LED/Bubbleponics first grow hurdles

Good day,

This post includes things from two different forums, so I just picked bubbleponics, lemme know if you want to move it somewhere else.

I'm just starting my first grow and of course, it's exciting.


Like all newbies, I have a plethora of questions, but I can't seem to find answers to many of them online since my setup is a bit unique.


Let's explain;
Genetics:THC Bomb(bomb seeds), Pineapple Chunk(Barney's), Critical Kush(Barney's)
Lights: advancedledlights.com diamond series 150(24 hour cycle)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Advanced-LED-Diamond-Series-XML-150-Grow-Light-/160960942827?
Media: bubbleponics system from stealthhydro with hydroton and rockwool(I put in a second airstone for more oxygen diffusion)
http://www.stealthhydroponics.com/product.php?xProd=16
Environment: water temp constant at 68ish, ambient temp uncontrolled
Other: 4" inline with a carbon filter growing in a growlab60(dimensions 2x2x5.3), 6" deskfan type-deal




So here come the questions;


I'm on day 10(planted from seed 1/29/13) and they look nice, but I'm not sure.


The veg option on my LED produces NO heat, that's fine cuz heat can be an issue, but when I turn on both(veg[pure white light] and flower["LED light" funky color tint]), it can get a bit hot in there, but I have that fan pulling air out. I started these plants from seed at 18/6, then read a bunch about how plants may or may not need sleep, and that they'll grow faster under 24 hours with little effect on the yield, so I thought I'd switch em. they've been on that for 2 or 3 days now. When I turn on that flower light, I also turn on the inline fan, and last night I decided to turn em on(lights) both along with the fan and see what happens in the morning. I did, and when I checked in today, they had brown/purple/black discoloration coming from the center of where new leaves grow, and a little bit in other areas.


I did some research and found that it could very well be that the temp ended up getting too low last night since that fan was on constantly without a regulator. Also, the temps were low when I checked at about, 9 this morning, it was about 71 in there, meaning it was probably colder throughout the night, I know it seems I've found my answer, but like all people, I'd love a little reassurance.


Second question is;
I was thinking about shooting for a 12/12 grow since I'm probably going to be cutting it close with the amount of time I have. I guess you could say I have a "deadline", which I would say is at the end of April.
I've decided to use high-yielding strains for my first grow, but I don't want to cheat these babies out of what they can produce with a little veg time, so that's where I'm not sure, I want to have an idea of an estimate(preferably pessimistic, so that anything is good news) of how many grams 3 plants will produce. Yes, genetics play a part. I'm growing plants that produce 650, 700 and 750 g/m2, and I'm planning on fimming(I'm looking for 4 colas instead of 2 w/ topping, or one cola if left untrained) and supercropping, and am not sure if I will lollypop, but I'm sure I'm gonna defoliate(you guys might not think this works, and I've never tried it, let alone grow anything, but logically, it makes SO MUCH SENSE, which is why I don't understand the argument about whether it works or not, ask about my theory if you wanna hear it)
The two options I have is to wait another two weeks, then flip them to 12/12, or simply flip em now, I just wanna know what the effect on the yield will be.
Another question is, 24, 20/4 or 18/6? I thought maybe 20/4 would be nice, but what do I know?
Another question is if I should go with lollypopping, I'm just not sure because I heard it allows all energy to be put into the bud sites, but I don't know if it's true.

I have a poll set up, check it out.
Option 1 is flip em immediately to 12/12
Option 2 is wait two weeks under 20/4
Option 3 is wait two weeks under 24
(say those out loud for a good laugh)


So if someone would be so kind as to give a rough, pessimistic and broad idea of what I could produce with a 12/12 grow(with LEDs) at day 10 from seed with the genetics mentioned, that would be fantastic!


Another thing I'm going to probably be talking and asking about here soon is heat control, which is easier cuz of that LED, but it still seems SUPER unstable, and I feel like I have to always be checking the girls(feminized, so I'm assuming since they can't show sex yet) to make sure they don't get cooked or freeze. So it's not so much heat that I'm dealing with alone, but heat and cold, and I'm tired of this ONE THING being uncontrolled in my grow tent. Everything else is on point.


A few other details;
I added 1/6-1/4 of the grow nutes that stealth hydro sent me, along with 1/6-1/4 of the "micro" stuff, which I don't know what it's for, but it says on the directions. I read that seedlings need no nutes since they store food in those seedling leaves, so I guess next time I won't add anything for the first 2 weeks. My pH is between 5.75 and 6.25(inaccurate cuz I'm using strips) and my tap ppm is around 160 and the reservoir(6 gal for 3 plants) is about 315, meaning my nutes are about 160 as well. I haven't changed the water at all since day 1.


Thanks for reading this LONG ASS POST(I like details), I really appreciate it
The left one has the most discoloration, then the right comes next, and the back middle one has the least, barely noticeable. This is also my equipment and set up.

holy amazing lights batman

The party's bumping.

if it was me i'd veg for another 4 weeks. also keep to 18/6, changing now might stress them out. last you shouldn't have different strains in the same res, different strains use nutes at different rates.

vivify said:

The party's bumping.

Click to expand...

I like his duct tape and use of color coding in his post.

If you need to be done by April... you're most likely too late. Switch to 12/12 now. You still have to dry and cure after harvest. I wouldn't do any training except lollipop, because training will add to veg time and you have none.

I veg 20/4. I like having a dark period. What works best for me is germ seeds in rockwool cube seedling greenhouse for 1 week. Transplant to DWC for 1 week. Top for 4 colas and veg 2 more weeks, then induce flower. If this is your first grow (idk if it is) I suggest doing a quick veg and limiting your training/fucking around. The first plant I learned super cropping on was put through a lot of bullshit while I was trying to figure out wtf to do. It's easy to rip giant gashes in the stalk. For the first grow I would prob just do nothing at all except defoliate the future popcorn bullshit. If you know what you're doing then go for it as long as you have the veg time. I'm against training and super cropping and shit during flower. My feeling is everything is best to do during veg, when pistils start popping it's time to leave her the fuck alone.

Rough pessimistic yield if you flower now... 1/2 oz per plant, probably less if this is your first grow. It is hard to guess since I have never used LED lighting nor researched it much. I know HPS lighting you can estimate about 0.5g per watt for an average non-fucked up grow with no special training/grow methods, etc.

I am uncertain why your seedlings would be changing color, but I wouldn't worry unless it gets worse.

Malevolence,
You like the color coding business aye, nice one.
You got great insight. Yup, my first grow, and I'm against messing around when she's flowering too. So then I'm going to go ahead and not expect much since I don't have time to veg at all. I guess I'll have to go with one cola per plant then, and look to getting very little from the harvest. Do you agree that it was a bad idea to use different strains in the same res?

So last night, I decided to change the reservoirand add new nutes. I put a little over half of the full strength bloom and micro, and today they're looking AMAZING. They're growing fast now that I cleaned it out, and I'm starting to think that the left plant is maybe an Indica, and the other two are Sativas, and maybe that's what the color is all about.


I put up some pictures I took just 5 minutes ago, you can see clearly the left one is darker and generally more "Indica-like"

Thanks!

Answer thepollplease!!!!!!

I just got out of jail, and my plants survived my "vacation"

I think growing multiple strains in the same res would be ok, as long as you have the basics dialed in. I think when you are learning and having possible fuck ups and encountering problems, it would be harder to do a multi strain grow than a single strain grow.... but I don't see why it couldn't be done as long as you take care of the basics.

In either case, keep your res 100% light proof, below 75*, run benes, and nail down your ph/tds. If you can run through that little check list everyday making sure all of those things are within acceptable tolerances you will have a great yield (genetics permitting). Easier said than done sometimes. I try to approach dwc with the mindset of growing the biggest healthiest rootball possible... take care of the root zone; the rest of the plant will follow suit.

gratz on getting out of shitty jail.

So I flipped em last night(02/20/13) and reset the res with proper pH and nutes, along with adding some supplemental lights(3 cfls)

The only issue I'm having now is controlling the heat, I can't water cool my lights, so I have to have cool air coming into the tent, do you have any ideas on how I can do this?

The pictures, you gotta admit, that supplemental lighting placement is awesome. What I did was line the grow cups with wal-mart plastic bags twice, burned em together with a lighter and also to take off any excess plastic, then I put the lights in using cheap wal-mart ext cords and cheap wal-mart sockets, then I covered them with dry hydroton. It's so perfect, because they sit in place with no movement, and they're right where they need to be for the plants to get that light! Also, there is no moisture in em.

I only keep two on right now because the distances, but I turned em off in the other pictures so that the camera would catch a good snapshot, pretty cool, huh!

The right one has some nute burn/light burn/wind burn or something, I'm not sure, but I think it will survive just fine now that I've reset the res with all the correct parameters, lemme know what you think!

Thanks for the congrats on getting out Malevolance, I was in for 9 days!

BTW I keep temp between 72-80, but usually 78-79, is 75 better? how can I get it lower?

Things that go bump in the night.

Come now people, I've been quite patient, I just want a little advice.

I'm a turbo newb so no advice from me, sorry. I am going to be doing my first grow with a bubbleponics and am just spectating...

What a bummer, I can't get the heat lower than 82 it seems now that I have all the lights on and now that I'm on the 12/12 schedule, is there like, an a/c that I can hook up to some tubing that would hook up to the tent that would push in cooler air, or what should I do?

82 is fine. If you want to get it lower get a cooltube or air cooled reflector. Make sure your ballast is not in the tent. Dont exhaust hot air into the same place you draw in fresh air. Or you could prob get a portable ac for $400 new.

Well now malevolance, that would be great, but I'm using LEDs. It seems like now I'm able to keep temps down, I think it's just cuz my place is cooler lately. Thanks for the advice though, they're looking sooo good!

I'm gonna start defoliation tonight, but other than that, I'm just so stoked.

Oh yea I forget shit. Bust out the bucket of ice and fan ;p

what is defoliation ????

Yo! I'm back! it's been awhile, but I went to jail again and recently got out. To answer Commander Strax, defoliation is the removal of fan leaves(not the budding sites that sprout above them) after a week or two so that more light can penetrate deeper into the plant. This also allows for better air circulation and also allows the plant to focus much of it's energy on producing larger colas.

I've heard countless people on these forums and others alike talk about how defoliation is bad, but don't have any proof to back it up. I've seen maybe 5 or 10 people show how defoliation really gets those fat colas, I can't get you the posts right now, but google it and you should get some good stuff. I've only heard of one person who had a bad experience with defoliation, and the guy had been using the same genes for years and knew how it acted and whatnot. He said that it's possible that the strain he was planting possibly didn't take well to defoliation since he'd also seen many people have success with it.

Malevolance!!! The bucket of ice idea is BY FAR the best idea I've heard to date, simply because it's cheap, easy, and probably works! Thank you soooo much!!! One question though, do you put the fan blowing on the ice? How long will a full bucket last? The one problem that it entails is high humidity, which is already around since plants give off a lot of moisture after reaching a certain size, do you have any suggestions on how to cheaply combat the humidity?

Thanks again!

A box of baking soda in the tent may help with humidity.