Pump Flow

[GpsFrontier]

Hello MickR33

1. What does it smell like? Is it a musty smell or smell like mold?
A: Wet Towels

I'm a bit confused because I would think a wet towel would probably smell a bit musty. But I don't know if that's what it seems like to you.

2. What is the water temperature?
A: 28 Deg Celsius (82.4 Fahrenheit)

That's a little high, but not to bad. Though I wouldn't let it get any higher, and try and lower it If you can. The optimum water temp is between 68 and 72 Fahrenheit (20 to 22.2 Celsius). Temps in the mid 80 Fahrenheit and higher can cause heat stress for the plant. However not only do high water temps cause heat stress, but also provide the optimum environment for pathogens to take over. Your probably OK at 82.4 Fahrenheit, but I wouldn't want to let it get any higher, and try to get it down if I could.

3. What nutrients are you using? Do you have a link to them online?
A: Fairform Green Dream 1 Grow
http://www.flairform.com/products/nu...endream-1-part

OK, I just wanted to know if they were organic nutrients or not. Often times people don't know for sure, but if I have the link I can check myself. Organic nutrients are made from animal waste, and contain live microorganisms, fungi, and micro flora. This stuff can easily give off a bad smell. But your nutrients don't appear to be organic. Synthetic nutrients like what your using can have a little smell and color to them, but shouldn't be a source of a strong smell.

4. How does the water look? (is it translucent or cloudy)
A: Crystal Clear

Your nutrients should be giving some color to the water, by Crystal Clear I assume you mean translucent and not cloudy. This would be a good thing since your not using organic nutrients. Cloudy water would likely indicate there is live microorganisms, fungi and/or micro flora growing in it. If there were microorganisms growing in it, they would most likely be pathogenic (harmful to your plants). It's not that beneficial microorganisms cant be in your water, because there is. But it's a balance between beneficial and harmful ones. Considering your water temps, that could tip the scales for the harmful ones. The air pump helps keep the pathogens from taking over, but the water temp is a big factor as well.

5. What are you using for the water source?
A: PH balanced tap water

OK. But I still don't know what the source of your tap water is. If the water isn't filtered and treated it may contain spores and microorganisms that can be harmful to your plants. Not everyone's tap water is the same, and if it were from a municipal treatment plant it would likely be fine. They filter and treat the water to kill any microorganisms and spores. But if the water is from a well, lake, river, reclaimed rain water, etc. the homeowner is usually responsible for treating the water to kill the microorganisms and spores. If not this could be a source of harmful pathogens. As the pathogens grow and multiply they give off a bad smell.

6. Is there any foam on top of the water?
A: No foam

OK, this is good. Foam would indicate live microorganisms, fungi, and/or micro flora in the water. It would also mean that they are there in high numbers. Usually the water will turn cloudy before you start seeing foam on top.

7. Along with the nutrients, are you using any additives?
A: No additives

Sometimes additives will have beneficial live live microorganisms, bacteria, and fungi in them. Even beneficial microorganisms can give off a bad smell. I asked about additives specifically because there have been a number of times people have told me what nutrients they were using , but didn't say anything about the additives they were using as well.

8. How do the roots look, are they white and strong, or brown/black and slimy.
A: White and strong still

Good. It's normal for the older roots to take on some color from the nutrients in the water, but you don't want to see them turn real dark/black or see any slimy on them. White roots are healthy roots, even if the older ones take on color from the nutrients.


Conclusion
From what you have said, I don't see any real reason to worry right now. I am a little concerned by what you say is a smell, however I'm unclear if it's actually a musty/moldy smell or not. Even so none of the indications that there is something growing in your water/nutrients seem to be there from what you've said. I would just keep a look out for the signs I mentioned. Also I would find out more about the water source to see if it is filtered and treated water, to find out if it could potentially be a source of a problem.

[MickR33]

the town water is treated and filtered. What i dont understand is why the bottle that i filled up from the reservoir a couple days before it started to smell has no smell to it, just smells like a bath still, it was from the same reservoir but it had 2 days less running in the system.
The nutrients looked like milk but once it mixed in the system you carnt notice any color or cloudiness, looks like clear water.
It smells like clothes left wet in the washing machine for a day or two i think.
What does your reservoir smell like, does it smell like a freshly filled bath? or did it only smell like that for a week and then start to smell different?
Maybe the high temperatures done something, the roxkwook is just starting to get green algae in areas, i was going to put a layer of washed and cleaned clay balls on it

[GpsFrontier]

First to me a bath smell's like soapy water, and no my reservoir's never smell like soapy water. Our tap water tends to smell a little like chlorine because they use chlorine to chemically clean it. I mostly use RO water in my systems, and RO water doesn't really even have a smell to me. Water with nutrients in it naturally always seem to have some smell to it, but it's not strong or over powering.

I'm not familiar with the nutrients your using. I'm in the Unites States, and I don't think they sell them here. But even if they did, I haven't seen them. I think that's interesting that they are a milky color and turn clear in water. I have never seen that, I have seen them be green, pink, brown, but never clear. Not saying that's bad, just different.

I can't say what your smelling, and I'm not there to smell things my self. But you may be smelling some result of the water coming in contact with the plants roots because there was something on the roots to begin with. You may be smelling some result of contact with the growing media, it's even possible that the plants them self are extruding some chemical from the roots into the water.

Other than what you say you smell, you don't seem to be having any of the psychical symptoms that would suggest a problem. Your water is clear and not cloudy, no foam or anything unusual floating in it, the plants roots are white and healthy, nothing slimy on the roots. So unless something changes, I wouldn't worry about it. Even if there were pathogens growing and multiplying in it, there isn't much you can do about it withough't risk of harming the plants. The only thing you can do without harming the plants is to buy some beneficial microbes, and add them. But that can be expensive especially with how little you would need to use. Even if you tried that, the beneficial microbes will give off a bad smell as well, and adding to much can be harmful too.

The only other things you can do is add some hydrogen peroxide, or bleach/chlorine. But both have their risks of killing the roots, and can be very harmful to your plants before they kill off the pathogens. Even if the plants survive, it's very likely that you wont be able to get rid of the pathogens completely. If any of the roots die, that will just be a source for new pathogens as well.

Unless your plants/system show real signs of something being wrong, I wouldn't worry about it. If they do, then identifying it and figuring out where it came from is the important thing to prevent it in the future. Then tear down the whole system and scrub it thoroughly with soap and water. Let it dry and then sanitize it thoroughly with bleach water. And start fresh new plants.

[MickR33]

Could it be that the fresh bath smell it used to smell like was because it was tap water and would have had a slight amount of chlorine in it, and cos of the heat and a week or so of running it in the system the chlorine would have disappeared from it along with the smell leaving it smelling like it is now?
Im very curious to know what yours and other peoples reservoirs smell like

[GpsFrontier]

I don't know if your so used to smelling chlorine that when the chlorine dissipates and you cant smell the chlorine anymore, it seems like it smells bad to you. I don't even know if your city municipality uses chlorine or anything else. But chlorine usually dissipates in a couple of days, especially if the water is aerated. If you have ever been swimming in a swimming pool before you know what chlorine smells like because that is what they use in pools to keep the water clean. But don't expect a nutrient reservoir to smell like a swimming pool because it shouldn't.