I have been trying for quite sometime to determine weather or not using beneficial bacteria in a DWC system is beneficial or not. There is a ton of info either way on this, and nothing to help me come to a conclusion. Does anyone here have info in regards to beneficial bacteria and fungus in a DWC system? I would love to hear your thumbs or down, and your reasoning for it. I am a big info guys, so your why’s are almost more important that your answer. Thanks everyone.
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Hey there, @thepowersurge! Great question! I would suggest a thumbs down on using bacteria in DWC. You are inviting issues (i.e. pythium, algae, etc) with an already sensitive system. Generally, the use of beneficial bacteria is recommended for soil or coco. I’d love to hear other members’ thoughts on this.
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You can use a microbe tea. Make about 5 gallons (depending on how big the roots/plants are). Dip your dwc roots in that bucket and repeat every 3 days. Thats the only way I know of, organically, to keep a sterile dwc.
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I have been using hydroguard for the past two years and have just recently starting using another beneficial bacterial strain that is different than hydroguard but it’s advertised to do the same things from a company called clear pond, I have had zero negative effects from using it in DWC.
Possibly but pythium is an anaerobic bacteria and I believe most beneficial bacteria is all aerobic bacteria which lives in highly oxygenated environments and was under the understanding that this type of bacteria is not biologically harmful and that these certain strains found in hydroguard and clear pond is a specific type that feed off of anaerobic bacteria making them “search and destroy” other bacteria like pythium.
This is just what I was taught but it’s not like I learned this information in science class or anything so I could be wrong lol
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imo, you can run a sterile reservoir, adding 3% hydrogen peroxide regularly to kill all bacteria, good and bad…or, since microbes and bacteria will grow in the reservoir and along side the roots, better to implant good, beneficial bacteria to occupy that space and the stronger their colony, the less likely bad stuff will get a foothold.
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I ran Hydroguard when I did DWC without any issues in my reservoirs. I stopped using it consistently when I switched to ebb and flow - I put it in on reservoir changes but not top offs, so I introduce it into my reservoir every three weeks or so.
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It is water culture, this means microbiological culture, or microbial culture living in a controlled environment. I find it easier to work with nature and add beneficial bacterial and fungi than it is to try and exterminate everything with H2O2.
I like hydroguard and pond clear, they work well with my DWC.
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I ran hydroguard for 20 years then it dawned on me to read what was in it. It had 1 thing in it. Then I went to my hydro store and did some looking. I went with NPKs product it has like 25 things in it and I have never looked back. This stuff kicks it.
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What type of hydro are you running?
Don’t take this the wrong way as I am in no way doubting your experience with the NPK product, and it is good to have potentially other “probiotics”, if you will, to support a healthy rhizosphere.
However a lot of the microbes might not survive in a lot of hydro environments, especially water culture.
I also like ‘Southern AG Garden Friendly Fungicide’ as a less expensive alternative to Hydroguard, and it is often available at your local hardware or garden stores.
Happy growing,
MacG
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Also which one of NPK’s?
Maybe I can find the link for it in the growers house.
This is what I’ve found so far:
https://growershouse.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=innoculant
Happy inoculating, 
MacG
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Hey what’s up mac_stoner ? I’ve been running lpa systems for 6 to 7 years now.
And don’t trip, I’m at the age now where I don’t take anything the wrong way. Life is to short to trip on little things.
The product is NPK RAW BLOOM micros. I have been using it for about 4 years now And it works for me.
I tried to take pictures last night. But I didn’t turn off my leds. I thought the lid would stop the color of the light from showing, but it didn’t. The reason I was taking pictures, cause I have one system that’s four weeks 12/12 ( two weeks flowering ). That I have not given the NPK product too.
And then I have another system that has only been 12/12 for a week, that I did give the NPK product too. What a difference.
This way you could see for yourself. I will try again tonight.
Take care bro.
ASSOG…
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Hmm… I have a bottle of the Southern Ag stuff that I use as a foliar spray (I actually got fuzzy grey mold on an outdoor plant already).
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Are you using it regularly?
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I applied it the first time right before I left on vacation - which is when I noticed I had a branch that was infected.
I am due for the second application today.
Interestingly enough, the plant that is infected is in my dedicated ground plot… the three I just threw out on the hill behind my house and have totally ignored look fine…
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