# How important is light getting into the reservoir?



## DonJones (Oct 18, 2009)

I know that algae and a lot of the bacteria and molds need a specific balance of light, moisture, oxygen and temperature to grow.  Obviously if you can prevent ANY light from entering the res & grow chamber, that will greatly reduce the chance of growing algae, but won't th4 darkness increase the chances of mold?

To my main question, IF you keep your solution in the 65F to 70Frange, highly oxygenated by what ever means and the solution agitated too, doesn't that pretty much overcome the algae problem?  It would seem ot me that if distrubing the light will stop it, then pushing any other factor outside of the window should stop it too.  After all, look at mj -- getting any one nute out of balance can kill them along with too  much or too little moisture, too high or low a temperature or too little light.

What I'm trying to determine is is I use the orange Home Depot buckets, full lid sized basket pots , keep the temperature on the cool side of 70, keep the oxygen level high by aerating it with air bubbles and keep it well agitated will what little light comes through the oragne buckets cause problems?  

I have seen many times more colored or even white buckets in the pictures posted here on the forum by successful growers thant black buckets or buckets that have been wrapped to block the light.  I can get all of the orange or yellow buckets that I want for free.  If that small amount of light will cause problems, how much good would it do to paint the outside of the bucket black with a paint for plastic so it won't peel off?

Thanks for your input.


----------



## dirtyolsouth (Oct 18, 2009)

HIya DonJones...

imho...  light is very bad in the root zone...  funk will develop... Maybe not this time or the next but it will get your roots...  and mold thrives in light...   If you apply a tough duct tape like 'Gorilla' tape to the exterior whe your platstic buckets are bone dry it will stay on there for years before coming off...   A much better option is to order black buckets and lids, net pots, etc.. whatever you need online if you don't live close enuf to a hydro store to go pick them up.  

For my DIY clone bubblers I used to buy spray on plastic coating at home depot and that stays on for a long time too...  I even use black 1/4" irrigation tubing for my air hoses to keep light from getting in there...   

Happy Growing!


----------



## DonJones (Oct 19, 2009)

I noticed that IRISH only taped the top 3 or 4" of his bucket and the lid.  Does this mean that it is important to keep the light out of the root area but not so critical to keep it out of the res?

It's odd but I always heard that mold grew best in the dark but now I'm hearing just the opposite.  I guess some research is in order here.


----------



## Budders Keeper (Oct 19, 2009)

DonJones said:
			
		

> It's odd but I always heard that mold grew best in the dark but now I'm hearing just the opposite. I guess some research is in order here.


Mold does grow in the dark. However, algae needs light/nutes to thrive, and IME is the biggest threat to your res. Watch for rapid ph increase, and for me the smell test is the first indicator. I smell my res everytime I test it for a dirty sock-pondwater-froggy smell:hubba:


----------



## 2Dog (Oct 19, 2009)

that makes me think of the saying only drink from moving water...when backpacking its a must...


----------



## 2Dog (Oct 19, 2009)

thats important too.. only the smart sissies boil the water..lol


----------



## IRISH (Oct 19, 2009)

DonJones said:
			
		

> I noticed that IRISH only taped the top 3 or 4" of his bucket and the lid. Does this mean that it is important to keep the light out of the root area but not so critical to keep it out of the res?
> 
> It's odd but I always heard that mold grew best in the dark but now I'm hearing just the opposite. I guess some research is in order here.


 

i painted the rest of bucket grey. believe me DJ, its light safe. none entering here...

edit> also, ive seen the orange home depot buckets used just as they come...


----------



## ozman (Oct 19, 2009)

I love aluminum tape from walmart


----------



## DonJones (Oct 19, 2009)

Well, I Googled the question "does MOLD grow faster in the light or the dark?" last night and every answer was in the dark, just like you guys are saying today.  

I didn't check for algae because I was pretty sure that algae usually need light.  However, I disagree that algae likes high oxygen levels.  That is one reason why moving water seldom gets algae in it.

On the other hand, light, oxygen, especially if the water is NOT moving or agitated well, are the ideal conditions for bacteria growth.

And each organism has its own preferred growing temperature and unfortunately between 65F and 70f is right in the middle or at least at the lower range of most organisms. 

Irish, so what are you saying -- use the orange/yellow buckets as they are but keep the temp between 65 &70F, aerate the water to keep the oxygen levels high and agitate the heck out of it, or do all of those things plus paint the bucket too?

If your advice is to paint them, would black or gray be best, or does it really matter so long as a good coat is applied to stop the light?  In that case, wouldn't a light color to reflect heat be best or even a reflective paint?


----------



## The Hemp Goddess (Oct 19, 2009)

I would paint your buckets black.  I have found the Krylon Fusion spray paint for plastic to be an excellent product.

I have never had a mold or algae problem in all my years of running DWC buckets.  I use black buckets and keep them well aerated. My temps get to the high 70s or low 80s in my room during the summer.


----------



## IRISH (Oct 26, 2009)

i heard you knock on wood all the way over hear HG.  ...

yeah DJ, as Hemp Goddess states, the krylon fusion is best, ( and you can tell by the price ). i buy the cheap stuff myself. i hold it up to the light when i change out rez, and touch up as needed... you can wrap it in Duck Tape if you wanna. i usually end up with it all over my buckets anyway, keeping score. ...

tip on krylon fusion... it does a great job on small vinyl siding projects, such as lattice...:hubba: ...

DOS. is that there stuff tough as my gator liner in my truck bed? ...


----------



## fort collins ak-47 (Oct 26, 2009)

The Hemp Goddess said:
			
		

> I would paint your buckets black. I have found the Krylon Fusion spray paint for plastic to be an excellent product.
> 
> I have never had a mold or algae problem in all my years of running DWC buckets. I use black buckets and keep them well aerated. My temps get to the high 70s or low 80s in my room during the summer.


 
why not just purchase black buckets?they are very available.


----------



## The Hemp Goddess (Oct 26, 2009)

fort collins ak-47 said:
			
		

> why not just purchase black buckets?they are very available.



LOL--that is what I do--seems like a hassle to tape or paint them when black buckets are available and reasonably priced.  However, some people already have translucent buckets that they want to use and they need to be made light proof somehow...


----------



## IRISH (Oct 26, 2009)

someone had a 'orange bucket' grow goig here last winter. either Massp, or Dubb. hmm... they do work dude. your beginning to fret over the small stuff...

i notice when someone gives you an answer, you go elsewhere, and ask the same question again. do you want help , or not DJ? 

EDIT edit edit...


----------



## IRISH (Oct 26, 2009)

DJ. let me put it to ya this way. i made that bucket you keep referring to, as an example only to newbs that (really do want to learn), the make-up of dwc. the simplicity of it all. why are'nt you grasping this concept of growing? 

you would be weeks in already if followed instructions. your reading to far into it all brother. it's the easiest way there is to grow. set it, and forget it...

wanna get your feet wet???...


----------



## DonJones (Oct 26, 2009)

Irish,

I already had my basic idea -- use the water farm drip and DWC systems simultaneously -- in place from a local grower/mentor but when I started getting ready to make the transition to hydro, all of a sudden he hasn't answered his voice mails or his emails, so I'm trying to fill in the blanks.  

I think I had said earlier in other posts that I was waiting to get clones rooted that were not in soil to start at least one bucket. Well, I have that crop rooting right now and have almost everything together, but I don't want to be replacing equipment after 1 crop if I can get it right the first time.

The reason you are seeing posts under several topics is because I'm asking the person that seems to have the most knowledge that makes sense for a given topic.  For instance, here I'm dealing specifically with light issues because in the other posts I'm getting conflicting information, or "I don't know, I just used what I bought" from people who used the factory water farm system versus buying the kit and using the rest of the stuff that is available cheaper locally.  You guys have all seemed very informative on the issue of light/darkness in the rez and using DIY buckets & pot lids.  

On the other had, I wasn't able to get clear information on using the water farm system until I found a thread specifically dealing with water farms.  If the questions overlap, it is because I know that changing one little thing in any procedure can have effects way out of proportion with the small change and not necessarily does everything transfer between just DWC buckets and water farm combination Drip/DWC systems and vice versus.

Thank you for your patience with my hesitancy to experiment and screw up when if answering the kind of detailed questions until I understand what is being said and how it applies to what I'm doing at the time.

Okay, back to my original question, I now have several orange or yellow and a couple of gray buckets, a lot of which are CLEAN latex house paint buckets, 1 water farm kit to make a single bucket water farm system, and 1 10" net pot lid -- I bought it because the drip ring on the water farm kit is 8"
so I needed bigger than 8".

After all of this questioning, I'm going to (A) paint the bucket black, (B) get me LARGE air pump so that it will have the capacity to handle several bucks at a time, and eventually will get another pump so that I can also run air stones so that if the water farm system should fail for some reason, I will have the safety of the the DWC system to fal back on.  Using both the water farm drip and DWC systems simultaneously was the original advice of my local mentor.

What if anything am I overlooking BEFORE I screw something up? 

I'm sorry if I made you think I was second guessing you. Hopefully this explanation and apology will heal that rift. 

Thanks again for your help and knowledge.


----------



## captain1 (Oct 26, 2009)

I among others use orange buckets without a hitch but that doesnt mean it cant happen. Im a clean freak so my buckets are cleaned and switched out alot so I have never had the problem. Like you said paint them and you wont have to worry.


----------



## cmd420 (Oct 26, 2009)

I'm a "Waterfarmer"....

did you find all the answers you were looking for?


----------

