Green Algae causes:
Pretty Simple. Green Algae has the same requirements as our plants to thrive. The oxygen and nutrient reservoir is an ideal environment all it needs is some light.
Understanding Green Algae and it's effects:
Some growers think nothing is wrong with a little bit of green algae in their culture and even think it's beneficial in the vegetative state. This may be true but once they flip to fruiting it will cause nothing but headaches.
Green Algae, like any plant, uses photosynthesis converting water and carbon dioxide to sugars and oxygen. Sounds good right, super oxygenated reservoir, how can that be a problem. In theory, with a 24/7 light schedule, during the vegetative stage, and controlled growth of the algae it COULD be beneficial. However what happens when you flip to fruiting (or 18/6 veg).
During dark periods Algae will do the reverse. Absorb oxygen and give off carbon dioxide.Not sounding that great now right? Not only that but it will die off. That dieoff will then decompose in your reservoir causing non-beneficial bacteria growth and beneficial bacteria to focus on them instead of guarding against other threats.
I could go on about surfactant, emulsification, and so on but I think you can see where I'm going with this, so let's get to the treatment.
First a few key things:
1. Early Detection. I check my plants every day (you could say I'm neurotic). I start with the reservoir temp, pH, roots, and solution contaminats. Then ambient temp, Rh, plants, then pots.
2. Correct problems that cause algae. Temperatures and light leaks.
3. Stay calm.
Treatment:
Once you have solved the causes we can treat the problem.
1. Gently rinse off your affected roots to remove, and loosen algea. I use a spare line from the manifold of the top feed.
2. I use rapid rooters and hydroton in 3.75" net pots. I treated both pots even though only one was affected and I caught it early. Pour 3% H2O2 directly onto rapid rooter until saturated. For me this was about a tablespoon.
3. Pour 1 tablespoon of 3% H2O2 on hydroton. I slowly pour in a circle starting from the outside in and ensure that they are evenly coated.
4. Wait 1 hour.
4a. My pump has a filter at this point I remove and rinse off the filter. To get rid of any algae that came off due to rinsing and that came off with the H2O2. You can also use a fine dip net.
5. You should see a difference in your roots. The remaining algae should have faded and/or even turned brown. There will probably still be green algae visible we'll address that in the next step.
6. Lower your pH to 5.0. This will kill the remaining green algae.
7. After about 4 hours you should see a drastic difference. For me the algae that was on the longest roots were gone and the green that was on the small roots at the pots had turned brown and after 8hrs there was no trace.
8. Follow up the next day check pH, roots, and clean filter or dip net dead algae. Retreat if necessary. If there are no signs of algae add beneficial bacteria (I use Hydroguard) at half strength.
*Note
For extreme infestation use Grapefruit Seed Extract. 1 tsp per gallon.
( Thanks alltatup )
Hopefully noone will have to use this but here it is just in case.
Happy Growing .......
