1stgrow DWC 400watt growbox HELP?

Discussion in 'Hydroponic Grow Journals' started by ads420, Sep 24, 2009.

  1. #1 ads420, Sep 24, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 9, 2009
    So after much research and learning from you people on here. which i thank you for by the way anyone that has helped before. i got my babies and im ready to start! so let this be the start of my journal.
    so here are the stats:

    Strains (Clones):
    Shiva Skunk(DEAD)
    Hindu Skunk (hindu kush x Skunk#1) (new replaced)
    Bogglegum (bubba kush X trainwreck)

    Grow Space:
    DIY growbox. 24"D x 26"L x 63"H
    400 watt MH/HPS (comes in any day now)
    200 CFM Inline fan exhaust
    5" passive intake


    DIY DWC system(rubbermaid 21 gallon)
    two 12inch airstones
    Dual port air pump
    water pump (to drain and fill res without moving )
    6 inch net pots

    Grow Medium:
    Hydroton
    clones are in RockWool

    Nutrients:
    Botanicare nutes,
    pure blend pro growth
    pure blend pro bloom
    liquid karma
    Cal-Mag
    (going to get Sweet)

    I mixed up a gallon of RO water with the nutes and have it set aside to hand feed till the roots go more down so I can reach the res. water level. My ph ended up perfecttttt at 6. :) . Gonna water 2 times a day. Light Schedual is 18/6, would using 20/4 be good too? or better? my room temp is chillen jst below 80. humidity is about 60. I love where i live. great conditions right now

    When should i start lst? i think im going to use LBH's 4way lst. but not to such an extent. i think i only am going to VEG for 2 weeks max.

    Questions? Comments? advice? lets get this started .
    this is going to be funnnn :)

    on with the PICS!!! gonna be many ;]

    The Spaceship :eyesmoke:
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    NUTES:
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    and now check out the babies and the covered top of the tote:
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    stay tunes.
    and now i celebrate with :smoking:
     
  2. actually ive had problems with the temps sort of now that i just added the 400 watt MH light right now! :) but the temps get kinda of high
    any suggestions on how i can control better. ill post new pics with the light right now in a few.
     
  3. probably need a more powerful fan...what do you have now...I saw you said 200cfm fan for exhaust what kind of fan is it?
     
  4. I'm using a 200 cfm inline fan. U can see it in pics (top right).
    I moved the new light all the way to the top. For now. And put a small regular fan blowing just over the tops of the plants. Doing everything I can to keep the temp down. The light is about 22inches from the top now. The fan creates enough negative pressure to pull wut steems like a lot of air in. When I put my hand by the vent it pulls a lot of air.
     
  5. ive somewhat controlled my temp situation but any help would be great! advice on keeping it down? my fan is an inline fan sucking the air out from under the airhood. heat still gets above 80.
    also some of the leaves are light green kinda yellowish. (pics) and the tips of a few of the leaves are kinda of curling down. idk if this is from me or some how i got them. can't tell yet. this is official day ONE technically?
    can someone please tell me what may be wrong with the plants if anything?
    im watering 2 times a day with a mix of just a little grow.
    thanks :)

    Shiva Skunk (top leaves kind of light greenish yellow and some curling down)
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    Bogglegum (look at the top leaves)
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    and heres just some room shots.
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  6. i woke up this morning and the plants are somewhat plopped over. whats wrong with them?!
     
  7. The rockwool is either too wet, or too dry.

    A picture would help.
     
  8. im not sure which it is, im thinking maybe too wet? its lights out time now maybe they will correct? i dont want my new babies dying on me in the next day or something.
    pictures:
    Kind of corrected it self somewhat.
    [​IMG]
    this one isnt looking so good.
     

    Attached Files:

  9. #9 Unclenugs, Sep 24, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 24, 2009
    looks to me like they dried out. The bad looking ones might not make it, sorry man. give it a day or two, and you'll see if they perk up at all.

    Where is the water level in your bucket? It should be about 1/2" below the bottom of the rockwool cube.
     
  10. well the 2nd pics actually look worse than they are in person. they dont seem dry at all. the rockwool has been moist but maybe too moist? and i have been hand watering. i only got these plants yesterday
     
  11. i will fix the water level in the bucket could heat have been much of a factor? lights off heat is in the 70's lights on it can get as high as 85 sometimes.
    but i think i over watered.
    if it was over watering how do i fix that? just wait a little longer till next hand water?
     
  12. #12 Unclenugs, Sep 24, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 24, 2009
    It's possible that they're too wet, but clones those size should be hard to overwater. They really look like plants that have had their roots dry out. The plant dosen't get crispy, it wilts and turns soft. Like I said, you'll know in a day or two if they'll make it, but you can expect them to look pretty sad for a little while.

    In the mean time, let's re-plant those a little further down in the pot so you don't have this happen again... Since they havn't rooted into the hydroton yet, it will be very simple.

    The best way I have found to place rockwool in the correct spot is to determine where you want your water level to be before you put any hydroton in the net pot. Put the bubble bucket together with everything but the clone and the hydroton, so that you can see the water level through the net pot. Fill the bucket with water until the water level comes to about 1" above the bottom of the net pot. then, hold the seedling about 1/2" above the water, and with the other hand, slowly add hydroton until the RW cube is supported, and then fill the pot. Mark that water level, and you'll know exactly what level to keep the water at until you have roots hanging down. You want to cover the top of the RW with hydroton to keep it from drying out too fast, and growing algae.

    If you do that, it will keep the rockwool moist, but not wet. You still need to check it daily to make sure it's not drying out, but the hydroton keeps it at a nice moisture level for a long period of time.
     
  13. well i have been watering twice a day and i felt like i was watering kind of alot. especiall on the one that looks the worst. so i feel it may be over watering. so im going to try and cut down to once a day. with not too much water. i checked the rockwool often and they were always somewhat moist. but possibly they did dry. drying out was my 1st thought.
    so until then, what do u suggest my watering schedual be for the next few days? if at all?
    thanks for the tips on replanting. i think im going to do that. if i do, and have the water level as you say, will i need to hand feed or just let the plants be?
     
  14. if you do it the way I sad, that 1/2" of hydroton between the water and the rockwool cube will wick up enough water to keep the rockwool moist. The layer of hydroton on top keeps the rockwool from drying out.

    I'd only water the rockwool when you first plant the clone, and let the water wicking up the hydroton regulate the moisture from then on. you can water all the hydroton around the rockwool as much as you want, but try to avoid watering the rockwool itself.
     
  15. if i do what you are saying, which i think is the best advice i have gotten so far by the way, would u say it will recover from either the rockwool being too dry OR too moist, cuz if it is too wet, then will putting the water level 1/2 inch from it allow the plants to recover from overwatering?
     
  16. yes, it should dry out quite a bit, and then stay at that moisture. Now, your environment can give slightly different results, so you need to be on the watch to make sure it dosn't dry out completely, but it won't happen overnight like it did this time. Keep the hydroton around the rockwool moist, and you don't have to worry about the rockwool drying out too much.

    Fingers crossed for those girls, I've had ones that looked worse come back.
     
  17. alright i am doing everything u said RIGHT now. so fingers crossed for the best indeed. thanks so much for the help! anything else u suggest i do? im raising the waterlevel and fixing the nutes in the tub. doing exactly as u said. gonna have the water level 1/2 inch below the cube.
     
  18. so i followed suggestions, and guess what? i think BOTH plants are looking a little better! :D thanks to everyone that helped i hope they live.:hello:
     
  19. Thats great to hear man, they'll probably make it, but they'll have to veg for a week or so to return to their original glory, but as long as they perked back up a little, they should probably make it.

    Keep an eye on that rockwool cube every day, just to make sure it hasn't dried out, but it should start regulating it's own moisture. Soon you'll have roots hanging down through your net pot, and the water level becomes less important.
     
  20. i hope the roots start comming down and it starts being awesome. if i see that they are growing more. which i think i see. then ill be really happy
     

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