Inside Out Trees, Silo Op, custom RDWC, water cooled

[2 Legal Co]

Today's event is that things are uneventful. Ticking along, minding their own business, I just add water now and again, maybe a lil acid to bring down pH. I wish I had more to talk about. Trellising; nothing new here, except maybe the lack of sore shoulders and a backache from bending across a wide ScrOG screen.

The biggest problem in the whole place is that the girls need a bit more time on a trellis to properly fill it in in order to maximize yield.

Do you know which component is raising the PH? I have to change water to Raise mine after a while.

The Botanicare lowers it from 6.5 to 6. Then a couple weeks later it sags a bit more down to lower than 5.5........ ?

I'm growing in Lava rock.

 

[Ttystikk]

Damn double stacked 1ks ? Gonna be a good harvest..

I'm hoping so, I've overcome a lot of challenges to get this far. These trellis are five feet in diameter or 30" from bulb to trellis- and would you believe I'm still getting a touch of light bleaching on the fan leaves? Lol

The girls like the upright trellis panels better, too, I can tell already!

 

[Ttystikk]

Do you know which component is raising the PH? I have to change water to Raise mine after a while.

The Botanicare lowers it from 6.5 to 6. Then a couple weeks later it sags a bit more down to lower than 5.5........ ?

I'm growing in Lava rock.

There are two different aspects at work here. The first is your media. To test this, place some in water that you have already pH balanced to 6.0. Rinse the rock thoroughly in this water, then place the rock in another tub of water with the same pH. Easy enough; pH a big batch and divide. Anyway, you've rinsed your media and placed it in a solution of known pH. Test it right away. Let it sit for a few hours and test it again. Test it again the next day. Monitor whether and how much pH moves.

Part two is the solution strength of your nutrient water. If it's too strong, pH tends to fall. Too weak, it likes to rise. Goldilocks is in the sweet spot...

 

[Ttystikk]

The vertical panel orientation agrees with the ladies much better, as even though the bulbs are beside them, they still put on most of their stretch upwards rather than sideways. I'm really looking forward to seeing it filled in, and I won't have long to wait; I can watch them growing, I could swear they're taller every few hours! Gotta love a good streeeeeeeetch!

 

[2 Legal Co]

There are two different aspects at work here. The first is your media. To test this, place some in water that you have already pH balanced to 6.0. Rinse the rock thoroughly in this water, then place the rock in another tub of water with the same pH. Easy enough; pH a big batch and divide. Anyway, you've rinsed your media and placed it in a solution of known pH. Test it right away. Let it sit for a few hours and test it again. Test it again the next day. Monitor whether and how much pH moves.

Part two is the solution strength of your nutrient water. If it's too strong, pH tends to fall. Too weak, it likes to rise. Goldilocks is in the sweet spot...

Thx for the reply.

What turned out to be Your component that actually raised your PH?

The lava rock that I use raises the PH a little (if washed properly) ,,,, so I'm left with the Drop coming from the Botanicare,,,,, and or the plants chemically changing something. lol Yeah, I know that's pretty much a Captain Obvious comment, but I'm wondering if it is your Nutrients that is that does the opposite of Bot.??

If so I might want to change nutrients.....

I much prefer to have to push it down rather than chance a 'stoner moment', and have it crash. Being new to growing cannabis, most of what I do is 'experimental'. So I do appreciate your help.

Edit;

Saw on the news this morning. A JOB FAIR is being held today in Colorado specifically for Jobs in the cannabis industry.

Another first? or did Ca. beat us to it?

Ultimate truth;

Using cannabis is not addictive........ but growing it is. I'm having trouble shutting it down for the summer to travel.

 

[420ish]

hey with all these updates where are the pics??????????hope they keep growing a few inches every few hours!

 

[Ttystikk]

Growing cannabis is addictive- growing it better is even more so.

Most nutrients have pH down added to them, some more than others. Check ttyl see if your nutes are formulated for 'hard water'. If so, it's got more in it to overcome natural pH buffering from dissolved Ca.

I use Jacks Professional Hydroponic 5-12-26, calcium nitrate, epsom salt, MKP, and table sugar. PERIOD. I add pH up rarely and down regularly to balance.

 

[Ttystikk]

hey with all these updates where are the pics??????????hope they keep growing a few inches every few hours!

I have a friend who just got himself a nice Canon SLR. We're taking some pics now, he'll crop and clean up and I'll have them to post in a few days. How 'bout that?

 

[Ttystikk]

Things are all but routine. Managing stretch takes ten minutes a day for the whole thing, since it's literally standing in front of me. The large liquid volume in the tubs maintains pH and EC without big swings. The vertical bulbs in the middle are in the middle of a round cage I have to enter maybe once or twice through the entire bloom cycle, to remove fan leaves and clean up the plant right before peak flower.

It's looking like the work will come with chopping and trimming them out!

But really, that's kind of the point; dealing with the routine stuff should be automatic, and if possible automated so that your time is free for the important things...

Like hot tubbing with the OTHER ladies!

 

[Ttystikk]

Today, my 2 Ton ChillKing window mount unit FAILED. It's only 9 months old!

Warranty process has already been started; I will keep you all up to date on how my claim is treated.

I'm not dead in the water; because this HAS HAPPENED BEFORE WITH CHILLKING, I have a second, rebuilt 2 Ton ChillKing window mount unit! It's currently handling chilling chores until the first one gets fixed.

It failed in MARCH? IN COLD WEATHER? WHILE IT SAT INSIDE ALL WINTER AND NEVER SAW SUB FREEZING TEMPERATURES?! I will be very interested in the diagnosis...

 

[Ttystikk]

Hydro Innovations CUSTOMER SERVICE UPDATE

Hydro Innovations CUSTOMER SERVICE UPDATE

I told y'all I'd shoot straight about how Hydro Innovations is taking care of me.

They called me back within the hour with several options to proceed; bring it in, or have any of several authorized reps do a service call. They explained that ChillKing is not an in house brand, it's another separate company with whom Hydro Innovations did a lot of business when they were based in Texas. One of the reasons they now build all of their own chillers, even the smaller ones like mine, is because they were not happy with the number of service calls these units generated. They stopped doing business with ChillKing some several years ago, and so the warranty period they were responsible for has run out on all units that got sold.... but some sat in inventory at retail shops, and ended up in the hands of people like me.

Rather than attempt to wash their hands of the whole thing, they've chosen instead to back the original ChillKing parts only warranty themselves AND diagnose the problem gratis if I could get it to them. If it's a cheap fix like a capacitor, it will be a done deal by the weekend. If it's the compressor, they'll work with the manufacturer- the unit has a five year warranty from date of manufacture... April of 2010! Yeah, this thing sat around in inventory for a minute before it came home with me last summer!

I called friends until I got ahold of a pal with a van- and I got a tour of their very spacious and complete facility, got a peek at several projects they've got in the works- great stuff!- and came away with some extremely fascinating news about their new in-house Banks brand of specialty built chilling systems. More on that soon, too.

In short, they had the chance to bounce the ball back to ChillKing and sweep it under the rug- and instead, they've handled it themselves from half court for three points.

I'll let ya know what the diagnosis is when they call me.

 

[Mister_D]

Good to hear HI is taking care of you , but you know what this thread really needs........ MORE

 

[Ttystikk]

Super Silo snaps

Super Silo snaps

That's Longs Peak and Mount Meeker, behind some (rare) Colorado front range countryside.

 

[cyat]

Growing cannabis is addictive- growing it better is even more so.

Most nutrients have pH down added to them, some more than others. Check ttyl see if your nutes are formulated for 'hard water'. If so, it's got more in it to overcome natural pH buffering from dissolved Ca.

I use Jacks Professional Hydroponic 5-12-26, calcium nitrate, epsom salt, MKP, and table sugar. PERIOD. I add pH up rarely and down regularly to balance.

I stopped adjusting ph a while ago, even in rdwc

 

[Mister_D]

I stopped adjusting ph a while ago, even in rdwc

What nutes are you using? RO or tap water? If using tap, what's it's EC?

 

[2 Legal Co]

Hey Ttystk; Where you get your Jacks from? Local or mailorder?

thx

 

[Ttystikk]

Hey Ttystk; Where you get your Jacks from? Local or mailorder?

thx

I found it at a big wholesale outlet in Denver. I found the stuff I replaced Jacks with regionally (Hydrogardens dot com), in Colorado Springs. Such nutrient manufacturers are all over, they just don't advertise in hydro stores...

 

[Ttystikk]

Hydro Innovations went above and beyond, all- my unit was suspiciously dirty for having been only 9 months old, and many of the parts were worn beyond where they should have been. They said they thought that I'd been sold a used unit, based on the wear.

They not only didn't quibble, they basically overhauled the chiller completely from front to back... and refused to take a red cent for their trouble.

If you're getting tired of hearing about this, stop and think for a moment about all the times you hear people complaining about bad service vs good. While it's nice to know to avoid a given outfit, it's much better to know who WILL take care of you, and proves it.

I saw some of their best new units, and I'm personally smitten with their 240V two phase (ok for residential use) 5 Ton chiller, with optional water cooling. This is pretty much the last word in indoor cultivation optimized heat pump units, and the hot water will create so many opportunities to save money that it will pay for itself in just a few years.

 

[Ttystikk]

A few creative shots;

 

[mr. gt]

Looking great man..lurking on..