sinkingstone
Member
I'm not trying to provide 'off information', just offering personal experience, not advice. First, almost everything you put in your resivoir is 'effective' in some way. I've done deep water culture for more than 8 years. I've always dealt with problems when applying too frequeny or too highly concentrated doses of h2o2. There is a root rot that developes from too much h2o2. It smells similar but different than standard root rot. Just be careful that you don't over-dose the girls. I remember overdoing the h2o2 in (3%), ,,the plants would seem to thrive for a couple weeks and then slowly but surely head downhill.Wow some really off information here...
...adding 3% to a res is totally ineffective. It will break down in minutes and won't effectively kill all bacteria in a res because it's already so dilute. It also won't add much oxygen to your water..
An important fact to remember is that roots are organic too and h2o2 does not discriminate. It bio-oxodizes organic material.
Here's an artice from Science Hydroponics that explains it a little better...
"So what should a concerned grower do about the incredible problem of algae growth ? Nature has given us part of the answer in the form of a powerful oxidant called hydrogen peroxide. This molecule, whose formula is basically H2O2 decomposes forming molecular oxygen and water. It also reacts with organic matter in a redox reaction to oxidize it. In other words, algae and hydrogen peroxide cannot coexist.
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However, there is an important problem that arises when using hydrogen peroxide. It does not discriminate between roots and algae so using more than the optimum amount leads to plant root death caused by the same quality that kills algae. So what is this optimum amount ?
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I would love to show you a peer reviewed article that studied this issue but, as a matter of fact, no one has actually studied the levels at which these conditions are right at a scientific level. Most of what we know is currently empirical. Nonetheless, I have – from personal experience- verified that the application of 1mL of hydrogen peroxide (3% v/v) per liter of nutrient solution every week does seem to prevent algae and does not damage plant roots."
So you see, we have a broad range of opinions, from forum users to scientists. If I study longer, I would surely find articles to support everyones theory as different as they all may be.. Whatever you do, have fun.
Almost forgot. Cool temps, air stone, NO LIGHT exposed to water, usually keeps my bubblers clean and oxygen is plentifull.