I need some basic hydroponics advice

AZPsyclops

AZPsyclops

Well-Known Member
I have plenty of experience growing in soil but have only been into areo-ponics for a month or so. My deep water culture friend says I need help and I agree.<br>
Here is my grow, I have two five gallon black buckets for the grow and a five gallon rez.<br type="_moz">
I know that the plants are at two different stages and probably shouldn't have done that, but anyway, I need to know the basics.
These plants are growing in rookwool and being fed general hydroponics FloraMicro and FloraBloom now at 1tbs/gal each.
Between the two o them thy are eating 1 gallon a day in water.
Tap water tests at 250 ppm, 8.0 PH; after nutrients are mixed, test is: 670 ppm. with a 6.0 PH. I let this sit for an hour before I test again ppm and PH steady.
I clean and change the rez. and hour later after I have ran the new rez. water the PH jumps to an 8.0. I don't know why? 40 drops of PH down takes it to 6.0. This has taken is tool on the plants as you can see.
My ppm drops to 540 in 24hrs. Adding 2 tbs/gal, of each and 1/4 tsp.of FF open sesame, one gallon a day to keep ppm at 640. They will be moved into flower within a week.
I have kept up my ppm's and plants look way better.
I still don't think I've got this at all.
I would hate to do something stupid and lose the big girl in flower.
Any advice is welcome. Thanks.
 

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hydrosoil78

hydrosoil78

Active Member
If you say the big one is most important and you need it to flower, start to think about if the rest are ready for flowering or will they be separated.
Any vegging plants have to be somewhere else and you have to make it dark for the night period. If you flowered with those lights already they should be OK. I think the big plant might be outgrowing the light zone or the container that's why the leaf in the middle is dying. Figure out if it's worth it to make a separate veg zone or put them all in flowering.
 
AZPsyclops

AZPsyclops

Well-Known Member
I thought about reservoir size too. If I keep it up daily I think it will be OK?
Yes I have a perpetual grow going for over a year and can flower when space in flower room is available.
 
Silky Shagsalot

Silky Shagsalot

Well-Known Member
AZPsyclops said:
I have plenty of experience growing in soil but have only been into areo-ponics for a month or so. My deep water culture friend says I need help and I agree.<br>
Here is my grow, I have two five gallon black buckets for the grow and a five gallon rez.<br type="_moz">
I know that the plants are at two different stages and probably shouldn't have done that, but anyway, I need to know the basics.
These plants are growing in rookwool and being fed general hydroponics FloraMicro and FloraBloom now at 1tbs/gal each.
Between the two o them thy are eating 1 gallon a day in water.
Tap water tests at 250 ppm, 8.0 PH; after nutrients are mixed, test is: 670 ppm. with a 6.0 PH. I let this sit for an hour before I test again ppm and PH steady.
I clean and change the rez. and hour later after I have ran the new rez. water the PH jumps to an 8.0. I don't know why? 40 drops of PH down takes it to 6.0. This has taken is tool on the plants as you can see.
My ppm drops to 540 in 24hrs. Adding 2 tbs/gal, of each and 1/4 tsp.of FF open sesame, one gallon a day to keep ppm at 640. They will be moved into flower within a week.
I have kept up my ppm's and plants look way better.
I still don't think I've got this at all.
I would hate to do something stupid and lose the big girl in flower.
Any advice is welcome. Thanks.
Click to expand...
ya, me too. i'm sure some do fine, but i would go with ten gals. i'd raise the feed strength too, and ph to (5.8, but 6'll work.) i just like the other better. i don't know about anyone else, but i don't wait after i ph. maybe should, i don't know. never seems to change. what are the ages?
 
AZPsyclops

AZPsyclops

Well-Known Member
5.8 has been a trickey MF to get so I said 6.0 was fine.
The pump is 700 GPH and I'll never run more than two buckets.
Summer is a coming and think that you are right.
Average water temp. is 73 f. right now, but summers get hot here.
 
UncleReemis

UncleReemis

Well-Known Member
I think you should realize that you totally got this :P what you're doing right now I would describe as tweaking and making adjustments. The plants look satisfyingly healthy to me
 
JohnnySocko

JohnnySocko

Active Member
...and some unsolicited other advice: fuck the rot ...
I'd either cop some Dutch Masters zone and NEVER look back
OR
Go the live/bennies route and keep up with that....
either way, I will never go hydro w/o doing either.....
 
AZPsyclops

AZPsyclops

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the input guys.
I'm gad no-one has seen any major problems.
My friend gave me a rash shit for letting her get burned during a PH swing.
They will be going under the HPS's in a week.
Big plant is an AK-47 and the smaller one is Headband Kush.
Thanks again I appreciate it.
 
midnitetoak

midnitetoak

Active Member
Hey AZPsyclops- I'm doing aero & having similar ph issues- was it just that your ppms were too lo? I notice in aero how much faster everything happens & it stands to reason they are using up nutrients faster than they can buffer the ph to compensate- I believe this is why my ph keeps rising up so thinking about jacking the nutes up to like 1000 ppms but dont wanna burn em- how'd you make out?
 
Silky Shagsalot

Silky Shagsalot

Well-Known Member
i think a lot of times ph issues are caused by too many plants using the same rez. 5 gals. per plant might help with those swings...
 
AZPsyclops

AZPsyclops

Well-Known Member
Silky Shagsalot said:
i think a lot of times ph issues are caused by too many plants using the same rez. 5 gals. per plant might help with those swings...
Click to expand...
I am starting to see your point.
I just set up my next aero-grow, with one plant on its own 5 gallon rez.
The other two have been moved into flower; the big girl was super-cropped. They are both looking great. Both plants were topped Uncle Ben style and I got 4 mains from each; I average 3 mains, got lucky.

Thank you midnitetoak
I think that you are absolutely right. I increased my ppm's to a steady 750 ppm and PH flucuations have stopped completely. I am running at a steady 6.0 with no PH up or down after nutrient mix.
I am also staying steady even when adding 1 gal/2tsp. nutrients daily
 
M

mrblu

Well-Known Member
you should use 2 5 gallon buckets per plant imo. 1 bucket with a net cup on it then the other buckets will be attached so you can have like 6-7 gallons of water per plant. it helps fight swings in temps ppm ph etc. that way you just take the lid off the bucket without the plant on top and its much easier to work with. i too am running DWC with 2 plants now and an aeroponic tupperware bin. i think il be switching to all DWC soon because doing rez change once a week is cutting out on alot of the work and soil and getting rid of spent soil and such. so far it grows faster and hopefully will increase yields. i used to do lots of 3g pots but i think im switchin to growing a tree under each 1k or possibly 2 instead of 8-9 3g pots.
 
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