How to flush?

I am running a nute film system. A 2o gal tank with 4 trays on each side. In each tray are 5 plants in rock wool cubes. The nutes are fed through a hose in one end, and feed the plants as it runs to the other end and drains back in the tank. At this point I am two weeks into flower. I am useing general hydroponics plus calmag,floralicious,and super thrive. Also I am cranking co2 with a genator and titan atlas monitor. Last week after changing nutes, within a couple days the ph started rising daily. It would drop as much as a point in 24 hrs. I adjusted this daily for 6 or 7 days. I did notice some rust spots on the oldest fan leaves of one strain of plants, But only on a few.Tonight I was going to change nutes.When I went in I saw a number of plants had a little wilt. I decided before adding new nutes,I would flush with Super Natural flush. It's for flushing built up salts. In the process of all this I found one of the pumps had clogged. the plants were ok because their roots had run down the drain into the tank and were providing enough nutesto survive.Probably could do better with proper circulation. so, Now I have the flush circulating. I'm thinking of letting it circulate for 24 hrs before putting the nutes back in. Is anybody able to comment on this situation and advise me about the flush or anything else for that matter. This is my first hydro grow and I welcome any input. thanks. As an after thought should I shut off the co2 durring the flush?

If anyone can give me some insight to the ph drop or if it is ok to flush for 24 hrs I would be gratefull. On another post superstoner said that "Root Problems usually lower ph." and "Aquashield will asist." Can anybody talk about the root problem lowering the ph. what may cause these problems, and what signs you may look for to catch the problem as soon as possible, and maybe signs of recovery. I have 40 plants two weeks into bud and I am stretching my knowlage and expierance. this is my first hydro grow like this. Thanks.

Yes you can flush for 24 hours, can't really help on the other issues cause I have never had those issues!

I dont flush.. I flush is grow to clean salts OUT in soil and OFF in hydro. But I dont do that whole flush myth thing. Works well for me,, you can wash/flush your roots forever but it wont change the taste of your plant. If I did I would grow mine in Cherry Coke..

VX420 said:

I dont flush.. I flush is grow to clean salts OUT in soil and OFF in hydro. But I dont do that whole flush myth thing. Worst well for me,, you can wach your roots fovers, wont change the taste of your plant. If I did I would soke mine in Cheery Coke..

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This is total bs half what you say dont make sense!

VX420 said:

I dont flush.. I flush is grow to clean salts OUT in soil and OFF in hydro. But I dont do that whole flush myth thing. Worst well for me,, you can wach your roots fovers, wont change the taste of your plant. If I did I would soke mine in Cheery Coke..

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In this case I was asking about flushing to get salts out. I have seen what toxic levels levels oof salts can do,And what a godd flush can do. Super Flush is for leeching salts out of the medium. I was hoping someone could talk about their expieriance with that.

Do u check your EC daily?

Would b nice to know if your EC is changing as your ph is swinging

cheechZS said:

Do u check your EC daily?

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I do not. Honestly, This is my first shot at this type of grow. I am obviously ill equipeped and lacking in proper knowlage. Your question is enough to give me direction and shame me into more research. I will have an answer for you soon. Thank you.

o'brother said:

In this case I was asking about flushing to get salts out. I have seen what toxic levels levels oof salts can do,And what a godd flush can do. Super Flush is for leeching salts out of the medium. I was hoping someone could talk about their expieriance with that.

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Like I said, I flush as I grow. When I water my soil plants, I water till water runs free out of the bottem. Since I do this every time I water I should not get salt build up. But I just use tap water, so I cant help with flushing products.

From reading RIU for some time. most people flush with water, only a few have used a flushing product and I cant remember anyone saying it was great.

Flushing agents are a waist of money...

^^^Agreed, Vx stop giving people who are new to this bullshit answers that are sure to sabotage the money they have invested in their grow. Its like slashing the tires of random cars in a parking lot via the internet douche. I personally final flush with out of ph range (8.0 water) so that none of the built up salts in my system or medium are available to my plants, and so that what ever the plant has stored up in its cells over its life cycle it will be forced to use to sustain itself till the cull. Meaning there wont be any nasties left for me to enhale while I..... Smoke.....This.....SMOOTH bowl! Much respect hellraizer! -S0uP

I flushed these girls for 24 hrs and gave them new nutes. It's been three days and the ph is stable. Im assuming it was somthing that I did and hoping it is good. After I did my research on ec and ppm I went to the grow store to check out test pens. While talking to the person with whom I've Talked many times,and seems more knowledgeable than most people I can talk to personally, I was told that as long as I followed the directions on the bottle and changed all of my nute solution every time ,I don't really need to use the ec,ppm tds, pens. Everybody knows what free advice is worth so I am very interested in any response any of you would care to make. I found the replies, so far, interesting. I really liked the idea of flushing with out of ph balance water for a final flush. A real eye opener. Makes me wonder if that is all there is to products like Clearing or others sold as a final flush. Thanks for the insight SOuP

Ya no prob, just got this off the web page for flora kleen.... Seem fishy to you??? The truth is flora kleen is nothing more than Dextrose and water. Dextrose can play a part in clearing systems of salt build up between feedings by binding to sodium molecules, but with weekly res flushes I see ABSOLUTELY no reason for this product to be in my line up. Even if I needed to run dextrose I would find the soluble form and mix my own. I have a real problem with liquid fertz and additives now a days, That is some real expensive water. -S0uP

Edit: Dont talk to the hydro guy any more unless its about a discount he can give you, the above tools you mentioned are an essential key to your success, period.

Ingredients

: Flora Kleen Cleaning Flush Solution is a speciall
y formulated mixture of chemicals that
are mixed in proportions to assure adequate removal
of nutrient residues. The chemical identity of
the compounds and exact proportions used in the mix
ture are a trade secret.

o'brother said:

I flushed these girls for 24 hrs and gave them new nutes. It's been three days and the ph is stable. Im assuming it was somthing that I did and hoping it is good. After I did my research on ec and ppm I went to the grow store to check out test pens. While talking to the person with whom I've Talked many times,and seems more knowledgeable than most people I can talk to personally, I was told that as long as I followed the directions on the bottle and changed all of my nute solution every time ,I don't really need to use the ec,ppm tds, pens. Everybody knows what free advice is worth so I am very interested in any response any of you would care to make. I found the replies, so far, interesting. I really liked the idea of flushing with out of ph balance water for a final flush. A real eye opener. Makes me wonder if that is all there is to products like Clearing or others sold as a final flush. Thanks for the insight SOuP

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wow! EC and ph pens r not necessary,follow the instructions on the bottle?? Sorry but that's some of the worst advice I've heard!

This may be hard to believe but Iv'e had worse advice . Some was costly,Some I was on the ball enough to ignore. Like "It's fine to use the old nutes from the hydro to water your soil plants. or "Plants won't benifit from c02 suppliments unless there is an over abundance of light." You have to weed through some real shit when you have a small circle to talk with. Joining this forum is the best thing thats happened for my hobby since reading Ed Rosenthal's "Marijuana Growers Handbook." 20 years ago. I value other peoples expieriances, And what they learned. Alot can be gained from the internet, but that is also where the Numbasses got their so called knowledge from. It's not like I will blindly follow any advice I get from RIU, But I am extreamly gratefull to have access to such a wealth of knowledge and expierance. That said my grow is doing good now and the ph has been stable for four days. It has transpired almost half of the water in the tank. About 8 or 9 gallons of 16 or 18 to start. I will get my hands on a test pen asap. thanks for the replies and keep them coming. 22 days of 12-12 any thoughts?

cheechZS said:

wow! EC and ph pens r not necessary,follow the instructions on the bottle?? Sorry but that's some of the worst advice I've heard!

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I have got my hands on a ec, ppm test pen to use until the ones I ordered come in. my tap water from well is 145. I will be testing my grow tonight after the lights come on at 6 pm. will update.

update. 5 day's ago I canged res. today ec is 976 ph is 6.0 a couple plants have leaf curl all else good. The info I found said ec for flowering should be between 800-1500. my well water is 145. does that mean time to change? Does 800-1500 represent the two extreams,Or safe guidelines. Any thoughts?

If your ppms r 976 check again later and if its dropped she needs more food,if it raises then its drinking more than its eating add plain water. Gotta play with it until it stays pretty steady meaning uptaking equal amounts of food and water. As she matures she will need more food. Just check often and keep adjusting....your meter is your friend!

What u r reading is a tds measurment represented in ppms. It's all a conversion of conductivity,at what conversion rate is your pen reading 5 or 7?