Chilling your tank and using bennies to prevent slime is something that was invented on RIU only recently. (in the last few years)
I've been doing DWC since before the "bubbleheads movement", which brought a lot of popularity to different types of DWC. I refuse to bother with those new age hail marry techniques.
Roots don't rot because of infection, they become infected because they rot. The way to keep them from rotting is to pump enough air into your water, and use the correct nutrient mix. If the roots are infected, it's most likely because they're already unhealthy. Even using hydrogen peroxide or bleach to sterlize will not make the roots healthy again. Only fixing the root problem (pun intended) can fix the roots.
DO NOT put peroxide or bleach on your plants HUGE MAJOR DO NOT DO.This is how to kill your plants, bleach is toxic to your plants and you aswell.
Pythium is a genus of parasitic oomycotes.
Most species are plant parasites, but
Pythium insidiosum is an important
pathogen of
animals. They were formerly classified as
fungi; the feet of the
fungus gnat are frequently a vector for their transmission.
However, in
hydroponic systems inside
greenhouses, where extensive
monocultures of plants are maintained in plant
nutrient solution (containing nitrogen, potassium, phosphate, and micronutrients) that is continuously
recirculated to the crop,
Pythium spp. cause extensive and devastating root rot and is often difficult to prevent or control.
[2][5][6][7] The root rot affects entire operations (tens of thousands of plants, in many instances) within two to four days due to the inherent nature of hydroponic systems where roots are nakedly exposed to the water medium, in which the zoospores can move freely
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythium
To the Op
This is what I use and HIGLY recomend it. It has bacteria that specifically attack pythium and will prevent root slime, or root rot. Pythium is very very common in well water, and also some city water.
http://www.amazon.com/Plant-Revolution-Premium-Liquid-Mycorrhizae/dp/B006ZSEHBY
Watch your temps to see if need a chiller or not. Air yes get the biggest air pump you can get.
The ORCA when you use it you need to watch your PH with it. The reason is ORCA has Nitrogen and Phousphate fixing bacteria in it. They make those elaments, the bacteria. IF you notice your plants looking like you added to much nute, when you did not it is from these bacteria over populated in your system. The way you know this is the PH will swing up and down faster than you have had before. Just reduce the nute like 20% on your feed schedule and see what the plants want. By using this product your weed will have alot more flavor to it because of the bacteria.
1 other thing about benis and hydro, you do not want to use a beni product that has thrichadermia in its contents. The orca is specific made for hydro and has no trich in it.
If need a zyme use CANNA zyme , it is what Heavy 16 recommends to use. I do use Heavy 16 and canna zyme and have no complaints.I use Heavy 16 PRIME also wich is formulated for using benis, has aminos acids, carbs, vitamins, fulvic and humeric acid ect in it, and it is worth every penny.It does make a differance.
The deal about using benis is called a "Live res". What alot do not do, wich you do need to do is give the benis a place to live. They are not meant to swim around in water, they need something to hold onto. The best way to give them a place to live is in your net pots. Put your plant in your net pot like you always do, fill the top half the of net pot with washed clean lava rock. Then bring a 1/4 inch or 3/8 inch BLACK hose from your water supply line from the res and allow it to dump into the net pot.
Just need a hose barb fitting with pipe thread for what ever size hose you use, get them at loes for instance. Just drill the hole in the water supply pipe for the pipe tap needed, tap the hole to the pipe thread on the hose barb fitting, wrap the hose barb fitting threads 3 times with teflon tape and install in the pipe. DONT try to make it ubber tight or will strip out the PVC and have to replace the pipe. When it feels tight stop then have someone at the pump turn it on for 3 or 4 seconds and see if it leaks, if it does tighten the fitting just a tad more and repeat until it doesnt leak. If you hear a squek stop you are on the verge of being to tight.
When done with the grow place that lava rock outside and use fresh washed lava rock in next grow. After couple weeks when the lava rock used has thourghly dryed out, place in a 1 cup of bleach to 5 gallon of water mix and let it sit for couple days. Then dump and rinse the lava rock , let the rock sit in clean water that change every couple days. takes a week then let it dry out again and it is ready to use.
Do a search for BIO BUCKETS, it will explain this in further detail. Here is a pic of a DWC bucket set with lava rock, the supply hose to the lava rock is not in this pic, but it is used can see the rock is wet.
) So again yes if you've never had an issue keep doing what your doing, your lucky! If you do have issues be it enviromental (well and city water, fly's with dirty feet, etc.) or lack of cleanliness (dirty room, etc.) then bennies are a great addition to the res. Hope this is helpful for those that hate to read large studies....me lol. Keep in mind that this was one article of a thousand and I guess to seek the truth you have to read lol. As for the analogy using a dead body, well not really the same at all. Now if there were dead bodies lying all over the ground and if you touched one and died, well then, yup you would be slathering your body in antibodies lol. Just lucky you have no dead bodies lying around!!
