RockinRobot
Active member
Believe what you want about your stones but my girls look like this and yours look like... We'll you know...
Let me know when you get buds like these.
Hail Hydro 2.0: New Beginnings
- Thread starter PetFlora
- Start date
Believe what you want about your stones but my girls look like this and yours look like... We'll you know...
Let me know when you get buds like these.
really? with all the shit I did wrong (rez temp, EC too high, pH off full point...), you think it's the stones? lol
Here's a couple from better attention to controls
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Here's a couple from better attention to controls
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I saved the pollen I collected the other day. This morning it dawned on me to pollinate the outside female with one bud, since she's not good for much else.
When I opened the container, the pollen was congealed, like it had gotten wet
Fearing the worst, I also pollinated a different indoor indica bud
Fingers crossed
When I opened the container, the pollen was congealed, like it had gotten wet
Fearing the worst, I also pollinated a different indoor indica bud
Fingers crossed
Photo Update
This male Indica is the tallest I have grown, rivaling some of my sats.
Looks like excellent breeder for the indica female
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This male Indica is the tallest I have grown, rivaling some of my sats.
Looks like excellent breeder for the indica female
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FYI: from mid-bloom on the plants dump a lot of crap through the main stem into the roots and rez.
Yesterday I brought both rezes to ~ 700 (~ 1.2 EC) this morning both were over 800. You might think that's just from water use, but no. Levels the same
Yesterday I brought both rezes to ~ 700 (~ 1.2 EC) this morning both were over 800. You might think that's just from water use, but no. Levels the same
I just saw the pic of your ornamental stones. They are certainly pretty. They are NOT inert. They in fact contain many minerals.
This may be why your EC is rising. Plants do not "dump crap" back into the reservoir.
They exchange ions for ions equally.
Like NO3 is exchanged for OH-
NH4 is exchanged for H+
What I mean is a plant can only give up an ion if it takes one in. So your EC going up is from something else.
Probably the stones my friend.
If you like that type of media get stones for aquariums. They are coated in epoxy and are truly inert chemically.
This may be why your EC is rising. Plants do not "dump crap" back into the reservoir.
They exchange ions for ions equally.
Like NO3 is exchanged for OH-
NH4 is exchanged for H+
What I mean is a plant can only give up an ion if it takes one in. So your EC going up is from something else.
Probably the stones my friend.
If you like that type of media get stones for aquariums. They are coated in epoxy and are truly inert chemically.
Nice to see you check in
If that was true, wouldn't I have the rising EC issue throughout, but it only happens from mid-bloom on
RockinRobot
Active member
EC rising is simply a result of feeding too heavily. When you feed too strong the plant ends up drinking more water than it uses nutrients.
On the other hand. If EC falls then you aren't feeding high enough. The plants will take up more nutrients than transpired water.
This is how to adjust feed schedule from start to finish and from strain to strain. Plants eat more based on size, light intensity and temperature. By monitoring EC you can easily adjust. Start low and let the plants tell you what they need.
As for the stones. This is last I'll say on the subject.
First they can leach minerals into the solution. That is very minor though and doubtful they would effect it enough to upset balance.
The biggest issues with them are their size, weight and lack of surface area. Their size and weight, like that of lava rock, can damage roots if they are deep.
The lack of surface area means no retention of moisture necessitating frequent floods in order to prevent the roots from drying out. If you have to flood every 3 minutes you may as well run RDWC and forget the stones all together.
Will they work? Probably, but why be cheap. Expanded clay isn't expensive and you can even reuse it if you want. Yes it can be a pain to clean. For myself I shake the container and save any that aren't stuck together with roots and toss the rest. It's no more expensive than rockwool croutons. In a grow your size a 50L bag would last you yeare.
You like to experiment so experiment. Take 2 clones under same light with same nutes. Run one in your stones with your current feed schedule and one in expanded clay feeding 1 flood every 6 hours and see for yourself. I'm betting you'll see better plants in the clay and you'll save a ton of electricity in the long run from not having your pumps run as much.
On the other hand. If EC falls then you aren't feeding high enough. The plants will take up more nutrients than transpired water.
This is how to adjust feed schedule from start to finish and from strain to strain. Plants eat more based on size, light intensity and temperature. By monitoring EC you can easily adjust. Start low and let the plants tell you what they need.
As for the stones. This is last I'll say on the subject.
First they can leach minerals into the solution. That is very minor though and doubtful they would effect it enough to upset balance.
The biggest issues with them are their size, weight and lack of surface area. Their size and weight, like that of lava rock, can damage roots if they are deep.
The lack of surface area means no retention of moisture necessitating frequent floods in order to prevent the roots from drying out. If you have to flood every 3 minutes you may as well run RDWC and forget the stones all together.
Will they work? Probably, but why be cheap. Expanded clay isn't expensive and you can even reuse it if you want. Yes it can be a pain to clean. For myself I shake the container and save any that aren't stuck together with roots and toss the rest. It's no more expensive than rockwool croutons. In a grow your size a 50L bag would last you yeare.
You like to experiment so experiment. Take 2 clones under same light with same nutes. Run one in your stones with your current feed schedule and one in expanded clay feeding 1 flood every 6 hours and see for yourself. I'm betting you'll see better plants in the clay and you'll save a ton of electricity in the long run from not having your pumps run as much.
You missed what he said... EC rising water level the SAME.
Well you will have to look elsewhere for answers.
What is true is plants do not release nutes. Thats why they burn sometimes. Because too many nutes are stuck inside the plant.
Is you PH the same in flower as in veg?
I learned about exudates in my HPA days, many years ago, but only during mid-bloom on. His example was equating it to a pregnant woman releasing all manner of crap. Makes sense to me.
You told me in bloom 5.8- 6.0. I questioned that, but you never responded, so that's where I keep it. That said, this morning the indica dropped to 5.3
Photo Update
For some reason pH in the indica rez dropped from ~ 5.9 to 5.3 in 24 hours. The sat pH was in range
The couple of top leafs are hold overs from my pH issues about a month ago, before mushroombrew stepped in to save my ass. Interestingly, they did green up quite a bit
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For some reason pH in the indica rez dropped from ~ 5.9 to 5.3 in 24 hours. The sat pH was in range
The couple of top leafs are hold overs from my pH issues about a month ago, before mushroombrew stepped in to save my ass. Interestingly, they did green up quite a bit
View attachment 443498 View attachment 443499
View attachment 443500 View attachment 443501
PH is within range.
I have not had ppm go up unless water is low. I used to mix my own nutes bro. I got good chemistry. I grow healthy plants.
Exudates, OH- and H+ released do not raise ppm significantly in a healthy res. NEVER in my world. TDS/PPM should always go down.
Something else is causing it to rise. I know you love your stones. But you cannot keep doing the same thing and expect different results. I feel you will get better results with different media.
Again, telling you what I do. NOT telling you what to do.
I use Hydroton, GS2 or perlite. I like GS2 it works great and is cheap and INERT. Hydroton is not my favorite.
Seeing as you are stubborn as a mule... take a bucket of your nutes. PH it to 5.8-6.0.
Check starting TDS/PPM. Add some of your stones. Let them sit 1 week. Then check PPM. If it goes up your stones are NOT inert ok?
I have not had ppm go up unless water is low. I used to mix my own nutes bro. I got good chemistry. I grow healthy plants.
Exudates, OH- and H+ released do not raise ppm significantly in a healthy res. NEVER in my world. TDS/PPM should always go down.
Something else is causing it to rise. I know you love your stones. But you cannot keep doing the same thing and expect different results. I feel you will get better results with different media.
Again, telling you what I do. NOT telling you what to do.
I use Hydroton, GS2 or perlite. I like GS2 it works great and is cheap and INERT. Hydroton is not my favorite.
Seeing as you are stubborn as a mule... take a bucket of your nutes. PH it to 5.8-6.0.
Check starting TDS/PPM. Add some of your stones. Let them sit 1 week. Then check PPM. If it goes up your stones are NOT inert ok?
Thanks for taking the time
Keep in mind my rezes are only ~ 3 gallons. Maybe losing a half gallon of water (which is hard to see in the rezes) is the cause. I have been adding ~ 1/2 gallon a day now to lower EC
If I saw some deterioration of the stones surface area I would consider that they are not inert, but that is not the case
RockinRobot
Active member
Evaporating 1/2 gallon of water in a 3 gallon rez will definitely cause EC to rise. The salts do not evaporate with the water. EC reading should always be checked AFTER adding back evaporated water to the starting level.
Suggestions
1 cover rez to help with evaporation
2 larger rez to help keep ec/ph more stable
Absolutely. I have to cover my rezes due to pesky mosquitos
I don't have water level markings inside the rez (other than the 1/2" hole for the F & D tube) and eyeballing the level is a crap-shoot. The increase in EC combined with somewhat of a drop in water level is a clue.
I turn the flooming pumps on, then pour water with EC pen in the rez until I get ~ 1.2 then adjust pH
My sense is that maturing buds need a lot more water along with some nutes, effectively increasing EC
This batch of nutes has been feeding the plants since January 3rds. I'm going to make a fresh batch for the final 3-4 weeks. Im thinking lowering to 1 EC. Thoughts
RockinRobot
Active member
There are several factors causing this for you and as much as I don't want to visit the subject again the stones are a big part of it. The more often you flood the more water you will evaporate. Second the rez needs to be larger. Larger volume means more stable ph/ec. I use HDX 12 and 17 gallon totes from home depot. Evaporating a gallon from 17 is way less change in nutrient strength than evaporating 1/2 gallon out of 3
Also the more leaf area your plants have the more water will evaporate. So as plants get bigger they use more water. This is why you notice it more in late flower.
There are a number of ways to keep your water level controlled. Simplest is draw a line on inside of rez and always fill to that line. You can add a bulkhead fitting and run clear tubing outside the rez with a line to be able to see water level as in the photo. You can even use a float valve and an extra rez to keep a constant water level.
I always add fresh r/o water back then add nutrients to bring up to correct EC, then I ph adjust.
