Second Grow - Both mixed media and hydro schizophrenic grow

Discussion in 'Micro Grows' started by JerryInDFW, Jan 25, 2014.

  1. #41 Dingus, Feb 10, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 10, 2014
    I would keep the smart pots but switch to top feeding. Have you seen irq's setup? Hes got these plastic boxes with drawers that make it really easy. I went looking for some but they were more expensive than id like for the quantity I would be buying. But it might be a good option for you.

    You should honestly not do anything I do because my plants are shit.
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  2.  
    To tell the truth, I'm getting tired of throwing money at this project. I need to take my high-tech timer back, because I just cannot get the fucker to work properly, and pick up some more conventional ones.
     
    Considered the top watering, but as those smartpots stay damp on the sides, I'm in doubt. Each pot exposes 132 sq. in. to the air - and evaporation. That's not counting the top or the SIP exposure. With three pots, it's 2.75 sq.ft of damp fabric. 6 pots = 5.5. 9 pots=8.25. That's excessive. I believe those smartpots are great outdoors, or if you have something like a "Lung room" setup. Each pot top adds another 38.5 sq. in. When you get into the realm of a square yard of wet fabric, it's excessive, IMO. They gotta go.
     
    I looked at irq's setup. I think he's using those drawer things primarily to collect and measure runoff. Regardless, they're too big for my available space.
     
    In other developments, everyone looks fine. The hydro is doing so well even under CFL's. Those Widows are only getting 42 watts and look good. The two BB's in the cabinet look great, too and are progressing so much faster than the plants in the coco. Yes, they're sativa versus the other indicas, but still. I expect my next bunch of starts is not going to be in coco.
     
    The Widows under 42w
     
    20140210_080641.jpg
     
    In the armoire (The one on the right is the F35 variant)
     
    20140210_080538.jpg 20140210_080534.jpg 20140210_080531.jpg 20140210_080524.jpg
     
    In the tent
     
    20140210_080441.jpg 20140210_080438.jpg 20140210_080434.jpg
     
    Ordered this to use on any light leaks
     
    51MeE6xESHL._SY450_.jpg
     
    Stay tuned
     
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  3. #43 JerryInDFW, Feb 11, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 11, 2014
    2-10-2014 - Update
     
    Well, finished for the moment.
     
    Disassembled and relocated <span style="font-family:'times new roman', times, serif;"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);">the tent to its intended spot. Talk about your gold-plated pain in the ass. It was a tight fit. I was annoyed to see just how much liquid was under the floor tray, and I may end up removing it if condensation remains a problem. Anyway, it's everyone in the pool to see what happens heat and humidity wise. Enabled the CO2 feed at 1250 ppm. I was surprised at how short a run period - maybe 10-12 seconds at most, to get to that level. I'm not going to water, since all the smartpots are still damp, and I want to see a stabilized reading. Raised the light as high as I could without re-rigging the hangers, close to 4' at the base. I forgot to measure. Time @18/6. I'll add another 6" fan as soon as I order a few more. Replaced wonky timer.</span></span>
     
    Going to hold off on changing pots until I see how things settle in. Not going to use the SIP dishes except for runoff.
     
    All plants are looking great, in spite of the F35's being a little on the smallish side. The hydro Blackberries have a weeks head start and are doing so well. Going to be big, I think, so the 7' flowering tent was a good idea. The Widows aren't far behind. When I had everyone out in normal light, you could see those gorgeous shades of green. Going to stick to running GH nutes at half strength with the mix I've previously described.
     
     
    20140210_184628.jpg 20140210_184646.jpg 20140210_184659.jpg 20140210_184709.jpg
     
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  4. Wow only 12 seconds! That tank should last like awhile then right? Your babies are at about the same stage as mine!


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  5.  
    That was only the initial leveling! I happened to open it up for a sec to reset to 1500ppm, and when it kicked in, it was like "Pffft!". Maybe all of 3 seconds. Yeah, It's hopefully going to last a while. I may run a splitter and do both tents, since it it's using so little. I'll just throttle down the line to the one without the sensor. The plants seem to love it in there, and even the 35's have picked up some steam.
     
    I swear you can see a difference every time I peek in. Raising the light was good, and the lower temp is around 82, and maybe maxing out @84-85 at the roof. I'm going to fabricate some hangers to get them a little higher later if needed, after my next swing by Home DePot to grab some chain.
     
    The humidity is still terrible - much higher than I'd like. And I haven't watered them either. It hits near 81% and it's suddenly like a rain forest in there. I pulled the floor tray out so I can stay on top of any condensation. Not like I'm worried about any flooding. Covered the top of the pots with what I had of that expanded clay to help cut down on evaporation. Have to pick some more up. Got another fan on the way for that tent, too. But really, nothing is going to get the humidity way down except venting. At least it's not getting under the floor and turning into a science project.
     
    I went by irq77's thread. Guys running crazy watts on his plants. My little 300w fixture seems to be plenty so far, and they'll only grow so fast. Got that black RTV today, but will use it after the other tent gets here tomorrow.
     
    So all in all, I'm reasonably content with things. Pretty sure I'll need a fan/filter in the the flowering tent, since the F35 absolutely reek of Kush when they get going. I'll use some of those 15 minute increment timers to synchronize the CO2 feed. Wish I had room in that closet for both tents.
     
    Guess I ought to put in some pics...
     
    The big picture
    20140211_194618.jpg
     
    Blackberries
    20140211_194628.jpg
     
    Widows
    20140211_194634.jpg
     
    Other guys
    20140211_194653.jpg 20140211_194657.jpg 20140211_194701.jpg 20140211_194705.jpg 20140211_194716.jpg 20140211_194719.jpg
     
    A very merry Widow
     
    20140211_194834.jpg
     
    Hydro Blackberry
     
    20140211_194841.jpg
     
    Be time for FIMing the hydros before I know it.
     
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  6. 2-12-2014
     
    Dunno if y'all can tell from the pictures just how much these little ladies have changed just overnight. I'm pleasantly surprised every time I peek in.
     
    Sorry about the crappy color correction. I was in a hurry.
     
    20140212_091511.jpg 20140212_091519.jpg 20140212_091528.jpg 20140212_091534.jpg 20140212_091538.jpg 20140212_091554.jpg 20140212_091559.jpg 20140212_091605.jpg 20140212_091610.jpg 20140212_091618.jpg
     
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  7. 2-12-2014 - Continued
     
    What I did this morning:
     
    Box O' fans arrived. Installed one in tent. That definitely is helping to even out the temps to around 82-84, which I understand is ideal for supplemental CO2. Has the girls moving nicely as well. The small amount of expanded clay I put on top of the smartpots seems to have helped with the humidity a little, and I ordered a bag to do it properly, and to have some around for the future.
     
    Ordered 2x 15 minute increment timers to sync CO2 and exhaust from new tent. Also ordered a 4" fan/filter combo. The 2x4x7 tent is only 56 cu ft, so I went cheap and ordered a 190 CFM, which ought to be plenty for that capacity. I didn't spring for the speed controller. I hope that setup will get my humidity down to something more acceptable for the flowering stage, and cool things off in the bargain. I anticipate cutting off the CO2 at least two weeks before flush & harvest, and possibly a week sooner. The F35 supposedly finishes in 35 days. Maybe, but maybe not with just a 300w LED.
     
    Found a HUGE bean in a bag of skunk, and put in the grow cube I tried to pop that first bag weed misfire in. Threw it in one of those red plastic Dixie cups and set it on the shelf and after checking it a few times, sorta forgot about it. I see today that it's popped. So it's under the T5 for the moment. Really don't have room for a big pot of anything else.
     
    Reading up on DIY DWC systems.
     
    And that's about it until the tent drops later today. This evening I'll probably go burn the rest of my Home DePot gift card and snag that chain I mentioned to fabricate hangers to get the lights as high as I want. The industrial length ones that come with fixtures are rubbish for just about any grow tent.
     
    Nap time.
     
     
    Pic of the VenTech fan/filter:
     
     
    kit_Combo4A.jpg
     
     
     
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  8. 2-12-2014 - Piled higher and deeper
     
    So FedUp didn't deliver today. What they call a "Delivery Exception." Sooooo... I called and found the truck was back at the terminal, and went out to collect it before it went "Missing." Talking to the coordinator there, it seems that the driver felt his load was "Jacked up" and brought a couple of dozen packages back - and fuck a bunch of customers. So I have some more hate mail to write.
     
    Never made it to the store, so all I did was assemble the tent. For some reason, this thing was packed in a carry bag of all things! I guess you're supposed to take it along on holiday or something. Bizarre.
     
    20140212_203650.jpg
     
    This tent went together much easier that the first one did. Experience counts! It's a freaking monolith! Anyhow, that's all the time I wanted to spend on that tonight. Will play more tomorrow, since I don't have any more missed deliveries scheduled for then. Might be a few surprises in store.
     
    20140212_211308.jpg
     
     
     
     
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  9. Were did u get that led 300 watt panel

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  10.  
    Got 'em on eBay.
     
  11. What brand do u have exactly becuase some are cheap ur seem to work good for flower and vegetable

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  12.  
    They're really a no-name model. I just searched more by specific spectra than by brand. I wanted to make sure there was some of the hard to find color bands in there. I found what I wanted with the 10 band versions, from a seller called "toplinkinc" at a decent price. Free shipping and they got them out the same day I ordered. No complaints, except that I'm not crazy about the hangers.
     
    Having said that, I've seen identical spec models from the same factory in China, same components, but branded by the seller, and maybe painted black instead of white. A fixture of this size should be more than enough for a 4'x4' area. Mine use Bridgelux LED's. Beware brand snobs. There's a large variety of LED fixtures on the Bay, so you may see something you like better or more suited your growing environment. I'm using small footprint tents, which is why I chose that 300w size. I may end up wishing I bought 400w lights, but so far, the results are awesome..
     

  13. Yea ive searched every ebay amazon I saw off brand mars2 of black dog led u heard of that I also heard 660nm is the best red im not sure u seem knowledgeable could u help me with a led spec to customize my led light for flowermand veg

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  14. If u could check my thread out right under yours and see if u can help me out .. id really appreciate it ..its mini tent 212 cfl

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  15. #55 JerryInDFW, Feb 13, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 13, 2014
     
    Okay. First off, you're really barking up the wrong tree. I'm fairly clueless about this stuff, and only know what I read. If you don't believe me, ask @[member="Dingus"]. I'm not one of the advice guys. I started this thread to document my grow, warts and all, and I'm really loathe to give others advice about what they're doing with their plants. I just don't have the experience. All I'm willing to do is tell someone what I do with what I use, and nearly everything regarding that is in the thread. Nothing personal.
     
    I haven't flowered anything with LED's as of yet. I have with CFL's, and had little luck. Looked wonderful, but were only so-so. I now reserve the T5 and CFL's for seedlings and cloning, and they're perfect for that. There are people that do well with 'em all through the growth cycle. I wasn't impressed, but then again I did a whole lot of screwing up, too. See "Clueless" above. I'm confident in my choice of LED lights, however, and have no doubt they'll work fine for flowering.
     
    I read a LOT, and made choices based on information from people who've been doing this much longer than I have. If you want an LED primer, try here:
     
    http://howtogrowmarijuana.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Visible-spectrum.gif
     
    They discuss the pros and cons of all the various lighting options, including LED's and CFL's. They go into a good explanation of spectra, and how important those middle greens, yellows and oranges are. The 10 band I have has some of those, as well as a little white, IR and UV. The exact specifics are outlined back in this thread.
     
    I have no idea of what to tell you about your plants. You're growing bag seed. If I were to make a suggestion, I'd say buy some decent genetics, or bum some good clones from another grower, and learn their characteristics. Indica is different than sativa. All the gear in the world isn't going to give you killer buds if you start with mediocre genes. I'm very liable to change horses and switch to DWC by this weekend before these plants get too much further along. It'll slow them down a little changing over, but I'm not happy with the coco results I'm seeing, and the smartpots I'm using are giving me humidity issues. That's okay for vegging, but not for flowering.
     
    I'm not very up on nutes. I use just the GH FloraSeries, with a couple of other things as needed. There are folks on here who can tell you all about the benefits of a certain bat crap from a specific cave on Bali, gathered during the new moon by a redheaded virgin, and similar exotic concoctions, but I'm not doing organic, and probably never will.
     
    Finally, you may like to check out @[member="irq77"], who has a shit-hot switchable 800w LED fixture. He's got some nice ladies over there. There are several better established CFL and LED  threads here on GC as well, where you can find ideas, brilliance, idiocy, pontification, and free-range geniuses who will tell you what to do about any problem you have. Might not be right, but any forum like GC has its trolls. Sometimes it helps to scan a forum prior to just jumping in and asking questions. Your answer may already be there..
     
    Good luck!
     
    .
     
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  16. #56 irq77, Feb 13, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 13, 2014
    Hi @[member="legalize.it"] and @[member="JerryInDFW"]!  I just saw I was mentioned and wanted to throw in my two cents...
     
    This is my second grow I've ever done and second under a ProGrow 400x that I ordered from Hydroponics Hut. ( https://www.hydroponicshut.com/pro-grow-led-400x-indoor-grow-light-growlight-hydroponics-hut.html )  Honestly, I know very very little about LED's even after trying to read everything I could about them prior to purchasing.  I ended up just taking a little leap of faith due to the suggestions from the Grow Weed Easy site.  ( http://www.growweedeasy.com/growing-marijuana-what-type-of-lights#LED )  The light wasn't cheap ($849) but I really liked a few things about it. 
     
    1.  A switch to use half the power when in Vegetative. 
    2.  Full illumination mode (veg LED's and Flower LED's on) only uses 350w.
    3.  Seemed to be a great fit for my grow area (4' x 4')
    4.  3 year warranty
    5.  Very low heat production so additional savings in cooling costs
     
    In my first grow I grew 4 Cluster Bomb which is listed as a very high yielding strain by Bomb Seeds (700-800g/m²).  After 5 days drying I weighed and after adding everything up produced 1.15 grams of bud per Watt.   Now I don't contribute my results all to the lighting as I believe the environment, strain, and LST helped contribute significantly.
     
    I really liked my results, but I've got no other light experience to compare to.  I'm looking to add a second tent here sometime in the future and will again be considering lighting solutions.  Logic may suggest I get another ProGrow 400x, but $849 is a big pill to swallow, so I've been looking around a bit.  The top contender is a Mars II 5w LED. ( http://www.topledgrowlight.com/mars-ii-led-grow-light-900w.html#.UvziNUnNItg ) However, there are a couple things I don't like about the Mars II like it being manufactured over seas and not having a switch to save power when in Veg.  Still, a lot cheaper upfront but more cost later for power.  I need to add up the electrical costs before I make any decisions.  I'm also a little curious about Plasma, but have yet to do enough research to comment on.
     
    I hope that adds a little clarity to my experience.  Take care and may all your buds be frosty, dank, and delicious.
     
    Peace!
     
    -irq77
     
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  17. Thatnks buddy im gonna make sure all my red are 660nm I ive read thats the best spectrum

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  18. #58 JerryInDFW, Feb 14, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 14, 2014
    2-13-2014 - Just miscellaneous stuff
     
    I erected that new tent last night, and called it a night. Got to really examining it, and it's very well constructed with one exception. Notice the sock joins all have piping along the seams. This is a very good sign.
     
    20140213_102832.jpg
     
    The zippers are also well shielded, and far superior to the 32" tent.
     
    20140213_102840.jpg 20140213_102906.jpg 20140213_102910.jpg
     
    The edge seams are also wrapped...
     
    20140213_102853.jpg
     
    Having shown all this, I still haven't fired up the light and buttoned it up to look for leaks. Doubt I'll find many. I'll check when it gets dark outside.
     
    The only bitch is that wrap around access panel doesn't have a hook with a D-ring to hold it up when unzipped. Instead, they're a length of woven strap, and a piece of Velcro. WTF? They include a freaking tote bag, but cheap out for the last 18 cents? Regardless, if it's light tight, it was a steal.
     
    These two illustrate just how low the stock hangers are at max length. Disregard all the crap on the bottom.
     
    20140213_155055.jpg 20140213_155154.jpg
     
     
    For those that haven't seen this hanger system previously, these things are adjustable, and have about 21" of play. This takes the bottom to about 4'8" of clearance above the floor.
     
    20140213_155320.jpg 20140213_155911.jpg
     
    With the light on. Walla! Looks like pretty good coverage. Haven't checked the lumen from that height, but I expect they're decent.
     
    20140213_160002.jpg 20140213_160010.jpg
     
    So this is that bag weed bean I mentioned. Finally showing her head.
     
    20140213_160416.jpg
     
    ____________________________________________________________________________
     
    I did get some chain sections cut. The lanyard clips are pretty soft, so rather than cannibalize the stock hangers when I want to change, I ordered some better extras. Fuckers are hard to find until you figure out what they call 'em.
     
    I finally snapped that I could leave the top of the D-Door of the 32 unzipped a few inches and vent a lot of that humidity without losing CO2, since it heads for the bottom. This is is a relief. Still some there, but not as bad.
     
    My TDS meter hit, but I haven't had an opportunity to play with it yet. Might feed tonight.
     
    So now that the humidity/condensation issue is on the back burner, I went to scope out those storage bins for a DIY DWC setup. If I don't screw with trying to install drains, a reservoir, and shit, it's only a matter of buy the bin, cut holes, add air, put in the net pots, plants and bingo. Done for the price of a bin, a big air stone, a pump which will drive several bins, and some odds and ends. Fuck me. The 18 gallon ones hold a lot of juice. The 10 gallon ones seem more reasonable, have a decent footprint, and you can still get 6 decent sized pots on there. Plus, if I had to move a full one, I'd be less likely to bust a nut. 15 or so gallons gets a bit unmanageable by yourself in a confined space. Walmart had some okay Sterilite ones in grey for like maybe 5 bucks for the 10 gal and less than 7 for the 18 gal. They also had similar Rubbermaid stuff, a little heavier plastic, but the lids have a very deep recess I didn't like. So I fully expect the next generation will be DWC.
     
     
    ______________________________________________________________________________________
     
    Here's today's photo shoot. They're beginning to look like what they're supposed to be!
     
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  19.  
    I seriously considered going with a switchable panel with the 5w LED's, but with my very limited growing footprint, I calculated that a 300-400w full spectrum would do me, and keep the electric bill manageable. Dunno if you saw my last full post, as I think you came in when I was editing in today's photos. Those hydro are @15 days, and the soil a few days less. As you can see, the hydro plants are doing okay, so I'm happy with my choice so far. Plus, I just couldn't make myself spend the dinero you did on a light. When I get back into a house instead of an apartment, I'll go much heavier on the wattage.
     
    Not quite sure of your overseas aversion. The vast majority of those LED's the U.S. builders use are manufactured there, including the "Name" brands. The factory that produced my fixture burns the assembly in for 24 hours before they ship, and then the reseller tests them as well for a period to make sure they didn't suffer in transit. So far, no complaints. Just FYI, my lights pull about 170 watts or so.
     
    Here's to frosty buds!   :metal:
     
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  20. 2-14-2014
     
    I wanted to raise the light in the 32" tent. I mentioned buying chain, and here's the results:
     
    20140214_102620.jpg 20140214_102641.jpg 20140214_103106.jpg
     
    This gives me a hanging point 7" above the top of the fixture, and allows me to use the ratcheting hangers.
     
    Lowered the CO2 controller to mid-tent, and since it was all open, decided to make sure it was completely dry, so it's just sitting open with the fans blowing. Tried out my new TDS meter. I guess it works. I gotta read up on ppm's and where they're supposed to be. I'm expecting several other pieces of stuff to drop today or tomorrow, including the new beans.
     
    This mornings photo shoot:
     
    20140214_103552.jpg 20140214_103557.jpg 20140214_103601.jpg 20140214_103607.jpg 20140214_103613.jpg 20140214_103518.jpg 20140214_103531.jpg 20140214_103537.jpg 20140214_103544.jpg
     
    The Widows & Blackberries seem to really be enjoying themselves. The F35's are getting going. Going to do a feeding here shortly.
     

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