I am running a sterile rez DTW.
In the older HPA setup, I was using Mega Crop and Advenced Nutes PH Perfect line. I had nothing but trouble with PH issues and algae, and rotten smells in the rez. That forced me to use hi concentrations of chlorine and even copper, but nothing worked. The roots went from pure white to mixed with brown, to almost white again. It was a constant battle with the fuzzy hairs coming and going.
In the current AAA system, the chlorine concentration is less than 1 PPM, so very low. I forget exactly but it was close to 1/10th the "normal" chlorine concentration for a sterile rez, which is usually 2 to 4 PPM range
However, I think the main reason the AAA roots look so much better is Im using pure salt based nutes - absolutely positively NOTHING even vaguely organically based in origin. No seaweed, no worm castings, etc etc. Pure salts only. This includes the calmag portions. Im running Jacks 321 hydro.
That allows me to control the PH instead of the dam bacteria/algae doing it for me.
The nasty bacteria LOVE organically based stuff for food, but dont seem to like the salt based nutes as a food, so they have a really hard time getting established. Thats why I can get by with far less chlorine than you would normally have to use to keep a sterile rez sterile.
Plus, the fuzzy hairs that you can only get with very small droplets - around 50 micron - are pure white naturally, and make for a really hi contrast. Its very easy for me to spot anything bad going on because you instantly loose the fuzzy hairs and that pure white color. That makes any infestation of bad bacteria really stand out against all that bright white background. Actually its any bacteria at all that darken the roots. Ive tried "beneficial bacteria" and all they did was discolor the roots and kill off the fuzzy hairs - which is exactly what the bad ones do.
Its kind of a pain to get the environment in the root chamber just right, but roots like this give me a thrill, so its worth it.
Wish they were clear..
