# Flood Tray Algae



## [email protected] (Nov 27, 2009)

At the local shop  I was only able to find these bulkhead fittings. They sat lower then the ebb flow drain fittings I had saw. The problem is it is leaving standing water in my tray and as you can see from the pic i'm getting algae. I will be getting another tray because I don't like how small this one was. It is suppose to be a 2'x4' and its like 1.5'x3.5'. What can I do about this tray to maybe use it just for cloning. Could I fill around the fitting with silcone to flush it off with the rest of the tray. Or could I file 4 little grooves around fitting to put it flush with tray. I have Hi-Temp silcone around fitting if your wondering the orange stuff around drain in picture. Only sicone I had at the time.


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## LEFTHAND (Nov 27, 2009)

*Thats not the only problem... water being exposed to the light during the flooding as well is a problem... 
if you had a layer of hydroton in there higher then the water line there would be no problem... 
LH*


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## fleshstain (Nov 27, 2009)

i had a similar problem in the past.... a layer of hydroton like LEFT said is a good solution if you have some handy.... i found a cheaper solution with a bit of panda plastic.... i pulled all of my pots out of the tray and duct taped a sheet of panda plastic, black side up, over the top and sides.... i cut holes in the plastic for the pots and put them back.... problem was solved for about $3 and never came back....


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## [email protected] (Nov 27, 2009)

Thank You for the ideas. I rather the panda film idea because it would take alot of hydroton to fill up enough of the tray so light couldn't hit the water. Also I hear hydroton is a pain to clean.  

Could I maybe just put a layer of film just over the drain square there? Thats the only spot that has standing water. The rest of the tray dries in like a hour. I don't flood the whole tray I have drip running. My res is fine i think because i have it air raided. I have it closed with the drain hoses coming through lid. All hosing is black.

http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=140603&d=1258925889


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## PUFF MONKEY (Nov 27, 2009)

a simple cheap fix would also be to buy some b/w poly and stretch a peice over the tray and clamp, tack or tape it tight and cut pot holes out with a razor blade..that will keep all light out of your tray.


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## [email protected] (Nov 27, 2009)

PUFF MONKEY said:
			
		

> a simple cheap fix would also be to buy some b/w poly and stretch a peice over the tray and clamp, tack or tape it tight and cut pot holes out with a razor blade..that will keep all light out of your tray.



There all good ideas. I would have to alter it to much. I plan on doing clones and vegging them in 4" cubes. I like the film idea but my question is can I only cover the drain part. The water that is exposed to the light would be just for a second until it goes into drain. Does that matter?


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## fleshstain (Nov 27, 2009)

PUFF MONKEY said:
			
		

> a simple cheap fix would also be to buy some b/w poly and stretch a peice over the tray and clamp, tack or tape it tight and cut pot holes out with a razor blade..that will keep all light out of your tray.



that's what i said!


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## LEFTHAND (Nov 28, 2009)

[email protected] said:
			
		

> There all good ideas. I would have to alter it to much. I plan on doing clones and vegging them in 4" cubes. I like the film idea but my question is can I only cover the drain part. The water that is exposed to the light would be just for a second until it goes into drain. Does that matter?


 
*yes and no.. you still dont want the light to hit the rest of the water....  "while feeding"..... thats barley any mod...... man.. dont be lazy.... take the pots out roll out polly. tape it tight. razor blade X here X there pots go in problem solved.. it would be easier to "DUMP" 1-3 bags of hydroton in.. but more costly...*
*good day sir.*
*LH*


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## [email protected] (Nov 28, 2009)

rgr will do fellas thanks for the help.


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## [email protected] (Nov 28, 2009)

How often should i clean my tray and res??? I plan to change my water every 2 weeks. I have only done it once so far and next saturday it will be due for its second change. Last time I took the plants out and cleaned everything except the hoses. Do I have to clean it every 2 weeks? Or every couple monthes?


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## NorCalHal (Nov 28, 2009)

Perspnally, I wouldn't trip on it at all. I use white trays, and you can really see the algea now and then.

The BIGGEST issue is making sure that your Res is sheilded from direct light. You DO NOT want algea growing in the res.

I am not sure how big your plants are, but once the get big enough, the canopy should block all light from hitting the tray.

If you still want to do something about it, run some Food Grade H2O2 in your res, that will kill off the algea also.


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## LEFTHAND (Nov 28, 2009)

[email protected] said:
			
		

> How often should i clean my tray and res??? I plan to change my water every 2 weeks. I have only done it once so far and next saturday it will be due for its second change. Last time I took the plants out and cleaned everything except the hoses. Do I have to clean it every 2 weeks? Or every couple monthes?


 

*Nah i wouldnt go to that extreme till the end man..  personally i would try to achive no build up in the tray, then there will be non in the res.. then you dont have to change out your res till the end of your grow... if you keep it clean..*
*then at the end of your grow clean it all. *
*IMO thats the easiest,also you save some nute through the process..*
*LH*


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## [email protected] (Nov 28, 2009)

Don't you change your nutes every 2 weeks? I ran half strength nutes the first 2 weeks now i'm full strength for fast growth.

 No light is hitting my res. I have a lid on it and it is air raided. Just in that one spot in the picture. The water isn't draining all the way and that is where the algae is at only.


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## LEFTHAND (Nov 30, 2009)

*no i dont change my res every 2 wks... i start them off at 1/8th and just keep adding till i hit 1/2 then full... then i stop the veg and start the bloom nevr changing my res till the end..

. if no light if hitting your res and the algae is in your tray does it not float when the table floods??? i could see some getting into your res when it drains...
LH*


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## [email protected] (Nov 30, 2009)

Well the table doesn't flood. I have a drip system. The algae just stays on the bottom like a fuzz. Just around the drain where water will build up and sit. They don't make any drains that have a shorter lip. What I did is cleaned it up and have tin foil over each drain kind of like a roof. Seems to have helped I am not gettings anymore algae or bacteria. 

Don't the nutes loose there fert after a certain period? I started out 1/2 strenght for  2 weeks dumped and cleaned res and tray then filled up with full strength veg growth. I was planing to have to do this every 2 weeks whatever stage. With out a continuous meter reading TDS how could I just add nutes to it?


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## PUFF MONKEY (Nov 30, 2009)

[email protected] said:
			
		

> Thank You for the ideas. I rather the panda film idea because it would take alot of hydroton to fill up enough of the tray so light couldn't hit the water. Also I hear hydroton is a pain to clean.
> 
> Could I maybe just put a layer of film just over the drain square there? Thats the only spot that has standing water. The rest of the tray dries in like a hour. I don't flood the whole tray I have drip running. My res is fine i think because i have it air raided. I have it closed with the drain hoses coming through lid. All hosing is black.
> 
> http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=140603&d=1258925889


hydroton is only a pain to clean the first time...after that, you just need to rines with clearex


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## PUFF MONKEY (Nov 30, 2009)

if you are dripping, go get $40 of hydroton and cover the bottom of the tray with it ...problem solved.


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## [email protected] (Nov 30, 2009)

PUFF MONKEY said:
			
		

> if you are dripping, go get $40 of hydroton and cover the bottom of the tray with it ...problem solved.



I will eventually do this because I plan to veg my clones for flowering in cubes not in pots. Cash is tight for the holidays so I just have to rig something up for now until i get my income tax money and I will buy everything left i need to get including more 50L bags of hydroton. I'm not flooding the tray. My veg room is similar to the mr. green video on the net. Thats where I got my set up ideas to start with. He showed results. Except I know his drain had a lip on it and he must of had water build up in the drain area. To bad the video was made in 1999.


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## LEFTHAND (Nov 30, 2009)

[email protected] said:
			
		

> Well the table doesn't flood. I have a drip system. The algae just stays on the bottom like a fuzz. Just around the drain where water will build up and sit. They don't make any drains that have a shorter lip. What I did is cleaned it up and have tin foil over each drain kind of like a roof. Seems to have helped I am not gettings anymore algae or bacteria.
> 
> Don't the nutes loose there fert after a certain period? I started out 1/2 strenght for 2 weeks dumped and cleaned res and tray then filled up with full strength veg growth. I was planing to have to do this every 2 weeks whatever stage. With out a continuous meter reading TDS how could I just add nutes to it?


 
*for me.. from the begining..*
*i start my veg in my tent.. at 1/8th strength... i see how they take that.. now with the amount of water to the amount of nutes i have there is a certain % left to make it "full" strength... when i add "water" its pre made nute mix..*
*it all works out on mat, and how much i need to top off my res.. when im upping the fert, they get lets say a gallon of stronger nuted water to the res.. after lets say 2 wks it will be raised to the leaval i need it.. ive learned this method from an older man from this site.. and its slick.. *
*so i always raise the amount of nutes..  if i have to dilute it i scoop out water and put in plain water.. hope this made sense.. hehe just got of wrk a lil baked...*
*just ask if i screwed up somewhere... heheh*
*LH*


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## Budders Keeper (Nov 30, 2009)

I use rockwool slabs and my water floods an inch over the slabs exposing it to light 5x a day for 15 minutes. Only algae I get is a little around the drain end of tray, and it hasn't been a problem with PH or PPM's. I have to agree with NCH, it's all about the res, and mine is always in the dark. If you go with the H202 and are using beneficials they will need to be reintroduced a few days after the H202. JMO


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## [email protected] (Dec 1, 2009)

LEFTHAND said:
			
		

> *for me.. from the begining..*
> *i start my veg in my tent.. at 1/8th strength... i see how they take that.. now with the amount of water to the amount of nutes i have there is a certain % left to make it "full" strength... when i add "water" its pre made nute mix..*
> *it all works out on mat, and how much i need to top off my res.. when im upping the fert, they get lets say a gallon of stronger nuted water to the res.. after lets say 2 wks it will be raised to the leaval i need it.. ive learned this method from an older man from this site.. and its slick.. *
> *so i always raise the amount of nutes..  if i have to dilute it i scoop out water and put in plain water.. hope this made sense.. hehe just got of wrk a lil baked...*
> ...



I could figure what your talking about just have to sit down with some paper and a pen. Do the nutes loose fertility??


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## LEFTHAND (Dec 1, 2009)

[email protected] said:
			
		

> I could figure what your talking about just have to sit down with some paper and a pen. Do the nutes loose fertility??


 
*lol yeah after i read it this morning i was like what the hell you on boy hehehe... gettin busy at wrk.. been tired..*
*LH*


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