8ballin' with 4x2 DWC

[unluckomalucko]

Hello dear ICmag community,

I'm an old hand at growing, but unfortunately, I've had a lot of bad luck so far.

But I'm not going to let it get me down, so I'll keep trying my luck.

Equipment:

Box: 4x2x6 (120cm x 60cm x 180cm = 0.72 m²)

DWC: 4x MarsHydro modified. Top drippers were removed, allowing me to run 4 DWC buckets with just one pump instead of two. This has a significant impact on the overall noise level of the system. It also makes changing the nutrient solution much easier. And I have a spare pump in case of emergency.

Lighting: Marshydro FC4000 EVO, 320W

Exhaust:
- 1x S&P TD-Silent 141 CFM (running at low speed, i.e. 117 CFM)
- 1x AC Infinity ACF 210 CFM (refillable – I'm curious to see how well it works)
- 1x PrimaKlima Industrial Line K1601 ACF 165 to 247 CFM (as a backup in case of emergency)

Ventilation:
- 1x Garden Highpro GH-V-114 fan, 5W
- 1x MarsHydro M6 Clip fan, 9W

Temperature and RH: Govee WiFi Thermo-Hygrometer

Humidifier: Mars Hydro 5L

Fertilizer:
- Canna Aqua & Canna Booster
- Plagron pH Minus
- Advanced Nutrients Flawless Finish
- H2O2 for emergencies (if water temperature is higher than 21-23°C)

pH & EC Meter: Apera Instruments PC60

Water: I use tap water with a starting EC of ~0.73
This is quite high, so I'm currently still in an experimental phase, i.e., I'm not currently growing with the goal of harvesting, but rather to better understand the entire hydroponic and DWC process.

So far, I've only had experience with growing in soil. So, I'm a beginner in hydroponics.
Therefore, I not only messed up an optimal start in this current run, but also made/had to make a few attempts.
In short, I made a few mistakes, and that's why they didn't grow as big as they should have.

I currently have 3x Apple Fritter Auto from Royal Queen Seeds and 1x Amnesia XXL Auto from Sensi Seeds in the box.

This Apple Fritter Auto is too small for me and will soon be replaced by an RQS Milky Way F1 Auto:

Sensi Seeds Amnesia XXL Auto ordered online as a seedling. It was already flowering when it arrived, but I didn't give it enough fertilizer afterward, which is why it's so small:

RQS Apple Fritter Auto:

RQS Apple Fritter Auto:

 

[unluckomalucko]

Hello dear readers, I'm posting a quick status update:

The seedling (Amnesia XXL Auto) I ordered has indeed developed root rot. Specifically, it's on a single root strand coming out of the side of the net pot. That's why I treated the plants with H2O2 two weeks ago. The Apple Fritters didn't like it at all (which is why you can see wounded leaves on the lower part of the plant in my photos - I've now cut them off).

I should have left the Apple Fritters alone, they would have been much bigger by now. Because the temperatures were sometimes over 23°C, I unfortunately treated them all with H2O2 just to be on the safe side.

The Amnesia XXL Auto has developed root rot despite the single H2O2 treatment. Yesterday, I removed a really slimy, even moldy lump with scissors. The remaining roots looked good so far, slightly discolored.

If the Amnesia continues to act up, I'll stop the Canna boosters and try another H2O2 treatment – I'd like to know how well the stuff really helps and what effect it has on the plants. The Apple Fritters have beautiful white roots and are currently doing very well with the regular Canna fertilization schedule.

The freshly germinated and oh-so-great F1 hybrid from RQS called Milky Way (Auto) hasn't shown much vigor. I moved it to the rockwool too early (I only soaked the rockwool briefly), and somehow it's not really thriving. I guess that's an omen. An omen that confirms the words of you diligent readers. Better to use photoperiod seeds next time and no more autos.

I'd love to grow from cuttings, like I used to.

However, when I think about how this seedling I ordered online turned out (arrived flowering, root rot, greedy for nitrogen haha), I have to think twice about whether I'll use my existing and very well-selected Barney Seeds next time (if it ever comes to that—you never know, things can happen), or whether I'll resort to locally distributed cuttings from my trusted cannabis shop.

Most likely, it will be seedlings, and this time in so-called Eazy Plugs or whatever they're called. At least the pH is already right when planting. And they're a bit easier to manage when watering.

 

[unluckomalucko]

One of my hobbies is making fun of people who talk nonsense about strong genetics and so on.

After so many people advised me against autos and seeds, I now fully understand why you did that and wanted to make a short contribution to confirm your words.

Here it is, the RQS Milky Way F1 (Auto) – I was taught 22 years ago that F1 hybrids were "the way to go."

Well, this genetics wasn't that strong – and other seeds germinated beautifully for me too.
Luckily, it was just a free seed. It's about 7 days old now and practically stopped developing itself.

It's going in the trash now, and the plants in the box will all live on.

I was always told to treat water carefully - for a good reason.

That's why I denied to fill up my DWC as much as it should be. Yes I'm a strange person sometimes. But I definitely learned from this mistake.

Anway - they are developing well, and the roots on the pics look much more orange than in reality.
That's why I am not posting any photos of them now.

I am waiting for further progress and will post an update as soon as I think it's worth looking at.

 

[unluckomalucko]

Project cancelled:

The combination of four DWC pots in a tent of that size was not a good idea.

My S&P Silent TD 147 CFM ventilation was a bit too weak, and my first charcoal filter had already stopped working. Thankfully, I had another Primaklima Industrial Line ready. Still, I couldn’t control the humidity anymore—especially since it kept raining outside.

So I ordered a dehumidifier, which worked well when placed inside the tent but also raised the temperature to above 27°C. Outside the tent, it was less effective.

When I made my last nutrient solution change, I accidentally bent one of the very thin water level indicators. Water started leaking from the bent area and also from the very bottom where it connects to the pot. I only noticed when there was already about 1 liter of water on my tent’s floor.

That wasn’t such a big problem at all. But knowing that I was heading into hotter temperatures, I had to add 2.5 mL/L of H₂O₂. When I came back to finally change the nutrient solution in my fourth pot, I noticed the floor was wet, and all the other plants, whose nutrient solutions I had already replaced, started to droop. I couldn’t explain what was happening.

Because I didn’t overfeed and double-checked everything, I decided to stop the whole project since all the plants were completely different heights. I marked it as successfully grown through the veg phase but canceled due to unknown issues during the bloom phase.



Going back to soil now. Ordered everything. The Next run will be done with one less plant in the tent.
The strain is „Permanent Marker“, it's parents are: „Biscotti x Jealousy x Sherb Bx“.

I also got myself some Shogun Silicone and BioTabs Bactex to use in combination with my BioBizz Light Mix.

Update:

I think I did it — I was able to fix the leaking pot.

I just removed the water level indicator completely, took the clip that held it in place at the top of the pot, and pushed the clip into the hole at the bottom to use it as a filler plug.

It was the most convenient solution without needing to order anything online. I also combined the holding clip with a 90° pipe angle that was included in the set, as it seemed a bit stronger in terms of preventing future bending issues. However, you don’t have to use the 90° pipe bend—you can simply use the clip as a filler plug.

I have a good feeling that it’s leak-proof now, although I haven’t tested it yet. I’m quite confident that as long as I don’t bend it there again, it should be much more durable than before—and leak-proof.

Anyway, I didn’t like those water level indicators at all — right from the very beginning.

They’re not only flimsy but also inaccurate, since the tiny balls inside either got lost or couldn’t move due to too much chalk buildup in the pipe. Useless, in my opinion.

That's why I’ve now removed those weak and imprecise water level indicators from all four pots.

By now, I’ve cleaned them with H₂O₂ and stored them in the basement.

They will definitely be reactivated and leak-tested.

At least I hope so — because up until then, DWC growing had actually been fun, as long as you don’t mind a bit of extra noise.

Being able to easily access and remove the roots at any time — even until the very end — was especially convenient.
The grow light makes them appear much more orange in the pictures.

That made me happy—especially when I removed my first bunch of DWC roots and realized how easy it was to do without losing a single clay pebble. I came to see that DWC growing is not only fun and rewarding, but it can also be quite economical if done well.

Cheers