some wicked pictures of massive root development in some of his threads.
As to the point of container packed roots opposed to not showing through the lava rocks. Do you have any theories as to why the system would cause such a variance in root growth?
I have a number of theories I am working out. One theory is that plants from seed do better because they have a main taproot. Another is that the roots are attracted to the rocks. Perhaps when small roots attach themselves to the lava rocks they pull the main part of the root toward the rocks, keeping them from straying outside the netpot. I have been trying to distribute the roots so some main ones are through the slots but it's hard because they clump together in a string. Next time I plan to try to transplant them into the netpots under water so the roots will separate.