Sour kush + lsd 600w ebb&flow

This will be my second grow but my first adventure into hydroponics. All my TDS readings are at .7 conversion. Temperature in Fahrenheit.

2' x 3.5' flood table
20 gallon reservoir
130gph water pump
Eco Air 2 w/ two large stones

600W Digilux MH
600W Ushio HiLux HPS
Super Sun 2 hood
ValueLine 6" 435cfm inline
Phat Carbon filter 6"x16"
Growlab 80L (2'7" x 4'11" x 6'7")

Lucas Formula: GH Flora 0-8-16 per gallon (target TDS 1300 @ .7 pH 5.8)

Sour Kush (Sour Diesel x OG Kush)
LSD (Skunk #1 x Mazar)

SUNDAY 1/23
Filled res with 20gallons distilled store bought H2O
Starting pH 5.1, 0ppm, 64F
Added 0-150-300....TDS=1240, pH 4.5
Added 10ml pH UP, pH 5.7
Planted clones into 10" pots
Flood cycle: 15min ON every 2 hours.
Light is 2ft. above plants running 24/0 for now. I also am top watering every few floods trying to make sure they stay moist.
Room temp 74F, 44% RH

TODAY 1/24
Room temp 72-77F, 39% RH
Res temp 66.7F
5:30pm...pH 5.8 / 1270ppm
8:00pm...pH 5.7 / 1280ppm



Even though I cracked down and bought a real flood table water still collects by the drain nozzles and small amounts in the bottom channels. So from the advice of fellow GC members I got some rigid insulation foam and made a cover. It's not 100% light proof so let me know if I'm wasting my time and need to seal it tight to prevent algae.


Sour Kush in the front. LSD in the back.


Re-worked the ventilation with insulated ducting and I mounted the fan closer to the exit port.


My reservoir area...air pump, ballast, AC unit and a dip stick I made while filling the res...it doubles as a kick stand to hold open the lid!


The PVC fittings on the tent poles are for a future scrog if I wanna try one again. Let me know any tips for a first time hydro grower! Thanks

You stepped up your game!!

I'll watch!

And away we go!

01/25/11

8AM
Res: 1300ppm, pH 5.9, 66.1F
Environment: 75-78F, 39% RH

12PM - Added 1gal distilled water
Res: 1250ppm, pH 5.8, 67F
Environment: 75-79F, 30%

6PM
Res: 1260ppm, pH 5.9, 67.8F
Environment: 74-79F, 33%

My clones look sad. Pretty droopy. I would guess either over or under watering or maybe simple "transplant shock" or whatever. My current flood cycle is ON 15min every TWO hours. Is that too frequent? My other concern is water reaching the clones' roots. They're rooted in 2in. rockwool and I'm not sure if the water wicks that high via hydroton. I have been pouring the nutrient solution onto the plants like 2-3 times each day so far.

Please share your flood and drain experiences with me!

My clones drooped under too much light till they got rooted a bit. Not sure though as I planted em in pure coco.

you only flood three times a day for fifteen minutes... and stick your nutrients in the res and only make it like a 25 % solution....

nice cuts with the insulation foam...

you only flood three times a day for fifteen minutes... and stick your nutrients in the res and only make it like a 25 % solution....

nice cuts with the insulation foam...

I'm running the lights 24/0 right now...would I do 4 times in 24hrs for 15min? (every 6 hours)

is flooding 3 times a day based on veg 18 hr light cycle? what about flowering 12/12?

thanks for the tips man

Whaddup broseph! Glad to see you are underway. I am not experienced with Ebb and Flow so I will be doing more learning than helping. Just curious what the measurements of your tent are and also if you dont mind dropping some info or a link to that a/c unit that would be sweet if ya got one or just a make and model is cool too. Good luck man and good vibes!!

EDIT- Also what exactly do you mean by All your TDS readings are at .7 conversion.??

Edited by Philly, 26 January 2011 - 07:59 AM.

Whaddup broseph! Glad to see you are underway. I am not experienced with Ebb and Flow so I will be doing more learning than helping. Just curious what the measurements of your tent are and also if you dont mind dropping some info or a link to that a/c unit that would be sweet if ya got one or just a make and model is cool too. Good luck man and good vibes!!

EDIT- Also what exactly do you mean by All your TDS readings are at .7 conversion.??

I got the AC unit off craigslist for 100$ but this is the one PE2-07R-62

my tent is basically 5x3x7. actual measurements in the first post

TDS is the same thing as ppm, which are all conversions of EC, electric conductivity. Different regions use different conversion rates, also different brands come factory default to these different conversions.

http://forum.grasscity.com/attachments/advanced-growing-techniques/501634d1291995031-chart-thread-ppm-ec-c-jpg

So I cut back my waterings to every 6 hrs, 15min ON

hoping they'll bounce back!

01-26-2011
Reservoir: 1270ppm pH 5.9 67F
Tent: 75-77F 31-40%

01-27-2011 Top off with distilled water
Reservoir: 1270ppm pH 6.0 66F
Tent: 72-76F 29-35%

01-28-2011 Top off with distilled water
Reservoir: 1270ppm pH 6.1 65F
Tent: 72-75F 38%

Added 10ml Micro + 20ml Bloom
1340ppm pH 6.0
Added 5ml pH DOWN
1350ppm pH 5.9 66.7F

01-29-2011 Top off with distilled water
Reservoir: 1320ppm pH 6.06 66F
Tent: 72-73F 62%

Yesterday (01-29) I got myself a humidifier to boost my tent humidity b/c 30% is just way too low for either veg or flower. I also bought the Hanna 98129 and this pen is super gangster. Way better quality and accuracy compared to my last pH and TDS pens.

I am following the Lucas method as closely as I can for my hydro first run. The Ask Lucas thread over at CW has amazing information I find hard to dispute. My plants are still alive so that's a good sign. I believe I was over watering them at first at 15min ON every 2hrs...this was a general starting point recommended by Lucas....but currently at 15min ON every 6hrs the hydroton is still wet at the bottom of the pots when I raise them....so I know they're not drying out. I also think I could've started these on a lighter nutrient solution for this first week. Lucas says under HID lighting you can pump his "full strength" (1300-1400) b/c the intense lighting can get the plants to metabolize the strong nutrient solution. But I see slight tip burn and they leaves aren't perky and happy. However, new growth is starting to form at the nodes. Also root development has been taking off. I uncovered the rockwool from the hydroton to check how moist the cubes were staying and BAM, in my face, were bright white roots....covered them up carefully and backed off.

I am patiently awaiting vigorous growth....go baby gooooooo!!


New growth at the nodes

Well the stems look great and the foliage looks very green so I don't think you'll have long to wait. I'm in the opposite boat. My Red Dragon plants in flowering are growing so tall I'm gonna have to tie the tops down.

Thanks for the update.

Well the stems look great and the foliage looks very green so I don't think you'll have long to wait. I'm in the opposite boat. My Red Dragon plants in flowering are growing so tall I'm gonna have to tie the tops down.

Thanks for the update.

Ya ur Red Dragon plants growin nicely Thanks for the encouragement I'm hoping they'll pick up soon.

why is your ppm so high?

why is your ppm so high?

I am following the Lucas method as closely as I can for my hydro first run. The Ask Lucas thread over at CW has amazing information I find hard to dispute (from Lucas himself)

Lucas says under HID lighting you can pump his "full strength" (1300-1400) b/c the intense lighting can get the plants to metabolize the strong nutrient solution


this quote is a direct reply from Lucas:

"if newly rooted clones are transplanted into containers that are going to veg under fluoros, that is a sort of weak light situation, and using weak nutes makes sense, ~1000 ppm

but after the first week or two of fluoros, if the plants move to strong light, HPS light, or MH light, but with big lamps, you know, not fluoros, what is referred to as HID lighting.. then I want them to see full strength nutes.. 0-8-16.. ~13-1400ppm"

I am trying to follow what I have learned exactly...no re-inventing the nutrient wheel, no voodoo rituals...just plain horticulture

01-30-2011
12pm
Reservoir: 1335ppm 6.08pH 66F
Tent: 71-73F 60%

11pm
Reservoir: 1328ppm 6.11pH 66F
Tent: 72-75F 56%

01-31-2011
12pm
Reservoir: 1330ppm 6.15pH 66F
Tent: 73-76F 48%

8pm *Top off with distilled water*
Reservoir: 1302ppm 6.19pH 66F
Tent: 71-74F 60%

Added 0-15-30 (15ml Micro / 30ml Bloom)

9pm
Reservoir: 1424ppm 6.08pH 66F
Tent: 71-73F 54%

9:30pm Added 5ml pH DOWN
Reservoir: 1427ppm 5.91pH 65.6F


My plants aren't exploding with new growth or height but it's only been 8 days since they were placed in their hydroton pots under 600W (vs the dispensary floro's) Check out the ladies and see if you think this coloration is Mg def? pH issue? Not gonna stress about it yet really.

Sour Kush's



This last one has a crazy twist in the newer leaf

LSD's




This LSD has some drying up dead leaves. I think this damage was from the low humidity before, not sure


I sealed off the light's ventilation so the humidifier works better. I have it misting into the small fan which blows the cooled air at the hood.

looking good so far bro. i just finished up reading through your last journal. I'll be keeping an eye on this.

02-01-2011 Top off res
Reservoir: 1410ppm 5.99pH 66F
Tent: 71-75F 57%

02-02-2011 Top off res + 5ml pH down
Reservoir: 1409ppm 5.87pH 65.4F
Tent: 68-70F 50%

02-03-2011
Reservoir: 1415ppm 5.91pH 65.4F
Tent: 72-74F 55%

02-04-2011 Top off res
Reservoir: 1403ppm 5.95pH 62.8F
Tent: 70-74F 60%

Plants have perked up and one LSD has even grown over 2in. in the last couple days. The Sour K's aren't growing too much but look OK and there are roots coming out the bottom of all the pots. I'm planning a res change this weekend to clean up my system. There was a little snot-like-slime on the air stone lines at water level and I can see films of this stuff floating around. I hope this isn't algae...I might get some solid black irrigation line from the Depot but I'm not 100% it's algae, or algae caused by light...so reading more about that. I recently found out the club I got my clones from has my fav OG strain here in LA...Jupiter:eek:

looking good so far bro. i just finished up reading through your last journal. I'll be keeping an eye on this.

yikes, my first grow...prob a lot of crappy info all up in there

Thanks for checking out the grow, I enjoy sharing my experiences. I have certainly learned a lot since getting my hands dirty.

Yea man that one is taking off nice. Hopefully the others are right behind it. Looking good brother.

I did a complete res change yesterday (Sat 2/5) to clean up the system, add a sight-level-indicator & change the airstone lines to solid black irrigation lines. Also taped the lid with the foil-tape. I sprayed the table and res down w/ 91% ISO, rinsed, filled with water, circulated system, added h2o2 during circulation, rinsed, re-fill with 20gal distilled water and added my nutes.



I put in about 10tbl of Micro and 20tbl of Bloom and roughly 10tsp of Cal-Mag+ (cal-mag stinks like hell, and it was this nasty yellow-brown color...normal I hope, never used the stuff really)

1330ppm
5.53pH
66.7F

Room stats: 72-76F, 60% RH

I left the pH lower this time adding about half as much pH UP I did on the first fill up. I'm going to try raising pH with plain water add backs and lower pH by adding more nutes....also the reason I kept ppm short of 1400.

I picked up NEW bottles of GH Flora...new meaning they're actually newer bottles with a different label design. I noticed the new GH Flora Micro has more ingredients now....