400 Watt MH/HPS, DWC, Scrog

Discussion in 'Hydroponic Grow Journals' started by ddice502, Nov 1, 2013.

  1. OK this is my third go around. First time hydro though. Never had much success and I'm hoping to change that. 
     
    Please feel free give advice and constructive criticism. 
     
    Please keep in mind I am on a budget.
     
    The Setup
     
    • 400 Watt Dimmable MH/HPS light with Cool Tube
    • Mylar Grow Tent 36"X20"X63"
    • 6" 240 CFM Duct Fan
    • 14 Gallon Tote (filled 8-9 gallons, foil tape wrapped)
    • EcoPlus Large Air stone
    • Small gerneric Walmart airstone
    • Tetra 40 gallon air pump
    • 3ft Vertical fan
    • 10" Desk Fan
    • Fox Farms Big Bloom, Grow Big & Tiger Bloom Liquid Fert
    • Gordon Growcube
    • Hydrocorn
    • (3) 6" net pots
    • Tap Water
    • HM Digital TDS-EZ Water tester
    • Etekcity PH-900 IA High Quality Digital Pocket Pen pH Tester
    • General Hydroponics pH Up & Down
    I'm starting off with two seeds. One is bag seed, and the other is Northern Lights Automatic.
     
    Still have one more seed in reserve but I'm not starting it until I have had some success at the current grow.
     
    Current Conditions
    Lights 24 hours on 400W MH
    Light Distance around 20"
    Temp Current 84 degrees
    Temp Min 76 degrees
    Temp Max 84 degrees
    Humidity Current 40%
    Humidity High 46%
    Humidity Low 24%
    Starting PPM 250PPM
    Ending PPM 270PPM
    Starting pH 5.8pH
    Ending pH 5.7pH
    Water added None
    Nutrients added 2mL GB 1mL BB * I could really use some assistance on the nutrients part. I just added very small amounts just to be safe. I probably going to need to add more in the upcoming days.
    \nSeeds seem to be growing normally. Noticed that a root was beginning to come out of the Rockwool so I went ahead and put them in the net pot and put the hydrocorn around them. 
    \n 2013-11-01 07.17.46.jpg
    2013-11-01 07.17.37.jpg

     
  2. if you're using a 400w light i suggest 18/6, your power bill will thank you.. plus your plant needs rest i think!
     
  3. Good luck ddice!
     
    Hydro is totally outside my limited experience so I doubt I'll be able to offer much.
    What percent of the suggest strength did you use of those nutes?
    A seed carries enough nutrients within it to carry a plant for a week without any outside source at all, and you do seem like the type prone to 'loving them to death', so be careful with that.
     
    Dunno if you've seen it before, but here is a handy post about the recommended ppm throughout the palnt's lifecycle:
    http://forum.growkin...57#.UnAbu_nxpfs
     
    Has the cold wiped out those stinkbugs?
     
  4. I had then at 24 hours just to start the seeds. Now that they popped I will turn it to 18/6. 
     
     
    We both may learn something. The stink bugs are gone. I moved it completely inside. 
     
    The plants haven't really touched the mix yet The mist is barely getting to the net pots. It's only 20% of the recommended.....
     
     
    *PAUSE FOR THE TURN UP*​
    *PUFF PUFF PASS*​
    *REPEAT X20*​
     ​
    *Return back to business*​
     
    Like I was saying it may not even be that much. Just checked the PPM and pH and things haven't changed so the water isn't going anywhere yet.
     
     
    Good news. That root got even longer. Plants look to be more upright. 
     
    Bad news. Look like temps got up there for a few hours. Touch 91 degrees. I relocated the intake fan and that should do it. I'm also making the ambient temp in the house lower to assist.
     
  5. Don't drive yourself mad over 91*F
    The 65-85*F range is ideal, not mandatory. My cab has broken 91 on several occasion and the plants didn't actually suffer for it, probably just slowed growth down.
    At 105*F photosynthesis can halt, which is obviously not what you want, but even that won't kill them, just stop growth.
     
  6. Yeah I understand it isn't a killer issue but I just want to get everything as ideal as I'm allowed to.

    Sent from my HTC One using Grasscity Forum mobile app

     
  7. Your ppm should be at least 100 for those lil babies, week or so get up to ~200. Then once they begin veg get up to 200-400ppm.
    The temp in your reservoir should be 68 at very most for optimal root growth, cab temp should be in the 80s.

    Also its not smart to run 2 different strains in one reservoir. They both have different needs and the auto will be farther along than the other.
     
  8. Do you think it would make a huge difference in the first few weeks of veg because I was honestly thinking the same thing a few hours ago? I was thinking in about 3 weeks moving them to a 5 gallon bucket DWC. Each would have it's on res.
     
  9. #9 M3DICIN3MAN420, Nov 2, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 2, 2013
    [quote name="ddice502" post="18919764" timestamp="1383354071"]Do you think it would make a huge difference in the first few weeks of veg because I was honestly thinking the same thing a few hours ago? I was thinking in about 3 weeks moving them to a 5 gallon bucket DWC. Each would have it's on res.[/quote]Well a couple weeks is alright. Autos start flowering around 21 days old. It'll be wanting different nutes about that time. So yeah, it should work fine.What kinda water you using? Distilled, RO, tap?
     
  10. A filtered tap. I let the water sit for a few days inside the grow tent before it was put to use.
     
    Coming out as 204 PPM straight from facet. Next thing on my list is to get a thermometer for my water. When I have the 5 gallon buckets I will use the 14 gallon to hold my water and burn off chemicals.
     
  11. Alright alright. Sounds like a plan.

    Your reservoir temp is VERY important just so you know man.
     
  12. Current Conditions
    Lights 24 hours on 400W MH (starting 20/4 today)
    Light Distance around 20"
    Temp Current 77 degrees
    Temp Min 77 degrees
    Temp Max 91 degrees *spiked yesterday for around 2 hours. Shouldn't be an ongoing issue..
    Humidity Current 35%
    Humidity High 40%
    Humidity Low 30%
    Starting PPM 237 PPM
    Ending PPM 237PPM
    Starting pH 5.8pH
    Ending pH 5.8pH
    Water added None
    Nutrients added None
    \n 2013-11-02 12.22.30.jpg
    \nLadies are starting to grow their second sets of leaves. Looking pretty good from what I can see. That single root tip just keeps pushing through the rockwool. It's made it's way out of the net pot and is now getting some of the mist from the air stone. 
    \n 2013-11-02 12.22.08.jpg
    \nSecond plant doesn't have any visible roots yet but maybe after the ladies wake up I will see something. 
     
    As for cooling the water temp I have a lot of empty bottle of liquor laying around the place. I was thinking that every morning, in order to maintain a nice temp throughout the day just drop two of them in. They will be filled with frozen water. Not sure how it will work. Just an idea, any thoughts on that?
     
    Just want to thank everyone again who has been helping me out with some sweet advice, links, and encouragement. I'm pretty basic when it comes to this.
     
  13. DAY 3 FROM SPROUT
    \n 2013-11-03 12.12.25.jpg
    2013-11-03 12.12.10.jpg
    \nCurrent Conditions
    Lights 20/4 400W MH
    Light Distance around 20"
    Temp Current 79 degrees
    Temp Min 70 degrees
    Temp Max 84 degrees 
    Humidity Current 35%
    Humidity High 43%
    Humidity Low 30%
    Starting PPM 289 PPM
    Ending PPM 282 PPM
    Starting pH 6.3pH
    Ending pH 6.0pH - 1mL pH down
    Water added None
    Nutrients added None
    \nQuestions
    • Should I adjust my light height at all? Right now it's sitting around 20" away from the seedlings.
    2013-11-03 12.13.14.jpg
    2013-11-03 12.12.38.jpg
    \n
     
  14. Hey nice setup.  I subbed!  I think with what you have now you should be able to grow some decent bud!
     
    If I was you the only thing I would do is try and get the humidity up around 50% to 70% while they are seedlings.   (place a cup of water inside of the tent near the fan) 
     
    I do not run hydro, but IIRC the PH should be around 5.5.  Good luck dude.. :smoke:
     
  15. I just did that for the intake. I'm not sure it's working very well for the humidity. Any other tips on what I could do?



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  16. I have that same temp/humidity guage, seems like I'm questioning the accuracy of every electronic measuring device I use, and that one is no exception,  it reads 35-45% almost all of the time, meanwhile I have 2 dehumidifiers in that same room the tent is in telling me the humidity is 60-65%.  Maybe there is a 20% percent difference in the tent, but I doubt it, if the intake filter was taking that much water out of the air it'd be dripping wet by now.
     
  17. Bad news.... opened the grow tent today and one of my seedlings had completely fell out of the growcube. Not sure how this happened the fan wasn't blowing directly on it or anything. Needless to say that plant is gone. I got the seeds mixed up from the start (dumbass I know) but lets hope that was the bagseed and not the Northern Lights.... Only time shall tell. We will see soon.
    \nOK back to regularly scheduled programming....
    \n\n7AM Conditions 
    Lights 20/4 400W MH
    Light Distance around 20"
    Temp Current 82 degrees
    Temp Min 71 degrees
    Temp Max 86 degrees 
    Humidity Current 30%
    Humidity High 43%
    Humidity Low 30%
    Starting PPM 302 PPM
    Ending PPM 324 PPM
    Starting pH 6.6pH
    Ending pH 5.6 pH - 3mL pH down
    Water added 1 liter water
    Nutrients added None added
    \n8PM Conditions 
    Lights 20/4 400W MH
    Light Distance around 20"
    Temp Current 84 degrees
    Temp Min 71 degrees
    Temp Max 86 degrees 
    Humidity Current 30%
    Humidity High 43%
    Humidity Low 30%
    Starting PPM 298 PPM
    Ending PPM 311 PPM
    Starting pH 6.2pH
    Ending pH 5.6 pH - 1mL pH down
    Water added None
    \nNutrients added None added
    \n 2013-11-04 20.11.54.jpg
    2013-11-04 20.11.43.jpg
    \n\nThe other lady seems to be doing fine. Seeing some growth. The root is stretching further down into the water. Hoping that it starts to multiply soon. Looking forward to the growth. Only positive vibes.
    \nQuestions
    • Should I adjust my light height at all? Right now it's sitting around 20" away from the seedlings.
     
  18. I know it works because I've tested it out in other enviorments. So that isn't the problem sadly. Hopefully I can just go ahead and buy a humidifier Friday.
     
  19. I use desiccant boxes for humidity: Cheap, small, easy and brought down my humidity by 26% 
     
    I knocked one of my seedlings down with the fan and just propped it up again, was totally fine. No chance of saving yours?
     
  20. You should of used a florecent light untill it had a few nodes and was strong enough for the mh light and i dont think as a seedling like that it should even be in hydroten in a bubbler should be in a humidity dome or under a weak light being hand watered .


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