skip to main content

nft water quality issues

8 years ago

I am having a issue with my water in a nft system I built and am looking for some suggestions to correct it. The black tube is a picture of my nutrient pump and it's coated with a white residue. The nutrient are 1000 ppm, 6 ph, and about 13 gallons worth. It seams about every 3 days I need to use ph down to bring it from 6.5 to 5.5. I recently built this system and this is the first run with basil in it. I am using rock wool and the roots have browned on me and new one are starting to grow looking healthier. Is this all from root rot? Any suggestions for correction would be appreciated. Here are a few more pics

Featured Answer

David Smith

8 years ago

Maybe that is some sort of algae that is growing in your reservoir. The green plastic might be leaking light into it. Just a cardboard box as a cover for it might work to block it.

Is your rockwool staying wet all the time? Raising them out of the water or running the pump on a timer could let dry out a little if it is root rot.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

morb1lee
Original Author
8 years ago
Another thing is the water was clear with a yellow tint to it when I first mixed it. Now it is more of a white cloudy appearance (from so much ph down?).
Related Discussions
Wolf appliances quality issues?
Q
Comments (27)
Canbon, here's what I would do: 1 - Stay far away from the dealer who told you that the Wolf line is rife with problems and that there is sabotage going on. The dealer is probably on a credit hold with the Wolf distributor and can't get product right now. I have been told that there are a bunch of dealers in the Clark region who are in this position. And the fact that they are giving you a 2 year old article from Associated Content (where anyone and everyone is an expert!) speaks volumes. 2- Yes Wolf/Sub has had labor probs at one of their plants but from what I've been told they are being resolved and in order for there to be some grand conspiracy to ruin products you would need ALOT of people involved...plus if we are talking about some grand conspiracy on GardenWeb right now, don't you think that Wolf would have known about this first and nipped it in the bud awhile ago? 3- If you visit any other dealer showrooms and you find them pushing you to one brand and disparaging another, take what they have to say with a grain of salt. Every line has plusses and minuses. A responsible dealer should illustrate both sides to you and then furnish you with enough information for you to make an educated decision. If they are pushing or badmouthing, walk. They are puppets to their spiff checks. 4- Amcook's advice about re-visiting the distributor showroom is solid. They won't push b/c they don't sell. Wolf appliances are expensive, but they are built like friggin' tanks, they perform wonderfully, they look nice and they make a statement. Bottom line is that I have 100% confidence in the Wolf brand. So much so that if my mom or my wife asked me for new appliances, and knowing that I would be knocked upside the head if I steered them wrong, Wolf would be my #1 go-to brand. They rock!
...See More
Water quality issues
Q
Comments (2)
Hardness leaves white, crusty depeosits, poor soap (lather) quality, dry skin, etc. Most of what you are describing sounds like iron or manganese. Iron leaves a variety of red, brown and tan colors. My guess is that your city is using phosphates (poly-, bi-) in their treatment. Get a MUNICIPAL WATER TREATMENT REPORT. Find out what's in their water and how they are treating it.
...See More
Water Quality Issue
Q
Comments (0)
OK, let's see if anyone can figure this out: I recently inherited a wood frame farmhouse in SE Victoria county, Texas, that I grew up in, built in 1914. It didn't have running water until the 1950s from what I can tell, and a new water well was drilled to 140' deep about six years ago. I moved a new mobile home onto the property a few months ago to live in while I renovate the old house. Now here's the mystery: the water in the old house smells and tastes fine, and always has. But the water in the mobile home has a sulfur smell to it (tastes fine, but smells). The water to both structures comes from the same well through the same pump and the same holding tank. Why, then, does the water in the mobile home smell, and the water in the house doesn't?
...See More
Hydroponics help - NFT system issue
Q
Comments (2)
I think you'll need another straight hose from your Tee pictured on the bottom, connected to the top portion. If you don't know what i mean let me know ill draw a diagram. The overflow valve if done properly won't affect flow until the pump is off. I would recommend not going with an overflow valve because if doesnt keep water in the lines, in effect pressure in the lines. Put some shutoffs for when you need to do maintenance.
...See More
morb1lee
Original Author
8 years ago
My pump is running 1.3 quarts a minute continuously. What off on time would you suggest? I've never used a timer on a pump so I'd guess at 15 min on 2 hrs off?
morb1lee
Original Author
8 years ago
Would you also suggest switching medium? I'm going to order some in a few days and was looking at switching to try something else out
robert_1943
8 years ago
I run my pump for 20 minutes with two and a half hours off which seems to cater for those plants that don't like over watering plus it allows the plants to take a deep breath until the next cycle with no bad side effects. At night I do not use the pump at all so after 6.30 pm until 8am there is no watering again with no side effects to the plant.PS if you use rockwool with regular watering this can cause problems I use expanded clay which still has sufficient wicking properties to keep the plants happy.
David Smith
8 years ago
I don't have experience with using a timer either. I have a NFT system but it's a vertical tower so the rockwool doesn't sit in the water.
Daniel Hermanson
8 years ago
I saw something similar when I started doing deep water culture. My roots would brown and eventually get a slime on them. Also my water would get cloudy and then get some jelly like slime in the water. In my situation I started using beneficial bacteria in the water. My problems went away completely. If your situation is similar to mine, then you may want to get a small bottle of Hydroguard or Orca mycorrhizae. There are probably 10 or so similar products out there that do the same thing, but these are the only two that I have personally tried. Both worked great, so go with what is cheaper or easier for you to get. Test a small bottle of it. If it solves your problem, then you can get more. If not, then you're not out much.

Related Stories

FURNITURE Smart Shopper: How to Judge Antique Furniture Quality

Pick the treasures from the trash without expert experience by learning how to evaluate antiques and what questions to ask

LANDSCAPE DESIGN How to Move Water Through Your Landscape

By Falon Mihalic

Swales, underground pipes or a mix of both: There’s more than one way to distribute water in the garden

GREEN BUILDING Just Add Water: Rain Barrel Magic

By Marianne Lipanovich

Take your rainwater storage from practical to beautiful with a new breed of design-friendly rain barrels

LANDSCAPE DESIGN How to Design Your Landscape to Spread Water

By Falon Mihalic

Water that’s distributed widely will more readily soak into the ground

LANDSCAPE DESIGN How to Design Your Landscape to Slow Down Water

By Falon Mihalic

Putting the brakes on stormwater runoff is the first step in sustainable water design

LANDSCAPE DESIGN How to Design Your Landscape to Sink Water Into the Ground

By Falon Mihalic

Learn to infiltrate stormwater, even on challenging sites

HEALTHY HOME How to Keep Water Vapor From Ruining Your House and Your Health

By Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

We help you find out when it’s happening, what it means and how to fix it

SAVING WATER 11 Ways to Save Water at Home

By Carol Crotta

Whether you live in a drought-stricken area or just want to help preserve a precious resource, here are things you can do to use less water

SAVING WATER Xeriscape Gardens: How to Get a Beautiful Landscape With Less Water

By Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Conserve water and make gardening much easier with the xeriscape approach’s 7 principles

GARDENING GUIDES 9 Ways to Be Water-Wise in the Edible Garden

By Annie Thornton

Consider these tips to get a healthy backyard crop that uses less water

Sponsored

More Discussions

Crop diversity question

0

Aerogarden Mucky growing condition - I'm new to this......

0

Basement hydroponics

0

Best hydroponic fertilizers

0

Hydroponic tomato leaves curling, pale and dying.

0