RDWC slow growth, froze plants

[Bennyweed1]

Hey folks, as the title describes I have a RDWC system that I built.

I am new to hydro, this being my first go at it, but I been hard at it since 10/2013 and have been dealing with the same problem.

I am bad as describing some times so I will do my best to include all the information and facts that I can. Please ask me any question as to I have to get this sorted out, its my lively hood.

My system is a 6 site 27 gallon tote sys. and I run with about 70-75 gallons of water/nutrient solution.

I have a single 951gph pump and 160lph in air pumps.

I keep pH between 6.0-6.2 and and PPM is at 380 @ 500 conversion

Water temps are between 60-63f depending. I add bleach @ 1 drop per gallon.

So here is the deal....all of my plants seem to be frozen, growth is a crawl. My plants in bloom are 7 weeks in the buds loook like they are at week 4. The roots seem to fall apart and come off the root ball. My water has a lot of dead roots in it but the water it self is crystal clear. There appears not to be any type of disease or anything in the water. The roots just seem to fall off.

I have no idea what it is. I have been messing with the EC for the past 2 months and nothing seems to fix it. The plants in veg are they same. They are real slow to grow. PPM was at 350, so I backed it down to 240ppm and the leafs started to yellow, I went up too 320ppm and the leafs started to twist and the roots lost their whiteness.

Here are the plants in bloom. They look healthy at first glance but development is slow.

They are a 9wk strain and they are at wk 7 but look like wk 4

My last harvest plants did this same thing and yield very little. I need to get this figured out

 

[Bennyweed1]

I have plenty of air

The water is clear and smells natural but dead roots and other debris seem to fall off the root balls and I just flushed, sucked the bottom water up with a shop vac and refilled with RO/DI yesterday

I removed the air stone for the pics

 

[Bennyweed1]

And here are the plants in veg. These plants are almost 5 weeks in veg and are still only 8" tall.

I dropped the ppm down to 220 and the plants started to yellow so I bumped it back up to 320ppm and the leafs started to twist.

 

[Bennyweed1]

my pH monitors were just calibrated and I try to do it once a week.

I am starting to think my plants do not like the pH range I have had them at. I been between 6.0-6.2 so I for the first time bumped it down to 5.6.

I have literally tried everything I can and changed everything I can. The only thing I have not messed with is pH.

I just dont understand the dead root thing.

 

[sahdgrower]

First thing jumps out at me is the water temp., as I understand it, that cold will really do exactly what you are describing in terms of slow growth. My temps are running around 68 in the morning to about 74 by days end, since I am using a bleach regimen I am not as concerned about these higher temps and the plants seem happy.

 

[Bennyweed1]

First thing jumps out at me is the water temp., as I understand it, that cold will really do exactly what you are describing in terms of slow growth. My temps are running around 68 in the morning to about 74 by days end, since I am using a bleach regimen I am not as concerned about these higher temps and the plants seem happy.

I can not do anything to raise the temp of the water right now. Its winter and the containers set on a cool basement floor. The air temp spikes at probably 75f and water probably spikes at 65f.. I dont understand why the roots are coming apart though.

I really think I have had a pH issue. I was maintaining it at 6.0-6.2 and after reading a lot of info on the intrawebs K and P can be locked out around there.

I havent had a real healthy pH drift since I started hydro. I flushed everything and set pH at 5.6 and am Im gonna see if I can get a better pH drift back into the low 6s

 

[sahdgrower]

I have had my ph at 6 to 6.2 for over a week and plants are happy my ph also doesn't drift but I am thinking that's due to the size (smallish) of my plants.

Also how about an aquarium heater?

 

[gmanwho]

I can not do anything to raise the temp of the water right now. Its winter and the containers set on a cool basement floor. The air temp spikes at probably 75f and water probably spikes at 65f.. I dont understand why the roots are coming apart though.

I really think I have had a pH issue. I was maintaining it at 6.0-6.2 and after reading a lot of info on the intrawebs K and P can be locked out around there.

I havent had a real healthy pH drift since I started hydro. I flushed everything and set pH at 5.6 and am Im gonna see if I can get a better pH drift back into the low 6s

U need an Aquarium water heater!!! Particularly one with a tempature dial on it so you can dial it in. 68 or so i believe is the number. Also. while the bulbs are bare, looks like your loosing alot of light off to the sides and top. Bare bulbs are great, but i felt when i had bare bulbs i had 2 options. 1 run more wattage, or 2 get some of the lost light to reflect back to the plants. while most like ph to drift, i can never really tell if the plants liked the drift or not. i always felt 5.8 was simple an worked well. I would check ph once a day or every other day. So if there was a drift it would have been over 24hr + period. When you correct your temps you might need to bump up your ec. the reason the plants are slow does seem like cold temps as others of indicated as well. Gonna be making myself some tubs like this within another week or 2. those uniseal an pvc 1-1/2 ? You qrow is close to the end. An while temp correction will help the last weeks, i would correct the issue but emphasize on the next batch going in. b-safe

 

[gmanwho]

my pH monitors were just calibrated and I try to do it once a week.
I just dont understand the dead root thing.

the roots are dead probably because they are cold an not developing. Cause they are brittle, the water movement could be ripping them apart. But if the roots where healthy they could handle your water movement with no problem. get the temps up an you will loose some of your phos purpling too. b-safe

 

[Bennyweed1]

Awesome man, thanks for all that. I will for sure look into a heater now, as long is I can get something that is low draw.

Since I adjusted my pH the plants look almost 180% different. The tops are starting to get that lush green color of new growth.

The the thing that gets me the most about temps are I seen two people on the intrawebs that would run their RDWC systems in the 50s with success.

 

[SPG*]

Save loads of Light BW and get a Couple of these "Revolutionary" Vert Reflectors!


Moving Property soon hence "Stuff" lol

"I'd put the Containers on Wooden blocks rather than cold concrete & get a ^ Nute heater or two.I have a nute chiller! For where I grow"
I run a 12 pot RDWC and add PH down Every few days cus the Ph Level rises as they grow,G'd luck

 

[itsallgoodsman]

I can not do anything to raise the temp of the water right now. Its winter and the containers set on a cool basement floor. The air temp spikes at probably 75f and water probably spikes at 65f.. I dont understand why the roots are coming apart though.

I really think I have had a pH issue. I was maintaining it at 6.0-6.2 and after reading a lot of info on the intrawebs K and P can be locked out around there.

I havent had a real healthy pH drift since I started hydro. I flushed everything and set pH at 5.6 and am Im gonna see if I can get a better pH drift back into the low 6s

I have been following your grow, it looks good. You could always use 1/2 to 3/4" Plywood. Just cut the piece as big as you need them and then get a helper and slip them underneath. This should insulate them from drawing the colder temps out of the concrete.

 

[Bennyweed1]

I have been following your grow, it looks good. You could always use 1/2 to 3/4" Plywood. Just cut the piece as big as you need them and then get a helper and slip them underneath. This should insulate them from drawing the colder temps out of the concrete.

Hey thats not a bad idea but I will put it on the back burner because the plants turned around big time after lowering the pH to 5.6 and letting it ride up.

The plants in veg are rocking now with new growth. I believe this is the healthiest they have ever been since I switched to hydro.

I screwed the plants in bloom this round but the new reload will actually yield me something to write about now I know what pH those plants like.

Im so stoked! Thanks you reply man.

 

[sahdgrower]

Fuck yeah Benny! Glad to hear you got them on track.

 

[itsallgoodsman]

Hey thats not a bad idea but I will put it on the back burner because the plants turned around big time after lowering the pH to 5.6 and letting it ride up.

The plants in veg are rocking now with new growth. I believe this is the healthiest they have ever been since I switched to hydro.

I screwed the plants in bloom this round but the new reload will actually yield me something to write about now I know what pH those plants like.

Im so stoked! Thanks you reply man.

Go to hear man, the Ph I have found is so very important when dealing with the way of growing. I am building 2 of Snypes 12 bucket RDWC with 2 more planned in the very near future. Anyways, glad to hear the girls took back off!