HYDRO First timer... Algae Kicking my @$$

[anotherfrigginnewbie]

Alright meow,

So as you might've guessed from my name, I'm another FNG (F*cking New Guy, for other FNG's out there who don't know what that means)... and I'm actually pretty dang BRAND NEW to cannabis. I only started smoking maybe 3 months ago, and I'm almost 35. Anyways... I digress.

So I'm new to growing, but I've read just about every dang article on this site and a couple others. So I'm new, but my mind is stuffed full of info. I digress again... My grow setup: 400W COB LED light in a 20"-32"-62" tent. I'm trying to grow 3 plants, but I've definitely learned my lesson here, because they're all way too cramped in there. They would fit a lot better, but I'm growing DWC in 5 gallon buckets. And in these three 5 gallon buckets, I'm growing 3 different strains. All hybrids: Strawberry Kush, Pineapple Haze, and Blueberry (yeah, the "Fruity Mix Pack" from I Love Growing Marijuana.com) and all 3 have different heights/flowering times.

So I started my grow with just the Strawberry Kush, because I was stupid. But about a week later, I started one more of the other two kinds. So the strawberry is a week older than the Pineapple Haze and the Blueberry. I'm practicing my topping/trimming on the strawberry plant, and I'm trying to allow the other two to catch up. Now, I'm about a month along with the strawberry kush, and it's roots are getting algae. I did a reservoir change 6 days ago, hoping that would stop/kill/clear up the algae. It hasn't, even though I'm using everything I can find online. But the algae is still here, and it actually looks like it might be getting worse... The other two plants are in different buckets, and they are showing very little green on their roots (although both ARE showing SOME). I'm using the GH Flora Trio, GH CalMag, GH Rapid Rooter, and most importantly HydroGuard. I'm using 1/2 the nutrients that it shows on the GH website, when I use their custom feeding chart generator. But I'm using the right dosing on the HydroGuard. I'm also PH'ing the water with GH Up and Down, after adding everything else to the water, not before. My water supply has a high PH, so I'm using the PH Down to get my water to 6.0-6.3. And I think the last things you might need to know about my setup is the temperatures. I'm in Texas, so it's hot here. I keep my house at 74, and my thermometers say that outside my tent is 75, inside my tent is now between 76-79 (79 only at the hottest time of day each day, but it no longer goes above 80). Before I got my exhaust system in, I was having a REALLY hard time keeping my tent down below 83. It was usually around 85... Last, the water temps have been similar to the room temps. I was using ice packs to keep them cool before I got my exhaust up, but now I don't have to. But the water temps are on point with the overall tent temps, usually sitting at about 77, pretty steady...

I'm not sure if there's anything else you guys would need to know about my setup to help... So!!! Maybe I should get back to addressing my actual problem! LOL sorry, brain fart moment.

So I'm trying to get rid of my algae. It's getting bad in my Strawberry Kush'es roots. See pictures... But any help is greatly appreciated! I'm afraid that I'll have to chuck it and start over... But if I do, I can still end up with the same dang problem with my next grow... So I want to address the issue with this first grow, so if it happens again, I'll know how to stop it faster than now.

[OzBud]

You have white buckets. The light is getting through. Paint them black or put something reflective over them to block the light out

[OzBud]

Once they're painted black you could then go over the black again with flat white paint to increase light reflectivity off the buckets and to prevent the bucket from warming up too much / inceasing water temp.

[anotherfrigginnewbie]

Thanks for this, I'll find some time this week to paint them... I wish I could upload photos of my Pineapple Haze bucket, because I wrapped that one in aluminum foil and duct tape. But it is still having some algae in this bucket, too. I'm going to paint the lids first... hopefully that can help...
Thanks again for your help. Do you have any tips for killing the algae off? Or will the algae die once there's zero light? Thanks a third time!

[OzBud]

Also, do you have air stones in each bucket connected to an air pump? I can't see any air lines in any of your photos.

[anotherfrigginnewbie]

Sorry for the delay, yes, I have air stones in each bucket. I've cut small notches in the rings of the buckets, so I can rotate the buckets (if necessary, for space saving reasons). I have 2 pumps, one is an adjustable rate 2 port (same one Nebula uses), and the other one is just a regular aquarium air pump. The high volume pump is putting air into my Strawberry Kush and Pineapple Haze buckets, while the standard aquarium pump is in the Blueberry bucket.

For some reason, the forum doesn't like pictures I take of my Pineapple Haze plant/bucket. I tried to add 2 photos of her to this response as well, but they are too big. Even though I took them at the same time as these other pictures... weird...

[alltatup]

Hey anotherFABULOUSnewbie,

welcome to the forum!!! What everyone else has said, especially the light issues.

PLUS: get some grapefruit seed extract powder (cheap on Amazon) and put in with nutes; it will kill friendly enzymes and such, so hold off on them, but this was what solved a horrendous bout of brown algae on my second grow, which was caused by two light leaks into my reservoir. At one point, the roots were so thick with grown gunk that I had to remove them (they were well into flower), carry them one by one to kitchen sink and spray them with the spray nozzle to get all the disgusting stuff off. Underneath: there were my roots, looking somewhat dazed and confused, but still there. GSE (grapefruit seed extract), I learned, is commonly used in ponds to get rid of algae. I tried the H2O2 route, but it didn't work for me. GSE kicked the algae's ass and took no prisoners. Cold blooded.

You are catching this early, so it won't affect your buds. Mine were stunted--smoked well, but not as big of a harvest as I would have liked. Keep us updated!!!!!

[anotherfrigginnewbie]

If anyone is still out there, I'm posting this message to kinda "refresh" this thread and let people know that I still need help with this (if possible). I'm actually wrapping my buckets right now with aluminum foil and duct tape, since I can't leave them out long enough for the spray paint to dry... But I'm worried about the existing algae. Will it die if it doesn't get light? Or will it be able to survive there, since it's already grown so bad?

[Aloner]

I can't comment since I haven't done hydro but I'm tagging alltatup in case she has anything helpful to add (and she frequently does!).

[DW2]

Howdy anotherfrigginnewbie, I also grow in DWC (and in the great Lone Star state). Here is what I have learned:
1. Keep the water temperature at 70° F or lower, but not below about 63°. I use ice bottles in the reservoirs (six gallon Bubbleponics) and wrap the tubs with bubble wrap for insulation.
2. Block out ALL light from getting into the reservoir. I cover the clay pebbles in the net pots with aluminum foil and I have an access 'port' to change out the ice bottles without letting in a lot of light.
3. I use 2ml/gal of GH Florashield as an inoculant to help to prevent 'flair-ups'.
If you are getting 'green' algae in Your reservoir, then I would suspect that You have a light leak. You can get 'brown' algae with out light leaks, but it can grow in the higher temperatures with out light.
4. Keep the water well aerated. The oxygen helps to kill off the algae and is very beneficial to the plants.

Good luck with Your grow and I hope that You get control of the slimy stuff!

[anotherfrigginnewbie]

Hi DW2, I really appreciate the help and info. I'd really like to see your setup, so I might be able to duplicate it. I've been trying to grow for a few months now... I started with bagseed and I was able to get them along pretty good, but then I scrapped them when my seeds arrived from Europe. So I've been trying for a few months now, but this is the first time I've had algae. So I've wrapped my stuff in foil and I've done everything I can think of to spot light leaks in the buckets and seal them up. I'm pretty sure I've gotten all of them, but I can't keep my water temps down. I had myself a friggin party the first day I was able to keep my water below 80 degrees! So if you can show some pictures of your setup and what ice packs you use and just... anything and everything else! The more you can show me, the more I'll soak up and learn to use myself for a good long time!

So in the beginning of this grow, before I got my exhaust setup installed, my tent was usually north of 85 degrees. And that's with fans blowing the cool air in at ground level, and another box fan on top of my tent, blowing the hot air out of the closet. And all of that, as fine tuned as I could get it, still wasn't enough to keep my water below 80. I was running a water pump to circulate cold water around the outside of the buckets, and I'd put ice packs on the outside of the buckets, inside a tote... I tried to do that with the ice tote on the outside of the tent, and I had a garden hose coiled up that went into the tent and around the buckets. It worked, but it wasn't anywhere near efficient. So I'm definitely interested to see any other system that can keep my temps down... But I blew dang near all of my "piss away" money to get everything set up to the point it's at right now, so I can't afford another system... that's why I'm excited to see your setup, and hopefully incorporate your design into my setup.

Thanks again!!!
(Just to make sure that I get you tagged on this message, I'm going to put it down here... my phone won't let me scroll up... so DW2 )

[anotherfrigginnewbie]

Holy frickin bat crap Batman!!! Thank you everyone for all this awesome help!!! Awesome points and awesome future help, too! I'm so dang appreciative for the tips and tricks, and I'll do my best to keep you updated. Man! Really really appreciate the help!

[anotherfrigginnewbie]

And woman!!! I really appreciate your help, too!!! LOL

[alltatup]

This is what's so awesome about this forum: everyone wants everyone to grow killer weed!!! ;-}

[DW2]

Howdy AFN, If I may call You that (old fingers resist typing!). Here are a couple of photos of my set up. It is actually a closet (6ft wide by 2ft deep and 8ft tall)in my spare room. I am using an original Bubbleponic (on the right) and a DIY ten gallon tote on the left. I use 1qt water bottles, frozen and inserted into the reservoirs thru a net pot with the bottom cut out (the net pot keeps the bottle from drifting away). The lights are four 55 watt CFLs, two at 2700°K and two at 5000°K for each reservoir. The totes are wrapped with bubble wrap (the large bubbles seem to insulate better than the small ones) and the tops are covered with reflective duct tape to help keep the heat down during the early growth stage.
Last grow setup (still had some brown algae.
The aluminum foil over the clay pebbles in the net pots, the changing of the ice bottles without lifting the lid (and letting in light) has made a very big difference in the algae problem. Evidently enough light was 'filtering' into the reservoirs to grow the algae, but so far (knock on wood!!), the algae has not been a problem.
I also add 2ml of GH Florashield per gallon as added insurance against the algae, fungus, and molds.
I hope that You can get the algae under control. Good luck with Your grow.

[alltatup]

Awesome setup, DW!!!
anotherfrigginnewbie I'm growing a landrace sativa right now, and it's kicking my ass!!! Wish I could come and rescue your plants!!!

[DW2]

alltatup, Thanks for Your comment, it means a lot coming from a great, friendly, and intelligent grower (and there ain't many of US left!!!) such as Yourself. Wait, that was a little 'thick' (LOL), thanks!

[alltatup]

Aw shucks, DW, it ain't no thang but a chicken wang... we havin a smokeout in the dungeon wit da mary jane...

Just check out my sativa thread and you won't think I'm so intelligent...

[anotherfrigginnewbie]

Hey everyone, I really appreciate all of the help everyone has offered. I know that I have learned my lesson with light leaks (the light was coming in unfiltered, directly through tiny holes I drilled into the lids so I could tie down for LST purposes... So basically this is a self-inflicted wound/stupidity...)
Anyway, I've decided to scrap these plants. I now know much better, in terms of what to grow (better strain choice) and how to setup my grow equipment. I just received my order from Nirvana, so I'm going to change from 3 photoperiod strains to 2 autoflower strains. They are much more sativa dominant, which is what I need for my medicating purposes. So I learned my lesson, and now I get to start over from new seeds. I'll do my best to track this grow and keep an updated journal. Thanks all!

[Aloner]

Looking forward to your new and improved grow!

[Haagzilla]

I am on my first Bubbleponics grow and I cant find an answer to cleaning the reservoir. Do I need to drain it completely every 10 days and scrub/sterilize the tub and air stones? Or do you just drain the liquid and refill with ph'ed water with new nutes? Thanks !

[alltatup]

Hi Haagzilla, I used water with some hydrogen peroxide in it to wipe out my reservoir if there's lots of residue, but I don't do that every time. Sometimes I'll take out the air pump and the air stones when i'm wiping down the res and stick them in the bucket of water and H2O2. I don't want a big buidup of residue on the stones or in the pump.

And I change my reservoir every week.

[DW2]

Haagzilla, During the grow I drain the reservoirs each week and re-fill with fresh pH'ed water and nutrients. After the grow is over, I drain and rinse the reservoirs, then I fill them up (to or above the water line) with a 50/50 mixture of white distilled vinegar and water (tap water), this helps to 'loosen' any minerals that may have precipitated out of solution during the grow. I then drain and wash down with an antibacterial dish soap and scrub thoroughly with a cleaning pad. The last step is to soak, over night, with a 50/50 bleach and water solution, then drain, rinse, and dry. I do not reuse the air stones, water pump, or their tubing. These parts are inexpensive enough (2" x 4" air stone $3, water pump $10) to risk cross contamination, if You can not boil it or soak it in bleach, then it gets tossed.