Strange Slime buildup on roots

[richyrich]

I can't believe this thread has gone on for almost three years now! I have read the entire thread because I have experienced the same slime and am desparate to finally get rid of it. After all I have read I think I am just going to go the Physan 20 route on a continual use basis.

It's a common-nightmare problem that was not apparent before the beginning of this 3 year old and ongoing thread!

Sterilize--Use Physan20 at 3mL per 25gallons to sterilize and clean.

^^^ that is from my signature. Use those rates for both ^ as indicated. It doesn't take much.

You can run it through a hydro system with plants in it. Run through system for no more than 6 hours, dump, flush and then make new rez. That is how you sterilize your system. Go all chem ferts only!!!!!!! and/or introduce bene bacteria and fungi to system. Read thread for more on that. Run a search through this thread for EWC Tea. You can, also, use the filter posts option in this thread if you click on my screen name above my avatar. Do not use enzyme products. E.g: Hygrozyme, Sensizyme, etc..

 

[ItsGrowTime]

You can use enzyme products after sterilization or beneficial bacteria colonization during the grow. I do it all the time now without issue. It's just a problem adding enzymes to tap water with organic matter (like nutes) in it without colonization or sterilization first. Wait at least a week before adding any enzymes.

 

[richyrich]

You can use enzyme products after sterilization or beneficial bacteria colonization during the grow. I do it all the time now without issue. It's just a problem adding enzymes to tap water with organic matter (like nutes) in it without colonization or sterilization first. Wait at least a week before adding any enzymes.

Yes, you can, but it is a good idea for the person looking here for a solution to shy away from such products in the beginning of their battle until they become experienced with it such as yourself.

 

[OMountainMix]

so i am right to not put hygrozyme in my cloner.

question: i have some older clones that i want to keep as back ups, so i want to use one of my cloners as a happy vegging spot for about 3-4 more weeks. I'm thinking of dumping all the water in there, and then adding the same mix that I use to feed my mother and vegging plants. i would only feed as needed on weekends, and straight up water in between.

where do i get physan? i think this is one thing that i don't own. so i think i ought to have some on hand BEFORE an emergency happens. i'm also thinking that might be a good follow up to the weird stalk rotting thing that happened.

thoughts?

this place is great, btw.

 

[richyrich]

so i am right to not put hygrozyme in my cloner.

question: i have some older clones that i want to keep as back ups, so i want to use one of my cloners as a happy vegging spot for about 3-4 more weeks. I'm thinking of dumping all the water in there, and then adding the same mix that I use to feed my mother and vegging plants. i would only feed as needed on weekends, and straight up water in between.

where do i get physan? i think this is one thing that i don't own. so i think i ought to have some on hand BEFORE an emergency happens. i'm also thinking that might be a good follow up to the weird stalk rotting thing that happened.

thoughts?

this place is great, btw.

You can order Physan20 online. Just do a simple search. Small bottle is cheap and lasts forever.

No need for enzymes in your cloner. Save your money.

 

[ItsGrowTime]

Do NOT put Hygrozyme or any other enzyme product in your cloner EVER. Some beneficial bacteria and some rooting gel on the clones is all you need. Adding other stuff is just asking for something to fuck up.

I got my Physan from Worms Way.

In my experience, stalks rotting during cloning was from too hot water temperatures. 72 to 75F max water temp. Higher can and will cause stem rot in clones.

 

[StealthyStalks]

You can use enzyme products after sterilization or beneficial bacteria colonization during the grow. I do it all the time now without issue. It's just a problem adding enzymes to tap water with organic matter (like nutes) in it without colonization or sterilization first. Wait at least a week before adding any enzymes.

I think that is exactly what caused the problem I ran into. I used Hygrozyme right off the bat when I started. Though I am using chemical nutes, I highly suspect the Hygrozyme is what gave the snot-slime its foothold before any BB’s could take hold.

It will still be a couple of days before I get my Physan 20 shipped to me; however, I did completely bleach my system and soaked my plants, net pot and all, completely in a 1% solution of H2O2 for one hour. I refilled my reservoirs with a 5.8ph nutrient solution @ 850ppm and the plants look great for the last three days with no signs of the snot-slime. This shit was appearing over night with the use of Hygrozyme so I do believe it has something to do with it.

On my next grow I think I am going to try something a little different; sort of a hybrid of the Boibucket sysyem. I use the DWC method, but next time I am going to lay a 3” layer of lava rock, that has already been colonized with beneficial bacteria, right over my two 12” airstones I have in each tub. This will allow the beneficial aerobic bacteria to have a permanent home and the need for reservoir change outs to be greatly reduced; sort like the way a reef system works with aquariums.

 

[StealthyStalks]

On a side note, I hope interrupting my 12/12 light cycle isn't going to set me back too far. It needed to be done otherwise my plants would be dead from the snot-slime. Has anyone ever interrupted their 12/12 light cycle? If so did it cause any problems?

 

[OMountainMix]

i read so many people having problems with hygrozyme in the cloner that i wouldn't do it. i think the hydrobact is good, though.

i had some minor stem rot in one system in vegging. just a one inch wide section, two snapped off, but everything else seems to be healing.

should i treat again with zone/penetrator to be safe??

one of the new plants i put in seems unhappy, but i think that for some reason that pot isn't getting as much water. thoughts?

 

[freakedout]

Hey guys,

hydro grower here, using the ebb n gro system, in my early days of hydro I had to deal with the white slime as well, I currently use Hygrozyme, and it keeps my res and system healthy using the lucas formula, but it's expensive stuff, so I was wondering if I can use the EWC Tea with my chemical GH Nutes (Micro and Bloom) and be ok??? so I can get off the expensive hygrozyme nipple.

 

[OMountainMix]

hygrozyme is affordable at aladin's lights. a gallon lasts many months. i've been using my current gallon for about 2 months and am only half way through, and that includes using it at my other site . . . . it was about $100 at aladin's and well worth it

 

[StealthyStalks]

Hey guys,

hydro grower here, using the ebb n gro system, in my early days of hydro I had to deal with the white slime as well, I currently use Hygrozyme, and it keeps my res and system healthy using the lucas formula, but it's expensive stuff, so I was wondering if I can use the EWC Tea with my chemical GH Nutes (Micro and Bloom) and be ok??? so I can get off the expensive hygrozyme nipple.

Hygrozyme is made with enzymes (proteins) that are used to catalyze or increase the rates of biochemical reactions. In a fresh hydro system, that hasn't been colonized by beneficial bacteria yet, Hygrozyme actually promotes the growth of the white slime that is in tap water already. ie, Hygrozyme is promoting the growth of the only organism in an otherwise sterile system.

By first using RichyRich's EWC Tea in your system, and letting beneficial bacteria take hold for a while before you do a grow, you should have no need for Hygrozyme. However, later on in the growing cycle, as dead plant matter begins to accumulate in your growing media, the addition of beneficial fungi (that may or may not be present in the EWC already - I don't know.) will help eat away the dead plant matter.

Remember, the addition of Hygrozyme doesn't do anything in and of itself, it is just a catalyst that increases the rates of biochemical reactions of organisms already colonized in the system; good or bad. That is why it is a good idea to sterilized your whole system with Physan-20 first, so you can be sure all pythium zoospores and other nasties are eradicated before you set optimal conditions for you other beneficials to flourish in.

Hygrozyme is fine as long as you remember what it actually does; it acts as an expensive steriod for the things already living in your system; BOTH GOOD AND BAD!

I hope that helps.

 

[ItsGrowTime]

Ive been using Great White beneficial powder for my most recent crop and I really like it. It's not cheap but has a great variety of organisms and I have actually observed the colonization of my roots. I definitely recommend it for anyone with slime issues. Inoculate your roots with this stuff first and you'll be good to go and slime free.

 

[OMountainMix]

are you using soil or hydro?

 

[ItsGrowTime]

are you using soil or hydro?

I grow hydro. Great White powder is for both hydro and soil.

 

[Herborizer]

Thank you for such a wonderful thread! I have read it completely through. I bought Physan20, not knowing if I need it now, but it sounds like its something I will use forever for cleaning my equipment. I have a friend who is a master orchid grower and his group of friends all use Physan20 constantly.

I have had non-stop issues with my DWC grow. I am using the Lucas forumla with RO water. I have amazing buble in my buckets and I check the PH every morning and night. I just can't seem to shake the problems I have. I pray for the day for a dark green plant!

So here are my roots. Let me know what you think. Thanks!

 

[OMountainMix]

i've got a list going next to the computer. i'm sure that reading threads like this is what caused my husband to buy the things he bought for us and which are good insurance policies against things we've faced and been hurt by in the past . . . . this whole place is a fountain of knowledge . . . or is it a cloud of knowledge?

 

[original Blues]

good post snodog27

the pics in this thread are exactly what my roots looked like when i used
AN's tarantula and piranah...and i had several bad grows that i attribute

The same thing happened with these products and I would never use them again I even tried them and a 3rd of the advised dosage and the same problem appeared in my oxy pot!!

waste of money if you ask me

 

[robertmarley]

If I were to go dwc again I would run Hyox or something of the sort...
seen it used a few places and it works awesome..
that the was the next thign i was going to try before i switched to coco... good luck

 

[StealthyStalks]

Ive been using Great White beneficial powder for my most recent crop and I really like it. It's not cheap but has a great variety of organisms and I have actually observed the colonization of my roots. I definitely recommend it for anyone with slime issues. Inoculate your roots with this stuff first and you'll be good to go and slime free.

The Great White is good stuff and has the perfect beneficial fungi and bacteria your plants need to thrive and it is actually cheaper than you realize; you only need to buy it once (or rarely) and use very little of it. Regardless of what the instructions say, once you have introduced a tiny bit of the BB’s from Great White into your system, they will multiply exponentially as long as you feed them and don’t kill them off with something like Physan-20.

Unlike Hygrozyme, which is just enzymes (proteins) used to catalyze biochemical reactions of the organisms in your system and need to be replaced when depleted, once you add the BB's from Great White they keep multiplying as long as they are fed. The only thing in Great White you can't keep perpetuating is the vitamins they have in it; but those can be had for pennies from other sources.

The secret is to have a place where your BB's have a home like hydroton or lava rock and keep them fed. The same principal is used with aquariums and is why you will never see someone who is experienced with raising fish do a total water change out. They usually only replace a fraction of the water so as to keep the BB's already in the system alive and well; it's also why reef systems work so well with aquariums. This is also why the guy who uses the "BioBuckets" does so well; he basically has a reef system set up and he is just keeping his colony of BB's alive and well. A little bit of colonized lava rock or Hydroton saved from the last grow can inoculate a new grow with all the BB's you need and hopfully keep the white slime away by outcompeting it.