First Hydroponics System (Seedling worries)

Hi Guys!

I did a 6 plant soil grow a few months back and it went great! I decided to try my hand at hydro. I think I my have already screwed up as I started these seedlings in soil then washed them and replanted in this hydro setup.

Water is ph controlled at 5.5, I have air pump agitating water along with a water pump that pumps to a 1" line that has 4 sprayers per basket. The black tubes at the top are 1/4" that feed water directly into the basket as the roots are very small atm.

They seem ok but on the edge of possibly drooping, I was thinking over watering?


In fear of overwatering as the left one was dropping the most I disconnected the 1/4" tube feeding water to the basket so that only the sprayers are active.

Inside:



Any advise would be great

First reaction: root shock and over watering. let those clay balls do their job. maybe put your pump on a timer.

secondary thoughts: water temp. nute strength. root innoculants

i think they will be okay. they look strong!

Water temp was low, got a heater in there yesterday. What sort of time schedule would you do with the sprayers? Also with 4 spayers per basket think the direct water tube is over kill? Sorry about so many questions 1 more , just washed roots you think they will survive or do they need to be rooted into a sponge of some sort like those root cubes?

Their looking OK, don't worry about the drooping as you call it, they'll take a few days to settle in their new home but their looking Good. (you've done to your plants what i do all the time) As for watering, it's virtually impossible to over-water a plant done in hydro (unless the whole root system is submerged under the water). Keep that water on 24/7 and watch those girls grow. I will give you a tip though, run the PH a little higher, more like 5.8 (magnesium doesn't get absorbed in hydro with a ph under 5....

Thanks for the input guys! I will update as they progress I have 1 in soil. Curious to see the difference. Here was my first grow ever, 6 in soil few weeks in flower

Yeah bro they look fine really. As long ad youre aerating, bloomers is right, there should be no limit to the amount if water you run.

I have a 2 line air pump with medium round air stones on either end of the container, guy at my local shop kinda led me through all the parts for my 2 "tomato" plants.

Here is today, there is knew growth which I take as a good sign, I could be over cautious but the one to the left the large fan leaves seem to have dropped a bit more and lost some of their green.




(lighting is dim as I am pushing lamp out of the way.)

Initial thought is possibly too much heat from the lamps is causing the yellow/droop

what nutrients are you using? How many PPMs nutrient solution?

topfuel29 said:

what nutrients are you using? How many PPMs nutrient solution?

Click to expand...

doing 700ppm in a 18Gallon tote...wait no I read that wrong.. only did 2tsp for whole 18 gallon. So should be mostly water. Did just check PH tho and it was rather high. Slowly adjusted check in hour or two

cyanarnofsky said:

View attachment 2811510

doing 700ppm in a 18Gallon tote...wait no I read that wrong.. only did 2tsp for whole 18 gallon. So should be mostly water. Did just check PH tho and it was rather high. Slowly adjusted check in hour or two

Click to expand...

That's what I thought. There hungry, need more food.
18 gallons for 2 plants?

I find watering from the top more effective/beneficial. Also replaced hydroton with river rock from Dollar Store.

Note my High Energy Flooming System in the rez. A billion times better than air stones. Easily adaptable inside your set up

I was under the impression you could run virtually clean water for a few days on seedlings like that without issue. I will add in more nutes tonight. It is a 18 gallon
tote but not all the way full.

Here is a image today. Do you think I should be running less water in the tub? I figured the rez amount wouldn't matter but only help with pump temp.

ph

Seems to either be over watering or nute strength too low ( I think both). Dropped 2 jets per basket and doubled nutes and leaves where green and picking themselves up this morning

cyanarnofsky said:

Seems to either be over watering or nute strength too low ( I think both). Dropped 2 jets per basket and doubled nutes and leaves where green and picking themselves up this morning

Click to expand...

Your nutrients are to low. Your in hydro you can't over water. You can suffocate your roots if you don't have enough oxygen in the nutrient solution.
You need to bump your nutrient solution up to 1/2 strength.
Keep your PH in range. let it rebound back up to @6.1 or so and then drop it again run the pH Range for Hydro. make sure to wait 15-20 before you test after you pH down.
When your PPM's get over 2000 your plants gonna start stressing out.
If you have a air-stone you can replace it with a stainless steel screw. it never plugs. you can adjust the amount of air by screwing it in or out.



http://cannaversity.com/cannaversity/article.php?id=057

Took a PPm reading today and it was at 470'ish, my base water is 95ppm. I do see roots coming ot of the basket now a few really long ones, I can see the water bubbling pretty well which makes me think the stones are ok, beginning to think I am keeping the PH too low. Should get a electric meter tomorrow so I can test that.
Pic from today:

Other tote didn't seem to be light proof had brown alge. Got a different one and redid the solution with GH flora for cleaner nutes. That top feeding seems like a natural way

Day 30