So, I've been reading about peroxide and hydro. On one hand hydro shops sell .35% peroxide for growing. On the other, it eats nutes the plants crave. It has electrolytes, its what plants crave. Like I said, I've done reading, some people swear by it, some ppl say its bad. I'm thinking like a teaspoon a week, for oxygen and to kill anything that might be growing. So whats the concensus on peroxide and growing? I'm talking about .03% for cuts and stuff.
I don't have an answer for your question. I am studying Hydrogen Peroxide use though too. Stealth Hydro recommends 1 teaspoon per six gallons of water/nutrient solution. Dr.Trichome told me that, once you add hydrogen peroxide, you have to keep adding it for the rest of the grow. I don't know if this is true when you can wash out the whole reservoir. I have the exact same setup that you do; a bubbleponic system with 315 CFL light bank. I just recently had algae and light-proofed my reservoir. Due to the algae, I added the recommended amount of hydrogen peroxide, ran it for 24 hours and then drained and refilled the tank. Then I put in House & Garden's, Root Excelurator. Now the roots are at the very beginnings of turning a light-red color. So I'm wondering if I ruined my system with the Hydrogen Peroxide. But there's a possibility that the red color is stain from the Roots Excelurator. If I could go back, I would have just washed the algae out without Hydrogen Peroxide. Or maybe not. Keep in touch. See my light-proofed pics under the, "Root Excelurator in a DWC with airstone" thread, the Marijuana Growing, Hydroponics section.
Yeah we have the same set up, I just light proofed mine myslef (See the thread, "I think I have algae" to see pics of it) I hear their nutrients are actually pretty good, a friend used their system and just bought more, and was really pleased with the results. I'm tnhinking of switching over to general hydro or home and garden after this. So Stealth Hydro told you to use Peroxide? Interesting. But they wouldn't comment on lightproofing it. From what I gather as long as you have a PPM meter and add nutes accodingly, its not a problem. But I'd still like to see a couple people from here chime in. I know I've never heard once you use it you have to keep using it. Doesn't make sense. I mean, you can flush out and replace everything in minutes. I'm thinking a TSP of 3% peroxide in 6 gallons of water couldn't hurt, but again, I'd like to see some input from experienced growers. Anyone?
When I was using Hydrogen Peroxide, I used 3% of it to six gallons of water too. It worked hella good and my reservoir was always sparkling clean and smelling fresh. It's just that you can't use stuff such as House & Garden's Root Excelurator, with it... because it kills the beneficial organisms. That's why I stopped using Hydrogen Peroxide. And you're right, you can flush the whole system out in minutes. Now that my system is light proof, I don't think that I need the Hydrogen Peroxide at all. After all, it's been a few days, and, due to the light proofing, my reservoir still smells fresh as hell... with the Roots Excelurator in it.
Ive only used h202 when light leaks or high res temps cause some root rot, or unwanted bacterial growth in the water. I've never heard of it being "beneficial electrolytes" for a plant..... And it does kill off any beneficials (not rec if you're doing teas/compost etc for hydro)
That "it has it has electrolytes, it has what plants crave" was from a hillarious movie called idiocracy. It came to mind because of how much heresey information you get on the net. From what I'm gathering peroxide is safe as long as you don't hit the roots directly with it before dilution in water. DWC without a reservoir is going to give off some light when you rewater, and as long as you monitor your ppm, ph, and introduce it gradually, you should be ok. The only thing I wander is ratio, per gallon, is safe per tsp.
Go to the Stealth Hydro website and click on customer support. There are PDF files that you can read that tell exactly what to do. Nowhere in these PDF files does it say anything about light-proofing. But they do have specific directions for Hydrogen Peroxide. They say that if you are having algae problems, you just add 1 teaspoon of Hydrogen Peroxide per 6 gallons of water. And trust me, it doesn't hurt the plants. I was using one teaspoon of the Hydrogen Peroxide per six gallons of water for a while and my roots looked better than they look now... and now I am not using Hydrogen Peroxide. The only reason of why I am not using Hydrogen Peroxide now is because I am experimenting with a product called, "Roots Excelurator". It's supposed to make the roots go crazy. But I have heard that it doesn't work as well in a DWC system because of the airstone (the oxygen bubbler). But do checkout stealth hydro's website, under, "CUSTOMER SUPPORT". The PDF files have complete directions on how to run a Bubbleponic system. Check out the, "Growing Tips" PDF that they have too. I actually received a CD from Stealth Hydro that had all of the PDF files saved onto it. The PDF files have information on how to add nutes, how to prevent algae, how to hold the reservoir open when you want to work the inside of it etc. etc.
I grow in a RDWC syste and have used H2O2 many times. If you have any algae or unwanted bacteria growing, H2O2 will kill it. It will also treat white powder mold and other types of mold that grow on soil and the plants themselves. Wit all that being said, it also kills any good bacteria that you have in your system and could leave your plant vulnerable. Myself, I use it if I ever have root problems, but that rarely happens. I find H2O2 to be something that I will never be without, but seldom use it. Hope that is of any assistance
So I don't know if its the algae free water/lines/container, or the little bit of peroxide, but my plants are loving it! Have grown fantastic since I switched containers. My runt has almost overcame my quick grower. Probably mostly the crystal clear water and free flowing lines, but every other day I've added a very small ammount of 3% Peroxide, about a capfull. Did this 3 times. Will stop now untill my next wate change out, were on day 3, after nutes have been mixed, I will introduce a little bit of peroxide. Later on I may try to do a side by side grow, one with HP, the other without, to see true results. So far in my week of introducing it I haven't seen any adverse effects.
I can also vouch for peroxide. Any time I start to pick up unwanted smells or root discoloration from the resevoirs (using 3 gal BB's) ill add about a 1/4 cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide and within 24 hours there is a noticeable improvement. I have yet to see an adverse reaction. Can anyone here shine some first hand knowledge on "over doing" peroxide?
I've used h202 before. Prevents algea and bacteria, helps prevent root rot. But as others have said do NOT use if your using bennafical bacteria because it will kill that too. In your original post you said you saw a hydro shop selling .35% H202 which would make it less than 1%. I don't know if that was a typo, but hydro stores sell 35% H202 (35 times stronger than 1%). Its also food grade which means it has less impurities in it. If you just go into walmart or a drug store, that stuff is usually only 3%-5%. You want 35% food grade H202
I"ve been using it in very small amounts (no more than a capful which is about a tsp = 5ml of 3% household peroxide or 2 capfuls) the only 2 things I can find negative. Don't let the peroxide hit roots. Always mix with water before adding. With any concentration of peroxide it is best to add it gradulaly to the resevoir than to add it all at once. So instead of dumping a 1/2 cup of 3% (Unless you have rot and want to flush in about 20 minutes or so, give 5-10 minutes of fresh air, then fill with fresh water/nutes) do a tsp pr 2,depending on size (maybe tbsp, I haven't done that much yet, may be good, could be bad) every day, to gradulally introduce it to the tank. Also, if your using good bacteria/algae/organisms/whatever, H2O2 is a bad idea. really would like to see how people add this, results, etc... First grow, going by what I see, and seeing adverse conditions before (although lightproofing was the biggest thing.)
everyone is right about not using h2o2 with benes. But most people use 3% and it cleans roots with little to no damage to them because of the watered down dosage*. The part about using forever or from now on comes from the fact that h2o2 has an extra oxygen molecule and after a relative short amount of time it loses this extra molecule and becomes h2o, regular water, so u have to add again to get the benefits of the original h2o2. hope this helps. * as compared to 35% from hydro store.