Newbe Please Advise Me! Algae Problem DWC

[Renegade66]

Strain - Six Shooter
# of Plants - 1
Grow Type - Hydro
Grow Stage - Veg
Setup - DWC
Light - ? What I could piece together
Nutrients - General Hydronponics
Medium - Clay pebbles and coir
PPM - 1680
PH - 5.8
RH - 60%
Room Temperature - 82
Solution Temperature -70 F
Room Square Footage - 16
Pests - None Known

My problem is that I am growing in a home made setup and I noticed alge in my container and I have no where to put her while I scrub out her home. I have 6 gal. of water and solution in the container and my question is can I remove her and add 6 teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide and put her back without hurting her?

I only ask because I lost my job helping my dad who died of cancer and injured my back while assisting him, no regrets but I am strapped for cash and trying to grow for the pain. I know the best thing would be to make a place to hold her while I properly clean her house!

Thanks for any help that anyone can give me!

 

[closetop]

Ok I do this mines in a 5 gallon bucket and the net pot fits that. Put her in a spare 5 gallon bucket with water pour some water over her rocks. It will run into new bucket rinse your main dwc container with gloves on and 3% h202 aka peroxide and than put her back in.

 

[Scientific]

The only reason you get algae is because they've got light for photosynthesis. Shut out the light and algae can't survive. If you don't shut out the light, the algae will come back.

That said, algae isn't really a big problem. It's a natural part of every ecosystem and grows in all soils, in fact, it's what gives soil its distinctive smell.

Blue-green algae--cyanobacteria--can be kind of gross, smelly (see preceding sentence) and slimey, but again, not a threat. They just want to eat your fertilizer.

All of which is to say relax, put away the H2O2, seal up the light leaks, and just change your reservoir once a week and all should be well.

Putting a small submersible circulation pump in your reservoir can help to keep it healthier too, by the way. I assume that you already have an air pump.

 

[Renegade66]

I appreciate the quick responses and the answers!

I do have a 6 inch bubble stone under her and I didn't have this problem until I started using an organic fertilizer with beneficial bacteria in it, may just be a coincidence though. Liquid fertilizer from Wal-Mart, not the best but what I could afford right now. I screwed up my GH nutes by not reading my TDS pen correctly. Didn't pay attention to the flashing 10X on the pen. Shooting for 1000 ppm and it became 10,000 quickly! LOL Luckily I caught my mistake about 30 seconds after I ruined my nutes and it didn't hurt my baby!

I don't want to kill the beneficial bacteria so I will hold off on the peroxide for now and keep a close eye on her and change the water every week. If she seems to start feeling bad and not her perky self I'll resort to pulling her and clean with the peroxide.

I want to thank everyone again and hope that this also helps others!

 

[Scientific]

> I didn't have this problem until I started using an organic fertilizer with beneficial bacteria in it, may just be a coincidence though.
It's a coincidence.

> Liquid fertilizer from Wal-Mart, not the best but what I could afford right now.
Buy the good fertilizer. It's worth it.

> I screwed up my GH nutes by not reading my TDS pen correctly. Didn't pay attention to the flashing 10X on the pen. Shooting for 1000 ppm and it became 10,000 quickly! LOL Luckily I caught my mistake about 30 seconds after I ruined my nutes and it didn't hurt my baby!
That's a close call. Easy to do. Just a moment's inattention...

> I don't want to kill the beneficial bacteria so I will hold off on the peroxide for now and keep a close eye on her and change the water every week. If she seems to start feeling bad and not her perky self I'll resort to pulling her and clean with the peroxide.
It there are two things that the people here seem to just luv luv luv, it's flushing and hydrogen peroxide!

Just remove all the light, have really excellent circulation (more of an issue as the roots fill the reservoir), keep the res temp down, and change the res weekly (you don't need to scour--just drain 90% and give a fresh fill) and that should do it.

Prevention by creating and maintaining a healthy environment, not flushing and chemicals.

(End of lecture. )

 

[Renegade66]

Yea, I really don't want to resort to any chemicals. I have drained the water, enclosed the res in a cardboard box, and duct taped all possible light sources. I left an inspection port to be able to change the water, check pH ect...

Roots look perfect and she is perky as ever. I don't think anything phased my plant at all!

 

[Scientific]

Roots look perfect and she is perky as ever. I don't think anything phased my plant at all!