My Brother's River System

[Mr.GoodStuff]

Flowering has commenced... It's been about a week of 12/12 and preflowers are showing up. He was unable to get the money together for a ventilation system and HPS so he is doubling the amount of CFL's for flower, around 400 watts, 16 bulbs.

We will be using blue light for flower because of his great results with it last time using cfl's (first plants I had ever seen in person)

Because we aren't able to up the ppm's to 1000, I think we will drain out about 20 gallons of solution in a week (after the stretch) and replace it with bloom nutrient. I had planned on the HPS, we could have just upped the ppm's to a thousand with the bloom nutrient and called it a day. We've replaced about half the rez with fresh water and bloom nutrient by now anyways.

It's just I want the solution to be mostly bloom formula at this point, so I'm going to drain out some of the half veg/half bloom solution and replace it with bloom solution to up the ratio to about 1 part veg solution to 3 parts bloom. In about a week or two of feeding all the veg solution should be gone and it will be all bloom from about week 4 on.

Next time I think we will only use Flora Nova Bloom for the system and run the mother plants on the grow formula. You can veg just fine with the bloom and you don't have to veg very long with this system either- next time he will be using more plants as well to lower veg time.

The suppliments we used might need to be flushed out of the system at the end because I'm noticing an odd taste in the finished product when it's not flushed and using suppliments.

When using only Flora Nova and not flushing, the taste is great and everything is normal. Either Silica or Fulvic Acid (most likely Silica) is leaving an odd taste when not removed from the solution the last week or two before harvest.

Here's the pics!





I love how he straight flattens them to the ground... Best way to get the most out of the cfls and the penetration issue- spread them out and keep them extremely short.







Some extremely healthy plants though... That's for sure. Hopefully he can do a better job on them in flower than I have with this new system- it will be hard for 4 plants to eat all the phosphorous in 60 gallons of nutrient solution though I think... LOL It's looking a lot more promising for him to keep the leaves green.

I'll take some more pictures when they are going through puberty and starting to coat with trich's. Check back in a few weeks!

[doob3r]

thats that mj that makes me scream "EWW WEEEEEEE!" I love it Mr.G keep them coming

[chiefMOJOrisin]

Those look great! And since I'm thinking of building my own doo-dad, it makes me smile Its good to know that they are staying so vivacious and healthy.

[Mr.GoodStuff]

Did I mention we check the pH and PPM about once a week with this thing? Sometimes it goes for longer than that! With results like these!!!

Now I know flower is going to be trickier from past experience growing pot- but the ease of use that having such a large rez is providing is definitely meeting my expectations for the system!

I still don't think they will require more than once a week checks even through flower. He will have to add back water about once a day when they get big, but that's it for the work increase.

I'm seriously pumped about the way this beast has performed so far!

[Littleoldme]

thats a sick setup, looks good as always

[doob3r]

Originally Posted by Mr.GoodStuff

Did I mention we check the pH and PPM about once a week with this thing? Sometimes it goes for longer than that! With results like these!!!

Now I know flower is going to be trickier from past experience growing pot- but the ease of use that having such a large rez is providing is definitely meeting my expectations for the system!

I still don't think they will require more than once a week checks even through flower. He will have to add back water about once a day when they get big, but that's it for the work increase.

I'm seriously pumped about the way this beast has performed so far!

no you didnt, and i would not believe it lol, i mean i do....but i dont lol.
thats awsome man, when you perfect that thing itll be a great setup

[amsterdamage]

good looking plants!

but how are they tied down, I can't quite tell from the pics?


Thanks

[TushaR]

you gana make a thread how to build this man.

shit looks great!

[The Floyd]

Originally Posted by DrBudGreengenes

Holy F'n Shit Bro....
That thing is 256 Lbs of water in and on a Sterilite container....
The idea is great just buy some stronger containers or build a frame to set the upper res. on and around it for support...a container like that is rated for about 60Lbs. Sitting on a flat surface.....The "Waterfall Technique" will not work without "Outside Air" without air stones(or some holes for fresh air) bringing in outside air it is a sealed system underneath...that will not be good

thats what i was thinking lol, that thing will boa in in like a few days i bet or sooner.

[Mr.GoodStuff]

We ran into a problem when we tried to add Sweet Leaf to the res- overnight foam formed and the pumps clogged from fungus. It sounds worse than it was, but we needed to use beneficial bacteria in there to keep that from happening. We changed the res and have been adding the Sweet Leaf back slowly to see how much we can add- instead of dumping it in all at once and hoping for the best. We are almost up to the original amount we added that caused the problem, and the water is clear with no foam. I think it just needed a water change and some hydroguard.

Also we added Big Bloom to the res, two different types of flavor enhancers. The buds smell much better than usual after two weeks of using the stuff. It's a noticeable difference- not more smell, just sweeter. Mazar could not physically smell anymore, if brought out around a dog they go crazy. Any more smell and it might knock dogs out.

But we have high hopes for flavor improvement, and then we will work on bud size after that. I think he needs to veg with HID and use some bud-swelling hormones and amino acids. I'm very interested in Colossal Bud Blast from advanced nutrients, that and using Fox Farm's bloom boosters like Beastie Bloomz and Cha Ching, or some Advanced Nutrients Big Bud and Overdrive. Still learning, but I think we are making a lot of progress compared to where we were a year ago.

This system needs more durable containers though, the bottom res started to leak and could have been a much bigger problem but it was trouble enough... We will be using professional reservoirs in the future and most likely buckets instead of the giant tub. If we could get a tub that didn't bow out and have a huge risk for springing a leak from a pressure crack that would be great, but I think buckets would be best. It looks cool, but needs to be much smaller to be practical for long-term use. It's just so much freakin water! It needs a tub that can handle the weight if we are going to use a tub. That thing requires being screwed shut... Not ideal at all. But it was a great prototype I think- it doesn't require nearly as much work as I am used to! Even with the issues we had it still isn't that much trouble.

I'll try to get some new pictures of the garden up as soon as possible.

They are no longer tied down, my brother is break training them. LST is great but break training is more convienient sometimes when dealing with a bush that you can't get around. Personally I like break training because the plant heals much sturdier than with LST. LST can make for a very flimsy frame, break training makes a sturdy frame. I think both have benefits.

Anyways thanks for stopping by, sorry I can't update more often!

[MushuHappiness]

Dude... That thing is awesome! Can you post a diagram or something as to how it all works? Plants look so healthy... Also.. Where did you get that meter in the picture?

Originally Posted by Mr.GoodStuff