Ive switched from 200w CFL to a 600w HPS.. Advice.
- Thread starter ak90
- Start date
jondamon
Well-Known Member
Firstly have you upgraded your extraction to compensate for the INSANE amount of heat a 600w brings with it?
Secondly, more heat, more useable light = more growth from the plants = more nutes and more water.
If you grow in coco I highly recommend the use of an EC/TDS/ppm meter.
This way you can monitor what strength you are feeding vs the strength of what comes out in runoff.
J
Secondly, more heat, more useable light = more growth from the plants = more nutes and more water.
If you grow in coco I highly recommend the use of an EC/TDS/ppm meter.
This way you can monitor what strength you are feeding vs the strength of what comes out in runoff.
J
ak90
Active Member
Yo ive got a 6 inch extractor fan and carbon filter in my loft with the air cycle bringing in fresh air from a vent in my loft too. i have a decent desk fan in my garden too. im using sensigrow a+b and grandma enggys H2. ive just mixed up a 4L mix for the next few days or so .. my plants as you can see are already in there final pots (i think there 20L) to save stress. ive got a pH meter but not too sure what you mentioned is..? cheers.
ThaMagnificent
Well-Known Member
You will need ventilation ASAP!
ak90
Active Member
as i just said my air con is set up. i have fresh air ventilation and my carbonfilet and extractor up in my loft pulling the hot air out.. i also have a desk fan pumping the air around in my room... heres what my setup is lik
e ...
jondamon
Well-Known Member
I'm assuming your carbon filter is inside your grow room??
I hope it is.
Sounds very similar to my setup.
I intake cool air from my soffits and blow warm out into the main attic area.
If you have any bends in duct work its best to remove them in favour of straight runs. As few a bends as possible. Every 90 bend restricts airflow by around 20%. If your 6" fan is 350CFM or 500m3/h then this would drop to 280cfm or 400m3/h for 1 90 bend.
The EC PPM TDS meters in referring to are an integral part IMO of the coco growers arsenal.
Its a way of measuring your nutrient strength.
The beauty of coco is that its an inert medium, meaning it has no nutrients so you feed every watering.
By testing the strength of your nute mix going in vs the strength of your runoff water (because you should water until you get 20% out the bottom of what you put in) you can gauge how the plants are feeding.
If your runoff is lower than the strength going in it means your plants require more nutes next time so you can increase strength next feed.
If your runoff is higher than the strength it went in at then you are over feeding and need to reduce the nute strength.
IMO I would get a calmag supplement too as they will need a shot in around 5weeks.
J
I hope it is.
Sounds very similar to my setup.
I intake cool air from my soffits and blow warm out into the main attic area.
If you have any bends in duct work its best to remove them in favour of straight runs. As few a bends as possible. Every 90 bend restricts airflow by around 20%. If your 6" fan is 350CFM or 500m3/h then this would drop to 280cfm or 400m3/h for 1 90 bend.
The EC PPM TDS meters in referring to are an integral part IMO of the coco growers arsenal.
Its a way of measuring your nutrient strength.
The beauty of coco is that its an inert medium, meaning it has no nutrients so you feed every watering.
By testing the strength of your nute mix going in vs the strength of your runoff water (because you should water until you get 20% out the bottom of what you put in) you can gauge how the plants are feeding.
If your runoff is lower than the strength going in it means your plants require more nutes next time so you can increase strength next feed.
If your runoff is higher than the strength it went in at then you are over feeding and need to reduce the nute strength.
IMO I would get a calmag supplement too as they will need a shot in around 5weeks.
J
jondamon
Well-Known Member
Another thing is that its usually not advised to start in the pot you're going to finish in.
Small seedlings are best grown in small pots to begin with, this helps to build a root structure and promote root health.
By using a larger pot its easy to UNDER water your plants because you are waiting for the pot to feel light again which could be too long to wait if the seedlings roots are still only in the top 2" of your pots. WHERE IT COULD BE BONE DRY!!!
Just be careful. Watch for signs of wilting.
Bottom leaves are very bendy and floppy. Whole plant can be very floppy if severe.
J
Small seedlings are best grown in small pots to begin with, this helps to build a root structure and promote root health.
By using a larger pot its easy to UNDER water your plants because you are waiting for the pot to feel light again which could be too long to wait if the seedlings roots are still only in the top 2" of your pots. WHERE IT COULD BE BONE DRY!!!
Just be careful. Watch for signs of wilting.
Bottom leaves are very bendy and floppy. Whole plant can be very floppy if severe.
J
ak90
Active Member
cheers for the info dude.
no my carbon filter is attached to the end of the extractor fan in my loft ....
and my fresh air ductin is attached to a air port up in my loft.. i can control it when it gets too cold too.
and i will order one of them asap if its worth it which it seems to be.
cheers for the info again AK
ak90
Active Member
also i got my two plants from cuttings. they were already a few inches big so i switched straight to the 20l's. my one plant was suffering from nute deprovation so i had to pick the ded leaves off and start again
jondamon
Well-Known Member
Carbon filters (most not all) require air to be pulled through them not blown.
My carbon filter sits in my grow room.
If you look at the thread in my signature this is my old room before fuzz came knocking.
In this room my fans were mounted in the attic. I had a dedicated fan for my light and another for my filter. The filter hung inside the room with ducting attaching it to the fan within the attic.
Do you know the brand of filter you are using?
All the brand names such as CAN, PHRESH, RHINO, PHAT etc are made to be pulled through not pushed through.
J
My carbon filter sits in my grow room.
If you look at the thread in my signature this is my old room before fuzz came knocking.
In this room my fans were mounted in the attic. I had a dedicated fan for my light and another for my filter. The filter hung inside the room with ducting attaching it to the fan within the attic.
Do you know the brand of filter you are using?
All the brand names such as CAN, PHRESH, RHINO, PHAT etc are made to be pulled through not pushed through.
J
ak90
Active Member
..... how do you come up with this theory? if the false door is air tight, then the only air passing through my grow room is the cool air being sucked in from a vent up in my loft...???
ak90
Active Member
no way what happened bud?
and mines a rhino but it only has one way to be attached and thats to be pushed through.. i asked the bloke in the shop i brought it from and he told me to attach it to my fan so the fan in blowing into the filter and sucking air from my room.. :S
diggindirt
Well-Known Member
I agree, air should be pulled through the filter. That's why they all come with the cloth pre-filter. The carbon is porous and pulling the air through it allows the smell particles to be trapped in these cracks and crevices. When you push air through the filter, you're trapping dust, pollen, hair, lint, whatever is in the air in the carbon reducing it's lifespan and also effectiveness.
I would certainly trust the people here with their experince and advice over the "Bloke @ the growshop" as some shops hire simply on the application that's submitted, not the knowledge that these guys actually have. Lots of grow shops have a lot of turnover in their employees, and unless you're dropping off "tips" everytime you go in, all they really care about is selling you stuff, not how well it works for you. The people here want to see you succeed, not just sell you something.
Good luck mate!
I would certainly trust the people here with their experince and advice over the "Bloke @ the growshop" as some shops hire simply on the application that's submitted, not the knowledge that these guys actually have. Lots of grow shops have a lot of turnover in their employees, and unless you're dropping off "tips" everytime you go in, all they really care about is selling you stuff, not how well it works for you. The people here want to see you succeed, not just sell you something.
Good luck mate!
ak90
Active Member
cheers bud that does make sense. rep+ for both of you anyway peace.
