Hey whats up GC member, I started my first hydroponic grow last sunday, but I have some difficulties and doubts still. this is the setup that Im running, I have 2 tents, one 4x4 and one 5x5. First I intended to use the 4x4 as veg room and the 5x5 as a flowering room. But Im using both room to grow in 2 differents hydroponics systems just to learn more and see the differences between them. in the 4x4 I have a 3x3 reflector with a 400 w ballast and MH bulb with a bubbleponics set up and one water farm unit. A carbon filter conected with the reflector and a extraction fan. I have an intake fan also getting inside air. in the 5x5 I have an og vertical hood with a 1000w ballast and MH bulb and a waterfarm 8 pack with reservoir and controller. I have a filter too and one intake fan, one extraction fan and another extraction fan just for the reflector. I also introduce yesterday the co2 with a sentinel controller, and this is where I am having trouble for the moment. Im using Advanced Nutrients PH perfect for this grow, but the ph is going up everyday, now is 6.4 but I got it down in each bucket to 5.8 and I did the same 2 days ago. I might be doing something wrong. regarding the co2 the problem that I have is that my tent is 5x5x7 that mean that is 175 cubic feet, if I multiply that by .0012 it gives me .21, so It has to be just below the number 1 in the flow gauge, but if I do it that way then almos no co2 is insisde the tent, I guess that is because of the extraction and intake fan. So to have optimum co2 levels I have to put the ball in the flow gauge to number 13 or 14 and is constantly going on and off with the sentinel. Someone just told me that I have to turn off the extraction fan, ( I dont know if I have to turn off also the intake fan) and put the flow gauge in the number 1 and let the co2 fill the tent without extracting the air. OK I get it, but if I do this then I guess the temperature will go very high up, and also I guess that the plants need the new fresh air and also need to extract the old hot air, so what is the correct way to approach this co2 thing? If someone can help me it will be really appreciate it, it is my first indoor and hydroponic grow and I really need all the help and info that I can get. thanks for your time and help, I will be posting new pictures of my set up later. here are some old ones from last sunday https://www.dropbox.com/sh/a6bxhtopq8fuzlk/c_oEq2SKug https://www.dropbox.com/sh/wwwbwykz6wctdja/giLNCV2KpK https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8pu2efqvrpzblqy/m_jXE1ZCef and this pictures next, are from a plant that I transplanted from soil to a waterfarm unit, but I didnt do it good, the plant was way below the dripping ring and the nutes were dripping over the first set of leaves and also they were spilling some in the 2nd set of leaves, the first set is gone and the 2nd is in a very bad shape, the 3rd and 4th set have like yellow spots on the tips, here are some pictures, I dont know if someone has an idea of what is going on with the plant and how to fix it. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/sec4f9vk2wlmzyu/SOA_TUDkgV thanks
ok. here are a few questions.. when I have my intake and extraction fans on my RH goes way down, do I have to have 24/7 the vents on? I have 2 tents, one with co2 enrichment and the other one without.. the one without it has the vents on 24/7 the other one just in the night cycle of the plants. am I doing this right? and my last and most important question for now is this, I dont know what is happening to my plants, here are some pictures https://www.dropbox.com/sh/w4igbgevcyqrlca/qiYKTotd81 https://www.dropbox.com/sh/gwjkwjhtdd1xp9z/k1Zfc6fvZX https://www.dropbox.com/sh/27qqwe501m71z8v/R0k3EPzLyh I don't know if is the dripping of the rings splashing the leaves, or if is something else like too much co2 or an excess or deficiency of a nutrient, or too much heat. any suggestions?
What nutrient line are you using? I see that you are using the Water Farm system. I myself use the same type of system but the Power Grower version. Couple things to keep in mind. Always do 1/4 strength nutes for the first week in this system. If you have yet to, drill 1/4 inch holes in the side of each bucket and rez. Drill it at water line! This will allow you to turn your top drip feed into a DWC (Deep Water Culture) just by adding air stones. You'll need to do this so you don't run the chance of getting root rot when you roots submerge themselves in the water. The slimy bottom leaves are normal, at least for me as well. You will see damage, discoloring to the leaves the first week or two, just due to what you mentioned, the splash to water. One thing that I have found that helps out with the splash is filling your clay pellets higher until they almost touch the drip ring. I usually cut a hole into a McDonalds straw and rubber band it to the drip ring. I will post a pic to show you what I mean. But this allows the undeveloped roots to get sufficient water.
I do have a small airstone into each bucket and the reservoir. I saw the pic of the straw and it makes a lot of sense, I will do that tomorrow. Im running also another tent with a small DWC system and man, those plants are getting so big and are so healthy, I will post some pictures later . The waterfarm is not as easy as I imagined. I hope the plants get better soon enough from the splashing. I already put more hydroton till the top of the rings to have this situation reduced or controlled. Im using Advanced Nutrients, the ph perfect line. but the ph in one day changed from 5.5 to 6.0 last week was the same, and it stayed in 6.2
I have 6" blue air stones in each bucket and rez. You will see your roots explode when they break the water surface! By then end of my grows, the roots fill the bucket and have grabbed and sucked the air stone into the center of the root mass. Kind of cool to see! As long as your PH remains between 5.8-6.2 (0.1 either way is not a big deal) your good bro! I myself am trying out House&Garden nutes for the first time this run. Been growing for over five years and it's still a learning process. Your girls will pull through! They might look a little sad right now, but just wait until they get the next few sets of leaves on them ! When my girls grow to be about 6" tall, I cut those ugly leaves off. You don't have to do this, I just do it to make it more appeasing to look at.
The one thing I have found to be a little difficult about these type systems is the rez change. I went out and bought a 16 gallon wet vac from Home Depot, which makes it a little easier. I'll post a picture of my babies when the light comes on in 40 minutes. You'll see my system is identical to yours, except for the shape of the buckets.
It's almost the same, just the shape is different.. well, Im starting today my 3rd veg week.. I think I will give them 4 veg weeks... they responded better, but still are not that big and still you can see a little damage from the splashing. I haven't got the straws yet, I will do try to get them tomorrow. I bought a new light and reflector, and the plants got more light and responded great to that. I will post pictures later.. One of my plants in my other DWC system got bended all the way, I had to put some things to hold it straight up. I hope that it makes it and dont die.. lets see..
About your CO2 enrichment... You don't need an exhaust running while you're pumping CO2 in the room, this is their 'oxygen' (not really, but for this discussion...). The only time you would exhaust is when the room gets too hot - good job for a thermostat. I run CO2 enrichment all day no exhaust and my room temp is 77f. You could also introduce an A/C, I have one installed from this summer when the room got above 85. 85 is the threshold, any hotter and you're having a bad day. Do you mind telling me what the EC of your nutes is?
I'm using the Advanced Nutrients line, the ppm is between 1100-1300 Im turning the fans off, both, extraction and intake, I just leave the fan on for cooling the reflectors. if I put my 1000w ballast to 50% and my 600w ballast to 100% the temp inside get up to 84 F. without the fans on. And now we are almost in winter here ( the weather is still kind of hot but some days cold, average for this season 20 Celsius but last week we was at 10 C. ). When the weather is like at 20 C. the temp gets to 84, last week was barely 80F with the 1000w ballast at 75% and the 600 100%. I dont know what I will have to do to grow during the summer when temps get up to 45 C. here. so below 85F. everything is ok??
Here are the pictures of the starting 3rd veg week.. so far so good.. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yd1p6a0h96ck5i0/3G1hFKmh1M
I'm going to start flowering today. what yield do you have normally with the 8 pack system?? I just order a bigger tent, I need an upgrade fast.. My space was 5x5 and I have 10 plants. I order today a 5x9 and another 1000w ballast, hood and bulb.
Seeing how this is your first grow, and guessing you didn't trim off the popcorn bud sites, I will say about 2.5 pounds. The more you grow, the more you'll realize that it not that amount of plants you have, but the amount of light you have. I have grown 2.24 pounds on two plants under one 1000 watt hps. This was a gram per watt, which is what you should shoot for. Once you get your technique for growing down, you will be able to hit close to, if not, 5.8 pounds with your 2600 watt setup. A gram per watt is what every grower strives for!
Seeing how I don't want to hassle with sending you photos via message, here they are! In the photo below you can tell how much has been cut off from below the canopy. The only thing that is left is fan leaves. The picture below shows how I tie them down using PVC pipe and twine. This last picture shows how I have cut many areas off of each branch. Pay no attention to the burnt spots on the leaves. New nutrient line takes some time getting use too! Lol