stiffnuts12
Well-Known Member
So my question is if I get a uv filter to keep things cleaner do I still need my chiller? Or could I raise my temp on the chiller or is a uv filter a waste of time or money?
Uv light filter for rdwc
- Thread starter stiffnuts12
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If you have a water chiller and it's running at 70°±, that should stop root rot from popping up. In addition to running mine at 68°, I add HydroGuard with each res change. The reason for that is that my cistern is in the same garage as my tent and so the water temp can hit 80°. The chiller takes a few hours to get the temp to 68° so I add HydroGuard to "remove all doubt".
Adding a UV light? It can't hurt and there may be some value for peace of mind but root rot is so well contained by a water chiller that I don't see value in it.
I wouldn't get a UV filter with the idea of being able to raise water temp//run my chiller less. The marginal savings of < electricity is likely small and there is slight drop in dissolved oxygen as your water temperature increases. Root rot will destroy plants very quickly so this is one area where I wouldn't try to save $$.
Adding a UV light? It can't hurt and there may be some value for peace of mind but root rot is so well contained by a water chiller that I don't see value in it.
I wouldn't get a UV filter with the idea of being able to raise water temp//run my chiller less. The marginal savings of < electricity is likely small and there is slight drop in dissolved oxygen as your water temperature increases. Root rot will destroy plants very quickly so this is one area where I wouldn't try to save $$.
stiffnuts12
Well-Known Member
I run my chiller at 68 degrees. I run uc roots to keep everything sterile but I keep getting a brown algae or something. I'm adding the uv filter just as a 3rd defense I guess
stiffnuts12
Well-Known Member
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Thanks for posting that. Interesting looking gizmo.
[checks specs]
600 GPH - yeh, that should be OK!
I don't know what your budget is like so I can't judge if $130 is a non-issue or not. Let me throw this at you.
The image below is from one of the Bugbee videos. I used it as a "how to" guide when I started growing.
If you've got these issues covered, then why not drop a buck thirty? On the other hand, if there's an area that could use improvement, that's where I'd put the $130.
One thing that I do bang on about is light. I'm seeing more growers getting aware of the technical aspects of grow lights but, overall, there's a lot more bro science than evidence-based decision making. I say that based on participating in, primarily, three cannabis forums.
So, back to the nine parameters. Could that $130 be better put to use on an upgraded light or, if your light is squared away, a PAR meter (not a Photobio) or a lux meter? I use an Apogee and think the world of it but, after looking into the viability of using a lux meter + a conversion factor, I'm pretty much in the "a light meter is good enough" camp.
I've drunk deeply of the Bugbee Koolaid and am a believer in "big light" (900µmols or as close as possible thereto) - for the simple reason that yield increases as PPFD increases. How about putting the $130 in the cookie jar and using it for a lighting upgrade?
[checks specs]
600 GPH - yeh, that should be OK!
I don't know what your budget is like so I can't judge if $130 is a non-issue or not. Let me throw this at you.
The image below is from one of the Bugbee videos. I used it as a "how to" guide when I started growing.
If you've got these issues covered, then why not drop a buck thirty? On the other hand, if there's an area that could use improvement, that's where I'd put the $130.
One thing that I do bang on about is light. I'm seeing more growers getting aware of the technical aspects of grow lights but, overall, there's a lot more bro science than evidence-based decision making. I say that based on participating in, primarily, three cannabis forums.
So, back to the nine parameters. Could that $130 be better put to use on an upgraded light or, if your light is squared away, a PAR meter (not a Photobio) or a lux meter? I use an Apogee and think the world of it but, after looking into the viability of using a lux meter + a conversion factor, I'm pretty much in the "a light meter is good enough" camp.
I've drunk deeply of the Bugbee Koolaid and am a believer in "big light" (900µmols or as close as possible thereto) - for the simple reason that yield increases as PPFD increases. How about putting the $130 in the cookie jar and using it for a lighting upgrade?
stiffnuts12
Well-Known Member
I'm running a chilled growcraft led 600x6 and a hlg rspec 600. I have a co2 generator blue lab ph controller a ro system a fallponics system ect... I keep getting a brown algae plus I can't get good yields. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrongThanks for posting that. Interesting looking gizmo.
[checks specs]
600 GPH - yeh, that should be OK!
I don't know what your budget is like so I can't judge if $130 is a non-issue or not. Let me throw this at you.
The image below is from one of the Bugbee videos. I used it as a "how to" guide when I started growing.
If you've got these issues covered, then why not drop a buck thirty? On the other hand, if there's an area that could use improvement, that's where I'd put the $130.
One thing that I do bang on about is light. I'm seeing more growers getting aware of the technical aspects of grow lights but, overall, there's a lot more bro science than evidence-based decision making. I say that based on participating in, primarily, three cannabis forums.
So, back to the nine parameters. Could that $130 be better put to use on an upgraded light or, if your light is squared away, a PAR meter (not a Photobio) or a lux meter? I use an Apogee and think the world of it but, after looking into the viability of using a lux meter + a conversion factor, I'm pretty much in the "a light meter is good enough" camp.
I've drunk deeply of the Bugbee Koolaid and am a believer in "big light" (900µmols or as close as possible thereto) - for the simple reason that yield increases as PPFD increases. How about putting the $130 in the cookie jar and using it for a lighting upgrade?
View attachment 5191845
That answers my questions re. the price.
Sounds like two tents of one big sumbitch with some very happy plants. I've got an X2 for veg and the X3 for flower in a 2' x 4'. No CO2, BlueLab monitor, plus RO with a SuperPonics res that hold 28 gallons. Fallponics is really good kit, as is the rest, of course. Wish I had the room for Fallponics.
Good yields - lots of things go into that, about 9 of them, and each one has ins and outs. Back to that in a bit.
Brown algae - that's root rot, right? Water temperature and "bennies" = beneficial bacteria. With 68° consistent temps and HydroGuard or its analog, you should be good to go. What water temperature? Are you using any kind of bennies?
My off the top of my head thinking:
Start as far upstream as possible. Check and disinfect your water source, your RO unit, and all tubing that goes in to the Fallponics. I just read about a neat UV filter gizmo that could help - you might want to look into that.
If you're mid-grow, you should to clean up as much as you can and then introduce H2O2 into the system. The clean up would have to be bucket by bucket wiping everything clean, especially the hoses, and it should be as close to sterilized as possible. It might be easier to replace the hoses and scrub out the pipes. After each node is cleaned, run H2O2 + water through each piece and then couple it back into the system.
Once everything is cleaned an reassembled, you can run a mild solution of H2O2 through the system. I don't know that correct percentage but one thing to keep in mind is that there's "regular" H2O2 and industrial strength H2O2 and you don't want to use the wrong one!
That approach is a slog but I can't think of another way to be sure to get rid of it. Treat is like a pathogen where you have to isolate each piece of the system from the other part of the system until all of the pieces have been cleaned.
That's my tuppence but I'm not pro at this and RIU isn't my "home" cannabis site so I don't know a lot of people here. One grower who seems to have his ducks in a row is @rkymtnman. I think that's the "bat signal" to get his attention. He knows a lot of growers here and I'd bet that they can provide good guidance on this issue.
Re yield - go through each of the nine parameters.
You've got good lighting equipment but what about light levels and schedule.
Temperature and RH - I use a PulseOne and swear by it.
Wind - are you ventilating correctly?
Water temperature is easy. Is your RO unit working correctly.
Nutrients - I've gone to Jacks 3-2-1 with RO and can't see a reason to change. It's very simple and part of process improvement is to reduce and/or eliminate variables. Jacks is very straightforward. Again, I'm on board with Bugbee - cannabis is nothing special when it comes to nutes. In his words, you can treat it just like it was tomatoes.
Root zone O2 - how are you introducing O2 into the Fallponics buckets. I'm not familiar with how that's done. Oh, yeh, another thing to clean.
Enough for now. Prioritize the issues and then address them, in turn. First up is the root rot so maybe we can get more eyeballs with rkymtnman and his smart guys.
stiffnuts12
Well-Known Member
I'm using jacks 321 as well what ec do you run? And the brown algae shit im.getting floats around freely I think to mock me lol. I run uc roots no beanies for me. I'm watching the video on the 9 Parameters as we speak
Is that photos or autos?
I’ve only grown autos and 1.6 is about the top that I have ever used. I try to get the plants in the “sufficiency range “and leave it at that.
Bucsfan80
Well-Known Member
Photos. I've never ran autos. That's including cal-mag also
stiffnuts12
Well-Known Member
Photos
stiffnuts12
Well-Known Member
I was told cal mag has no business in rdwc but shit idk
Bucsfan80
Well-Known Member
I've heard the same thing but if I don't add it I can tell. My water is only like .10 EC out of the tap so it's pretty soft
Cal/mag provides nitrogen, calcium, and magnesium. If you have deficiency in those chemicals, it can help provide sufficient levels of those chemicals.
I don't ascribe to the "you need to add this if you're doing that" because cannabis will tend grow well with a significant variation in nutrient levels. Like Dr. B says, cannabis nothing special [so] treat it like it was tomatoes. That approach is heretical to nute manufacturer's and a lot of grower will rend their garments but, heh, we're growing medication for that, aren't we?
Nutrients are part of the 9 parameters. If you're using CO2 + high light that means your transpiration rates will be elevated vs a non-CO2 environment. You'll want increase ambient and leaf surface temperatures and you'll need to adjust (lower) EC because your plants should be pulling in a lot more water (increased transpiration) to support the higher rate of photosynthesis.
My little seedlings are at a DLI of 17 because they're only 2 days above ground. They'll be at 60 mols, or as close as I can get them, in a few weeks. Along with those light levels, I'll be watching temperatures and RH = VPD like a hawk. If not, things will fall down, go boom.
You could drop the CO2//I could drop light levels to "normal" but…"normal" — what's that all about?
Yeh, that's nice. I like in Southern California and they change water source according to the season. It usually runs at least 200PPM and since it's ground water and then they switch to CA aqueduct water, I just went with an RO unit. Plus here in beigeville, garages don't have sinks and many don't even have a hose outlet.