well here is my first grow , well not a grow yet but a sprout thanks to all you people in gc about a year of research going over augest wests' grows and advise, sockpuppets rockwools germinations prosses and og dier wolf , if I forgot anyone else I am sorry pardon my memory I smoked alot of pot . let me stop blabing here is day one http://forum.grasscity.com/absolute-beginners/389638-pls-need-help-germinating-sprouting-2.html check out the pics here
day 4 its coming along took the tri meter out and when I put it back in the ph was at 6.6 so I set it back to 5.9 for the new sprout that just poped I am going to keep yhe tri meter in from now on here are some more pics
well 4 new sprouts today . I just threw them under lights . I am practicing with bagseeds I got from a body that sells beasters . I got them so I can practice germinating them couse I fucked up some good expensive seeds trying to germinate for the first time . I bought the 3 pack special from Marijuana Seeds Super specials Seeds at the low prices I took 2 weeks to get to place it was supose to . will take pics of the new sprouts tommorrow
thanks for stoping by AW I've been your student for a year no following your grows and reading your post Its an honor to have you stop by . excuse my hydro I know you're a soil man quick ? though , my ph keeps on raising from 5.9 to 6.7 within hours what could be the reasons for that so I can check the and correct them . thanks
here is an up date 7 new sprouts today with a total of 12 . they are fed via dripper but as soon as they root , then I'll switch to ebb and flow in the same setup
You shouldn't let light get to your nutrient solution. Is you rez light proof? Your pipes are see thru. Algae was my main cause of pH problems (in my bubblers). I solved my pH problems by cutting off any light to my nutrients, and adding H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) to my solution every 4 or 5 days. Now, i never need to use much pH down (too much is not good), my nutrients has a pH buffer that lowers my water pH to around 5.9-6.0, i use a very little amount of pH down to lower my pH to pH5.8, if i go too much below that level i just add more water (which is around pH7) to raise the pH again.
I was thinking it was the airstone . I did a search and found two other people with the same problem . but I will tape the tubes up to cover the light though to be on the safe side. what is the issue with the air stone anywaybut yes the rest is light proof dispite of the two 1 inch hples I cut for the pump and the return lines. how much h2o2 doyou use per gallon
I dont understand how an airstone would effect the pH. With major pH problem, it's usually algae thats the problem. Sometimes you can't see algae. Put your hand into your rez, and if you feel the side walls or the bottom of the rez slippy with slime, if so, then you have an algae problem. People don't realize that algae is the main sourse of high pH problems in a hydroponics system. Cut off every bit of light to your nutrients. I have black pods/buckets, and the black plastic lids dont keep out the light from HIDs, so i have them cover in aliminum foil tape. Algea is a living organisum which live on nutrients(food), oxygen and light. You need to use nutrients and oxygen in you rez, but by cutting of the light supply, the algae can't survive. I use 35% food grade H2O2, i use 1lm of H2O2 per litre of nutrient solution (sometime a little more if needs be), i could use 3 or 4ml per litre (it wouldnt harm a plant), but it would be a waste, as H2O2 is pretty expensive (but worth every penny). The H2O2 has a active life span in you rez for around 5 days. It will kill/eat algae, pathogen, dead roots or any organic thing in your rez (except the plant/roots), and in turn supply your nutrient solution with added oxygen. Dont buy the rubbish in a hydroponic store as it has a low percentage and more expensive. If you can, search the net for a supplier in your area for food grade, it's used for cleaning.
It was slimey I just covered that hoses with duct tape so no light can penitrate and after cleaning the res . I just washed it out with a spoung and water , is that okey and as you can see my res is not tranparent except for two 1 inch holes I placed on top of the lid , but I gues that has to be clocked also , let me know if I am wrong . after I cleand the res and put fresh water and nutes the and coverd the hoses , the ph still jumped so I just took out the air stone and left the hose on there. thanks john
If you haven't got H2O2 yet, just take away your plants (in their net pots ofcourse), and fill your rez with a little household bleach and water, run the bleached water thru your system for a few minutes. Wash out your rez with household detargent (for dishes). Fill the rez with just water and run your system for a few more minutes, then rinse out you rez throrughly (everything should be cleaned by now). Get a few jugs of water, pH it to 5.5, let it sit for a few minutes to see if it stays at that level. If it stays at 5.5, hold you net pots over the sink and pour the pHed water through your rockwool cubes, totally rinsing/flushing out whatever is in your cubes (this one time soaking the cube wont cut of oxygen to the roots), If you had the H2O2, it would have been a great help going through you rockwool. Set up your system again and add your water and nutrients to the rez, pH it to 5.8, and come back an hour later and pH it again if needs be. Trust me, after that you shouldn't have a pH problem, as long as you keep light away from you nutes and add a H2O2 (and dont add anything else other than nutes, water and pH adjuster). Trust me!
Anyway, if i was you, i take those rockwool cube and seedling out of that system completely, and water them by hand. It's not good drip feed seedling that young in rockwool. I would clean out a basin or bowl, and put about 5mm of water in it, and dip the bottom of the rockwool cube in the water for a second or 2, the rockwool will act like a sponge and wick up the water to the roots. If you keep the seedlings in high humidity, the watering should last for 24 hours or so. Its bad to have your cube saturated in water/nutes, as it will cut of the oxygen supply to the roots, it could rot your roots and kill your plants. It's best to have your rockwool just moist enough for roots to go search for its own food.
just did everything you stated hope it works . all light is blocked also will check in the morning it is 11 pm here . thanks again john. I will post more pics tomorrow
Sorry, i mentioned for you to add nutes, without looking at you photos. DONT FEED YET! You will burn them seedlings. Just give them plain pH5.8 water, untill you see roots come from under the rockwool cube. Then give them a week solution, a little less than 1/4 strength will do for a few days, then 1/4 strength for the rest of the week, and work up from there. I hope to God you haven't burned them, sorry.
will clean the rez in the morning . just checked the ph again and its back up to 5.98 from 5.80 an hour and a half ago.