First Grow - RDWC - Hash Bomb(Fem) x4

Setup:

1. My system consists of 5 gallon buckets, 5 of them; 1 for each of the 4 plants and a mixing bucket.
2. The buckets are connected with large tubing at the bottom which keeps the levels in the buckets relatively the same.
3. I have a smaller tube network towards the top of the buckets which is connected to a high powered pump in the mixing bucket.
   1. I found that the pump would empty the mixing bucket quick and fill the other buckets; so i purchased a timer to cycle the pump, 1 minute on, 15 minutes off. disperses the nutrient solution well.
4. My grow environment is a 4 ft x 4ft x 8ft enclosed tent with reflective interior.
5. The lights for this grow are a pair of King Plus LED 1000 watt full spectrum grow lights.
6. I have a high powered air pump connected to 4 hoses and distributed between buckets. Inside the buckets each hose is connected to a 6" air stone.
7. For air quality I have a humidifier, a simple fan and an ionizing fan.
8. For this grow I will be using Advanced Nutrient's line of balanced hydroponic products.
9. The water source is a mixture of tap and purified.
10. Strain: Hash Bomb
    Plant Height: Medium (90-140cm)
    Indoor Flowering: 6-8 Weeks
    Harvest Outdoor: Sep-Oct
    THC: High (15-20%)
    Yield: High (500-600g/m²)
    Stoned/High: Hard hitting, sedative stone
    Mold resistant

Feel free to comment or give advice at any time through out my grow, I will post more tomorrow, thank you!

Looking good so far op. Do you have an air extraction/exchange fan/ducting, or are you going passive?
Good luck!
FF

Hi, thanks for the reply. I've been kinda lazy on the air extraction parts. I am considering either putting in a fan and ducting or possibly setting up a Hamilton Beach True Air whole room deodorizer. Apparently this takes in hot air and scrubs it through 3 carbon filters and then outputs fresh air with little to no negative odors.

I'm actually five weeks into my grow. Going to post the vegetative stage adventure later today.

Vegetation Week 1 (Seedlings)

• I started six or so seeds in soil starter plugs and put those under a humidity dome with no light, no nutrients, keeping the soil wet to the touch.
• Temperature averaged around 76 degrees fahrenheit and 70-80% humidity
• A few days later, after the surviving seedlings penetrated the top layer, I turned one of my lights on, with blue spectrum only.
• I have propped up a couple of the weaker plants with paperclips to help them along.

Vegetation Week 2 (Transplant)

• This week I started spraying them with a highly dissolved solution of voodoo juice.
• Half way through the week I removed the humidity dome.
• At the end of this 2nd week it was pretty easy to remove the starter cube and transplant into the 6" net pots filled with hydroton grow rocks. (which I had been soaking for the past couple of days)

Vegetation Week 3 (Nute Intro)

• This is the week I started the girls on a rigorous light regiment of 18 hours on and 6 hours off; Blue spectrum only.
• With the heat from the lights, the temperature fluctuates between 78 and 82 degrees fahrenheit.
• I have the humidifier on a timer to operate 30 mins for every 3 hours, this maintains humidity at 60-80 percent.
• I started the air pump and nutrient solution pump after I prepared the following formula.
  • 2 oz - Advanced Nutrient pH Perfect Grow
  • 2 oz - Advanced Nutrient pH Perfect Micro
  • 2 oz - Advanced Nutrient pH Perfect Bloom
  • 4 oz - Advanced Nutrient pH Perfect B-52
  • 4 oz - Advanced Nutrient pH Perfect Voodoo Juice
• I propped a couple fans up, aimed indirectly for circulation and stalk development.

Vegetation Week 4 (Routine)

• Advanced the nutrient solution to:
  • 4 oz - Advanced Nutrient pH Perfect Grow
  • 4 oz - Advanced Nutrient pH Perfect Micro
  • 4 oz - Advanced Nutrient pH Perfect Bloom
  • 4 oz - Advanced Nutrient pH Perfect B-52
  • 4 oz - Advanced Nutrient pH Perfect Voodoo Juice
• Added the Red spectrum of the lights to jump start some of the blooming.
• Towards the end of this week I moved pots; switched it up while I still could so one plant would not have the complete benefit or failure of one pot's environment.
• I also bent over the tallest plant to promote a unified canopy.

Vegetation Week 5 (Nutrients Strike Back)

• The plants look sad, and one is developing some bronze spots on it's tips.
• I purchased a TDS meter and tested the water in the reservoir and it says 2800, which is way above acceptable levels. Community Questions below!
• Some actions I modified to offset poor water quality.
  • Every thursday, 2 days before i feed them, I buy a 24 pack of purified water, which they promptly drink up.
• Others added in nutrient solution:
  • 9 oz - Advanced Nutrient pH Perfect Grow
  • 9 oz - Advanced Nutrient pH Perfect Micro
  • 9 oz - Advanced Nutrient pH Perfect Bloom
  • 4 oz - Advanced Nutrient pH Perfect B-52
  • 4 oz - Hydrogen Peroxide (the extra oxygen molecule helps in root nutrient absorption)
  • 2 oz - Advanced Nutrients Rhino Skin (Helps protect against microscopic bugs and root rot)
• Did more training this week.

Community Questions:

I tested the total dissolved solids in multiple buckets to radically different results;; Is there a prefered testing location or can i test right out of the mixing bucket?

I seem to have developed suds in my growing buckets due to the chemicals and agitation of air stones with my high power air pump; Is this alright for the plants, or are complete flushes mandatory?