First time DWC

Hey all, this is my first run at DWC and more importantly my first go at hydroponics. I am currently running into some deficiencies that I just can't narrow down. Im at 3 weeks in veg.
Here's my setup real:
4x4 jarden
Sunsystem hood
1,000W MH
Phantom2 ballast.
4-individual DWC buckets

Nutrients: GH

Strains: 3 Blue Dreams and 1 AK47

Starters. I got the clones from a friend that started off healthy in his ez cloner. After transplanting into my Netpots things were smooth for about a week/week 1/2.
Then difiencies started to pop up. I've tried my best to counter act them with putting our two heads together and researching but as you can tell, I ended up here for all y'all advice.
I started the first week of the grow with the fox farm line at half strength then after first water change went onto using general hydroponic just under half strength.
The ph has been fluctuating between 5.5 and 6.0
At first it looked like a minor nitrogen difiency then it turned into what looked like a cal/mag then back to nitrogen.
The Ak47 has been blowing up with minor minor deffiencies but the blue dream has been struggling to keep up. They are still growing at a decent rate but the deffiencies are very noticeable. Attached are some photos of the blue dream and then a couple of the AK. (Two pics of AK have the fatter leaves)

Looks like broad mites. Can you post a picture of the nutrients youre using, the roots, and tell us what ppms youve been at?

Alienwidow said:

Looks like broad mites. Can you post a picture of the nutrients youre using, the roots, and tell us what ppms youve been at?

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PPMs roughly between 600-700
First pic is the ak roots. Following 3 are the blue dreams.

Most all problems in dwc are effect from either water temps and/or lack of oxygen. Whats your average water temp and how much air you pushing?

BeeRaasta said:

PPMs roughly between 600-700
First pic is the ak roots. Following 3 are the blue dreams.

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Very nice roots subbed for the show blue dream is a great strain

If you fill your res and you check it 3 days later does the ppm go up or down?
What kinda water you using, RO or tap, whats the ppm of it if it's tap?

GreenLegend420 said:

Most all problems in dwc are effect from either water temps and/or lack of oxygen. Whats your average water temp and how much air you pushing?

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Water temp is right around 73 give or take a degree. And I am using a 6" disc bubbler in each 5gal bucket with an air pump with four nipples (two going to each bucket). 254gph pumps per 2 buckets. Looks like a lot of oxygen should be getting in the water, there's a lot of bubbles for sure.

Anon Emaus said:

If you fill your res and you check it 3 days later does the ppm go up or down?
What kinda water you using, RO or tap, whats the ppm of it if it's tap?

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The res will remain about the same
I am using tap water with a ppm of 157. With nutrients added for a regular water change (weekly), they are just around 850.
As far as the PPMs dropping or going up I want to say going down but I am unsure. I should know this. Sorry.

DirtyNerd said:

Very nice roots subbed for the show blue dream is a great strain

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thank you

BeeRaasta said:

Water temp is right around 73 give or take a degree. And I am using a 6" disc bubbler in each 5gal bucket with an air pump with four nipples (two going to each bucket). 254gph pumps per 2 buckets. Looks like a lot of oxygen should be getting in the water, there's a lot of bubbles for sure.

Click to expand...

If you want a good run in dwc you need to get those temps down in the high 50's to mid 60's. Anything in the 70's plus and you will get nasty stuff in your roots and not as much dissolved oxygen in the water.

Cold water is the golden ticket in Dwc/undercurrent/rdwc! I would make getting a chiller my #1 priority and do it asap!

If any of your buckets have a brownish tint to the water and a fish tank smell then root rot is coming on. There are guys on here that run without chiller with different things added to the rez. I wont comment on that cause i never tried but you can look into that if getting a chiller isnt an option money wise.

BeeRaasta said:

The res will remain about the same
I am using tap water with a ppm of 157. With nutrients added for a regular water change (weekly), they are just around 850.
As far as the PPMs dropping or going up I want to say going down but I am unsure. I should know this. Sorry.

Click to expand...

Read this, you may just be overfeeding.
https://forum.grasscity.com/threads/how-to-determine-your-plants-preferred-nutrient-strength.1198022/

And as greenlegend said about water temp, if you can't cool it I'd suggest using Hydroguard. I've grown for a year with my res temp 73+ with no issues while using it.

68 is optimum nutrient temp. intake....... Pond-Zyme barley will keep your water clear & clean.

Thank you all for the replies I will be trying a few things to help the temps of the water. These girls need to flower in the next couple days cause I'm running out of room. Will post updated pics. And questions lol prob.
Thank you

My 2 cents.. I'd retrofit and connect all buckets and come in from the top with hydro halos. Move your air back to a control bucket or remove it all together. You'll accomplish three things 1. Your pumping air from the same room so hot air no longer going into solution and the waterfall effect produces all DO needed. 2. Larger watermass so stable ph and solution temps. 3. Weekly/biweekly flush is less of a chore. Just pump from main rez.

Hey, thanks for the example. So it's a RDWC with hydro halos being the source of filling the buckets up? I don't know much about the halos. If I have a 5gal bucket (regular black one) with a 6" Netpot lid where would the halo be placed?
Love the autocad TM. Lol

BeeRaasta said:

Hey, thanks for the example. So it's a RDWC with hydro halos being the source of filling the buckets up? I don't know much about the halos. If I have a 5gal bucket (regular black one) with a 6" Netpot lid where would the halo be placed?
Love the autocad TM. Lol

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They have that size yes.. However next round I'd get the 9 inch as I like it better as the solution is a little away from stem. Rock it!

Yes.. I like 9 inch as it is a little further from the stem. Next run. Also your the umpteenth with gh to have nutrient issues. Rock on.

OP came here for help and now people are trying to change her system completely.

Flush your plants with water for a few hours. Dump that out and make a fresh nutrient solution. Write down the ph ppm and temps. Come back in 24 hours and check them again.

If your ppms drops and ph raises your plant wants more nutrients.
If your ppm raises and ph drops you need to lower nutrient strength.
If your ppm and ph stays the same and your water level drops your in the sweet spot where you plant is taking up equal water and nutrients.

What ratios are you using the GH?
I always just liked it at equal parts (MGB)from start to finish with 10-50 ppm potassium silicate and .5-2 ppm calcium hypochlorite added.

Carolina Dream'n said:

OP came here for help and now people are trying to change her system completely.

Flush your plants with water for a few hours. Dump that out and make a fresh nutrient solution. Write down the ph ppm and temps. Come back in 24 hours and check them again.

If your ppms drops and ph raises your plant wants more nutrients.
If your ppm raises and ph drops you need to lower nutrient strength.
If your ppm and ph stays the same and your water level drops your in the sweet spot where you plant is taking up equal water and nutrients.

What ratios are you using the GH?
I always just liked it at equal parts (MGB)from start to finish with 10-50 ppm potassium silicate and .5-2 ppm calcium hypochlorite added.

Click to expand...

Indeed the precepous for change was clear and evident. Peace..

Carolina Dream'n said:

OP came here for help and now people are trying to change her system completely.

Flush your plants with water for a few hours. Dump that out and make a fresh nutrient solution. Write down the ph ppm and temps. Come back in 24 hours and check them again.

If your ppms drops and ph raises your plant wants more nutrients.
If your ppm raises and ph drops you need to lower nutrient strength.
If your ppm and ph stays the same and your water level drops your in the sweet spot where you plant is taking up equal water and nutrients.

What ratios are you using the GH?
I always just liked it at equal parts (MGB)from start to finish with 10-50 ppm potassium silicate and .5-2 ppm calcium hypochlorite added.

Click to expand...

Whether she keeps it as is or turns it into rdwc i still recommend getting the water temps down.