Hey everyone,
I’m running a DWC setup and wanted to get a second opinion on my roots and general water condition.
The Situation:
My plants seem to be growing fine. The roots are mostly white with some slight beige coloring toward the bottom, but they are firm, not slimy at all. The water has a neutral, "earthy" root smell—nothing foul or rotten.
The Issue:
I recently stirred up the reservoir and noticed a bunch of small, white floating particles (looks like "fuzz" or tiny flakes). They usually settle at the bottom but get suspended when the water is disturbed.
My Specs:
Nutrients: Masterblend (Standard 4-18-38 + CalNit + Epsom).
Water Temp: Constant at 21°C (70°F).
System: 2 x 25-Liter (6.5 gal) buckets.
My Questions:
Roots: Does the slight beige tint and earthy smell sound normal for this temp, or am I seeing the early stages of root rot?
Particles: Are those white flakes typical for Masterblend (nutrient fallout/precipitation), or could it be a bacterial biofilm?
Aeration: I’m currently looking at my air supply. How much airflow (L/min or GPH) should I ideally be pumping into each 25L bucket to keep the dissolved oxygen high enough at 21°C?
Maintenance: Should I do a full system scrub and reservoir change, or just let it ride if the plants look happy?
by Southern-Umpire-1808
1 Comment
Is that a pepper? It looks pretty happy.
My beginner armchair diagnosis is your pH is too high.
When the pH gets high (over 6.5-7) you’ll start to see the chalky water (turbidity) and the calcium phosphate deposits(white flakes). This is all the nutrients binding together and becoming unavailable to the plant.
Basically you need to flush it.
Soil microbes can still use the nutrients though, so you could still use the water in the garden.
Looks like a great setup, just make sure to keep the pH down after you flush it.