I am running a sterile RDWC 7 pot (with res) 21 gallon system. So I got the Flora flex 9" distribution plates and circulators installed and a couple weeks later the distribution pads came in and I installed those as well. all went fine until about 2 weeks ago my PH started drifting low, So I lifted all my girls and started looking for miscolored, smelly, slimy anything to point me in the right direction. I did keep noticing a green smell like chlorophyl or something similar. a week of chasing high acid levels later and Iām looking for anything suspect when I peaked under the plate at the pad and it was brown and green and reeked of that chlorophyl smell. I promptly yanked them all and did a thorough flush and fill with a healthy dose of H2O2 and my PH dropped to normal and no problem since. I hit my nutes with 25ml H2O2 every 4 days, but apparently there was enough light sneaking in at the edge of the plates to let the algae grow despite the peroxide. So be warned if you are using or thinking about using those pads to keep a close check for algae growth.
on a side note, the pads do do what they claim. my roots were actually growing up into the pads.
What is the reservoir temp? Are you using black tubing? The biggest contributors to algae are high temps and exposure to light.
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