First Hydro Grow. Help!

outsidethebox

Active Member
This is my first hydro grow. Plants are 14 days from germinating. Plants are droopy and discolored.

3x630 watt LEC sitting 40 inches from plants

Remo Nutrients @ 560 ppm, ph 5.5

Ebb and flow in Hydroton 3 times during 18 hours light cycle

Res temp 71

Room temp 79

Co2 1300 ppm

20180703_193204.jpg 20180703_193212.jpg 20180703_193223.jpg
 
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hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
Monitor it daily. When the PPM starts to noticeably drop you can raise it or freshen it. Same ratio of nutes. Go easy! Increase to 450. Wait. When it starts to drop yadda yadda yadda.

If you think you'll grow again in DWC I suggest a small chiller. Your res temps border on high. Temperature fluctuations bring on pH changes. Not good. Have a lot of air in the bucket bubbling. You can't go too big on air pumps.
 

Bernie420

Well-Known Member
This is my first hydro grow. Plants are 14 days from germinating. Plants are droopy and discolored.

3x630 watt LEC sitting 40 inches from plants

Remo Nutrients @ 560 ppm, ph 5.5

Ebb and flow in Hydroton 3 times during 18 hours light cycle

Res temp 71

Room temp 79

Co2 1300 ppm

View attachment 4159700 View attachment 4159701 View attachment 4159702

I think your too hot lower your ppm by adding more water to 350-450, feed five times during your 18 on right when lights come on and have it end the final draining right before lights out. Up your ph to 5.8-6.2. Your c02, holy shit you could flower with that, do you really think a tiny little seedling needs that much c02???? Eliminate the c02 till their bigger imo. Way bigger.

ok since their seedlings from seed you could try to feed seven times a day for the next couple of weeks so the roots dont dry out any they want to grow but in between feedings they get dry and droop on you. Roots cant be that much being 14 days from germinating.

Your lights, seedlings dont need what 1890 watts can you push them all together under one light till they get bigger.

When you say remo nutrients what exactly are you feeding does he have a kelp product your using to help with the roots? at what amounts?

I would like to see a pic of your lights and the whole room

When you feed how long does it take to fill and drain. Is it filling to the proper level?
 
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outsidethebox

Active Member
Monitor it daily. When the PPM starts to noticeably drop you can raise it or freshen it. Same ratio of nutes. Go easy! Increase to 450. Wait. When it starts to drop yadda yadda yadda.

If you think you'll grow again in DWC I suggest a small chiller. Your res temps border on high. Temperature fluctuations bring on pH changes. Not good. Have a lot of air in the bucket bubbling. You can't go too big on air pumps.
Cut the nutes down to 350. I have a 1/4 HP chiller so dialed that down to 68 and knocked the co2 down to 800. Gonna have to grab some ph up as my ph is still at 5.5.
 

outsidethebox

Active Member
I think your too hot lower your ppm by adding more water to 350-450, feed five times during your 18 on right when lights come on and have it end the final draining right before lights out. Up your ph to 5.8-6.2. Your c02, holy shit you could flower with that, do you really think a tiny little seedling needs that much c02???? Eliminate the c02 till their bigger imo. Way bigger.

ok since their seedlings from seed you could try to feed seven times a day for the next couple of weeks so the roots dont dry out any they want to grow but in between feedings they get dry and droop on you. Roots cant be that much being 14 days from germinating.

Your lights, seedlings dont need what 1890 watts can you push them all together under one light till they get bigger.

When you say remo nutrients what exactly are you feeding does he have a kelp product your using to help with the roots? at what amounts?

I would like to see a pic of your lights and the whole room

When you feed how long does it take to fill and drain. Is it filling to the proper level?
Using the grow, micro, velokelp and magnifical. I started the seeds in rockwool cubes and moved them to the buckets when the roots started coming out the bottom of the cubes. The system takes 20 mins to fill and drain completely.

I could turn half the lights off as the LEC 630 has two 315s in it and you can turn them on and off individually.

15306691434101944592576342073219.jpg
 

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
Using the grow, micro, velokelp and magnifical. I started the seeds in rockwool cubes and moved them to the buckets when the roots started coming out the bottom of the cubes. The system takes 20 mins to fill and drain completely.

I could turn half the lights off as the LEC 630 has two 315s in it and you can turn them on and off individually.

View attachment 4159726
Nice setup. You should get a bit of flower
 

JohnDee

Well-Known Member
Hi OtB,
Just wanted to follow along. Very clean setup. You may need to do a little hand watering until roots reach the flood level. Not uncommon to have to do that with small plants in large containers.
JD
 

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
From Hannah

"Seedlings, Early Sprouts 100 to 250

Early Vegging 300 to 400

Full Vegetation 450 to 700

Early Blooming 750 to 950

Full Mature Blooms 1000 to 1600

(this excludes the ppm of your water)"

Hope this helps. Good luck. Killer that you have a chiller. You'll be glad. I'm impressed.
 

outsidethebox

Active Member
Hi OtB,
Just wanted to follow along. Very clean setup. You may need to do a little hand watering until roots reach the flood level. Not uncommon to have to do that with small plants in large containers.
JD
I can adjust the flood level. I feel like I was getting a bit of overwatering on a few that I had planted deeper in the hydroton because they had stretched. I lowered the water level a bit. We will see if that improves the ones that are droopy. Th roots are 4 inches long in most so the water is reaching them
 
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outsidethebox

Active Member
From Hannah

"Seedlings, Early Sprouts 100 to 250

Early Vegging 300 to 400

Full Vegetation 450 to 700

Early Blooming 750 to 950

Full Mature Blooms 1000 to 1600

(this excludes the ppm of your water)"

Hope this helps. Good luck. Killer that you have a chiller. You'll be glad. I'm impressed.
Water ppm is 0 I have an RO system. Gt the nutes at 350ppm right now. We will see what happens.
 

Bernie420

Well-Known Member
Using the grow, micro, velokelp and magnifical. I started the seeds in rockwool cubes and moved them to the buckets when the roots started coming out the bottom of the cubes. The system takes 20 mins to fill and drain completely.

I could turn half the lights off as the LEC 630 has two 315s in it and you can turn them on and off individually.

View attachment 4159726
You need to treat rockwool like dirt a bit as in you dont want the base of your plant being wet all of the time so make sure the bottom of the rockwool is just touching the top of your water line. Stretch or not.

I like what you did in your room, I know what your room layout is dictates what you can do but I recommend that you move it to the middle of the room to get away from the wall. The light spread of your lights you get alot of cross over which is good but if the lights were turned end to end {you have them side by side} you would still have coverage on the end and a wider light spread from side to side of the room to accommodate the plants better when they get bigger if they were in the middle of the room to get away from the wall.

I used to have a room like yours all packed in there like that. So I am going to suggest to eliminate the middle row in the layout you have now or the layout I suggested as they are going to get too crowded when they get bigger. Been there done that situation. It gets unmanageable. Four plants per light. I cut my room back to two lights and eight plants yield wasn't effected that much Every now and again when a plant getting the good side of the light starts to out grow the other side you can spin the pot in the green container to try to get a balanced growing plant if that makes sense.

Why are a few of the pots on pads is there a dip in the floor or did you want to lower the water line in those pots? Just curious. I assume that since you have nonvented hoods and run c02 you have a sealed room which means you are running a/c which means your not exchanging any air but I still dont think little seedlings need 8oo ppms of c02 I dont think you need any c02 right now just a fan blowing around and it should be ok. To save on cost. They are not going to use all that c02. I also think if you can shut off one side of your light to save on cost, their little seedlings, then do that and lower the light down a bit. Then one week run one side and the next week run the other side to get equal wear and tear on each bulb in the hood.

I also have a chiller, I dont have a/c, I dont keep my rez in my grow room although I do have my control bucket in the room like you do. I did wrap my rez with an insulation blanket you use for water heaters, It keeps my rez water cooler longer and doesnt make my chiller run as much, this was a considerable improvement since I dont run a/c in my grow area. again to save on cost.

I think that you are trying to push them too fast you need to slow down and let them get bigger till you push them.
 

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Bernie420

Well-Known Member
Water ppm is 0 I have an RO system. Gt the nutes at 350ppm right now. We will see what happens.
Just a follow up real quick I think that they were to small, too hot a ppm and not feeding it enough during 18 was your problem. Maybe a tad too much light and too much c02.

When you go to 12/12 feed four times a day. I used to do 3 but I think 4 keeps my roots from drying out to much during flower.
 

outsidethebox

Active Member
You need to treat rockwool like dirt a bit as in you dont want the base of your plant being wet all of the time so make sure the bottom of the rockwool is just touching the top of your water line. Stretch or not.

I like what you did in your room, I know what your room layout is dictates what you can do but I recommend that you move it to the middle of the room to get away from the wall. The light spread of your lights you get alot of cross over which is good but if the lights were turned end to end {you have them side by side} you would still have coverage on the end and a wider light spread from side to side of the room to accommodate the plants better when they get bigger if they were in the middle of the room to get away from the wall.

I used to have a room like yours all packed in there like that. So I am going to suggest to eliminate the middle row in the layout you have now or the layout I suggested as they are going to get too crowded when they get bigger. Been there done that situation. It gets unmanageable. Four plants per light. I cut my room back to two lights and eight plants yield wasn't effected that much Every now and again when a plant getting the good side of the light starts to out grow the other side you can spin the pot in the green container to try to get a balanced growing plant if that makes sense.

Why are a few of the pots on pads is there a dip in the floor or did you want to lower the water line in those pots? Just curious. I assume that since you have nonvented hoods and run c02 you have a sealed room which means you are running a/c which means your not exchanging any air but I still dont think little seedlings need 8oo ppms of c02 I dont think you need any c02 right now just a fan blowing around and it should be ok. To save on cost. They are not going to use all that c02. I also think if you can shut off one side of your light to save on cost, their little seedlings, then do that and lower the light down a bit. Then one week run one side and the next week run the other side to get equal wear and tear on each bulb in the hood.

I also have a chiller, I dont have a/c, I dont keep my rez in my grow room although I do have my control bucket in the room like you do. I did wrap my rez with an insulation blanket you use for water heaters, It keeps my rez water cooler longer and doesnt make my chiller run as much, this was a considerable improvement since I dont run a/c in my grow area. again to save on cost.

I think that you are trying to push them too fast you need to slow down and let them get bigger till you push them.
Thanks for the info. The plants are on that wall because the ceiling slopes so that side has the most height. I will deff consider taking the middle 5 out. Good idea about wrapping the res also.
 

JohnDee

Well-Known Member
I can adjust the flood level. I feel like I was getting a bit of overwatering on a few that I had planted deeper in the hydroton because they had stretched. I lowered the water level a bit.
OtB,
Just so you know I'm not talking out my ass...I've done E&F using small plant technique on trays 5"x5" pots, hydroton. Plus I've used waterfarms . So I have hydroton experience. IMHO it isn't really possible to overwater it.

Curious about your system...DIY or store bought?

Does it have 1/2" or 3/4" hoses. The option of adjustable flood height is way cool. I hope you were right about lowering the level.
Cheers,
JD
 

outsidethebox

Active Member
OtB,
Just so you know I'm not talking out my ass...I've done E&F using small plant technique on trays 5"x5" pots, hydroton. Plus I've used waterfarms . So I have hydroton experience. IMHO it isn't really possible to overwater it.

Curious about your system...DIY or store bought?

Does it have 1/2" or 3/4" hoses. The option of adjustable flood height is way cool. I hope you were right about lowering the level.
Cheers,
JD
App
OtB,
Just so you know I'm not talking out my ass...I've done E&F using small plant technique on trays 5"x5" pots, hydroton. Plus I've used waterfarms . So I have hydroton experience. IMHO it isn't really possible to overwater it.

Curious about your system...DIY or store bought?

Does it have 1/2" or 3/4" hoses. The option of adjustable flood height is way cool. I hope you were right about lowering the level.
Cheers,
JD
I appreciate all the info! The system is an Oxygen Pot System. It uses 4.5 gal smart pots. 3/4 inch tubing.
 

JohnDee

Well-Known Member
Oit,
Thanks for answering my questions. Sounds like a great system. The 3/4" tubing allowing the 20 minute fill/drain is the key. Seen too many DIY large pot E&F fail to do the job...and almost always it was 1/2" tubing that couldn't handle the flow load.

One other question I had relates to the size of the rockwool that you seeded in. 1", 1 1/2" or what.

I am planning a room somewhat similar to yours. At this point I'm planning on vegging a bit on a 4" rockwool cube and then plopping the vegged plant directly ON TOP of hydroton. By no means am I criticizing your setup. I used to use 1 1/2" rw cubes for cloning and then buried in the hydroton. I never had any issues from the buried cubes but I know some guys do.

I still feel that a little hand watering could help. It would provide you information at least. But since you have the buried cubes you don't want to water right on top of stem. Just a thought. That's what I would do.
Cheers,
JD
 

outsidethebox

Active Member
Oit,
Thanks for answering my questions. Sounds like a great system. The 3/4" tubing allowing the 20 minute fill/drain is the key. Seen too many DIY large pot E&F fail to do the job...and almost always it was 1/2" tubing that couldn't handle the flow load.

One other question I had relates to the size of the rockwool that you seeded in. 1", 1 1/2" or what.

I am planning a room somewhat similar to yours. At this point I'm planning on vegging a bit on a 4" rockwool cube and then plopping the vegged plant directly ON TOP of hydroton. By no means am I criticizing your setup. I used to use 1 1/2" rw cubes for cloning and then buried in the hydroton. I never had any issues from the buried cubes but I know some guys do.

I still feel that a little hand watering could help. It would provide you information at least. But since you have the buried cubes you don't want to water right on top of stem. Just a thought. That's what I would do.
Cheers,
JD
Yeah, 1.5 inch cubes. I'l try and hand water a bit and see if that helps.
 
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