Thundercat's Groooooooow

Hey Guys...

I just wanted to thrown in my 2 cents on the DYI Ebb/Flow trays...

It is possible AND cheap to make your own... I know because I have made and run them with success...

BUT...

There is something to be said about the way the "real" trays are designed...

They have a LOW spot for your fittings... and "channels" throughout the tray...

What that means, is that when you Drain, the pots do not sit in a puddle of water...

Believe me... you will be hard pressed to find a DYI tray that has those features...

I vote for the "white" Botanicare trays... they are durable and reapairable... I "inherited" a couple of these that are more than 5 years old and working as if they were brand new ...

Nothing invites disease and root rot more than standing water in your tray...

Just my two cents...

and that is from the guy that currently has DYI trays working, but they are the only ones with slime and algae....

I think my 48"x48"x7" (48 x 5" pots) with the 600 HPS is a very efficient combination...

I haven't finished a full tray all at once, but the lightest lollipops are coming in at 12g... the biggest one was 32g.. with lots of 20g's...

I'll let you do the math...

Anyways.. sorry for rambling...

Peace...

No rambling at all gypsy, its great to hear from you man. I figured you'd be thrilled I decided to go ebb and flow. It just seems like the easiest way to step into hydro. Did you look at the link of the ones I was looking at. I was thinking the 4 individual ones systems So I could adjust the nutes depending on what week of flowering they are in. The one I linked to held 10 plants, I figured with 4 of those under my 1000w that would be 40 plants flowering at once. You said you average 20g per plant, with a 600w? So maybe 200g per system every 2-3 weeks. That would work for me. That would be 3/4g per watt, which seems achievable.

I have found that having one BIG res works the best for me....

I fill it up with more water than I need, but there is no need to replenish in the 2 weeks...

Ph does not fluctuate wildly, neither does PPM....

I know I am using more nutes than I need to, because I am using more water, but not having to do anything with the res for 10 to 14 days is deff. worth it to me...

I use 1400 PPM for all stages and all clones from day one to harvest...

I vote for a big tray and a big res...

Al flowered 96 plants per 1000 watts...

I flower 48 per 600...

1000 watts for 40 plants seems overkill, unless you are not lollipoping them...

I recommend...

48"x48"x7" White Botanicare Tray

http://www.americanagritech.com/product/product_detail.asp?ID=8&pro_id_pk=52




and...

100 gallon stock tank by RubberMaid, available at your local feed store for about 100 bucks...

So you run the same nutes for all your plants all the time? I was thinking about not really lolli popping them. Maybe a veg unit instead of having mothers. Take some clones, and once they root into the veg unit for 2-3 weeks, then take clones, and into the flower unit till harvest, as the next clones go into veg, and repeat. I thought about putting a scrog net over each system too. I don't know I've got all kinda of ideas. I suppose if I got the tray, I could just only fill 1/4 of it at a time. Part of my thing is I'm not gonna be able to invest in any more lights for awhile, so I want somthing I can work under just my 1000w, and 400w for veg. I guess I could do more like you guys, and just stick the clones into flower as soon as they root, did you say you use 5" pots. You just pack the table with them?

I run the same nutes... the whole time... for all my plants...

Lollipops work well for me and a lot of other folks...

Mothers allow me to keep multiple strains...
if you are running only one, then the "clones from clones" works well, and you could still lollipop them...

Scrogs are a lot of work.. and require long vegging... but they are beautiful...

Lollipops are just practical... from cloning to trimming...

You have a 1000 watter, that is more than enough...

Dude... you would grow some serious donkey dicks...

If you get one of those 48"x48" trays and slap that light over it, I guarantee you will blow my 20g lollipops into the world of shame...

And I am not sure if you got it right, I said AL uses 1000 watts per 2 trays... so you have more than enough light...

and yes.. my trays get packed tight... minus one for the fill/drain fittings...

TC, Grams /Watt I think Al's method is pretty much worth following, with the changes required to suit your hand...

But I say 4 lollipops per square foot is an excellent way to use your tray/light...

I could get down with using the tray, I just mostly wasn't sure about running the same nutes for all of them. As far as using multiple strains, I don't see why I couldn't take clones from clones with differant strains, Just gotta keep them going. I'm sure it would be cheaper to just by one 4x4 or maybe 5x5(if I could find one), and pack it with lollipops. Put the clones in at about 6-8 inch? If I could find some 6 inch square pots, and 5x5 table I could fit almost 100 clones on it. My 1000w would cover a 5x5 pretty nicely I think. Even a 4x4 I should be able to fit about 70, which would be plenty I think.

what a bigger PITA, watering your soil plants every 3-7 days
or playing with your res/ph/ppm... every week or 2 ... ?

Clones from clones on multiple strains can prove to be very difficult to keep a schedule with...

But if you think you can manage it, who am I to say you can't...

I'll just say that multiple strains in my op have been better served by moms...

Yeah, 6 to 8 inchers are fine, but you have more light... so I would venture and say that you could feed the system with bigger clones...

The way I look at it Weedman is that I've been watering every 7 days or so as they need it. Each time I water I have to ph, and check the ppm and everything to all the water for my plants, about 8 gallons now. I'd personally rather set my rez every week or two, and not think about it to be honest.

Gypsy I think I'm only going to be running like 2 strains at a time to start, so they might be kinda on differant scedules, but I figure it should work out in the end. I'm still a couple months away from that step, but I'm tryin to start getting prepared. I'm gona try to make the move with my clones ready to go into the system I go with. So all I have to do is set it up, and turn everything on.

420weedman said:

what a bigger PITA, watering your soil plants every 3-7 days
or playing with your res/ph/ppm... every week or 2 ... ?

Click to expand...

Not a fair question...

Hydro is more of a pain if everything is running 100%

But one deficiency, one disease or pest and your soil grow can turn into a nightmare...

I rather have the precise control that hydro allows me...

But that is my opinion...

GypsyBush said:

But one deficiency, one disease or pest and your soil grow can turn into a nightmare...

Click to expand...

so a pest problem with hydro is a .... ?

420weedman said:

so a pest problem with hydro is a .... ?

Click to expand...

... lot more avoidable....

Cannabis is the only living organism in my op....

No bugs, no microbes or bacteria... just cannabis...

Weedman.. I am not trying to say hydro is perfect...

EVERYTHING is a compromise... everything...

GypsyBush said:

... lot more avoidable....

Cannabis is the only living organism in my op....

No bugs, no microbes or bacteria... just cannabis...

Click to expand...

avoiding wasnt the question, you HAVE them

GypsyBush said:

Weedman.. I am not trying to say hydro is perfect...

EVERYTHING is a compromise... everything...

Click to expand...

i know

So I'm heading to the store to get some carbon and supplies to make my air filter. Its in the fish tank section right?

Thundercat said:

So I'm heading to the store to get some carbon and supplies to make my air filter. Its in the fish tank section right?

Click to expand...

yes, shits kinda expensive at petco

Thundercat said:

So I'm heading to the store to get some carbon and supplies to make my air filter. Its in the fish tank section right?

Click to expand...

Check flea bay....guy on there sells it bulk much much cheaper.

Off topic and not to hijack your thread....could you take some shots of your shroom setup whenever you get a chance? My wife has been on me to get a small set up going and curious as to the easiest methods.
Love the journal, been lurking for a while...subscribed +REP

Thanks for the info guys, but its getting procrastinated. I checked my bank account, and until I get some more cash, its on hold. Thankfully they don't stink yet, but they are getting some smell so I want to get it done soon.

Shipinit, I'll go take some pics right now, the load them up. It doesn't look very impressive right now, I've only got one tray going. I've got another one in my incubator, along with a bunch of jars that are colonizing. I also added 4, 3.5lb rye grain spawn bags I injected with spores last week. I'm hoping they all colonize well, I'm kinda counting on it. I have fairly detailed instructions on everything I did back in the first half of the thread. I'm gonna go get those pics. Peace guys. TC

Ok so heres a couple pics. The chambers under a floro light. Then one of the tray I've got going, and a closeup of the fun guys!





I'll get some pics of the plants up in the next day or two, I just watered them today, but forgot to take pics. The kush is starting to form some actual flowers, and all the plants but the one power skunk ( formerly gonna be the ornamental) are putting on trichs already. The WW not only looks amazing, it smells so good to. It has a very differant smell then any of the other plants.

Wuddup TC - Your plants are lookin like theyre gonna end up with some nice big ass nugs on the mains. Impressive shit brother!! -Its awesome seein those bitches come to fruition for you, its been a loooooooooong time comin, thats for damn sure, lol. Ive known you for what? like 7-8 months now? Congrats dude. Cant wait to see them in another 3 weeks, the difference is gonna be fuckin crazy!!

-My 2 cents on the hydro system you were thinkin about pickin up...I think that for the cash your about to spend, you'd do better pickin up 2 4x8 trays from the Moon. or as close to it as you can get. Ordering a hydro system via internet is a bitch, cuz they get you in the ass on shipping dude. If i wanted my 4x8 tray from where i originally ordered it from, they wanted somethin like 130 bucks for shipping alone. THATS fuckin crazy. I just ended up gettin the two 3x3 trays n they actually refunded me 40 bucks. But the system your thinkin about getting would be efficient yeah, but for the 260 that it costs, you can get the tables, and end up with WAY more bud in the long run. Pick up some PVC piping, n buy a Rubbermaid Roughneck tote from Walmart (50gal), and measure it so your PVC stand you make sits about 2-3 inches from the lid of the tote. That way your stand keeps everything nice n low, n you have plenty of room for your girls to grow if your gonna veg them out.

As for which is easier, as of this second, i would say soil is still easier as far as being able to just feed n forget your girls, but Hydro really is ALOT cleaner than soil is, n once you get your rez dialed in, its virtually hassle free. It took me like a week n a half to get everything where i want it to be (even though i guess im still doin somethin wrong, lol), but once i got there, now i just go down to the basement a couple times a day to check on shit, n make sure nothin busted or is overflowing, lol. I flood twice a day, but i think im gonna go down to once a day, because i think i might be over-saturating my blocks n loose floc, because im seeing some slow progress at the moment. I guess after growing soil n being used to that for a while, it takes a little bit to get used to growing in hydro. But itll be worth the change once i get at least one harvest down n then ill know what to expect,and what i need to tweak out to make everything work a little smoother.

Your doin awesome man, n you've pretty much had nothin but success with everything you've done, so mad props to your ass for sure . Keep up the good work man. O, n im catchin up to ya man!! i've had trichomes for about a week now, n the stretch is goin on, so im gaining height every day. Ill snap off a pic or two real quick as soon as the lights come on tonight. Im just gonna leave my ladies in flower. Even the ones that were small as hell are takin off, n i think theyre gonna end up lookin like my widows did. Cant wait man. I hope that we get a harvest at the same time dude. That Shit would be sweet. if we managed to pull that shit off, id for sure be willin to take a Camping trip, n share some Kind with mah bruh

..Anyways, Take care man, n ill send on over some pics tonight n let you check that shit out!! lights come on around 8.