What up smokers, Im new to this site and pretty much new to doing my thing. I have done two grows so far. My first grow took place in a spare closet. I used 4 5gal grow bags, some store bought soil, miracle grow, a 400w hps, a box fan, and water with plain tap water. Considering the heat issue I had and my lack of experience, I think it went pretty well. I ended up with two females and yeilded a decent amount. My second grow went a little better. I went and bought a 3'x3' hydro hut and moved the whole operation in there. I also bought a 180cfm blower for my intake and a 465cfm for my exhaust. My friend that put me on with this site gave me his 400w hps. My growing method was the same as my first grow. On the second I came out with three females and yeilded twice as much as the first time. This time around I have decided to go with hydro. I have went and bought two 2 plant bubble buckets. I have also went and bought a ec/ppm/ph meter. The only things that I have on my shopping list is nutes and ph up and down. I think Im also going to buy some decent sized rockwool cubes since my system only came with stater cubes. If anyone has any input on what type of nutes I should use that wont cost me over $100 please feel free. Im also doing a mother this time so I can stop worries about sex. Okay heres what I know about hydro so far. The Ph should be between 5.5 to 6.2. I should check the ec/ph at least evey 24hrs while the light is on. The water temp should stay between 68 to 75 degrees. The air temp should be around 72 to 78 degrees. Any other basic info would be greatly appreciated.
I would use GH flora series nutes using the lucas formula.great results for very little money.heres alittle light reading that may help you out abit, Getting started in hydro https://www.cannabis-world.org/cw/showthread.php?t=360
I was considering flora. I have also been thinking about B.C. and maybe spending the extra money and buying Canna. Is flora a better product than B.C. in your opinion?
I still havent decided on what nutes I should buy. I have looked for info and researched the subject, but I havent found any cold hard info that would make me say, this is the formula for me!!! Im begging If you have some proper info, please help?
Botanicare Pure Blend Organic nutrient teas for veg and bloom and you can skip all the ppm/ec crap. Awesome results. 40 bucks a gallon so 80 bucks for veg and bloom.
But do you have to change the reservoir? If so, the Lucas formula would be less work. The Pureblend is great, but for ease of use and low cost the Lucas formula is hard to beat. Now if I hear that you can get Pureblend to work without reservoir changes, I'm all ears Good luck with your grow, your setup is nice. Are you going to be filling the tent or keeping a smaller bush so the intensity of the 400 isn't lost on the outside plants?
I am doing reservoir changes every couple of weeks or when going to bloom. It is a 3 gal DWC container supporting 4 LST'd plants. A gallon will support several seasons for my setup. I don't have long term stats but was mighty impressed with the results of the slightly lower doses compared to the recommended doses printed on the nutes. I am 4 days into flower, just changed to higher dosage of bloom formula. Also the doing ppm /ec readings on organic nutes is very inaccurate so not needed due to the lack of metals and salts. Anyway, nute selection is one of those things that isnt a quick decision. I've found these to work for me. I am new to hydro and have found awesome growth compared to soil. I had the pureblend recommended and it has performed well. I will also be using hydroplex during flowering (not organic). Anyway, if budget is an issue go for the range you can afford right now and do more research for later. Good luck and congrats to all doing personal grows. Can't wait to complete a harvest in my new grow area.
Just to add, my setup is rather labor intensive compared to well tuned larger systems using larger reservoirs. It needs 1 gal + of water daily. Already have plans to solve that problem. Good Luck.
Actually I was aiming toward filling the tent and using my second 400w during flowering. But that has brought me to an issue of heat. I could just run my intake out a window during light hours. Im also thinking about getting larger tubs since I have 4 55gal aquairium air pumps. My concern is mostly with evaporation. Maybe 20's instead of 10's? I have already decided to use hydrogen peroxide in my tanks to keep them good and oxygenated. Any advise anyone?
whats up smokers, Ive done some testing and have decided to go with a aircooled reflector. I've found two different reflectors that look good.http://www.hidhut.com/catalog/glass-tube-reflector-p-401.html and the super sun reflector. Im looking for some input because this is the last piece of equipment and Im ordering in 4 days. Im leaning toward the hid hut reflector because its more economical. They also sell an 8' cord that can supposedly be wired to any ballast. Any thoughts anyone?