ChemDawg easy 400w SCROG

[Elcap]

Well, on the T5s, the biggest problem is light penetration during flowering. I'd scrog them with the screen the same size as the light fixture and stick the light right on top of them as close as you can get without burning the plant.

I've run my clones through about first 3 weeks under flos before and usually still do, but I've never tried to flower with flos, even the T5s don't put out nearly enough for my taste...but I'm also plant-numbers limited, so I do long veg times with bigger plants. Sorry I can't give you any first hand experience/results. If money is an issue, I guess you're going to have to do it...(or veg them until well rooted then stick em outside to finish). Let me know how it works out.

 

[BlackThumb]

Very nice single plant grow!

I have a similar setup to yours. Must try a SCROG this time around.

Thanks for sharing.
-BT

 

[lorddankinstien]

meanwhile back at the ranch....

Still waiting for new pics

hahahaha im just messing with you.. hope all is well I know towards the end im getting a bit nervous things may go south.

 

[Elcap]

Yep Dankinstien, just sittin' here watching the grass grow...hahaha.

I'll put up some pics later when the lights come on. They're starting to fatten up a bit, but the canopy is a tad uneven, the center colas are lagging a bit. The center ones are on newer growth since the plant was kind of spread away from it's center in all directions while scrogging and the ones on the outside edges are the older/fatter/longer branches. You can tell it's (the stem size) making a difference in how much/quickly they're developing compared to the outer ones.

 

[Elcap]

Day 31 Flower

Day 21 Flower comparison:

 

[rusty_shacklfor]

wow nice

 

[AchromicSkin311]

well Elcap...just wanted to update you on mine...not lookin as good as yours yet...haha...but I'm getting some really fast growth under the T5. I have one plant off to the side under a screen...its training pretty fast across it. I really like how yours is coming along!
Great Grow!!

 

[Elcap]

Thanks dudes.

Achromic, I checked your thread again, are you doing a type of ebb and flow on those buckets? I can't get a good read on your set-up details. After this run, I'm going to move to something other than DWC for the mid-summer run (because I don't have a chiller), that's why I'm curious. I may try coco or something.

I just finished building the DIY carbon filter with 8" outer and 6" innner, carbon is ordered and on the way. It's a well done tutorial and I was able to get everything (except the carbon) from 2 stores...HD and Wally. Here's the DIY:

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?p=509470

Good thing too, this girl is starting to STANK. Old roomie was in the garage the other day, knows nothing about the plant, doesn't even smoke...he says "man, it reeks of weed in here". I'm compliant with my state's MMJ laws, so it's not a big deal, but I don't want to draw any attention or rile up the neighbors just on principle.

On those DIY carbon filters, you can use your leftover poly fill batting as a pre-filter around the outside. Also, even with the biggest size panty hose I could find, the Q2 size, it's a king size bitch getting it over the 8" shell. The guys making the 4"-6" ones have it easy. I taped a slim strip of duct tape down the edge of the wire mesh on the 8" shell to keep from snagging when rolling the hose over, and then used the waist/crotch part and stretched that over it too for a second layer.


It's about the equivalent of a CAN 66 Filter, slightly smaller. A CAN66 cost about $150. I made the DIY just under $80. Also used zip-ties instead of hose clamps in a few spots, it's hard as hell to find worm-drive hose clamps larger than 7" dia unless you go to a plumbing wholesale/supplier type place.

 

[AchromicSkin311]

Elcap, yea I'm doing EBB Flow. I'm going to put into flowering stage this week. Ill take pics tonight. Id like to see if its worth me doing the T5 for flowering for next round, or go to a 400-600 hps. (if I have the $ then either...haha)

 

[Elcap]

Check out this rig I built, a 240v 4-outlet light controller that uses any simple timer, so you don't need some heavy duty specialty timers, there's a big 30A dual pole contactor relay in there.

Plug that baby in your common 30A dryer outlet, and you have 4 NEMA 6-20 style 240v/20A plugs to run your lights, heavy power tools, air conditioner...whatever. It's a pretty versatile thing, done DIY with instruction from the web that were sweet ass sweet in detail with tons of pics. I over-spec'd the wiring on the plugs/outlets, it's 12/3 SJO. Took maybe 10 hours of work and two trips to the home improvement stores, about $115 total. I could have done it for $95 if I hadn't oversized, and got the box I was actually looking for (they were out), and you take off the $8 or whatever for a wire stripper/crimp tool.

A CAP MLC-4 by comparison, cost about $200 retail and on sale as cheap as $120. But you can only run 1000w per plug because their wiring is undersized and they use dual chained style receptacles instead of individual plugs. And you can't have one of the plug-ins always "hot" while the others are on the timer.

And, I KNOW how well this one is put together because I did it with my own damn hands. Not some random line worker in a factory, bored off their ass and slappin' shit together. They're faster, no doubt, but if something has the capacity to burn my house down and kill my family if done wrong I'll do it slow and right.

I can plug the 120v trigger cord straight into an outlet and the outlets will always be on, I can plug the trigger into a timer and it will control all the outlets. Within 5 minutes, I can configure it to have 3 outlets on the timer and 1 always having power...or 2 and 2. Handy feature if you want to run a 240v ac or dehuey all the time but time control the lights. It's a flexible tool and would be ideal if you move around a lot...just find a space with a clothes dryer outlet and use a gas dryer or the local laundry.

Now I can get my light and fans and stuff off the 120 circuit.

 

[turbolaser4528]

Check out this rig I built, a 240v 4-outlet light controller that uses any simple timer, so you don't need some heavy duty specialty timers, there's a big 30A dual pole contactor relay in there.

Plug that baby in your common 30A dryer outlet, and you have 4 NEMA 6-20 style 240v/20A plugs to run your lights, heavy power tools, air conditioner...whatever. It's a pretty versatile thing, done DIY with instruction from the web that were sweet ass sweet in detail with tons of pics. I over-spec'd the wiring on the plugs/outlets, it's 12/3 SJO. Took maybe 10 hours of work and two trips to the home improvement stores, about $115 total. I could have done it for $95 if I hadn't oversized, and got the box I was actually looking for (they were out), and you take off the $8 or whatever for a wire stripper/crimp tool.

A CAP MLC-4 by comparison, cost about $200 retail and on sale as cheap as $120. But you can only run 1000w per plug because their wiring is undersized and they use dual chained style receptacles instead of individual plugs. And you can't have one of the plug-ins always "hot" while the others are on the timer.

And, I KNOW how well this one is put together because I did it with my own damn hands. Not some random line worker in a factory, bored off their ass and slappin' shit together. They're faster, no doubt, but if something has the capacity to burn my house down and kill my family if done wrong I'll do it slow and right.

I can plug the 120v trigger cord straight into an outlet and the outlets will always be on, I can plug the trigger into a timer and it will control all the outlets. Within 5 minutes, I can configure it to have 3 outlets on the timer and 1 always having power...or 2 and 2. Handy feature if you want to run a 240v ac or dehuey all the time but time control the lights. It's a flexible tool and would be ideal if you move around a lot...just find a space with a clothes dryer outlet and use a gas dryer or the local laundry.

Now I can get my light and fans and stuff off the 120 circuit.

clean wiring man, i was wondering how i could get power from my dishwasher/dryer plug. do you just run an extension cord to your lights and shit? i would think that wud be a fire hazard, does any1 known a safe way to do this?

nice setup and nice plants

 

[buddin_904]

your nugs look soooo fire exacltly how id want mine to look

looks like youve definately got it down pat

 

[Ganjagrower1]

popped a couple of seeds of ghemdog before and they turned out male. so i havent had the luxury of having any. Is there a strong smell. do you have to worry about the smell do you use a carbon filter.

 

[Elcap]

Yes, the 'Dawg stinks pretty heavily. Even strains that are "low odor" like Northern Lights will stink up the place if you don't have a filter. Security first, last, and always (best security is to be compliant with your state's MMJ laws).

 

[socbutter]

Are you using distill water?

Are you using distill water?

Just came across you beautiful grow and I'm encouraged to continue with my first grow.

My next cabinet is going to be just like yours!

I noticed that you were using distilled water. I am using distilled water and Flora Nova Bloom as my only nutes to grow a LOWRYDER#2 in a single waterfarm.

You mentioned that you were having issues at one point with your pH fluctuating. I was hoping that you could describe in a little detail how you when about reconciling your TDS and pH issues.

I am currently in the process of running distilled water in my reservoir for 3 hours in the belief that will flush the res. My current measurements are TDS 177ppm and pH @ 6.7. The distilled water measured TDS 0-1ppm and pH @5.8-5.9 before adding to res.

I previously prepare a two gallon nute "rich" replacement of TDS 398ppm and pH @ 5.8-5.9

This is the end of the first week of my first grow.

The res pH and nutes have fluctuated and thats why I am now making res change now.


Any details of your formulation/process you could offer would be of great assistance.

Thank you

 

[Elcap]

Actually, I don't use distilled water. I use tap water.


My pH was fluctuating too far downward because I had added a bit too much pH-down acid before letting it buffer in the solution. When you add acids to tap water, it's best to do it gradually and mix it well and give it time to stabilize. I don't own any pH up because my tap is almost 8 and I can usually get stable solutions by adding back straight tap water as my res topup. It's std lucas style addback plain water scheme.

Running distilled, RO or any other near-zero ppm water is going to flush any medium pretty well given enough volume.

 

[socbutter]

Actually, I don't use distilled water. I use tap water.

I had a gallon of distilled for drinking that I attempted to use to test how well my pH meter was working. I figured, wrongly, that straight steam distilled pure water would have a pH 7. It can vary quite a bit depending on how much CO2 is dissolved in the water, but even with that issue aside, de-ioned water will give goofy readings on a pH meter anyway because of the way the meters work.

My pH was fluctuating too far downward because I had added a bit too much pH-down acid before letting it buffer in the solution. When you add acids to tap water, it's best to do it gradually and mix it well and give it time to stabilize. I don't own any pH up because my tap is almost 8 and I can usually get stable solutions by adding back straight tap water as my res topup. It's std lucas style addback plain water scheme.

Running distilled, RO or any other near-zero ppm water is going to flush any medium pretty well given enough volume.

I guess you prepare a head , so how much time do you give the water to stabilize?

 

[Elcap]

Start of Day 40 Flowering

 

[socbutter]

Your are not ElCap. You Are El Jefe
!!!

LOL

 

[Elcap]

I guess you prepare a head , so how much time do you give the water to stabilize?

Not that long these days because I already know how much pH down I need to use with my specific tap water and nute regime, so I can usually get it perfect right off the bat. But I'll let it mix anywhere from a couple hours up to a day, then check the pH on it and adjust more if necessary, let that sit and mix, retest, etc.

Every brand of nutes is different and will have varying levels of buffering ability, so if I'm using nutes or tap water that I don't have experience with, I lean toward letting it mix longer. For MY tap water (190ppm, 7.8 pH) and GH 3-part lucas formula, adding about 1 ml/gal of GH's pH-Down puts me right at pH 6.