Hand water hydro, week 9

Hey everyone,
Just here sharing some adventures in hydro land, ha...

Maybe that should be highdroland for me at least.
Pressures gets a bit much round these parts.
Been pushing myself this past year to really try a variety of grow styles.
Right now I am doing these girls in a sog method, 1gal bags(6x tray)(6x3)++, hand watered 2 times a day. Even tho I had been doing 3, I wanted no run off, as this is in my attic, not wanting a lot of water however wanting those prime benefits hydro can give.
So, fingers crossed I don't burn these girls out and what I have learned can keep me from an epic disaster.
I start my water with 210 potassium bicarbonate pH up, then I feed it through my acidic doser once, (I run stock at 1/2 cup + 20ml for phosphoric, and 1/2 cup- potassium hydroxide), new to using dosers, I learned how in school but that was 13 years ago or something, so I finally got here but having to remember deep seeded lessons on a addled brain is a challenge.
Anyways, after first acid dose, I use that water for clones, comes out about 280-320 depending on how cold my tap water is and how well I nailed my potassium bicarbonate base to begin with. However good base to stabilize with potassium silicate, couple drops of phosphoric and some clonex.
Remembering that these ppm pens suck and .5 is so wrong, doing the math so I use a .78 after checking EC and getting a feel was a nightmare, however I am trusting this pen to mean 500 when it says 368.
I don't like pH pens so I use indicator strips.
Right now I am feeding approx 40-60 ml per watering. I try to never feed the same water twice in a row. I bounce 368, 609, 1184. In patterns. I was told I should think about adding a completely naked one in there as well. However it scares me. This is where I feel growing has helped me the most break barriers of what I thought I knew. A reason I love hydro.
So for my brand ferts, I am running Dyna products, mainly aiming at using 30ppm feed. I don't put them in the solution much unless Im hitting with lower ppm water. Part of the cycle, only one fert or none on 1184 feed. However I'll use multiples when using the lower ppm solution, with the knowledge they impart high pressures unreadable to pens. I believe it was a norm for around 200 invisible ppm pressure from the high concentrate feed products. Anyways without going into that wormhole...

A picture of a mango sherbert x purp dawg home strain
I'm just loving her right now. She took a transition from my forming long acid base chains to using these dosers. Crossed the seeds on last year's outdoor, now the fun part of seeing the newz. Got a variety of different types coming from her seeds. However the first pic I posted was a 2017 seed we made, parental lineage of this one.
Today is a dry out day, last night hit with a low water, now to let them get dry and warm, hoping for some good growth.. again fingers crossed, I know I walk a funny line.

 

Wow, can't believe I am running into ants being my biggest concern...
Worried they might start bringing aphids in or something worse..
Damn, well... I know diatomaceous earth cuts em up... I don't really want the dust around tho...
I can spray a acid water on them, drown them, however they collect their dead sometimes and I know it doesn't kill them.
I don't want to use heavy smelling oils...
Damn.. ants...
I know the borax traps however they usually bring a flood of more....
Ants... Hmmm...

 

I think they are actually for the water at the moment. I can't see any aphids and am in my attic, no signs of anything on the plants themselves. Thinking they smell the water and warmth. Right now they are mainly on the floor I didn't drop off with cloth, seem to be scouting terrain..