Running a sterile reservoir? (hydroponics)

tortie · Jul 29, 2014

Although it is organic and currently labeled as a wetting agent it will definitely kill bad bennies and inhibit baterial grown.

I use SM 90 as a disinfectant when cleaning my growroom and equipment.
I also use it in my DWC with base nutes with my res regularly sitting above 80F temps and did not encounter any problems.

Smells great, kills bugs and is claimed to kill molds too. I cant live without it.

Ebb&flo99 · Jul 29, 2014

Has anyone have any experience with UC roots by current culture.
I just started using it to run a sterile res. I have tried hygrozyme and I get slime everytime. So far so good with the UC roots

clownbow · Jul 30, 2014

tortie said:
Although it is organic and currently labeled as a wetting agent it will definitely kill bad bennies and inhibit baterial grown.

I use SM 90 as a disinfectant when cleaning my growroom and equipment.
I also use it in my DWC with base nutes with my res regularly sitting above 80F temps and did not encounter any problems.

Smells great, kills bugs and is claimed to kill molds too. I cant live without it.

sm 90 is not a disinfecting

tortie · Jul 30, 2014

clownbow said:
sm 90 is not a disinfecting

I may have used the wrong word. It is not "disinfecting" but most hydrostores usually have footnotes for SM-90 like:

"NOTE: SM-90 will inhibit beneficial bacterial colonization. If you are trying to promote bacteria growth in your garden, this may not be a desirable additive." (Stealthhydro)

Or:

"SM-90 is a root disease inhibitor which controls common anaerobic fungal and bacterial pathogens. Effective treatment for root disease from ascomycetes pathogens including fusarium, pythium, rhizoctonia, phytopthera, sclerotinia, etc. When added in small quantities directly to plant nutrient solutions, root disease infestations are inhibited and new root growth emerges." (Bghydro)

Hydroburn · Jul 30, 2014

Ebb&flo99 said:
Has anyone have any experience with UC roots by current culture.
I just started using it to run a sterile res. I have tried hygrozyme and I get slime everytime. So far so good with the UC roots

hygrozyme basically digests stuff and produces food for whatever is in your res... if you aren't running bennies with it, you are pretty much just feeding slime. aquashield and great white work much better.

HerbalRelief · Mar 1, 2017

This is an old thread but I was researching and this thread popped up on google. So I'll add my 2 cents to answer one of the OPs questions with my recent experience with Chlorine and SM-90 in case it helps anyone else. A few days ago a few of my plants in a 6 bucket RDWC got the rot even though I use calcium hypochlorite (Chlorine) at the recommended dose (65% granules at .45gram/40Gal 2PPM). I think it wasn't mixed correctly as I was getting lazy and just throwing the granules in the main 20G res connected to the 6 pots.

Anyways when I noticed the rot I brought it up to 4ppm, then 6ppm total chlorine. Didn't seem to be working to kill the rot. Added some SM-90 to the tub as well at 2.5ml/Gal and 2 hours later came back to see the roots sparkling white and the ORP off the charts (750+ in each bucket). My theory is that the surfactant properties of the SM-90 distributed the chlorine through the buckets and hydroton very effectively, along with having its own properties. My plants perked right up, roots white as heck. I'll be adding the chlorine every 48 -72 hours and the SM-90 once a week.

redi jedi · Mar 2, 2017

HerbalRelief said:
This is an old thread but I was researching and this thread popped up on google. So I'll add my 2 cents to answer one of the OPs questions with my recent experience with Chlorine and SM-90 in case it helps anyone else. A few days ago a few of my plants in a 6 bucket RDWC got the rot even though I use calcium hypochlorite (Chlorine) at the recommended dose (65% granules at .45gram/40Gal 2PPM). I think it wasn't mixed correctly as I was getting lazy and just throwing the granules in the main 20G res connected to the 6 pots.

Anyways when I noticed the rot I brought it up to 4ppm, then 6ppm total chlorine. Didn't seem to be working to kill the rot. Added some SM-90 to the tub as well at 2.5ml/Gal and 2 hours later came back to see the roots sparkling white and the ORP off the charts (750+ in each bucket). My theory is that the surfactant properties of the SM-90 distributed the chlorine through the buckets and hydroton very effectively, along with having its own properties. My plants perked right up, roots white as heck. I'll be adding the chlorine every 48 -72 hours and the SM-90 once a week.

You should add the granules to a cup of luke warm water and stir to dissolve them..then add to the res or dose each plant site.

HerbalRelief · Mar 8, 2017

redi jedi said:
You should add the granules to a cup of luke warm water and stir to dissolve them..then add to the res or dose each plant site.

Indeed that is what I was doing originally. I got lazy and started adding it straight to the res. But the real issue is that res temps got above 72 for a while there and that was enough even though chlorine was in the tub. Do you use a chiller as well as chlorine? Ultimately I know a chiller is the real answer here but at $1k ( I need 2 x 1/2hp units for 2 separate reservoirs) it's just easier and cheaper to switch to ebb and flow. I'm hoping to finish this run without a chiller and without having to try and use bennies if the reservoir temps get too high. Sterile is where it is at but it won't help if there is no DO in your water.

rkymtnman · Mar 8, 2017

HerbalRelief said:
Indeed that is what I was doing originally. I got lazy and started adding it straight to the res. But the real issue is that res temps got above 72 for a while there and that was enough even though chlorine was in the tub. Do you use a chiller as well as chlorine? Ultimately I know a chiller is the real answer here but at $1k ( I need 2 x 1/2hp units for 2 separate reservoirs) it's just easier and cheaper to switch to ebb and flow. I'm hoping to finish this run without a chiller and without having to try and use bennies if the reservoir temps get too high. Sterile is where it is at but it won't help if there is no DO in your water.

i'm a big fan of the pool shock too. this grow i'm trying Z7 by flying skulls. it's enzyme based. found out chlorine and fulvic acid when mixed made a nasty gas byproduct.

how many grams per 10 gallon were you using? i do hempy buckets and was using 3 ppm or 0.30 g per 10 gal since my temps are basically grow room temps (high 70's at a minimum)

the one thing i did notice with the pool shock was when i mixed a fresh batch, there was a strong chlorine smell and at the end of the week, not so much. always wondered about that and if 7 days was too long and it dissipated in that time.

HerbalRelief · Mar 8, 2017

rkymtnman said:
i'm a big fan of the pool shock too. this grow i'm trying Z7 by flying skulls. it's enzyme based. found out chlorine and fulvic acid when mixed made a nasty gas byproduct.

how many grams per 10 gallon were you using? i do hempy buckets and was using 3 ppm or 0.30 g per 10 gal since my temps are basically grow room temps (high 70's at a minimum)

the one thing i did notice with the pool shock was when i mixed a fresh batch, there was a strong chlorine smell and at the end of the week, not so much. always wondered about that and if 7 days was too long and it dissipated in that time.

I was running at 2PPM which in my calc was ~0.45gram per 40 gallons @ 65% strength
.
In my limited experience, given that this is my first RDWC run with the shock...if it doesn't smell slightly like chlorine in the reservoir, it isn't working. Need to add every 48-72 hours depending on organic load. With the roots being submerged in the water all the time in RDWC you have a high organic load. Not so much in other types of hydro where maybe every week is going to be ok, considering that tap water contains chlorine or chloramine. Plants uptake chlorine, but not chloramine. Using mineral nutrients is advised with the shock because like you say certain organics can cause unwanted byproducts.

Calcium hypochlorite breaks down into chlorine and calcium ions AFAIK. This is all good. The sodium hypochlorite (also chlorine but typically used in bleach) breaks down into common table salt which can cause lock out issues if you don't change your tub. I change mine every 2 weeks at a max.

HerbalRelief · Mar 8, 2017

rkymtnman said:
i'm a big fan of the pool shock too. this grow i'm trying Z7 by flying skulls. it's enzyme based. found out chlorine and fulvic acid when mixed made a nasty gas byproduct.

how many grams per 10 gallon were you using? i do hempy buckets and was using 3 ppm or 0.30 g per 10 gal since my temps are basically grow room temps (high 70's at a minimum)

the one thing i did notice with the pool shock was when i mixed a fresh batch, there was a strong chlorine smell and at the end of the week, not so much. always wondered about that and if 7 days was too long and it dissipated in that time.

I also read the data sheet as I was considering buying this 7z product. It says at temps in the 80's you also need to add chlorine. So as an enzyme product it is probably pretty good, just watch out for that.

Also I think at temps in the 80's you basically have zero dissolved oxygen. So at that point you might want to use bennies to increase your O2 uptake? I dunno, that's just what I've been reading.

You can't use both chlorine and beneficials together obviously.

HerbalRelief · Mar 8, 2017

So chlorine is an essential mineral, unlike chloramine. This chart says it all. Be aware that chlorine can combine with organics like ammonia to form chloramine which is toxic to MJ. Nitrogen from urea is one example that is organic and can combine with chlorine byproducts to form chloramine.

.

Niblixdark · Mar 9, 2017

I would like to chime in on this subject.

Tap water needs to be de chlorinated if not you get brown spotting and on the leaf edges. I personally have experienced this many times.

Plants just don't like too much of it and it does indeed burn them !

HerbalRelief · Mar 9, 2017

Niblixdark said:
I would like to chime in on this subject.

Tap water needs to be de chlorinated if not you get brown spotting and on the leaf edges. I personally have experienced this many times.

Plants just don't like too much of it and it does indeed burn them !

I think you are talking about chloramine not chlorine. Plants require some chlorine. Most varieties of Cannabis can tolerate up to 20PPM according to both Rosenthal and Cervantes...

tap water typically has between 1-4PPM. But some municipalities use chloramine not chlorine and MJ doesn't uptake chloramine.

Niblixdark · Mar 9, 2017

Yes I realise they require some amount of chlorine. My tap water is strong of it.

I assume there is a way to test for chlorine ppm only?

HerbalRelief · Mar 9, 2017

Niblixdark said:
Yes I realise they require some amount of chlorine. My tap water is strong of it.

I assume there is a way to test for chlorine ppm only?

Yes...before you add any minerals to the water you can use pool strips to test for active chlorine. Also what could happen is if you are using organics the chlorine can form other compounds like ammonia that are toxic.

Niblixdark · Mar 9, 2017

HerbalRelief said:
Yes...before you add any minerals to the water you can use pool strips to test for active chlorine. Also what could happen is if you are using organics the chlorine can form other compounds like ammonia that are toxic.

Well that explains the tap water mystery !

redi jedi · Mar 9, 2017

HerbalRelief said:
Indeed that is what I was doing originally. I got lazy and started adding it straight to the res. But the real issue is that res temps got above 72 for a while there and that was enough even though chlorine was in the tub. Do you use a chiller as well as chlorine? Ultimately I know a chiller is the real answer here but at $1k ( I need 2 x 1/2hp units for 2 separate reservoirs) it's just easier and cheaper to switch to ebb and flow. I'm hoping to finish this run without a chiller and without having to try and use bennies if the reservoir temps get too high. Sterile is where it is at but it won't help if there is no DO in your water.

I use a chiller in my veg room but my flower rooms are not chilled...just insulated. My water temps reach 75f by lights off but I have no problems.

HerbalRelief · Mar 9, 2017

Frig I'm jealous as hell. And you can grow all year round like that? Awesome setup. When RDWC works, it works awesome.

HerbalRelief · Mar 10, 2017

Niblixdark said:
Well that explains the tap water mystery !

I am using GH flora and it's all mineral based. Very little if any organic compounds formed from the chlorine. However if you use organics then the oxidation reduction from the chlorine can form other (sometimes) toxic compounds for plants. I suspect that is your issue? That's why when you let the chlorine evaporate you don't have any weird leaf necrosis.

Running a sterile reservoir? (hydroponics)

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