Thanks for the answers to my ? I went ahead and ordered that ph meter can't wait till it gets here.
After talking to that guy at AN I emailed the co. to get an official recommendation on there nute usage. Your gonna love this one. Remember that story I told you about my drive through Canada and how I thought the gas price was for a gallon then found out it was a liter. Well when I talked to the AN guy on the phone I specifically told him I wanted the ml to gallon ratio he said yea yea .5 ml to a gallon. Then I read the email it was the same ml ratio but instead of to a gallon it is to a liter. If I never would have emailed that request I would have used 1/4 strength nutes. Then I find out AN is a Canadian co. I guess when it comes to Canadians I need to make myself much clearer. I think that vortex fan was made in Canada hell now I'm gonna have to go back over that setup and make sure that I hooked it up right lol. The email did include an interesting part on ph and nute delivery I will copy and paste a short portion of that below if you want to check it out. Seems you may be on to something. As far as my next nute purchase I will probably go with the flora nova products for simplicity of use and price. I don't live near a hydro store so I have to purchase everything online if I can't get it at a walmart.
Here is part of that email on ph and nute use.
When using a re circulating system, you will be dealing with one of two situations, either the reservoir is large enough to feed the plants for a week without the need to be topped up during the week or it is a small reservoir and in order to feed the plants through the week it will require to be topped up.
In case of reservoir that does not need to be topped up.
Add to the reservoir the amount of water that the plants are going to be using for the week, include some extra water to allow for evaporation.
Mix the nutrient solution at 1/6th of the strength that is suggested in the calculator for that week.
Example: If the plants need 1200 ppm for the week, divide 1200 by 6 and mix the reservoir at 200 – 250 ppm.
Allow the solution to sit long enough to stabilize the pH. Adjust pH
Feed the plants.
Allow the plants to feed on the solution and the pH to rise for 1 1/2 – 2 days before re adjusting the pH.
In case of reservoir that needs to be topped up with water during the week.
Add to reservoir the amount of water that the plants will use in 3 – 3 ½ days.
Mix the nutrient solution at the strength that is suggested in the calculator for that week.
Allow the solution to sit long enough to stabilize the pH. Adjust pH
Feed the plants
Allow the plants to feed on the solution for 1 1/2 – 2 days, top up with water to the original level first before re adjusting the pH, after adding the water allow solution to sit for an hour and re adjust the pH.
If growing in soil adjust the pH 6.3, in coco 5.8 – 6.0, in hydro 5.6.
When using a re circulating system having the pH rise after you start feeding the plants is a good thing, It means that the plants are up taking nutrient, it is important that it rises the plants up take different nutrients at different pH levels, allow the pH to rise for 1 ½ - 2 days at that point adjust the pH down to 5.6 again
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I find that last part interesting after reading some grow journals on here several adjust ph daily. I guess it could be different depending on a certain nute recommendation but it sounds a lot like your method and well what are you harvesting like an ounce a week.
After seeing my roots go from barely a tip sticking out of the bottom of the cup a couple of days ago to today where they are at least 6" long I can see where my small buckets are eventually going to be a problem. I am thinking about switching them over to a tote for the remainder of this grow. By the time these are done I should be able to come up with enough kitty litter buckets for the next grow. Then I will have clones from current grow (hopefully). Any thoughts on this idea? If I do go to a tote and I find a male it seems the roots mixed with the females might be a problem how much cutting of the roots can a plant take? If some of the male roots get left mixed in with the female roots will this cause root rot or other problems?
Again thanks for your help.