Hi Amanda, glad to see you are trying out hydroponics with some great veggie selections. You don't provide enough info or pictures of the situation for any of the questions, so the advise is equally general. We need to know what nutrients exactly you are using to say for sure but if it is a liquid nutrient formula (since you are measuring in ml), in a typical, not drain to waste, system, it may be too weak.

Plant roots come in all sizes and some are slim, especially new growth in a well aerated system - more info on what you mean by 'some' needed, better yet a picture.

Your nutrients may contain a food colorant if it really is bluing. Food coloring is generally harmless, and you said you are using what fertilizer product exactly?

I agree with what Pupilla has said, one of my nutrients is blue in colour which I have been using for several years and as mentioned is a harmless food colour, so I would not worry or be concerned.
Enjoy hydroponics and keep up the good work, if you do have any future photos to post , I would like to see these, as I am sure others would also.

Hi,

My home hydroponic okra & cherry tomatoes. Do let me know if i'm doing it wrong

Hi,

the roots become blue-ish. I hope the roots is ok

That is really blue, but it is hard to say because I see only the strand of root and no corresponding plant. The only suggestion I am able to make is to cover the reservoir. It appears you have the reservoir is about 50% transparent to light, but you should grow in a dark reservoir to prevent algae and other undesirable plants from getting out of control.

I suspect the fertilizer you are using is not a complete hydroponic fertilizer and that may be stymying growth. But that is only my suspicion from the fact that you seem to think that all fertilizers have the same usage rate as well as your general worry that the roots look too slim.

If you post the composition of the fertilizer we can help you with that. Fertilizers are not all the same and it is essential for success to know the guaranteed analysis of your fertilizer to see if it contains everything you need and in reasonable proportions.

If someone gave you the fertilizer without this information, we cannot help you and you are stuck getting your assistance from only your seller, whether they are smart enough to give you a quality product or something inappropriate or a scam; we will never know. I don't know what it is like in Singapore but in the USA, all commercial fertilizer manufacturers are forced to disclose a guaranteed analysis of their commercial products to avoid exactly this uncertainty and to give the grower the power to improve without being confined to the claims of some random seller who convinces you to buy and do whatever he says.

Good luck, it seems the plants have a chance as they don't look sick at a glance. Keep in mnid that fertilizer problems usually don't show up until the plant is finished with the seedling stage and has exhausted the highly concentrated nutrient supply it inherited from its seed.

This post was edited by PupillaCharites on Thu, Dec 19, 13 at 15:43

We seem to be agreeing on most points, but a very obvious view is that your tank and cover must be black or algae will take over and the nutrient mix will begin to stink and go very cloudy.
My brother in law in Penang Malaysia had the same problem with his fish tank and has the maid changing the water every second day. Not being black will also impede the root growth and could be a possible explanation of small root growth. I am also trying to get my sister in law in Singapore to start hydroponic gardening as space in that city is at a premium. As mentioned can you get correct hydroponic nutrients in Singapore?PS I got a can of black spray paint and painted one of my boxes black in about 5 minutes a major problem solved. Best of luck Amanda.