Help Needed - Weird Spots

First, I'm a noob. Not only to the hobby, but also to the board, so thank you all in advance.

That said, experienced folks, please help this first timer!

Sample was taken from older leaves. Spots on the leaves start as shiny spots, then turn yellow, then advance to this. It's not widespread by any means, but did start to see it on my other plant.

(DETAILS BELOW PHOTOS)










Strain: Wedding Cake Auto
Age: 4 weeks overall
LST
Conditions:
-DWC with top water feed
-pH: Controlled to be around 5.4-5.6, with occasional spike up to 6.5 after solution swap
-TDS: 244 PPM
-Grow room temp: 89-92 degrees
- Relative Humidity: Fluctuates between 45% and 70%
-Solution temperature 68-70 (F)
~14GA distilled water
~General Hydroponics Trio (5.5 tsp each)
~CalMagic: 5 tsp
~HydroGuard: 5 tsp
Light sources (all at 24" above canopy):
-BESTVA 3KW LED (Veg and bloom on)[I know, I've since read about them]
-150W HPS
-ViparSpectra 300W LED (veg and bloom on 100%)


Thank you in advance!

I'm still learning too but looks like Calcium deficiency to me. Ca is best absorbed at higher ph as well so you could try increasing ph. Your room temp is a bit high IMO too.

Thank you SheeshM!

That's what I was thinking as well, also having just switched from tap water to distilled, I'm thinking that the amount of CaliMagic was not equivalent to the amount of Ca in tap water, thus depriving it of Ca. I'm going back to basics, swapping out the solution with tap water + nutes to see if it gets happy again.

That said, I'd certainly welcome further feedback from anybody who has had a similar experience.

Your PPM is 244? Is that before or after adding nutrients? If its after then u need to bump that up.
5.5 tsp each for the GH or 5.5ml each? And is that per gallon?
If I remember correctly, when I ran the flora series it was 15ml grow/green 10ml micro/brown, and 5ml bloom/pink. If u are only running 5ml of each u are deficient.

trambles said:

Your PPM is 244? Is that before or after adding nutrients? If its after then u need to bump that up.
5.5 tsp each for the GH or 5.5ml each? And is that per gallon?
If I remember correctly, when I ran the flora series it was 15ml grow/green 10ml micro/brown, and 5ml bloom/pink. If u are only running 5ml of each u are deficient.

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Yes, 224 PPM after adding nutrients, but please consider that I used distilled water, so the TDS is comprised completely of added nutrients. Is this still too low with that in mind? Re: the GH products, it's 5tsp (approximately 25 ml) each, equating to approximately 3/8 tsp/GA.

I'm sorry but u are not making any sense. What is 3/8/gal? U dont add 5tsp each to one gallon of water. Look at their website it will tell u how much to use. If u are using that much...25ml each, and your PPM is only 224ppm, then your meter is off. Are u sure your meter isnt reading in EC?
Distilled water has nothing to do with your low PPM after nutes

Thats 1 extremely warm grow room

Clstr8 said:

Thats 1 extremely warm grow room

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Yeah, it's a fight to keep the temp down, despite my best efforts.

trambles said:

I'm sorry but u are not making any sense. What is 3/8/gal? U dont add 5tsp each to one gallon of water. Look at their website it will tell u how much to use. If u are using that much...25ml each, and your PPM is only 224ppm, then your meter is off. Are u sure your meter isnt reading in EC?
Distilled water has nothing to do with your low PPM after nutes

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Maybe I'm not explaining it well. I've learned that when communicating in text it's best to get out in front of any potential miscommunication, so please know I'm not arguing with you, just trying to explain it better...I really do appreciate any and all feedback.

Allow me to try to clarify, point by point:

First, I've read so may stories of nutrient burn, I have been afraid to exceed 1/4 of the manufacturer's recommended dosages (a guideline I've read many times on various sites). Is this logic that I should have abandoned earlier in the vegetative stage?

Follow my logic, and please feel free to let me know where I went wrong (go easy on me though, this is literally my first attempt):



At 4 weeks of age, I'm in the mild vegetative stage, right?

This means the recommendation is 1 tsp per gallon of each component. Divide that by 4 (diluting to 25% out of caution, as I mentioned just above the chart), and you have 1/4 tsp per gallon. I figured I'm approaching the Aggresive Vegetative Growth stage, so I upped it to 3/8 tsp per gallon of each.

In all my previous solutions I'd used tap water (which is about 200 PPM where I live) Based on my previous solution exchange, I know that if I add 1/4 tsp of each component (FM, FG, FB) per gallon of tap water, it pushes my TDS up to 450 PPM or so. I was afraid if I added more nutrients to tap water, it would drive the TDS up to the point of nutrient burn. That's why I switched to distilled water, which has 0 PPM, and would allow me to add more nutrients without approaching the "danger zone" of TDS, which I understand to be around 500-600. That's why my total PPM is so low: because the nutrients account for 224 PPM, and there's no dissolved solids in the water to build on.

The meter I'm using is only a few weeks old, and I did calibrate it per the manufacturer's instructions, so I don't think it's off.

I'm probably misunderstanding a number of things, so I welcome your advice...thank you again!!!

That’s a potassium deficiency on the leaf shown.

I just didnt understand u saying u use 5tsp each per gallon.
If u use distilled water u oughta be adding 5ml/gal cal/mag, and definitley up your nutrients, no need to run at 1/4 strength, feed them every day at full strength and then flush with regular water every 5 days until u get 20% runoff.
The spots u are seeing looks like a calcium deficiency but at your feed levels you are deficient in everything. 600ppm is fine, I run mine around 1000 and that will bump up to around 1200 when I'm in the last couple weeks.

I ran GH for years and after they were seedlings I applied the full "aggressive vegetative" formula and never had a problem.

trambles said:

I just didnt understand u saying u use 5tsp each per gallon.
If u use distilled water u oughta be adding 5ml/gal cal/mag, and definitley up your nutrients, no need to run at 1/4 strength, feed them every day at full strength and then flush with regular water every 5 days until u get 20% runoff.
The spots u are seeing looks like a calcium deficiency but at your feed levels you are deficient in everything. 600ppm is fine, I run mine around 1000 and that will bump up to around 1200 when I'm in the last couple weeks.

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Well, I need me a "like" button. Thank you good sir...I'll take your advice and up the nutes immediately. Thank you!!!!

Thanks for the "like"...the irony isn't lost on me. Though, I don't see the option, perhaps because my account is new or something? Anyway, the nutes are up, and I'm watching like a new mother for signs of stress...I'll post results here either way.

hotrodharley said:

That’s a potassium deficiency on the leaf shown.

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Doesn't potassium deficiency typically start at the margin? It could be a number of things, since my nutrients appear to be very low as per the above. Will know more shortly.

Keep distilled water to steam irons and baby bottles ...... problem solved.

salami said:

Doesn't potassium deficiency typically start at the margin? It could be a number of things, since my nutrients appear to be very low as per the above. Will know more shortly.

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Pic is dark. I’m old on a phone. Looking on my buddy’s laptop here it appears phosphorus deficient. Take pictures in the light but not a grow light and show us the entire plant.

Well, I added the nutes as required to bring them up to the directions on the bottle, and the TDS is up to 1100 PPM. Again, I'm watching for any signs of unhappiness...am I flirting with disaster at that level of TDS?

*edit: I used my backup TDS meter, and got 1100, so the older one (less than a few months) reads 1394 in the same solution. Time to buy a tie-breaker.

Anyway, as hotrodharley requested, here's a better pic:

Thanks again gents...sometimes somebody needs to kick the training wheels off for you, as happened here. The girls seem happy, except for those leaves which were damaged by the deficiency.

My dog's name is Salami.