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Triple stacked 3K automatic

ganjourno

Member
That would be nuts. 4 solid not counting smalls is my goal. Don't know if I'll break the sound barrier on this run, I've already identified a few things to do better next run and a couple important changes to make to the system. Climate is ideal but there's more room on the nutrient timing and plant management. Those alone are good for another elbow.
 

Miraculous Meds

Well-known member
Any decent quality nutrient at about 1 to 1.2ec thru the whole life cycle, is all that's needed to hit 8 to 10lbs out of ur set up. Just got to learn the right time to flip them to fill in the canopy perfectly. U need a better yielding strain to get to that level though. Ur lower yielding strains should still get pretty close to 6lbs.

I see now that ur using mh, and cool tubes of course cut into the yield a little. I don't know what the potential is for mh out of this system. My yield figures were based on using hps.
 
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ganjourno

Member
Day 41, did some more defoliating, and tried to arrange the canopy so to bring the weaker buds forward so they can catch up a bit for the finish. Starting to get some real nice colors and frost happening. The smell is starting to really take on a new flavor as well, a very piney, fuely, sour type of smell, with a hint of burnt rubber aroma - really complex and addictive, almost like a sour coffee/espresso flavor. Can't wait to have a taste! About 20 more days...

On the MH vs HPS question, I have run pretty large side by side rooms (8k each) with the same strain in the past and this is why I switched to MH. The bud quality under MH is just way better, and the flavor is way better too. I'm convinced this is due to the extra UV spectrum in the MH bulbs. I do get a slightly leafier development, but there is also less stretch, so provided I do some extra defoliating under mH I can pack a lot more budsites in than HPS. I would run the dual spectrum bulbs but I don't think they will play well with my digi ballasts.

n72Bwb1.jpg

4dO8qyF.jpg
 

ganjourno

Member
Got the good camera out today...

Here's the day 42 goodness:
9GGYtBP.jpg


And a typical bud I cut for an early sample to see how she tastes:
65p8kII.jpg
 

hup234

Active member
ICMag Donor
Veteran
wow that cal nit was holding you back...good move
ps how much $ for the dosing equip...way to maximize space:tiphat:
 

ganjourno

Member
The dosers are 250 apiece - you can get away with 2 but 3 is better especially if you have hard water and need to add more ph buffer or want to add occasional supplements like silica. You can buy them here: http://www.qcsupply.com/120895-dosmatic-the-minidos-1.html

Another great find from that site is the industrial fan speed controller. Awesome for dialing back a huge 220v fan: http://www.qcsupply.com/10930-phason-mtc-4c-control.html

I must confess I had these dosers left over from a previous larger scale project, but in the end even though it's $750 for the set, well worth it for anything larger than a 2 light setup. No res to mess with and no root rot possibility = priceless, not to mention the huge labor savings.
 

ghostmade

Active member
Veteran
first time i hearing MH producing better buds over HPS, thanks, I might try it out.
Beware for more leaf. It dose add frost and some funk. But a already hard to trim strain will be a nightmare.g9od luck
I just wish plasma did not cost so much
 

ganjourno

Member
There is a thread on MH vs HPS in the side by side forum, some good info and debate on the topic there. But my choice is simply based on my side by side experience running identical rooms where only the lights were different. The MH stuff was just on another level and that's what I aim for these days. I would rather have 5 elbows of chronic than 6 of regs, gnomesayn? In any case make sure you use the WARM halides for flowering. I swapped them a bit too late in this run. Start the flower with BLUE halides until day 17 (or whenever your strain starts to really start budding), then swap to the WARM halides to finish it out. I swapped bulbs around day 26 and that was a week too late, probably cost me a half P. I'm gonna try the dual arc bulbs next round, might be the best of both worlds and should work well in this setup. The warm halides I'm using now are too bulbous and restrict airflow in the cooltubes and rattle - no bueno. Dual arcs are more of an hps form factor so that should help the airflow improve. THe dual arcs used to be super expensive like $200 apiece, but looks like there are some ultrasun clones now for around 50 bucks :O. Worth a shot.

FYI if I can describe the flavor differences between mH and HPS, the mh flavor is "brighter" and more sour than hps. HPS kind of gives that generic "yep, it's weed" stank but the mh really brings the flavor front and center. Kind of like the difference between coke and cherry coke ;)
 
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FlowerFarmer

Active member
Veteran
What sort of water source is required to use these inline dosers? Really interested in them, buy my well water is like .6 EC.
 

RoostaPhish

Well-known member
Veteran
Remember The Hybrid Bulbs Are Only Made for Standard Hps Ballasts. I Know the Sunmaster warm Bulbs Are Large Diameter Bt-56. The Solar Max Golds Are A Nice Narrow Tube Mh, t-25.
 

ganjourno

Member
Remember The Hybrid Bulbs Are Only Made for Standard Hps Ballasts.

So they say, but I see lots of people running them on digital ballasts. It looks like running the hybrids on digital may reduce the life of the bulb due to the high switching frequency, but that doesn't bother me since I swap bulbs every run anyways. Even a 5% lumen loss as bulbs age will cost me a QP so it's worth it to swap every run. Three new bulbs costs $150 and A QP is well - more than that ;) I'd run DE's but they can't be used vertical - bummer.
 

ganjourno

Member
Day 43 moving right along:
Vh4Wr6z.jpg


Wall of glue! Did some final training here as well. The brighter green bubsites you see here and there were less devloped stuff at the back that I pulled forward to try and get it to finish on time. Luckily not too many of those though.
QpTvWwL.jpg
 

Chunkypigs

passing the gas
Veteran
Dude, looking good!

HPS vs MH was early research for me and I won't go back. I use the fat ones.
my wall o glue from a few runs back.

picture.php
 

ganjourno

Member
Day 46, getting there! Dialed back the feed a bit, still not feeding any calcinit. Reduced CO2 to 1000ppm. Top nugs are the best so far because they have the most room:
CGIqpDP.jpg

daQ7ixV.jpg


Cross section of the door - you can see the canopy is quite thick and there are a few stragglers behind the screens. Next run there will be NOTHING back there. Trimmed a ton this round but still not enough...
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Looking from behind the canopy:
Lu6WyO7.jpg
 

Shcrews

DO WHO YOU BE
Veteran
i'm jealous. thats gonna be some tasty weed. room looks great too, very efficient use of space
 
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