First timer

[Bechnutnascar]

Got a few grows under my belt now in soil so i thought id try this dwc. 7 1/2 gal tote from walmart (black). No idea what the strain of them 3 plants are and i took the seedlings out today and put a clone of northern lights in instead. Dont want them seeds being male and messing things up. Dual air pump. Ordered flora series ( should be here this week) in the meantime i use flora grow , calmag and sm90. Ph is 5.8-6.2 ( goes up everday so i add a few drops ph down to bring it to 5.8 ). Ppm is 510 ( tap is 130 ppm). Just started this tuesday nite. Plants have grown a little but the roots are freaking getting hugh. Is this how it works ? Also would ro water be better to use then tap since its such a small tote ? I have to fill my daughters water jug every 3 days for our water machine anyway so it would be no big deal to fill another jug. Just using cfl light for veg then timber grow lights cob for flower. I think im gonna start another 7 1/2 tote this week with more clones.

The root pics are tues wed thurs and today.

 

[Logan Burke]

RO Water certianly is a better option if you can acquire an RO system; you can find them for relatively cheap prices. Your tap water is low ppms, however, an RO system could save you a lot of guessing should you ever run into a cal/mag deficiency or PH problems. Your experience is typical of DWC growers, yes this is how it is expected to happen. It can take awhile for roots to come out of the netpot, however, when they do they absolutely explode in growth! I might suggest that you run Hydroguard and avoid H202/sterile type approaches, as that got my first DWC grow a case of root rot within 3 weeks of veggy...I started using hydroguard, and haven't had a single root issue since. Even when water temps hit 75 for the majority of the day. Not saying you shouldn't worry about high rez temps if you use Hydroguard, but it gives you much more room for error.....
It sounds like you have done your homework and are doing well. I also use GH 2 part Nutes, Veg and Flower, and it has worked absolutely incredible for me! Good luck bud I'm sure you'll do well.

 

[Bechnutnascar]

Thanks. Ya i read about the hydroguard. Gonna be getting some this week. If i like this dwc i just might switch it all over. Lol. I def got the room.

 

[NrthrnMichigan]

Just curious...Why are you using cal mag? Did they show a deficiency? It is odd that your ppm's are 510 which is great at this early stage but your leaf tips are showing signs of nute burn. It's not a bad thing but could be detrimental in the future.
If you go RO Cal Mag will be needed anyways. I say go with your tap water first and see how they do. As for root problems... Keep your water below 68f, keep the water well aerated and you shouldn't have any root problems.

Are you going to change into separate buckets or keep and finish them out in a single tote? Good luck on your dwc!

 

[Bechnutnascar]

I just thought i was suppose to use calmag. I always read about people using it so i bought some to try. If i dont need it i wont use it when i clean it out and add new water when the flora series comes. Good air flow( parents owned fish store for 20 yrs). Water temp is like 65 and im sure lower at nite with lights off. I can go single buckets or buy a bigger tote. I know i cant do 4 plants in that small tote but how about 2 ? Checked today and ppm is 510 and ph was 6.1. Will getting this ec meter really help ? It was a cheap china im sure $10 off ebay but its a start at least. If i decide this is the best way to grow for me then ill invest a little more $. Thanks for advice and help

 

[NrthrnMichigan]

Yes, a good ph and ec meter are crucial for dwc. Water temp is perfect! I let my water get down to 58 and the plants thrive in it. Those plants are going to take off quick and get big fast. The roots will get entangled with each other and if you happen to get issues with one you wont be able to isolate it from the others. How long do you plan on veg? How big do you want them to get? Will you train them with LST or topping? All things to consider.

 

[NrthrnMichigan]

Here is progress from the 9th till today. Expect fast growth and a previous grow..1 plant 1 bucket.

 

[Logan Burke]

I personally use 5 gallon black buckets from amazon, but big totes work well also. I suppose that is a preference, some people use 2.5 gallon buckets or per plant, but unless you're doing autoflowers (or even if so) I'd recommend 5 gallons of water per plant, with at least 1 lpm of air per gallon of h20, preferably more, but I have seen people do great with smaller air pumps. Big ones like mine, 120lpm, get hot without a fan on it and loud without being drilled down to a wooden table...lol. If anything but preventing root rot, Hydroguard will also make your roots grow more quickly and break down organic materials like dead/broken roots into nutrients for good microbes and the plant. Sorry, I'm stoned and rabbling lol....but DWC really isn't as hard as it seems...it is more forgiving to mistakes, you just have to be able to check your plants PH once a day. I've ran over 14 days even in flower between rez changes this grow, but once a week is ideal if you're able to or having ph problems, I just had open chest surgery so I don't have much of a choice lol, but ran my buckets at least 10 days between each rez change before surgery as well with no probs.
Happy Growing and best of luck!

 

[Bechnutnascar]

Gonna lst them. Also veg til the time is right to switch over. 4 weeks at least. My room is 52" tall so i dont want them to tall but damn if i could get a plant like that one pic of yours. That fat is amazing. Wow!!

 

[Bechnutnascar]

So its been 10 days now since i started. Pics are from day 1 and today. Gonna change water this weekend to flora grow series at half of what they say to use. The 3 clones were in the dome for at least 3 weeks before roots started showing and i started the dwc as soon as they had enough root showing. Roots are hugh. Ppm is still around 500 and ph 5.8. Still waiting for ec meter thou. I changed the light from cfl to 2 45w( so they say) led panels i got off ebay for $10 each. But they actually work ok rhey will be going under the timber grow lights in a week or so to beg for 2 weeks then flower.well thats my plan at least if every thing goes good.

 

[Bechnutnascar]

Here are my reading from today. Im gonna start doing this everyday. I have 2 ph pens and 2 ppm pens. One of them tells ec also. Readings are so different in each piece. Other then being a little different in readings do the readings look ok ?
Right dwc
Ppm white 600---ec 1185
Ppm tan 660
Ph red 5.94
Ph green 6.3
63*

Left dwc
Ppm white 490---ec 957
Ppm tan 550
Ph red 5.8
Ph green 6.1
64*

Oh by the way i have 2 7.5 gal dwc going now. Heres a pic of the pens. The green ph pen i bought off ebay as "non working" but the person had like 20.000 different items and this was the only ph pen he had so what the heck for $12 for a $60 pen is worth a try. I have gh 7.0 test and it reads right on. But even when i adjust the red pen to 7.0 they both still will read a different ph when i test the water ??

On the right dwc im using gh flora series box kit which i just started 3 days ago and the left dwc is just gh grow and cal mag (read post above ??). But the plants are doing great i think. Roots are white and big

 

[NrthrnMichigan]

Your numbers look to be within range. I try to stay at 6.1ph for entire grow. Try using a 4.0 solution as well as the 7.0 for the ph pens. I would also try a calibration solution for your tds meters as well. Are you aware of PH swing?
Looks like your'e off to a great start!

 

[Bechnutnascar]

Yep. Ph goes up a couple points everyday. I noticed today my roots are a little brown in the flora series dwc. Hope its from the nutes. It has no smell which is good.

 

[visajoe1]

Here are my reading from today. Im gonna start doing this everyday. I have 2 ph pens and 2 ppm pens. One of them tells ec also. Readings are so different in each piece. Other then being a little different in readings do the readings look ok ?
Right dwc
Ppm white 600---ec 1185
Ppm tan 660
Ph red 5.94
Ph green 6.3
63*

Left dwc
Ppm white 490---ec 957
Ppm tan 550
Ph red 5.8
Ph green 6.1
64*

Oh by the way i have 2 7.5 gal dwc going now. Heres a pic of the pens. The green ph pen i bought off ebay as "non working" but the person had like 20.000 different items and this was the only ph pen he had so what the heck for $12 for a $60 pen is worth a try. I have gh 7.0 test and it reads right on. But even when i adjust the red pen to 7.0 they both still will read a different ph when i test the water ??

On the right dwc im using gh flora series box kit which i just started 3 days ago and the left dwc is just gh grow and cal mag (read post above ??). But the plants are doing great i think. Roots are white and big

when did you calibrate your ph meters last? the oakton is the same ph meter i use, but you need to calibrate it every month or so

 

[Bechnutnascar]

Update: switched to 12/12 on 4-18 now they are under timber grow lights 300w citizen 6 cob kit and now 4 weeks later just starting to show bud. Making new water this weekend. This will only be the 3rd water change since i started. All readings still in range. I need to trim them a little more.

 

[Logan Burke]

So it took 4 weeks after switching to 12/12 before budsites emerged? Damn dude that's unfortunet! I figured I'd stop by to see how all was going and it seems you're doing awesome. Just be careful not to trim too much, bigger leaves are what really provide all the energy for your budsites late in flower, but you know your plants better than me! And yes many people get all finicky if they can't change their rez every 7-10 days...I say it's a waste of nutes if nothing else; In late flower I think I ran some of my buckets, literally, for 30+ days with just top off's and adding a little nutes here and there...and am pulling a lb and a half off of my Tran Siberian Auto. Anyway, keep it up, those girls are looking really nice Bechnutnascar!!

 

[Bechnutnascar]

I should have had buds before 4 weeks ? They were starting and over the last 2 days i can see a lot more. But thanks for the encouragement. I like growing this way. Alot easier thats for sure. I just hope the smoke is as good as the dirt plants cause they are clones from the dirt plants anyway.

 

[FennarioMike]

Your numbers look to be within range. I try to stay at 6.1ph for entire grow. Try using a 4.0 solution as well as the 7.0 for the ph pens. I would also try a calibration solution for your tds meters as well. Are you aware of PH swing?
Looks like your'e off to a great start!

^ Yes. You really want to be doing a 2 point calibration to 4 and 7 or else it won't be accurate beyond it's single calibration point. When you are calibrating it, it creates a graph, a slope of the calibration values. When you calibrate with 4, and 7, then it will be accurate between those points. Outside of them and they start to lose their accuracy. When you only calibrate it to 7 then it's only accurate at 7. If we were expecting to test pH's of say 8 or 9 then you'd calibrate between 7 and 10...

Oh also, do this at least monthly. If your pH pen isn't accurate, you might as well not be using one.

 

[Bechnutnascar]

Been checking it with drops also to make sure its on. Im just using the red one. Green pen is not working right. Thats why it was "as is" for $15. I tried. Next time ill just buy a new one.

 

[Logan Burke]

I should have had buds before 4 weeks ? They were starting and over the last 2 days i can see a lot more. But thanks for the encouragement. I like growing this way. Alot easier thats for sure. I just hope the smoke is as good as the dirt plants cause they are clones from the dirt plants anyway.

Nevermind Bech that's normal I thought you meant 4 weeks until you saw the beginning of preflower, haha. I know it sucks, but with cheap (those 10-20$ ones) PH meters you get what you pay for, they break easy and require often calibration....and oh my, the smoke is definitely just as good if not better. Soil can give you a better taste&smell...no arguing that. But hydro can still achieve great taste/smell, while (sometimes) enhancing potency and definitely enhancing yield! I cloned a dirt plant homegrown strain from bagseed to DWC and it was definitely equal too it! No worries there.
Apologies for rambling so bad Bechnutnascar!