PICTURES!!! DIY hydro drip system, under $60, 1st time grow journal.

This is my first time growing hydroponically, did my homework and came up with good plans for a self contained drip system made in a large rubbermaid tote. The plants were germ'd in the usual manner, paper towel in a bag, then transplanted to rockwool soaked overnight in distilled plus a dash of ph down. I let the seedlings grow to the second node then transplanted them to the system using distilled only, no nutes of course. There are sitting under a 150 watt hps, obtained free of charge, and the fluoros under them are 17 watt plant lights obtained from the local super center. each plant is in a 6 x 6 inch square planter, so i'm obviously not gunning for monsters, more like a mod. s.o.g. i suppose. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated! oh yeah, i almost forgot, the seeds are a mix of cali big bud, lavender, and grandaddy purp, i'm thinking 5 of 6 are the big bud, and 1 lav, but I have no real idea. These pics are 2 days after placing the rockwool in the hydro system, and only a few hours after being under the 150 w hps. 201 total watts of light, after fluoros, enough to get through vegetating with no problems, I believe, after I will switch to 400 w hps.

Looks pretty cool! Although if that is clear tubing, I would probably use the black 1/4 inch tubing available at like lowes or HD.

clear tubing is ussualy for air pumps in aquarium and arnt good under high pressure but drip isnt high pressure is it?
also put your lights above the plants dude not next to them, it will lower the air circulation increase temp and get less light to the plant the way you got it

ah i see you already got something abit heavier above it

Be careful that the security lamp does not burn through the bungey cord.
I used to use halogens a while back and i always hung them using metal wire as they get very hot especially on the front glass panel.

Also never to remove the glass panel as those halogens do explode especially when they are left on for 12 hours at a time every day.
Halogens are pretty useless for the veg cycle by the way anyway and are only okish for adding a boost to flowering as they emit some red light.

Okay, I got a few of the bugs worked out. As far as the clear tubing goes, the pressure hasn't been an issue, and algae formation seemed to be the only downfall I could see with clear tubing, so I just electrical taped it all, bam! black tubing. I suggest the same to anyone else who gets frustrated with the impossible to work with black irrigation tubing. its a lot easier to tape clear tube than it is to work with that black crap. As far as the ropes on my HPS, I took that they might break into consideration and have a back up rope tied so if the others break, it will just dangle from the backup instead of crashing my whole system, the 150 w will only be on through veg, and I will be getting a remote ballast 400 w for flowering. more pics in a day or two after I get some new growth. As for my drip timers, I have them on 15 mins, off 30, all day, anyone see any problems with that? once again, the seedlings were started in rockwool then set inside the hydroton with the drippers in the rockwool itself.

Here are the new pics as promised, not much new growth since yesterday, but you can see what the clear tubing taped over looks like, and the full view of the closet, which is still serving its original purpose as you can see. That's a vornado fan in the bottom right of the closet, its amazing.
oh yeah, the dripper timer thing again, 15 on, 30 off, all day, good??? seems to be working great.

Looks like they may have some nute burn? The majority of the seedlings have yellowing tips on their leaves. Are you using nutrients already?

No nutes whatsoever, distilled water only, ph 6.2-6.4, i don't know what to attribute the 2 with yellowing tips to, but I am not too worried, because the one with the worst yellowing is the one with the strongest new growth, so i'm assuming it isn't anything to worry about.

justinirony said:

No nutes whatsoever, distilled water only, ph 6.2-6.4, i don't know what to attribute the 2 with yellowing tips to, but I am not too worried, because the one with the worst yellowing is the one with the strongest new growth, so i'm assuming it isn't anything to worry about.

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I seem to get some yellowing on all my new seedlings and they grow lush and green. I put it in the "something to keep an eye on but not worry too much about" category.

Oh and nice set-up btw!

The halogen lamp won't help your plants, the spectrum isn't right, so all it does it put out heat. And you've got a hydro system with no nutes? How do your plants grow without food?

HTH

okay im real new so whats the deal with nutes? and black tubing vs clear? i know for pressure they sell clear plastic tubing-

Clear tubing will algie up and clog your drippers in a couple of days.

Who got this crazy idea that I'm using a halogen lamp??? its a 150 watt hps with two 17 watt plant fluorescents for extra blue spectrum. No halogen anywhere in my grow.

justinirony said:

Who got this crazy idea that I'm using a halogen lamp??? its a 150 watt hps with two 17 watt plant fluorescents for extra blue spectrum. No halogen anywhere in my grow.

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Well that looks like a halogen enclosure thats all.
If its a hps then no worries

Budsworth said:

Clear tubing will algie up and clog your drippers in a couple of days.

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in just a few days? okay so i guess i could e-tape it.
what are the nutes? vitamins?

I'm going to use flora nova organic hybrid nutes by general hydroponics. I will be occasionally foliar feeding with seaweed extract as well. I wish my camera could focus better up close, the babies are already covered in crystals, which doesn't make much sense to me, but I guess growing hydro is just that much better than soil, which I've grown with before. A tiny leaf touch and my fingers smelled like I just got intimate with pepe le pew.

nice to see a fellow drip grower. I have a 12 zone dripper system for veg and a 6 zone for flower. your feeding schedule seems a bit to much to me. i've had good results from 3 to 4 feedings a day during daylight hours at 5 min for seedlings and 7 - 10 min for larger plants. i like plants to be a little thirsty for feedings instead of all bloated and full from over watering. check out my latest journal for ideas or just to shoot the shit.. haha

I did a little more research and because I'm using all hydroton, and just the small rockwool plug I started the seedlings in, I'm running the pump 24 / 7. Plants are looking amazing, I added nutes 2 days ago and they look twice as big already. Using GH floranova grow at 1/8 strength, going to change the reservoir today and I will be putting 1/6 strength nutes. The H2O2 has also made a big difference i.m.o. I am using 10 drops of 35 percent h2o2 per gallon of water.