Unknown seedling problems

[Kota2300]

So this plant is 11 days old and it looks a bit off.. not sure what's wrong since it's my first real grow. I've researched the symptoms and I can't find anything. I have it under a 300W COB LED (23 inches away), and it's in a mix of coco coir and Just Natural Organic potting soil (has extremely low nutrients, .06-.09-.06)
The rest of my seedlings seem to be doing fine, though they're a few days younger. All of them are bagseed, unknown genetics.

 

[Punk]

From seed of questionable origin, you're bound to run into some runts, just pull 'em if you don't see any vigor.

 

[Kota2300]

From seed of questionable origin, you're bound to run into some runts, just pull 'em if you don't see any vigor.

Problem is I've never grown before so I'm not quite sure what's considered "vigorous"

 

[Joint Monster]

They look a little light green.... I'm wondering if maybe some kind of lock-out? What is your water PH?

Also be careful not to over water. (I'm not saying they look like they are, but just keep it in mind.) A few ml with a syringe should be enough.

 

[Kota2300]

They look a little light green.... I'm wondering if maybe some kind of lock-out? What is your water PH?

Also be careful not to over water. (I'm not saying they look like they are, but just keep it in mind.) A few ml with a syringe should be enough.

I've been using a pool ph tester and it's pretty ass but still works, I've mainly been using Nestle pure life distilled water and the test+Google says it's around 7-7.3, if this is too high do you know anyway I could lower the ph easily without using something I'd have to go to a special store to get? And I know I've definitely been giving them to much love (water) so I cut back a couple days ago and will now go by weight and how moist the first inch or so feels.

 

[Kota2300]

I did a little research in the meantime and found out a few things; hard water is bad, and the best pH is 6.0-7.0. I discovered that using small amounts of distilled white vinegar can be used to lower pH. It was recommended to use 1-2 tablespoons per gallon but I used 1tsp per gallon and it appeared (again, my ph test is wack) to drop the pH somewhere around 6.0. possibly lower than 6 but it doesn't show colors for anything lower than that. I used a phenol red pool pH test and it shows as a somewhat pale light yellow.

 

[Kota2300]

I just realized I forgot to mention why there's a triangle cut on the top leaf, part of it started dying off and I had no clue why so I just trimmed off the dead part a few days ago.

 

[Fubard]

I did a little research in the meantime and found out a few things; hard water is bad, and the best pH is 6.0-7.0. I discovered that using small amounts of distilled white vinegar can be used to lower pH. It was recommended to use 1-2 tablespoons per gallon but I used 1tsp per gallon and it appeared (again, my ph test is wack) to drop the pH somewhere around 6.0. possibly lower than 6 but it doesn't show colors for anything lower than that. I used a phenol red pool pH test and it shows as a somewhat pale light yellow.

Mate, get a decent pH tester as you'll do nothing but swing the pH from one extreme to another if you can't get an accurate reading.

Trust me, these pH pens are not expensive and will save you so much trouble and guesswork.

 

[Tim1987]

I'm gonna take a stab in the dark, and say your LED is way too close.
300watts of LED is a lot for a little seedling. You could probably have the light 2-3 feet or more away. The seedlings need to grow into their light.
Is it 300watt actual?? Or advertised as 300watt equivalent hid?
Light bleaching will cause pale yellow leaves. Is the plant really stunted? New growth just not growing?

 

[Kota2300]

I'm gonna take a stab in the dark, and say your LED is way too close.
300watts of LED is a lot for a little seedling. You could probably have the light 2-3 feet or more away. The seedlings need to grow into their light.
Is it 300watt actual?? Or advertised as 300watt equivalent hid?
Light bleaching will cause pale yellow leaves. Is the plant really stunted? New growth just not growing?

It's advertised as 1800W equivalent, 300 true watts and it's a COB led, no blurple. I don't know if growth is stunted or not, each morning when I check I do notice new growth, a little bit of height increase (barely noticeable unless looking at side by side pics) and few leaf tips forming, but not that rapid at all.. other people's plants at 12 days look amazing, have full open 3 blade leaves and all, mine just look pathetic. My other plants are a few days behind (7 days old) and I can't tell if they're growing any faster than the 12 day old one, they do look a bit healthier but I still feel like something's wrong. Here's a few pics (and an updated picture of the plant in question)

 

[Kota2300]

Mate, get a decent pH tester as you'll do nothing but swing the pH from one extreme to another if you can't get an accurate reading.

Trust me, these pH pens are not expensive and will save you so much trouble and guesswork.

What type of store would I go to to find what you're talking about? The only thing my local Walmart has is the pool pH testers, soil pH meter things and pH strips but the strips are ridiculously overpriced. I'd love to get a digital one but I haven't been able to find one. I might have to just order one online this weekend but what could I do in the meantime to try and improve growth?

 

[Tim1987]

It's advertised as 1800W equivalent, 300 true watts and it's a COB led, no blurple. I don't know if growth is stunted or not, each morning when I check I do notice new growth, a little bit of height increase (barely noticeable unless looking at side by side pics) and few leaf tips forming, but not that rapid at all.. other people's plants at 12 days look amazing, have full open 3 blade leaves and all, mine just look pathetic. My other plants are a few days behind (7 days old) and I can't tell if they're growing any faster than the 12 day old one, they do look a bit healthier but I still feel like something's wrong. Here's a few pics (and an updated picture of the plant in question)View attachment 4127193 View attachment 4127194 View attachment 4127196 View attachment 4127197

Yep.
Well I'd say raise your light for sure.
If you notice imo, your seedlings are trying to tell you. Notice the leaves are pale? Drooping too? Notice a couple of leaves twisting too? They're trying their best to shade themselves.
Quite often seedlings, and really young plants do things like curl they're leaves upside down so they absorb less light. It's a stress response.
I'd just be giving plain water atm as well. They really don't need any food at all for another week or so. If you're using RO water then just add a teeny, tiny bit of calmag would be OK. I mean a tiny bit though. They'll get the nitrogen too. Which will keep them happy, until you start proper feeding in a week or two.
Good luck.
Just treat them gently, like a newborn baby. They'll be fine.

 

[Tim1987]

What type of store would I go to to find what you're talking about? The only thing my local Walmart has is the pool pH testers, soil pH meter things and pH strips but the strips are ridiculously overpriced. I'd love to get a digital one but I haven't been able to find one. I might have to just order one online this weekend but what could I do in the meantime to try and improve growth?

This too.
If you don't know the ph of your medium or feed. You need to know, pronto.

 

[Tim1987]

What type of store would I go to to find what you're talking about? The only thing my local Walmart has is the pool pH testers, soil pH meter things and pH strips but the strips are ridiculously overpriced. I'd love to get a digital one but I haven't been able to find one. I might have to just order one online this weekend but what could I do in the meantime to try and improve growth?

Admittedly I only use my pen to ph my water, and feed.
I'm in coir and use the ph drops to measure my runoff / waste. It's a lot more accurate.
If you're in soil. Those cheap stake meters are surprisingly good. Have a soil testing kit as a backup too.

 

[Tim1987]

Sorry for the repeated posts.
But I'd stay away from any vinegar too. Even distilled.
It may be safe to use distilled. But there are so many other much better ph adjusters already.
Good luck.
Wishing you the best

 

[Joint Monster]

A small bottle of concentrated PH up/down solution is cheaper and should last you for a while. If you will be using nutes, CalMag acts like a PH down.

You want to invest in a PH pen eventually. There are cheap $30-50, while I haven't used them personally, from reviews I conclude they're decent. If you just want to shell out and get a good one the first time, I would recommend Blue Lab's equipment.

Your most recent pictures look like a combination of off-PH and Over-Wateing.

 

[NewbyGrower77]

I am newbie here and still learning...seems you are over watering.

 

[Fubard]

What type of store would I go to to find what you're talking about? The only thing my local Walmart has is the pool pH testers, soil pH meter things and pH strips but the strips are ridiculously overpriced. I'd love to get a digital one but I haven't been able to find one. I might have to just order one online this weekend but what could I do in the meantime to try and improve growth?

Amazon, Fleabay, and so on will be your friend for the tester, and, I'm sorry to say this, but you're drowning them, it looks like they're in mud going by your last set of pics.

 

[Beachwalker]

PH pen from Amazon? Next seedlings leave the Coco out of the mix, you'll be much happier and it will be much easier for you
-good luck

 

[Fubard]

Sorry for the repeated posts.
But I'd stay away from any vinegar too. Even distilled.
It may be safe to use distilled. But there are so many other much better ph adjusters already.
Good luck.
Wishing you the best

For dropping pH I find lemon juice to be perfect. Natural product, apart from a tiny amount of potassium sulphate, and easy to slowly add to your water to bring the pH to exactly what you want. And it's cheap as hell too.

I don't worry about pH "up" because our tap water is kinda in the middle between "soft" and "hard" so there's that nice bit of calcium in it but I always have baking soda in the house anyway if necessary.

Why spend money on chemicals when there's perfectly good stuff you use for cooking that does the same?