Algea on rockwool

[wezzo]

hi guys,

i have 8 little baby's 6 inches in rockwool slabs being irrigated every hour for 5 minutes with canna vega, i'm not irrigating at the 6 hour lights off cycle, there are three 400 watt mh lights, i have only put them in the rockwool slabs 5 days ago. the little babys seem to be growing fine.

the problem is there is green algea on the top of the rockwool and in the nutrient solution, it seems to be getting worse. the ph is 6.8 and the room isnt too humid, there's a circulating fan and a fan bringing in fresh air

is there any way to get rid of it?

i have covered the nutrients as i heard photo synthesis can cause this, what is the best medium to cover the rockwool slabs?

[Luke Skywalker]

The algae is just another plant, although a simple one. You've given it everything it needs, nutrition, air, water, but most importantly, light. So it's growing.

 

Get a lightproof container, that's the first thing. Black plastic storage boxes are usually available. Get the biggest one you can, the larger the solution the better it's stability.

 

Now, the Rockwool slabs are usually available in a wrapped form, although you can certainly just use panda film too. That's the black and white co-extruded polythene sheet stuff. Either wrap it around the slab entirely or if it's in a container that has sides just over the top should be fine. Since the plants are already in there, you may have some difficulty getting it over the slab and plant without having a cut line in the panda.

 

If you do completely enclose each slab make sure you cut plenty of drainage slits in the base. You can do this easily with a sharp knife.

 

The algae, starved of light, will eventually die and decompose, but if you want to kill it quickly and minimise the possible effects, you can flush the slab with a flushing solution of something like oxyplus (hydrogen peroxide 50%) or pythoff (monochloramine). Make a reservoir full, then add the recommended dose and run the system continuously for a couple of hours. You could also do this with a watering can if that's easier. The main thing is to use some kind of disinfectant to help kill and keep the decomposition of the algae under control.

 

The pH is too high too, you want to be much closer to 5.5-6 than 6.8. Flush the slab out thoroughly with your nutrient solution a little lower than you're aiming for, (so if you want 6.0 in the slab flush well with water @ 5.5-5.8) and you should help that. Your nutrient should run consistently and slightly lower in pH than the runoff, and slightly higher in e.c.

 

Welcome to the boards btw, you should make a post in Dr Livingston I Presume and introduce yourself...

 

Got any cannaporn for us to peruse?

 

Hope that helps wezzo.

[Budman2012]

Very Informative Luke ,

But I'm curious ... what effect does the green algae have?? .. Is it at all detrimental? ..

I've got a little bit on top of the perlite atm .. but I don't really see it as a problem ..

 

As you say It's the perfect environment for it to grow .. I wouldn't bother trying to "kill" it .. but maybe there are ways to keep it at bay somehow? ..

 

It's really only on the surface ..

 

I wonder if boiling the water or using pure water whether it would still grow? .. heh , not that I'd probly bother to go to that effort either

 

Anyway .. Don't wanna ramble too much .. Cheerz

 

Budman

[wezzo]

The algae is just another plant, although a simple one. You've given it everything it needs, nutrition, air, water, but most importantly, light. So it's growing.

 

Get a lightproof container, that's the first thing. Black plastic storage boxes are usually available. Get the biggest one you can, the larger the solution the better it's stability.

 

Now, the Rockwool slabs are usually available in a wrapped form, although you can certainly just use panda film too. That's the black and white co-extruded polythene sheet stuff. Either wrap it around the slab entirely or if it's in a container that has sides just over the top should be fine. Since the plants are already in there, you may have some difficulty getting it over the slab and plant without having a cut line in the panda.

 

If you do completely enclose each slab make sure you cut plenty of drainage slits in the base. You can do this easily with a sharp knife.

 

The algae, starved of light, will eventually die and decompose, but if you want to kill it quickly and minimise the possible effects, you can flush the slab with a flushing solution of something like oxyplus (hydrogen peroxide 50%) or pythoff (monochloramine). Make a reservoir full, then add the recommended dose and run the system continuously for a couple of hours. You could also do this with a watering can if that's easier. The main thing is to use some kind of disinfectant to help kill and keep the decomposition of the algae under control.

 

The pH is too high too, you want to be much closer to 5.5-6 than 6.8. Flush the slab out thoroughly with your nutrient solution a little lower than you're aiming for, (so if you want 6.0 in the slab flush well with water @ 5.5-5.8) and you should help that. Your nutrient should run consistently and slightly lower in pH than the runoff, and slightly higher in e.c.

 

Welcome to the boards btw, you should make a post in Dr Livingston I Presume and introduce yourself...

 

Got any cannaporn for us to peruse?

 

Hope that helps wezzo.

 

 

thanks alot Luke

went and got black and white plastic and some oxyplus, covered the rockwool and tanks with plastic, added recommeded dose and will see what happens, i need to get some ph down solution, and am still waiting on my ec meter from ebay.

so should the nutrient in the tank be a bit higher then recommended, i'm mixing 2ml per litre at the moment, its in a 260 litre tank but only filled to about 100 litres

 

thanks again and i will make a post in Dr Livingston I Presume

and will get some cannaporn asap

 

cheers

[Luke Skywalker]

When young, keep it lower than full strength, you sound like you're on the right track. As they grow slowly increase until you reach say 2.5 or so as a maximum, but if you see any burning on the leaf tips just back off a bit.

 

Your e.c. in your tank will want to be slightly lower with rockwool slabs, I grew in these myself once and found that a .3-.5 difference could be expected between rootzone and tank e.c. (the tank being slightly lower).

 

But I'm curious ... what effect does the green algae have?? .. Is it at all detrimental? ..

I've got a little bit on top of the perlite atm .. but I don't really see it as a problem .. scratchchin.gif

 

The algae just draws on the solution a bit, takes out a few nutes and makes things a little unsightly. If it builds up enough it can certainly attract pests, particularly fungus gnats and springtails. The algae can also block irrigation lines and encourage diseases like pythium and phytopthora as it reduces drainage and keeps things too wet. If it grows up onto the stem of the plant this can be a particular problem.

 

Provided it's just a little growth on the surface, it's okay really, but it's better to keep a clean ship than complain that you didn't when you have a problem. For the most part though, it's probably the most common and least harmful (directly) of all the life-forms that coincidentally colonise our rooms.

[wezzo]

thanks for that luke,

it all seems to clearing up slowly,

 

i have just recieved my ec meter from ebay with no callibration solution, it says that it is calibrated and ready to use.

 

these are the specs

 

Specification

New Model: EC-1382

Measuring Accuracy: ± 2% F.S

Measuring Range: 0.00 - 1999 μs/cm

Resolution: 1 μs/cm

Power Source: 2x 3v CR2032 Batteries Included

Automatic Temperature Compensation: 0–50 °C

Dimension: 150x27x20 mm

Weight: 46 g

Operating Condition: 0–50 °C

Calibration: Manual, Pre-Calibrate

 

there is no decimal point on the meter that i can find,

my nutrient solution reads 1117 with this ec meter, does this meen 1.117?

the tap water measures 115 does that meen .115?

its all too technical for me,

 

any help with this would be greatly appreciated

[Luke Skywalker]

Can you post a pic or a link to the ebay item?

[Budman2012]

Thx Luke ,

If it were said so precisely in the other topic questions about this subject it definatly would have been clearer sooner

 

I guess a few more FAQ guides wouldn't go astray if people had time but yeh .. Seems to me if at least some of a portion or 2 of what has been discussed in certain topics brought forth .. ahem .. couldn't be put into each their own kind of section whether it be within a topic or maybe a revised type edition in the FAQ style ..

Not that I'm sure anyone knows the Learning centre is there yet but I suspect they'll catch on

 

Seriously tho .. i do get a little emotional about all this great info being lost in the abyss of endless new topics .. to organize now would save some hassle in the future I'm sure ..

And I'm prepared to help sift if need be .. we just need a plan .. I'm also prepared to plan that too .. but if I do .. I get to do nothing but celebrate still .. .. deal! ( no sifting , altho I will anyway) ..

 

O.k. then .. I have a feeling I've drifted off topic .. Algae on rockwool aye .. well , dangerous stuff from what I've heard , can kill you twice over before you can even leave the room .. sure could be rumours .. but we all know thats just a rumour ..

 

No worries , and Live Long and prosper also why don't ya Cheerz

 

Budman

 

P.s. I hope noone minds , but I might just re-edit this post and stick it in the feedback/improvement section aswell o.k. Cool ..

[wezzo]

Can you post a pic or a link to the ebay item?

 

here it is luke

 

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/EC-Conductivity-Tes...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

went to the hydro shop and they dont have a solution to calibrate it, think ive bought a dud

 

would this one be better

 

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/EC-CF-PPM-Dipstick-...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

sorry guys i'm new to this site i will check it out more and post in appropriate areas

Edited June 19, 2007 by wezzo

[sunnycoaststoner]

you should still get some ph buffer from the hydro shop so you can check your calibration regularly. also its a cf meter, ec has a decimal point and cf doesnt. some bright spark lab rat somewhere in the world at the time they made these forms of mesuring recorded an ec mesurement with out a decimal point on the records and cf measurment was born. decimal point is the only difference. welcome along and have fun.