Bubbleponics/DWC top fed seedling issue HELP

[TheWizZ]

Whats up fellas.

So basically this is my first attempt. I've done quite a bit of research and this will be my first post. I germinated seeds on about the 30th of dec and put them in rock wool on about the 4th of January. They're first true leafs are about 3/8-1/2" big (just starting to grow). They're maybe a inch tall. I have no nutes in the water just well water(comes out at 80-90ppm and the water sits at about 120 after I add ph down. I have top feed hoses which run a constant trickle to the rock wool cubes. These are under my 400MH dimmed to 50% and its sitting about 20-24" away. Temp is 75-77 and water temp is 63-69. They're sitting in 5" net pots and the water is 1-2" below the pots. I have 3 air 12" air stones and my tub is 18G holding about 15g or so.

My seedlings colytdone leaves look droopy and so do my main leafs. It's been about 7-8 days and they still haven't shown roots out of the net pot... This morning I unplugged the pump to my feeder tubes in hopes that they would look to the reservoir for the water. I plan on plugging the top feeder back in when I get home but was curious if I'm over reacting or not. The rockwool is constantly moist so I just started second guessing the system I guess...Maybe I just need to wait longer for roots..

 

[rkymtnman]

rockwool is a pain in the arse. too wet=problems, too dry=problems.

 

[TheWizZ]

rockwool is a pain in the arse. too wet=problems, too dry=problems.

So I've heard lol... next time around I may take a different route but most of the "how to's" I've followed states to use it and the rose man tutorial pretty much states to keep the top fed line directly into the side of the rockwool. Idk I might be over reacting too quickly.

 

[rkymtnman]

So I've heard lol... next time around I may take a different route but most of the "how to's" I've followed states to use it and the rose man tutorial pretty much states to keep the top fed line directly into the side of the rockwool. Idk I might be over reacting too quickly.

try out rapid rooters next time. i have great luck with them starting seeds.

 

[TheWizZ]

try out rapid rooters next time. i have great luck with them starting seeds.

Will do appreciate it.

Still open to any suggestions or ideas.

 

[rkymtnman]

Will do appreciate it.

Still open to any suggestions or ideas.

i used to get clones in rockwool. i'd take a sterile razor blade and gently cut them out of it and put the clone into hydroton. probably not what you want to hear but if they keep loooking bad, might be worth it.

 

[TheWizZ]

i used to get clones in rockwool. i'd take a sterile razor blade and gently cut them out of it and put the clone into hydroton. probably not what you want to hear but if they keep loooking bad, might be worth it.

I'll post a picture later that should help.

 

[DrBlaze]

1- You must have some nutes in the water or it will not grow. It has by this time used up all the energy that was in the seed. Soil growers may add plain water for a bit as there is some nutrient in the soil, but hydro growers must have something in the water for the plants to grow with. Bring your ppm up to 200-250 with the nutes, after a week or so you can gradually increase that.

2- KEEP TOP FEEDING. Your plant isn't going to able to magically get water and nutes from down below.

3- Bring the water level up. I like to keep it so its pretty much in contact with the netpot till the roots make it into the water. Once there's a few of them I let them drink it up till there's about a half inch gap, then keep it there forever. A 2 inch gap is a waste, its like putting 2 inches less dirt in a pot. The roots won't be doing anything to feed the plant and will just get ropy over time as they are just holding onto the rootball that is under water.

4 - Rockwool is fantastic, I transplant all my seeds into it after germination. 100% success rate with germed seeds. IMO Rapid rooters are more suited for soil and coc growers, but I wouldn't put them in a hydro system (well maybe a flood and drain using coco, but not dwc).

 

[TheWizZ]

1- You must have some nutes in the water or it will not grow. It has by this time used up all the energy that was in the seed. Soil growers may add plain water for a bit as there is some nutrient in the soil, but hydro growers must have something in the water for the plants to grow with. Bring your ppm up to 200-250 with the nutes, after a week or so you can gradually increase that.

2- KEEP TOP FEEDING. Your plant isn't going to able to magically get water and nutes from down below.

3- Bring the water level up. I like to keep it so its pretty much in contact with the netpot till the roots make it into the water. Once there's a few of them I let them drink it up till there's about a half inch gap, then keep it there forever. A 2 inch gap is a waste, its like putting 2 inches less dirt in a pot. The roots won't be doing anything to feed the plant and will just get ropy over time as they are just holding onto the rootball that is under water.

4 - Rockwool is fantastic, I transplant all my seeds into it after germination. 100% success rate with germed seeds. IMO Rapid rooters are more suited for soil and coc growers, but I wouldn't put them in a hydro system (well maybe a flood and drain using coco, but not dwc).

Thanks for the reply! I was under the impression that I was suppose to wait for the colytdone leafs to die before starting nutes but I will add some tonight if it's needed. Would I be able to add a gallon of nutes/phd water to my res?(too raise the water and the water level?) or dump it and add fresh?

I was worried that by constantly top feeding with the pump that the roots would never look to send roots to the reservoir. I'll turn it back on and let it rip!

My only complaint about rockwool is the negative posts ive read about it lol other then that I have no personal issue with it yet.

Also by top fed I mean I have a pump with a 1/4" line butted up to the rockwool.(idk if you thought I mean hand watered)

 

[rkymtnman]

ou must have some nutes in the water or it will not grow.

good catch! i missed the no nutes part.

IMO Rapid rooters are more suited for soil and coc growers, but I wouldn't put them in a hydro system (well maybe a flood and drain using coco, but not dwc).

not to argue, but i've used at least 2 bags of RR's in dwc and rdwc. no issues.

 

[TheWizZ]

 

[TheWizZ]

 

[TheWizZ]

 

[TheWizZ]

 

[TheWizZ]

Hopefully pictures will help clarify somethings. Not that I'm not taking what was said and running with it I just want to make sure I'm doing everything correctly.

 

[TheWizZ]

Well nutes are in 235 ppm and 5.7ph. I also added some hydroguard and a little bit of calmag fingers crossed

 

[cool2burn]

Did you soak your Rockwool cubes before you started to adjust the pH?

 

[DrBlaze]

not to argue, but i've used at least 2 bags of RR's in dwc and rdwc. no issues

Cool, I have never used them, and I usually avoid commenting on anything I don't have personal experience with...I just always imagined them breaking up and going through the system and clogging my pump. I grow good size plants, the stalks will end up bigger than the rooters, so they would be totally torn apart over time . I like the rockwool as it pretty much breaks apart into dust and tiny fibers.

Hopefully pictures will help clarify something

Yes you can clearly see signs of both micro and macro nutrient deficiency, and stunted growth. It will take a few days to bounce back, but you should be fine. Try to resist the urge to do any more to it for about a week - new growers sometimes have a tendency to love their plants to death I wouldn't even adjust ph for the next week, just let it drift, you want zero stress right now. And keep that hydroten wet, but try not to drench the rockwool and drown the new roots (this is where a drip ring comes in handy, if you dont have one they are simple to diy with some hose and plastic tees from hardware store - I use a soldering iron to put the holes in the hose)
.

 

[TheWizZ]

Did you soak your Rockwool cubes before you started to adjust the pH?

Yeah

 

[TheWizZ]

Cool, I have never used them, and I usually avoid commenting on anything I don't have personal experience with...I just always imagined them breaking up and going through the system and clogging my pump. I grow good size plants, the stalks will end up bigger than the rooters, so they would be totally torn apart over time . I like the rockwool as it pretty much breaks apart into dust and tiny fibers.



Yes you can clearly see signs of both micro and macro nutrient deficiency, and stunted growth. It will take a few days to bounce back, but you should be fine. Try to resist the urge to do any more to it for about a week - new growers sometimes have a tendency to love their plants to death I wouldn't even adjust ph for the next week, just let it drift, you want zero stress right now. And keep that hydroten wet, but try not to drench the rockwool and drown the new roots (this is where a drip ring comes in handy, if you dont have one they are simple to diy with some hose and plastic tees from hardware store - I use a soldering iron to put the holes in the hose)
.

Awesome thanks for the help! Should my top feed be on 24/7 or should I get a timer? I thought because I was pumping air into the res that it would allow me to constantly push that water onto the rock wool.

I'll try not to do anything but check on them lol

Thanks again for all the help!