What’s with these leaves?

Hello all
Bit of a newbie here.
I’ll start with my setup:
-Current culture UC8 RDWC
-Rayonled 720 (720watt) Led medical grade grow Light X2
-Active Aqua 1/4 chiller
-9x5 Gotilla grow tent
-Blue Labs Guardian monitor
-Humidifier
-Two 8” Vortex S line fans and carbon filters
-Growzone HT2 controller
-Two fan controllers

current conditions
- Constant water temp at 66deg
- PH at 5.5 - 6.5 (more on this below)
- Ppm (700 scale) is currently 180
- using Current culture nutes (Veg A, Veg B, UC Roots, Cococal) @ 180 ppm for first week
- plants are 19 days
- lights set to 50% and 36” from plants(moved up from 24”)
-Humidity 50%
-Tent temp 71 deg

seedlings germinated fine. Got a little stretchy so I bought two 30 watt CFLs with a bit more blue and lowered. Fixed the stretch. After two weeks they were growing their third nodes so I moved from the planting dome(lid off) to the RDWC. They were in rapid rooters.

I noticed the plants starting to droop and noticed water level was a bit high so I dialed it down so that the water was 1/4 inch below the planting deck inside the basket. They straightened out pretty good. Now the PH has been a PIA to level. First two days it would swing from 5.5 to 7 overnight. I think the Hydroton was the issue even though I did wash it and PH it...so now since Monday I have the PH finally in a balance zone where it goes from 5.5 to 6.5 every couple days.

but now the bottom leaves and new growth are turning yellow. There is lots of roots, but they are not through the basket yet. I did add some Gold root excelerator to the reservoir at half strength as I thought maybe nitrogen deficiency but that doesn’t seem to be helping. I don’t think lights are an issue as I moved from 50% strength at 24” and raised to 36”.
Water is well below the planting deck but the rapid rooter is still soaked. I assume from the bubbling pops.

other strange thing is it’s not all plants only half of them. And looking at the pics I would have thought they would be larger by almost 3 weeks old...

is 180ppm (700 scale) too low or high for 19 day old plants?

maybe light still too strong?

maybe more Gold root nitrogen?

maybe initial PH swing caused nute lockout?

Give them more time to adjust to the Gold roots nitrogen addition and water/light?

It’s strange they seem to be growing fast since I transferred them into the system but no real root growth coming down and they seem to be not as healthy.

maybe your ph is too low and food is too weak maybe try 350-500 ppm for the next week then move it up as it starts to grow more. try 5.8-6.0 ph

SDK420 said:

maybe your ph is too low and food is too weak maybe try 350-500 ppm for the next week then move it up as it starts to grow more. try 5.8-6.0 ph

Click to expand...

Yeah I’ll try that.
I’m used to cloning so seeding is much different!
Also I mean look at them. Their almost 3 weeks and look like a 5 day old lol
I’m thinking maybe starting over, unless you think they can be salvaged.

There not getting enough nutes/moisture.
Bump up the ppm too at least 700 & bring up your PH to 6.0.
Without a top feed drip, you will have to manually water until the roots reach the water.
I use seed also in a RDWC, but I start in Rockwool and then transplant into my pots at 4 weeks when the root system has been fully developed.
Nice system by the way & if you need more advice, PM me.
Good luck my friend

Hey Jim
Thanks! I’m sure it’ll be great when I get this seedling thing Down
The roots haven’t pulled through the planting deck in the basket...
You think it’s ok to up nutes that high for 19 day old plants that are clearly stunted?
Right now the water level is 1/4” below the planting deck, should I up my water level or hand feed from the reservoir? I did pull the hydroton and the rapid rooters are saturated from the bubbling.