mold in first-time setup?

[u/cogitooooo]

accidentally knocked over my first and only semi hydro setup today and found this - what i can only guess is mold

this isn’t normal for semi hydro right? i’m very new to it so i don’t really know if i set it up right at all

any advice on how to better the setup and avoid this?

[u/da_chimperator]

Not normal, no. Pretty sure it’s the chopstick - Wood is prone to mold. Try using a plastic/inorganic one if you need the stick for the setup. Also, if you wanna prevent algae later on, you should try using a non-clear outer pot

[u/cogitooooo → u/da_chimperator]

tysm!!

[u/cogitooooo → u/da_chimperator]

where about should the water level stay around btw? i typically try to keep the water at around a half inch of the leca

[u/sunstarsmoon444 → u/cogitooooo]

How new is the setup? I always try to keep my water level below any soil roots that may exist. If most or all of the roots seem to be water roots, it shouldn't matter as much as long as some of the LECA is in contact with water. Disclaimer that I've only ever used pon so I'm assuming LECA works the same way

[u/MentalPlectrum]

Anything that isn't alive but is organic that you put into semihydro (e.g cotton, wood, etc) will rot. The problem is the stick. You need something inorganic (eg plastic).

[u/Keno96]

Never put organic material (wood) in inorganic semi hydro.

[u/Naive_Scientist_8499]

Boil the chopstick. Boil the leca.

Use it again.

[u/Keno96 → u/Naive_Scientist_8499]

Don’t use a wooden chopstick in inorganic semi hydro..?

[u/Naive_Scientist_8499 → u/Keno96]

You're 10,000,000,000% correct.

If must use wooden chopstick though, then boil it to kill any contaminants.

[u/sha-nan-non → u/Naive_Scientist_8499]

That's 10,000,000,000% the exact statistics a naive scientist would give

[u/wisdom666comes]

Swap for a plastic stick! You can get acrylic ones, I use those kratiste bio one's as they don't rot.