I should have explained myself better, but in the end it really wouldn't have mattered much I guess. Height is the issue in the bottom chamber, and perhaps their is no fix to that issue.
My plan is to flower clones direct into 12/12 in the bottom chamber for the first half of flowering using a seperate res with different nutes and the top chamber with the appropriate nutes for the last half of flower, giving a more or less monthly harvest on rotation with the bottom moving into the top.
If I could give up 12' for the fix you suggest it would be more cost effective to DWC, but only having 30" height left for plants and light (400w HPS) and I doubt it would be enough, or would it?
The top chamber is complete (built and airtight and mylar lined) and will be ordering HPS and assorted pump and parts for two 12"x24" flood trays. I intend to build this system over the next few months adding till complete, for 2 chambers ( clone/mother room seperate) right now I have bagseed germinating in sure to grow 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" cubes in a humidity dome. The two chambers will be using seperate passive air intakes but share an outake system using a 6" inline fan exhausted into the floor above (another closet).
I am still planning the system as far as nuts and bolts, but the vision is a monthly harvest. The plants I have germinating are a testing run for the overall environment, using the top chamber while the bottom chamber is built.
Anyhoo, I must thank you for your detailed reply, and I know you put a lot of thought into it, the problem is a difficult one as I had guessed it was, but there is time for me to decide on the course to take as for this damn bottom chamber...
alright.. here is one more idea... that basically follows the same guide line as the last idea... but modified slightly...
in order for the controller bucket pump to turn on the water level must raise the float switch to the on position.. the float valve that needs to do this is only a few inches (if that) off the bottom of the bucket....
if you raised the bottom trays about 4 inches from ground, ran a tube from the tray into the controller bucket (through the side of the bucket so it empties an inch or so above the float valve), and then ran things that way you would still be fine...
reason i bring this up again (knowing you want 2 seperate res's) is that you dont need to have 2 seperate res's... 1 res feeding both of them a flowering solution around 1.4 to 1.6 ec will be perfect... for both the new girls and the older girls.. i know this goes against a lot of what you have probably read, but plants can take a lot of nutes without problem... their root systems only absorb the water and nutes that are needed... they dont just open the flood gate to whatever is available... as long as you have ample light (sounds like you will), balanced ph (top 3 most important things), and good environmental control, then they will flurish just fine using the 1 res... assuming that they have good roots... which im sure they will..
if you are really stuck on having a seperate res for the bottom chamber tho, you can always stick with the same basic plan as above.. except the top tray is looped to its own res.... the bottom tray is done the same way as i mentioned.. except instead of the controller bucket pumping back into the orginal res it pumps into its own.. basically the controller bucket allows you to limit how high off the ground the tray has to be (no more than 6" off the ground) and serves as a stepping stone for the nute solution to get from the tray to the res again... if that makes more sense??
hopefully im giving you some ideas or getting closer to an answer for ya.. ill keep trying until we get it figured out tho!
Ok so I have no experience in sexing plants, but I just noticed something about alma. Ok so where all her little like tiny tips of blades of grass things that grow into new branches coming off the main stem at the base of other branches... I noticed something! Out of the tip of one of these things *that looks like the tip of a blade of grass growing off the plant* This thing that looks like how i will try to describe - its as thin as a hair and looks like it is covered in thin white hairs *the whole thing is really as thick as a hair* I don't know if these is a sign of femininity or just the next stage of that thing turning into a branch.
*Shoot, I just found some more on another plant that are growing larger. Those super thin things are just new branches coming in aren't they?
*upon further inspection it would appear that each plant has this* things that look like the ends of a blade of grass growing out of the base of branches that have a 'white hair' growing out of them... Female preflowers? or just new branches? *how many branches can come out of one spot anyway? haha*
Update: Ok my biggest plant is definitely showing preflowers! She has the little things with the 2 whit hairs coming out just like in all the pictures I can find. Each of the 3 plants is beginning to feature these, but only one of them its really obvious, on another you can just barely tell *if u have good vision* that there are 2 hairs that just haven't split much! Woot, ok so at this stage I guess I am asking what the chances are that they could be trannys, and the chance that these aren't what I think they are! Also: I think 2 of the plants started alternating nodes last week. I look at some of the branches that are 3/4 of the way up and higher and some of them feature a difference of like less than a 1/4 of an inch. They are definitely not aligned the same as lower branches, but its not enough of a difference that I feel for sure that they are alternating.
Even though some of them look exactly like the ones in sexing photos online, there are things that look like that is what they used to be...
confusion
what you are seeing are female preflowers... thats a good thing
and you are also seeing alternating nodes.. which is a good thing also..
what this means is you have some lovely ladies that are telling you they are ready to flower when you want them too... congrats!
Hey there simpsonsampson I just want to let you no my first attempt at supper cropping went well
I did all 4 of my girls and WOW ! The results wer amazing the arms have all pushed up and bushed out ! I supper cropped each girl twice and again ! Wow ! I can't thank you enough ! I've just purchased some critical mass from mr nice 14 seeds can you advise me on this strain ? I'm going to try soil first cropp then I'm going to try cocco with canna feed ! Also what's your thoughts on ozone genertors ? And led lighting ? Thanks again for the help and advice on fim'ing Tec & supper cropping !
well first off im glad the SC went well.. it really is amazing what it can do.. and the more you do it the better at it you get and the more results you get... so keep it up!
critical mass is a great strain.. not the most potent in the world.. but a solid smoke and great yielder.. its roots are from big bud and skunk i belive.. could be wrong.. but pretty sure.. anyways.. its an easy strain to grow.. pretty forgiving all around... can take a stronger nutes if you want her too... should make for a nice grow...
i like coco.. not much salt build up in it... just be aware of ph.. i am almost sure coco, like rockwool, can fuck with ph... never used canna nutes.. interested to see results tho...
soil is fun.. there are things about it i miss... like being able to custom feed each plant by itself.. but it is messy.. and a pain... plus hydro results are insane...
ozone generators are ok... there are a few problems with them.. first they dont make sense for smaller grows.. most ozone generators cover a huge area.. for only a few plants it overkill.. speaking of killing, ozone is extremely dangerous in high levels.. this means constant adjusting of on/off times with it to get it locked in where you want... and within a safe range.. and lastly to be truely affective they need to be placed in a sealed room where the exhaust air goes and is allowed to set and be ran through the ozone machine... really its kinda a hassle... for something small just stick with an inline carbon filter, a can filter, or some ona gel...