Tiny White crawlers in hydro reservoir water

[photobat]

Hi all, 

 

Searched pest but not found out what my problem is yet, so I'm looking for help plz. 

 

I've got tiny white bugs crawling and floating on the top of my hydro reservoir water, I thought these bugs were 1mm pieces of root but they move slowly. 

 

Water temp is 22c

 

Any ideas? 

 

Thanks in advance 

Edited November 27, 2020 by photobat

[GSZZ]

Springtails  

[photobat]

Could be, but they are not springing about when I get one on my pH pen, they slowly swim on the surface of my nute water with their little minute legs

[Aurora Ruderalis]

Do you grow in a garage/shed/attic or in a house room?

[photobat]

House room

 

I have been trying to photograph them, they are about 1mm in length, have 6 legs I think, 2 antenna, 2 red/brown eyes, photograph as white but look translucent in some photos, the seem to shimmy as they walk, but they don't spring or hop when poked with a pencil

[Aurora Ruderalis]

You say hydro.  Is it a remote res with no roots in?

[Aurora Ruderalis]

I'm not undermining @GSZZ by any means, but just wondering if it could have been larvae from an airborne insect.  Do springtails not need something to sustain them?  Can they live in hydro water with no roots or direct access to leaves?  I'm puzzled and intrigued.

[photobat]

39 minutes ago, Phoenix said:

You say hydro.  Is it a remote res with no roots in?

Hi,

 

It's an iws flood n drain system using hydrotron clay pebbles, I go cuttings into root riot, then root riot goes into 10cm pot with layer of pebbles at the bottom and then infill pot around newly rooted cutting with compost, when required I transplant into pebble only iws buckets, but only put only the pebble portion of the 10cm pot into the nutrients highest flood height in the iws leaving soil portion above max flood height. 

 

They only needed 7 days of veg in iws then 12/12 so was happy with the transition but I guess I'm not true hydro what with having compost in the room, maybe this is the root of these bugs idk. 

 

The little buggers aren't springing when prodded n poked hence my concern that they are possibly not sprintails!! And are maybe something more sinister idk

Edited November 27, 2020 by photobat

[Aurora Ruderalis]

I think they eat decomposing root matter dont they!?  So I guess there is enough organic matter washed down for them to munch on.  Damn.  I knew springtails liked wet, but didn't entertain the thought of them swimming about in 22 degrees in a res under a nice lamp. 

Sounds like the holiday we all cancelled this year.

 

Little shits.

 

Just re read.  Ditch the compost bud.  No need.

 

If you cant help it then use coco.

 

Hope you sort it.

[photobat]

That's the thing Phoenix I'm not sure if that's all they eat, I hope they are springtails but they don't spring so

 

Yeah whatever they are they are in my reservoir but no light is getting I to the reservoir. 

 

Yes your are right I defo need to get rid of the compost element, is coco better as in less mould, pathogens and bug etc do you know, I think I want a vegitator from nutriculture tbh like a mini flood n drain system so I could get away from soil/coco type mediums altogether. 

 

Tbh because I seem to be so shit at cuttings I can't rely on areoponics to take cuttings I need something to veg nicely in so went plastic pots n mix of pebbles n soil to get by until I can find a better way, still finding my way atm. 

 

Edited November 27, 2020 by photobat

[Aurora Ruderalis]

I'm not clued up on up to date systems.  But they should seldom be integrated.  There is no best of both worlds.

You merely have to perfect hydro, coco or soil.  That's all.  Dont mix them together.

 

Yes you could argue drippers are soil/hydro or whatever, but stick to one.

The wheel has already been invented for us.

[T0M]

@photobat 

 

Start plants in rockwool blocks and hand feed them until rooted, remove the bottom inch of plastic around the block and plant it into the pebbles upto the plastic.

 

Alternatively you could just use 60/40 in the whole system. I think its reccomended to put a layer of pebbles at the bottom of the pots when doing it this way though. Also if I remember right iws sell 2 different types of pots for these systems one for pebbles and one for coco so if you go the coco mix route be sure to get the right pots.

 

I had spring tails a good while back in a coco run to waste system, they'd come out in the run off water and swim around in it. I cant quite remember how they moved around when disturbed but I remember them being quite active and tended to bunch together. Not sure if that helps any but that's my brief experience with them. 

[photobat]

Hi Tom, 

 

Think I had springtails years ago before I stopped growing, if I remember they were like you said, sort of springing off and popping about with ease if disturbed but these don't do that that's why I'm concerned. Tbh. 

 

Yeah thought provoking about using Rockwool cubes, once rooted and I guess I should transplant to the larger 3" cubes, i wonder how long i could leave between hand watering, I need to be away for 3 or 4 days at a time sometimes, you have any idea? And what just have the 3" sat onto a layer of pebbles in a tray or what do you suggest, maybe slope the tray and water loads and catch the run off or would I be over watering if I had run off from 3" Rock wool cubes, sorry so many questions just trying to learn, thank you 

[T0M]

@photobat

 

Tbf mate I'm not too clued up on rockwool so I'm not 100% sure. Theres a few decent blog posts about using IWS systems and the various positives and negatives of the different options from some of the bigger hydro shops if you have a look on Google. If you've got a spare cutting or can root one I'd personally just get a 3inch block and give it a go.  you cant beat experience. 

[photobat]

Ok Tom, yeah all up experimenting, thanks for the heads up, getting more experience is key for sure