Bubbleponics Pump and Feeder Tubes

Hello, how's it going all? I've been vegging for 4 weeks now, the roots are in deep water. I'm considering removing the pump and feeder tubes. Alot of different opinions on this subject. My concern is about the rockwool, with no feeder tubes won't the rockwool completely dry up or will the plant itself keep the rockwool moist?
Also this is my first DWC grow and i have a question about changing from grow nutes to flower nutes. I'm using stealth hydro nutes by the way. When you switch to flowering nutes do you use a full dose the first time or work them up to full dose?
I also have an outdoor plant however it's been like 40 degrees F in the morning here for like a week. Is that to cold? Kinda bummed because it's a sativa and appears to be a late flowering variety (viper was the strain) not suitable for this climate.

What types of lights/cycles are you using? What are your reasons for wanting to remove the feeder tubes? Also, how tall are your plants after 4 weeks of vegging? 40 F is really cool for a plant, it definitely would like warmer temperatures, but if it heats up during the day to 70+ you might be O.K.

I never use any feeder tubes, I put my plants in after roots are showing through the grodan, two days later they have grown 10cm down into the water. If your reservoir is airtight and humid the roots have no problems finding the bottom of the bucket.

on your nutrient question the answer is yes you can use a full dose(by full dose i mean whatever strength your currently using) but it is recommend to give the plant fresh plain ph'd water for about 3 days and then start you flower nutes....also and you may know this but you should use your veg nutes through the first week of flower.....

whathits14 said:

What types of lights/cycles are you using? What are your reasons for wanting to remove the feeder tubes? Also, how tall are your plants after 4 weeks of vegging? 40 F is really cool for a plant, it definitely would like warmer temperatures, but if it heats up during the day to 70+ you might be O.K.

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Light cycle 24/0 CFL
I want the tubes gone because there in the way all the time getting roots tangled and clogged in them.
Height about 12 in. maybe check out pic.
I went ahead and harvested that plant, low yeild.... bummer.

mysticcobe said:

on your nutrient question the answer is yes you can use a full dose(by full dose i mean whatever strength your currently using) but it is recommend to give the plant fresh plain ph'd water for about 3 days and then start you flower nutes....also and you may know this but you should use your veg nutes through the first week of flower.....

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Ive never heard that before, so you turn your lights to 12/12 a week before you switch your nutes plus 3 days ph no nute water?

It is OK to remove the tubes once there is an established root mass in the water, Roseman usually removes his feeder tubes after 4 weeks so I think it should be fine for you too. Just make sure there is a good root mass at least a few inches if not more into the water.

Looking at your pics above, it looks like you would be good removing the tubes. That one on the left closest to us looks like it could use a few more roots before you remove the tubes, but that is just my opinion you would probably be fine in removing them now.

About switching to flower nutes, you don't need to switch to plain water for 3 days not really necessary. Not sure what kind of nutes you are using, but for Flora series nutes there is a transition period which can last from a few days to a week with no harm done and you add an even amount of all three nutes.. bloom, grow, and micro to get the plant used to the bloom nutes before you go full dose with the bloom.

Yeah everyone seems to say its cool to remove them as long as you have roots in water. Im getting ready to remove mines this time I do my res change

Yeah make sure you remove the pump as well, it will eventually get clogged with the roots and keeps your res temps higher than they could be.

Yeah, i removed the pump and tubes. Tonight when i checked my res temp was 68 F, PH 6.5 but i noticed a small amount of strange foam around the edge of the water in the res. It's like a white-ish light tan color, res smells ok no foul odor i'm hoping it's harmless because i only have one more weeks worth of nutes(stealth hydro) and i don't want to waste any.
Anybody have any info on foam?
I tried to get a pic but it wouldn't come out good.

hmmmm i love the feeder tubes...but at this point i think im about to get rid of them as well....the roots are starting to get way to close to the pumps intake and 90% of my plants roots are in the water at this point newayz...so ima go with yall and remove them tomm or the next day...depending on when i have time to do my drain and replenish....the pumps dont do anything for aerating the water do they?

very nice man, awesome first grow

does it help to take the feeder tubes out in you guy's opinion?

SyNiK4L said:

hmmmm i love the feeder tubes...but at this point i think im about to get rid of them as well....the roots are starting to get way to close to the pumps intake and 90% of my plants roots are in the water at this point newayz...so ima go with yall and remove them tomm or the next day...depending on when i have time to do my drain and replenish....the pumps dont do anything for aerating the water do they?

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I don't know about the aerating but my res temps were always 72-75 F with the pump, since removal it's a steady 68 F

c5rftw said:

very nice man, awesome first grow

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Thank you, i appreciate that c5rftw. I threw in a few more pics

About that foam.......?

Yay, i'm learning how to roll now, sweet.

I heard that foam is from the algea bro. I had the same things plus some small bugs in the res. Make sure you lightproof your res. duct tape it or use that shiny silver tape and add two tsp of h202 to your res that should clear it up

Last night i put 3 tsp of 3% h2o2 in the res, it looked good this morning when i came home the foam was back. i put my pump back in hoping the moving water and filter might help. i'll have to check in a few hours and see. i will duct tape the res, are you talking the whole res or just the lid?

the whole res. make it completely light proof. any light=algae and root rot. all kinds of bad things we dont want.

Looks awesome man. I took out my pump after just 2 weeks. The pump is only really necessary for the first week or so, until the roots are in the water.

Hello, putting the pump back in helped i think, the foam is gone. The pump with out the feeder tubes really sloshes the water around good. i'm going to start flowering tonight i think, i'm using a 600 watt HPS. my last grow (soil) i had 3 plants and used a 150 watt hps. so 4 times the wattage, do you think it will be 4 times the yeild, i remember reading some where it's like estimate 1 gram per watt.

c5rftw said:

very nice man, awesome first grow

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The C5 ZO6's are the bomb! Also I like your location lol just a side bar.

But about the foam...
I used to have problems with a little foam in my res. I think Mine was off-white in color. Anyway I had some beneficials in there and they kept multiplying and caused some foaming. An awesome way to fix this is to put a small airstone inside a sea sponge (it has to be one of those "sea sponges" that used to be alive because it works better) and then but it in your res. The bacteria will colonize the sponge and the foam should dissapear.