First grow, slow growth and discolored leaves?

Granite

Member
Hi All

New grower and first post.
First some info about the setup:
3 site Waterfall RDWC with added ultrasonic foggers until root are long enough to reach water level, 1m*1m (3*3') tent., Mars Hydro TSW2000 LED Light at about 40% power at 50cm (20") height.
I use tap water at roughly 150ppm to begin with then add Cal-mag and Fox Farm nutes for a total of about 400ppm

Living in a warm climate I noticed my water temperature was in excess of 30C (86F) so I added a chiller and got the water temp down 22C (71F) about a week ago.

Seed was planted on 5th Dec. So this one is 22days from seed now.

Some leaves had a slight nute burn, so I cut the damaged tip off those to easier see if it got worse. But now the new growth has lightened up in color considerable and it just doesn't look right to me.
What do you think? Is there something wrong with it?

Opinions on improvements are appreciated.

1609045986412.jpg
 

Serty97

Well-Known Member
What are you growing it in? Looks super unhappy :(

Either bad seed or you may be over loving it. Looks like all kinds of unbalances to me
 

Granite

Member
What are you growing it in? Looks super unhappy :(

Either bad seed or you may be over loving it. Looks like all kinds of unbalances to me
I don't think it's the seed, The other one looks the same and is a different strain. Both seeds are from Blimburn, so it's probably me that is doing it wrong.
It's my first attempt on a rdwc system so I guess i'm growing in water/fog, doesn't seem to be working too well though.

PH is constantly creeping up also, I have to add ph down about every two days.
 

Serty97

Well-Known Member
Could the culprit be that I'm using tap water?
Depends. All tap water is different. I only use tap water...first grow, didn’t do anything to it (no PH, no additives, didn’t get rid of chlorine) and had a great yield (first pic). Started new seed from same strain, and honestly after 7 days have crazy growth in light soil (second pic but has doubled in size since then) Just prefer soil.
 

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Granite

Member
Depends. All tap water is different. I only use tap water...first grow, didn’t do anything to it (no PH, no additives, didn’t get rid of chlorine) and had a great yield (first pic). Started new seed from same strain, and honestly after 7 days have crazy growth in light soil (second pic but has doubled in size since then) Just prefer soil.
Something definitely wrong here then, Thanks.

Forgot to mention, Temperature in the tent is about 26-27C (78-80F) and RH is hovering between 50 and 65%

Current action plan:
1. Build an automated ph analyser/dosing rig to keep the PH more stable.
2. Once 1 is accomplished, change to RO water
 

Serty97

Well-Known Member
Something definitely wrong here then, Thanks.

Forgot to mention, Temperature in the tent is about 26-27C (78-80F) and RH is hovering between 50 and 65%

Current action plan:
1. Build an automated ph analyser/dosing rig to keep the PH more stable.
2. Once 1 is accomplished, change to RO water
Temp and RH seem right.

do what you feel is best!
 

CincityFinesse

Active Member
Depends. All tap water is different. I only use tap water...first grow, didn’t do anything to it (no PH, no additives, didn’t get rid of chlorine) and had a great yield (first pic). Started new seed from same strain, and honestly after 7 days have crazy growth in light soil (second pic but has doubled in size since then) Just prefer soil.
Do u know what ph of your tap water was for first grow? I have been using ro water but now I have cal/mag issue so I’m planning to use tap but my tap really sucks.
 

piratebug

Well-Known Member
A water temp of 86 is really bad, and even at 71, its still not good! And what exactly are you feeding her, and please tell us the amounts that you are feeding her!
 

Granite

Member
A water temp of 86 is really bad, and even at 71, its still not good! And what exactly are you feeding her, and please tell us the amounts that you are feeding her!
Hi Pirate

What should I aim for in water temp if 71 still isn't good?

I been feeding with tap water (starts out at 150ppm), adding cal-mag until 250ppm.

Then adding foxfarm big bloom and foxfarm grow big hydro in the ratio of 3:2 until I hit 400ppm
 

ҖҗlegilizeitҗҖ

Well-Known Member
She looks sad.
I'm sorry.
What medium is she in? Just that foam?
What do the roots look like?
I've never heard of an ultrasonic fogger, so I can't say anything about that. I usually just start in rockwool, and raise water level in the system just under the bottom of the cube.
I do not use waterfall though, and I have air stones.
How good is your waterfall? You might not have enough Dissolved oxygen. They look maybe over watered.
What exactly is the PH?
Can we have more pictures?
 

Granite

Member
She looks sad.
I'm sorry.
What medium is she in? Just that foam?
What do the roots look like?
I've never heard of an ultrasonic fogger, so I can't say anything about that. I usually just start in rockwool, and raise water level in the system just under the bottom of the cube.
I do not use waterfall though, and I have air stones.
How good is your waterfall? You might not have enough Dissolved oxygen. They look maybe over watered.
What exactly is the PH?
Can we have more pictures?
I initially started her in a peat pellet, so that in there below the foam.

If I were to raise the waterlevel all the way up to the netpot there wouldn't be much of a waterfall. That was the reason for the foggers, were only to be used until the roots grow a bit bigger and can reach the water. Both basil, cherry tomatoes and lettuce seems lo love the foggers in their tub. So I don't think they would be the reason.

I'll se if I can find a Dissolved oxygen sensor to test it. But since This one doesn't reach the water level yet and is relying on fog I don't see how low DO in the water would affect her.

PH is varying a lot, every morning I bring it down to about 5.7-5.8, and then the next day it's up to 6.5-7 again.

Just took the attached pictures.

Edit: Not sure why the pictures doesn't show any thumbnails
 

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ҖҗlegilizeitҗҖ

Well-Known Member
I initially started her in a peat pellet, so that in there below the foam.

If I were to raise the waterlevel all the way up to the netpot there wouldn't be much of a waterfall. That was the reason for the foggers, were only to be used until the roots grow a bit bigger and can reach the water. Both basil, cherry tomatoes and lettuce seems lo love the foggers in their tub. So I don't think they would be the reason.

I'll se if I can find a Dissolved oxygen sensor to test it. But since This one doesn't reach the water level yet and is relying on fog I don't see how low DO in the water would affect her.

PH is varying a lot, every morning I bring it down to about 5.7-5.8, and then the next day it's up to 6.5-7 again.

Just took the attached pictures.

Edit: Not sure why the pictures doesn't show any thumbnails
Hmm. Im worried your water isn't right, the PH shouldn't drift that fast if there is no unhealthy bacteria, and you have good nutes.
The chiller will help a lot with that though
You aren't getting nearly enough root growth for some reason, my plants are litterally 12 days old and have roots 7" long, soaking up the RDWC water.
 

Granite

Member
Hmm. Im worried your water isn't right, the PH shouldn't drift that fast if there is no unhealthy bacteria, and you have good nutes.
The chiller will help a lot with that though
You aren't getting nearly enough root growth for some reason, my plants are litterally 12 days old and have roots 7" long, soaking up the RDWC water.
Then I'll try to change out the water asap.

Could the slow root growth be because of the peat pellet? Maybe I should have cut the fabric off it before it went into the netpot?
 
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