DWC - my plants just die

[JJ Bones]

You need to keep your water temperature down. Ice might help but is hard to regulate.

How hot is the room? Lowering room temps can help a bit, putting the pots on the bottom-floor. Anything to keep water lower.

 

[Jimmycricket]

But the water temp was only 82 degrees? Can that really be a cause of death overnight?

 

[JJ Bones]

82 degrees is around 14 degrees higher then the ideal temperature for hydroponics.

I would hypothesize that the water temp has been too high, and it brought on Pythium which ended up killing the plant.

 

[Jimmycricket]

Might be, certainly possible.

He did also mention he fed them a lot right before it happened too.

wouldnt rule either out.

 

[hampkongen]

I have some extra questions

How long can a plant stand in a bucket (DWC) when the air stone dont give any air?
I have one airpump on 3W for 20L buckets. Is that enought?

And i have an EC meter, but i havent used it, because i dont know what the level has to be? I only feed the plants 1 time at week, and they are getting nutes lige GHE recomended.

 

[Jimmycricket]

I have some extra questions

How long can a plant stand in a bucket (DWC) when the air stone dont give any air?
I have one airpump on 3W for 20L buckets. Is that enought?

And i have an EC meter, but i havent used it, because i dont know what the level has to be? I only feed the plants 1 time at week, and they are getting nutes lige GHE recomended.

Well there are many variables to your question about roots in water without air. But the plant will start to drown as soon as 1 hour and might take as long as 24 hours before it starts to drown. Once it starts could last a few hours maybe even a day or two. Its a vague answer, but its got a lot of variables.

As for the airpump being enough, airpumps are not measured in watts they are measured in cubic inch per minute. Give us that and you can get an answer.

 

[hampkongen]

The pump can make 50L AIR /h i remember

 

[Jimmycricket]

Well then you have your answer.

Its rated for 50L in a hour you have 20L

 

[hampkongen]

Hmm nor exactly ?
because i dont know how much the plant needs

 

[Jimmycricket]

Ok first the question you ask does not have a black and white answer.

Temperature plays a large role in dissolved oxygen able to be held by water. Furthermore the size of the bubbles your air stone makes (if there is a stone) matters greatly. Also you really can not have too much air in a DWC. The only way would be if the roots just hung in air and had no water, in which case its not a DWC anymore and its just a SAC and the plants will die

Plants can usually survive with 2 or 3ppm of DO, however 6 or higher is certainly preferred.

A more simple answer is this. Without know all the other variables I will say that you are probably ok, if you notice browning of roots add more air.

 

[hampkongen]

Okay thanks for the answers

I use GHE, and the Micro part is making the water a bit brown

 

[Jimmycricket]

Well in that case browning of roots won't necessarily mean anything bad. The nutes could stain the roots brown in your case.

However one fairly sureproof way to know the plant has a nice bit of oxygen, is to have a good sized airstone directly under each plant.

 

[Mrblowalot]

Wat r u using to scrub air? carbon or wat?

 

[TaylorMade420]

is it just 1 airpump for 7 buckets or 1 airpump per bucket

 

[Mrblowalot]

Hope u don't have one of those blue light thingies for air scrubbing they kill shit the way u describe

 

[Mono]

Hope u don't have one of those blue light thingies for air scrubbing they kill shit the way u describe

What is this?

 

[hampkongen]

1 air pump in each bucket and 1 airstone

 

[TaylorMade420]

i use a 1200l per hour for 1 20 litre res can u get a pic up of the res with the air pump on?

 

[TaylorMade420]

that was my res with just 5 litres of air per min and plants seemed droopy as if they were over watered

 

[hampkongen]

I can take a pic if you want. But why so much? do you have more than 1 plant in that bucket?

I have one air stone and 50l air /h