Help Needed (First Time Grower)

I am growing Hydroponically for the first time. Using a Dealer Z Box running 6 CFL 14W/6500k Super Day light putting out 850 lumens, thinking of upgrading to 1000 lumens
Current PH lvl (3 gallon reservoir) is around 6.39 and PPM Lvls at around 392. Everything was looking good till I decided to elevate reservoir and bring plants closer to light.
I would say i ran for a week at 18/26 with middle plant close to lights 2 inches.

Plant starting develop yellow leaves so i lowered the resevoir to about 12 inches from light. I am posting some pics any help would be appreciated.

Sorry meant 18/6 Not 18/26 Ooops!!

Im a soil grower but from a lot of reading on here I think your ph is quite high for hydro. That's where it should be at for soil. Im not 100% someone will chime in soon enough that does hydro.

i am really new, also on first grow. but from everything i read about cfls they will absorb very little light that distance. (12 inches)

It's probably not the distance from the cfls, I let me plants grow within an inch or so from the cfls during early vegging. My personal opinion is (and this is just my opinion) your plants look fine. I like my plants to be a little pale early in life because it's the time where is really easy to over feed them, then spend the next several weeks trying to get them healthy again. I find if I leave them a little on the lean side when vegging, they transition to bloom with less stress.

6.4 is a little high for hydro. 6.3 is the excepted high for normal hydro, and getting a little below that couldn't hurt. But I don't think your plants are showing any ph problems.

top high PH, and the result is lock out of Mg and Nitrogen aso. need to be 6 or under in hydro

View attachment 2953346

Ooh yea and you will need more light, what kind of light do you plan to flower under ?

baja235dvx said:

running 6 CFL 14W/6500k Super Day light putting out 850 lumens, thinking of upgrading to 1000 lumens

about 12 inches from light.

Click to expand...

Hiya baja235dvx, 14w isn't a lot of wattage? and 850 Lumens is not alot? though all depends on Grow Space and other Variables?

I think you need to be aiming for maybe at least 30w(True) = 1800>2000 Lumens...I know in the States(from what I've read) that the Bigger the CFL(Watts) the BIGGER the price tag...

When I first started out I picked up a 200w Dual(my mistake) Giant CFL and this kicked out about 8000 - 10,000 Lumens which served me Ok and I still use in small Veg/Flower/Clones Cupboard

My understanding is you need about 5000 Lumen for good Growth..etc...

Do see lots of peeps using multiple Lower watt CFL to great effect...so each to their own...

Peace

Yeah, drop the ph some. I keep mine between 5.2 and 5.8 and never had a problem. 5.5 is a good number to aim for because when they start drinking a lot of water later on it will drop your ph some overnight and you don't wanna let it get too acidic either. Good luck.

Seeds or clones? They look fine to me brotha!! Maybe just time to give them a dose of veg.

Just remember less more. Start nutrients off at 1/4 strength.

I usually dont buy anything , under 23 watts for my cfls, but it looks like your managing.

Keep em green

Thank you all for the Responses. Will be changing the water in my tank for first time today. will make sure water PH is lower between 5.5-6 and will up my ppm levels to around 425. I am using clear 3 gallon reservoir, I know not best but came with grow box. Will prepare new water with proper nutrient level (400-450) ppm, do you guys thing too high. And will make sure PH is between 5.5-6. Question for you all, how do i clean the reservoir. I read that mixing Hydrogen Peroxide 3% with distilled water into a spray bottle, and spray and wipe your reservoir. Fill with new Water put lid with plants back on top and off you go.

What is the proper mixture of they Hydrogen Peroxide 3% if I want to make 5fl. Oz in spray bottle. Thanks.

Also Does it make sense to wrap current clear reservoir with aluminum tape to keep light out and prevent any alge buildup. Next grow will definitely be in no clear reservoir.

DJ I started with seeds. The planes on left are Tangerine Dream and the one on right is White Widow.

Yea, looks like an iron deficiency severly in the middle plant. And you definitely need those light about 4-6 inches away from each plant.
a total of 850 watts???? Not enough for even 1 plant.
Look into HID lights or upgrade to at least 100w equivalent cfls. I quickly upgraded to a 600hps after my cfl harvest wasnt toooo great but ok.

Here is how my plant is doing now. Prior to yesterday i was running my hydro with 354 PPM and PH of 6.39. I thought I was safe up to 6.5, but obviously now I know better.
I did a water change yesterday and now have my hydro at 5.89 for PH and 405-410 for my ppm. My early vegetation set up is simple. A gray 3 gallon reservoir with 9 3 in net pots
only using 3 with a a bubble stone. I am on bi-weekly schedule for changing water and this was my first change. The plant still has some healthy growth to it. So Is there still any hope for
it now that I have my water at a much lower PH. I am using Moon Dust for my nutrients, don't laugh it what came with box. And I had a couple of friends use it with great success. but any advice
on better nutrients would be appreciated. I like the non-chemical kind as I have allergies issues to the chemicals. Again my early vegetation grow box is 4' by 2' with 6 CFL at 14W 6500K running
800 lumens , which will be upgrading to 40W / 6500K at 2500 lumens as soon as they arrive in mail.



Now here are my other two plants that sit in same reservoir and are looking very healthy. Only difference is my unhealthy plant sat close to light 2 inches for a week.

Any advice on what I can do would be appreciated.

Well Just wanted to follow up on how my plant is doing. After getting the PH under control at around 5.75-5.8 and upped the PPM to 424 Plant seems to have responded well.
Quick question, the bottom leaf with the burn mark, do I prune that or just keep it on so i don't give plant unneeded stress. Again thanks !!

Best to Leave it.

HIDs are still king.

Here are my plants after 1 month of Vegetation. PPM Levels around 450-500.
Question I have, I been having to add a lot of water to reservoir, on avg 1/3 to 1/2 gallons a day. Is that normal. Also I noticed with the water levels being drawn down I am having to adjust the PH up more than I like. I change my nutrient solution in reservoir every 1 1/2 weeks. Using 600W of led grow lights.
Just wondering if this is normal as the plats are getting bigger and requiring more Nutrients.

Yes it's normal. I have three 5 gallon buckets going. I replace 5 Gallons of water ph`d to 5.8 every other day between them. I'm at Day 3 of flower with a five week veg. As for the ph swings you refer to...I use GH nutrients and know how the ph in the fresh nute change reacts. I ph the new water to 5.6 and it will rise to 5.8 in a few hours. This has been constant for me. Knock on wood.

"Doesn't matter how you grow. Just GROW!