I was hyped on CoM because I could get it local, but there is little to no aeration and my plants just seemed unhappy. I mixed some of the Mother Earth with it to increase aeration.
Soil is going to create the greatest concentration of microbes, but that takes time. That’s why recycled soil gets better with age.
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I agree about the soils and the microbes… perlite and activated carbon have tons of surface area for colonization. Wondering if you had noticed a difference in growth with heavily aerated media; ie: perlite heavy.
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I don’t really use perlite as it breaks down quickly and floats in your soil. Lava rock, pumice, and rice hulls are all great for adding aeration to your soil and last longer.
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Beautiful thread @CrunchBerries I only grow in SIP’s too. I just finished up a couple of DIY’s so I can get two in the tent instead of one huge one. If the new ones work well I’ll make a few more to have sitting there waiting for runs.
I also learnt most of what I know about SIP growing from @Greenthumbs256. Had some great conversations with him.
Thanks for reminding me I’ve reached out to him to see how he’s going these days.
I also grow with EM1 in the res I have never top watered will try on this in the next grow … touch wood I haven’t had any gnats during my SIP grows when I was growing with SWICKS, fabric pots sitting on lava rock I might as well have been breeding gnats 
not growing trees.
I did have an infestation of what Reiko thought were soil mites. They were EVERYWHERE I mean falling onto the tent floor then they’d die I’d never seen anything like it. They seem to be around with the EM1.
This is what I had
Had the top covered with thick black plastic.
This round I’m going to use @nube 's modified coots recipe for the next run. Look forward to learning more in this thread from all other SIP growers. 
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Aaaand subscribed! This is awesome @CrunchBerries gotta head back to the top and read down but stoked to see all this info. I just picked up an EB this year that I’m gonna run some veggies In it outside to get my feet wet with it, but it’s only a matter of time till I fill it with herb. 
thanks for the heads up @BeagleZ 
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Welcome and thank you for the kind words @invisible!
If you talk to greenthumbs tell him to join us!
I used Em1 for my first couple grows, but have moved to using LABS as it’s free and you get a more diverse population of microorganisms. Here is the best video I have found on expanding em1.
I never top watered for a couple grows and then decided to give it a try with fingers crossed. The top is now moist, feeder roots are reaching up, and I get to add some extra goodies. Greenthumbs said specifically not to top water, but I have had great success and little to no gnats.
I had the same infestation. I think it was coming from using BAS 3.0. There were literally tens or hundreds of thousands of them everywhere, except on the plant. This picture is from one corner of the planter. I was definitely nervous when I first saw them, but they didn’t affect the plant. The little bastards did eat all of the Grokashi fuzz before it really bloomed.
Me too! This is still considered new “tech” so we all still have a lot to learn from each other. Funny story. I went to the hydro shop to start sourcing materials and amendments when I first started with this method and the dude literally laughed in my face and basically said the idea was stupid and wouldn’t work. Who’s laughing now, hydro guy!
One thing I’ll be doing differently with the first round in the 27 gal’ers is to use an airstone in the reservoir. I’ve heard mixed feelings about it, but a dude the other day confirmed he had been doing it for a while with even better results! I think he is going to do a side by side and report back. I’ll detail my experiences also.
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@CrunchBerries You rock!
Always checking out Probiotic SIP threads to see whats others are doing so I can learn, test and attempt to improve my processes.
This right here! 
Mother Nature is a wonderful thing.
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Welcome Duder! Glad to have you aboard! Your sarcasm, knowledge, OG spirit, and references to obscure pop culture are very welcome here. I think you’ll be impressed with the results!
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I’m no entomologist so I can’t differentiate between bulb mites and mold mites. Could just be a common mold mite like Tyrophagus putrescentiae, or a bulb mite. My intuition tells me they’re probably grain mites being attracted to all the barley people are using or the mold associated with their decomposition. Environmental conditions definitely allow these mites to multiply at a terrifying rate.
Hypoaspis Miles or Stratiolaelaps scimitus Womersley controls any that live within the depths of their movement (ie near surface). Many of the predatory soil mites that you buy come pre-packaged in a bran-vermiculite mix that actually has Tyrophagus mites in there as a food source for them. If they’re bulb mites however Hypoaspis Miles / Stratiolaelaps scimitus Womersley won’t go deep enough to provide protection on the roots. I believe Hypoaspis aculeifer are suited for those kinds of depths.
Also cool setup @CrunchBerries , following as well.
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Welcome @Maddawg! Thank you! This thread was a labor of love setting up, but I’m glad I followed through. I learned (or relearned) a great deal organizing this thing.
Any and all experiences are welcome, cause I sure as shit don’t know it all.
As @nube said “SIPs are the way, the truth, and the light!”
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I have these guys too. all over, in the worm bin, in the 3x3 and in the EB. I have white ones and brown ones.
They are my main decomposers at this point, make quick work of pretty much everything.
I was thinking they were Oribatida mite of some kind?
Or BeagleZ clones perhaps , pretty sure they were in the soil when you got the ST
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You may be correct. I’ve seen the mites you’re talking about in worm bins before and have even had them attack young worms as well. It would be cool if anyone here has an entomology background and could chime in. From what I’ve read Tyrophagus putrescentiae is a ubiquitous mite species in soil, stored products and house dust and is also pre-packaged with beneficials as a food source for the predators.
High humidity, fungal growth, presence of seeds / fragments / flours cause populations to rise exponentially.
Some more quotes that may or may not give insight into them
The grain or flour mites are one of the most important mites infesting food and feed products, cereals, dried vegetable materials, cheese, corn and dried fruits. Grain mites proliferate under high moisture conditions and are often found in conjunction with fungal growth. Severe infestations result in brownish tinge over the commodity, called “mite dust” because of the light brown coloring of the mite legs.
Grain mites primarily attack the germ. However, they will feed on other parts of the kernel, as well as mold growing on the grain. These mites are responsible for the spread of various fungal spores throughout a grain mass and into adjoining bins. When present in large numbers, the flour or grain mites promote sweating and impart a disagreeable odor to the grain. Grain mites can cause “grocer’s itch” in humans exposed to the mites. Some persons may be allergic to mites.
At humidities less than fifty-five to sixty percent (commodity at twelve percent moisture content or less) grain mites can not survive.
Grain mites are pests that can feed on a variety of processed or finely ground grains, wheat germ, yeast, cheese, powdered milk, flour, or mold spores. Under hot, humid conditions, very large populations of these tiny creatures can develop rapidly. Female grain mites lay up to 800 eggs on the surface of food materials.
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Cause he can’t sell you any bottles 
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I approve this message!
I would like to add that my local supply shop is great. I am pretty sure a few of the employees will be doing a SIP run soon…
They also carry BAS products.
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I did observe what I guess was mite dust on the floor of my tent after thousands jumped ship.
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I’ll have to take a pic of the corner of my tent for you guys lol
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Ha! I think I had them last run also, which leads me to believe they came from the BAS 3.0
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I will be putting this thread on watch. I would like to understand this method. I see it here but haven’t been able to understand the method.
I top water in fabric pots. I never had soil mites as, I make sure I have a wet very dry cycle.
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Welcome @G-paS ! Any questions you may have, feel free to ask away! I hope this to be a safe place to ask questions, share our bogus journeys and triumphs!
The biggest reason this method doesn’t need a dry down is the microbial inoculate (LABS, em1, photosynthesis +)added to the reservoir. Since I’ve been top watering the soil is moist top to bottom 24/7 365 +1/4. Life just explodes when it’s warm, moist and tucked into their little sip bed.
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