HELP - Lost 5 Plants - My losing battle with Pythium

[bilabonic]

After many awesome grow the dreaded PYTHIUM has struck and keeps returning....

 

Anyway going to attempt again and try to prevent it happening in first place even though i THOUGHT i had all angles covered.

 

RDWC with high flow rate.

Chiller keeping water temps 18/19c

Massive air compressor with ceramic stones - LOTS bubbles

Spotless system - Cleaned/run with strong H202.

Totally lightproof

LOTS of flooming in control res due to 1000 L/H pump (through chiller)

Used Canadian Express regen a root

Ionic chemical nutes

 

The only thing i have not done from start is-

 

Change my res weekly (last time caught Pythium was 3.5 weeks with just topping up. Water was still spotless)

 

Add any Pyhium preventer from start - Chlorine/H202/UV filter.

 

I am now thinking of trying again with -

 

UV filter - run for 1 hour a day

Using H202 or chlorine (pythoff) as directed daily

Change res once week/every 10 days.

 

Use Fongarid ??? How/when to use ? I take cuts from mom and root in aero cloner. Then veg room for 4 weeks then into flower room.

 

Anyone else advise as i dont get anywhere i am giving u

 

Cheers

[Darth Desolas]

Perhaps some pics of the affected plants may help, as while you may be sure it's one thing it may well be something else.

 

ETA yes, you should be changing your nutrient regularly, at least every fortnight, but better weekly. Recirc thrives on regular nutrient maintenance.

Edited January 28, 2011 by Darth Desolas

[darryl d]

Ditch the H202 and run the system for 2 weeks before you put the plants in, let the natural bacteria build up. You have the water chilled so thats the biggest problem taken care of.

[brick]

Are you sure it is pythium? It could be fusarium or verticillium wilt.

[bilabonic]

Are you sure it is pythium? It could be fusarium or verticillium wilt.

 

The plants are super healthy for a few weeks then within days roots go pale brown/then even darker, the plants also start wilting.

 

How do i tel if its Pyhtium, fusarium or verticillium wilt ?

 

I did have some success by cutting of the affected roots/ spraying with h202 and using h202 daily. New white growth comes through but soon goes brown again ???

 

Cheers

[buzzo]

Are you talking about a noticable smell or brown look to your res?

 

In my case the nute tank would get a bad smell and brown shit would be in abundance.

 

Do not use U.V. Light it will break down the Iron Chelates in the nutes and then you will get iron def.

 

In my case it was the tank water. After I started to use tap water it was better but the shit still used to come back.

 

I then nuked the fuck out of everything with a very strong Chlorine water mix, and flushed throughorly.

In a res with say 40 liters you need to put a mix of 100 ml of chlorine, let it sit overnight with pumps and airstones running.....DO NOT LET THIS MIX GET TO YOUR PLANTS. IT WILL KILL THEM IN A FUCKING HEARTBEAT.

Flush the fuck out of it, and then use RO or distilled water.

 

Brown algae lives on the nutes and doesn't need any light to survive. Green algae needs light.

I haven't gone back to tap water but I suspect that it would be fine now.

 

Don't listen to the wankers who say that the chlorine will etch into the walls of the res ETC. It's bullshit.

I had further big problems with my system after I added the Water Chiller.

 

you must Nuke the shit at least once every 2 weeks.

 

Trust me....If you have a problem with your nute tank it will only take one cell of algae in your yummy nute mix to then become a fucking mess within a week.

Edited January 29, 2011 by buzzo

[bilabonic]

Are you talking about a noticable smell or brown look to your res?

 

In my case the nute tank would get a bad smell and brown shit would be in abundance.

 

Do not use U.V. Light it will break down the Iron Chelates in the nutes and then you will get iron def.

 

In my case it was the tank water. After I started to use tap water it was better but the shit still used to come back.

 

I then nuked the fuck out of everything with a very strong Chlorine water mix, and flushed throughorly.

In a res with say 40 liters you need to put a mix of 100 ml of chlorine, let it sit overnight with pumps and airstones running.....DO NOT LET THIS MIX GET TO YOUR PLANTS. IT WILL KILL THEM IN A FUCKING HEARTBEAT.

Flush the fuck out of it, and then use RO or distilled water.

 

Brown algae lives on the nutes and doesn't need any light to survive. Green algae needs light.

I haven't gone back to tap water but I suspect that it would be fine now.

 

Don't listen to the wankers who say that the chlorine will etch into the walls of the res ETC. It's bullshit.

I had further big problems with my system after I added the Water Chiller.

 

you must Nuke the shit at least once every 2 weeks.

 

Trust me....If you have a problem with your nute tank it will only take one cell of algae in your yummy nute mix to then become a fucking mess within a week.

 

 

Confused by what you mean by 'nute tank'?

 

I have 5 bucket RDWC with an extra bucket as 'control bucket'. This control bucket feeds all 5 bubblers at top and it returns at bottom of buckets. So it is continuously circulating....

 

I then top-up the system from a 70l totally seperate water butt that has airstone/and nutes to correct level.

[darryl d]

H202 works but once you start using it you need to add it every 2-3 days as you've essentially wiped out all bacteria good and bad which leaves the rootzone open to attack. buzzo is spot on with the UV filter knocking out the iron chelates.

I've had more success with no additives just the natural bacteria that will accumulate with water temps around 22' C

No need for a nutrient change until you've added 50% fresh water back into the res, try it, you'll save money on nutrient as well as keep the rootzone healthier and I'm not the only one who has run nutrient this long with good results either.

[bilabonic]

I agree, i have done plenty of grows with 1 or 2 nute changes BUT once you have had Pythium and can not get rid of it you will try anything.....

 

My last grow was as you have advised and 3 weeks into veg roots start to brown....

 

Going to try a sterile grow as i use chemical nutes. I know UV strips certain minerals esp Iron.

 

Been reading good stuff on Fongarid and Spredmax by searles.

 

Will try anything now as at a loss....

[darryl d]

Pythium mmmmm it's what drove me to try coco, brown smelly roots in the middle of summer suck.

I've not tried it but Pythoff seems easy to use as well as monitor from the sales pitch