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Do I still need to change res when my young plants arent drinking much?

Discussion in 'Hydroponic Growing' started by snoopunit, Jun 6, 2019.

  1. #1 snoopunit, Jun 6, 2019
    I started my seedlings in rapid rooters and placed them directly in the net pots of my dwc buckets. Took cups of water from the reservoirs and poured them over the rooters until roots touched the res. I have new buckets that are ready to be swapped out, but the plants still have a good 2-3 gallons of water left when they started with 3 gallons each. I'm debating if I actually need to change out the buckets since I heard that some people only change them after the plants have drunk 2-3 times the total res volume. Is this true for young plants as well?

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Grasscity Forum mobile app
     
  2. #2 Sade, Jun 6, 2019
    Leave them alone. A seedling is like a duck on water. Not much going on above but roots are going crazy below. Your seedling will first build it's root base. Once it has built a solid root system the upper growth will begin.
     
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  3. #3 bkarnaze, Jun 6, 2019
    As an experiment, I have NEVER changed my reservoir this time, and I'm in the middle of the 9th week.
    But I do add straight clorox every day, and remove about 1/4 Gal daily for pH and ppm testing.
    I don't plan on changing it EVER this grow.
    Only complaint: plants are too big, even tho they are autos.
    Also very healthy.

    Nute manufacturers probably started this "change every x-number of days" to sell more nutes.
     
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  4. #4 HardDrive, Jun 7, 2019
    I don't worry about it while in veg. I do change when I go to transition and again to flower.
    Also, when they stop growing in flower, and water usage has decreased, change the water. Salts buildup will slowly and stunt the growth. My experience with GH 3 part.
    I usually change after I have added about the same amount of water the res holds. They drink about 30 gallons every week and a half now in full bloom
     
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  5. #5 Burke3390, Jun 10, 2019
    I do as HardDrive does...I do standalone 5 gallon buckets, and I usually only change the water every 2 weeks. As seedlings, I don't even change the res for about 3-4 weeks. Unless some type of problem arises.
     
  6. #6 Gelato41, Jun 10, 2019
    Generally if you track your PH in real-time or daily then you can watch for problems. Any time the ph swings really fast and higher or lower usually indicates a problem. Such as a bacteria or fungal bloom. Movements in TDS and PH should be somewhat gradual and linear.
     
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  7. #7 Burke3390, Jun 10, 2019
    Exactly Gelato! I generally don't worry much about PH rise, but PH drop is when my eye brows get raised. I always do a daily chart for my plants to track the cause and affect of nutes and etc, and it helps a bunch!
     
  8. #8 bkarnaze, Jun 10, 2019
    Water pH naturally falls when air is dissolved in it, in part due to co2, which becomes carbonic acid.
     
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  9. #9 Burke3390, Jun 11, 2019
    I mean that drops of more than .1 or .2 is when I become concerned...otherwise, I readjust and leave as is. Same for if it rises .1 or .2.
     
  10. #10 sinbad22, Jul 4, 2019
    The CO2 should react with the calcium in the fertilizer creating calcium carbonate, which isn't soluble so it falls out of solution, restoring the balance
     

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