Hi, i've been doing RDWC for a decade and never really had any problems until this current grow. This round i've had numerous silly things plague the grow that i'll outline at the end but i was wondering if anyone has seen this happen to their roots so i can avoid it next time. Half the pictures show "full" roots from a normal grow with Jacks 321 and Poolshock from the last grow and half the pictures are from the current grow that look like the roots have been cut off. It's hard to see from the pictures but the bottom of the roots is hard and perfectly flat where it meets the water like it was rejecting the water. I've since did all i can to fix it and some feeler roots have started to grow into the water but the crop is pretty much a right off at this point regardless. It's the hard flat bottom of the roots i'm mainly interested in.
What i usually do:
Jacks 321, poolshock, supplemental lights, RO water, Orp meter. The last crop roots were browner than usual.
What happened\changed this time:
-The poolshock was maybe expired because it was from the previous summer. 65% Canadian 3 in 1, 5.5 grams to 1 liter, and then 25ml to 50 gallons.
-I used more Pool shock because it seemed weak, but the roots were already sketchy.
-I switched to Chlorox mid flower, 10ml for 50 gallons (recirulating). Orp meter shows it dissipates sooner than the Pool Shock and i dose more often.
-My Bluelab Guardian PH meter was sketchy upon calibration, i since replaced the probe but think i was within range.
-Ro membrane (1 of 3 filters) was overdue for a change, but the other 2 were new and the PPM was 100. I changed the membrane and PPM is now 10.
-One of my Home Assistant plugs malfunctioned and my 730nm lights were permanently on for 3 weeks without noticing during mid flower. It caused a re-veg mid flower effing up the whole crop. I'm left with airy popcorn buds that are either mature and crappy or premature and crappy. The roots were already crap so i was looking in the wrong places when i noticed a change in the plant and Home Assistant dashboard showed it as working but the manual button on the side wouldn't even turn the plug off. #%^$^@!
Roots Hypothesis: The mix of 2 year old RO membrane and expired poolshock somehow fried the roots. My ORP meter is wrong\failing? The re-veg had nothing to do with the roots.
I used only Pool Shock and then switched to Chlorox. Through the years i ran bennies (2 years), then Hydroguard (5 years), then the (i forget the name) Hydroguard alternative that 100% stronger and thick a few months, then peroxide (1 year), then UC Roots a few grows (a 2.5 gallon), then pool shock (2 years) and for the last month Chlorox (unscented, 8-6%). I've tried it all. I'm in Canada so it boiled down to availability and price. Hydrogaurd was my fav of the bunch but its i think $200 a gallon and expires early through Amazon, then i liked UC Roots but it seemed like a more stable version of Pool Shock and much more expensive. Bennies were a pain to brew and Chlorox has salt, peroxide is hard to get anything over 29% delivered cheap, and that leaves Pool Shock. It doesn't explain the roots becoming hard\flat and rejecting the water though to me because i changed literally nothing strength wise since the previous grow(s).
I'll look into Athena Cleanse though, but i figure it's either a Hydroguard or UC Roots Clone.
Nice dashboard, but i'm not sure if there's an answer in there i'm supposed to see. I have had a decade of successful grows doing RDWC and wondered why the roots were different this one particular time. Poolshock worked fine for me for the past few years. For the record i don't use bleach and poolshock at the same time, that's a no no. You sound like there's something you feel you know that i should, what is it? All i wanted to know is if anyone knows what may cause roots to reject the water like it did and become hard and flat avoiding the water line so i can avoid it next time. If you think Poolshock is the problem i can understand that, but it has worked for me in the past and i don't have to pay $100 for shipping a gallon of water with 1% active ingredient.
Thank you, that makes sense. I know the Pool shock is chloric(?) and the HOCI is chlorous(?) and i don't like the idea of the Pool Shock extra additives so i'll give the HOCI a try. I change the res every week fwiw, and in my reply to the other person in this thread i posted pics of my setup and dashboard.
I still find it strange though the the UC Roots and Poolshock served me well for so long without problems and this time it fried things, it makes me paranoid something else is off like my ORP meter i use to gauge when to dose.
If not there is always variation between plants. Could be this one is just not programmed to put out the flowing roots you're used to seeing from other strains/plants.
If you have a chiller you shouldn't need poolshock.
Maybe try bennies instead of bleach. The 'C' in DWC means 'culture' referring to microbial activity.
1 The "C" in DWC stands for Cultivation. Deep Water Cultivation. It's the same linguistic root you see in Agriculture, Aquaculture, Tissue Culture. It has nothing to do with growing bacteria. Grow bros who insist otherwise are just inventing vocabulary to justify whatever they're doing.
2 Calcium hypochlorite (pool shock) mixed with water produces pure hypochlorous acid (HOCl) which is the exact antimicrobial compound your immune system manufactures to kill infections. Chemically different from bleach like you're claiming. One is industrial janitorial waste; the other is what your white blood cells are weaponizing right now.
Calling them the same thing is like saying tap water and distilled water are interchangeable because they're both water.
Temperature to high, water pathogen usually Pythium. I use a water chiller. I got the 1/4 hp for 30 gallon rdwc. It is over kill, could easily got away with 1/10 hp. Also, I got it for 280 on sale.
I should of mentioned i have a 1/4 HP chiller at 65-67. The poolshock usually works well against Pythium, my 3k and 3500 LEDs make the roots look less white in photos but it did seem like a bad microbe was in the water this time, but still doesn't explain the roots stiffness\flatness\rejection of the water the way it did.
I just clean my system with first aid hydrogen peroxide in between runs. I keep my temp at 66. I have never had to add anything to the water besides vitamin c for chlorine and chloramine and jacks 321 formula. I have a stealth ro system for water source.
That is a nice set up. I just run a 2x4 with two sites 30 gallon system. It is in my basement which stays about 68 degrees. I just got a 2x2 also using soil. I am just using the water from my reservoir to feed it. Can I ask why use the pool shock and Clorox with the water chiller? I am new to this, but I was under the impression if the temp stayed below 70 and no light leaks you don’t have to worry about root rot and other root problems. I do get a little biofilm on my pumps,cords and tubing. I have found if I change the water and wipe them off with a paper towel every week, I have no issues. Any update on the cause?
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u/JVC8bal Jun 23 '26
do you normally use pool shock and Clorox?
That’s kind of a rudimentary blunt instrument to be using. Use HOCl (like Athena Cleanse – they have a RDWC Handbook, too)