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Hello Again - 2400watt Recirculating DWC Grow

dubracer

Member
I have a few questions.
I don't understand the U shaped cooling thing. Can you post a pic in action?

I'll try to find a pic. There are 4 lights. The fan just sits in between the 2 rows. One side of the lights gets air "pulled" through it, and the other side gets air "pushed" through it. Far more efficient then sticking it at the end, etc.

You don't mention what size of pump you're using. Are you not having problems draining? I run 4 "pod" systems with dual 3/4"drains in series like yours. When I tried the first system (feed is a 1/2" line feeding 2 1/8" feedlines per pod) with a 350gph little giant the drains couldn't keep up. the last pod would overflow very soon after turning on the pump. I dialed the voltage back to 70 using a variac. Now I just run 160gph pumps for feed and am using 1-1/2" drains and larger tubs. Didn't have any clogging issues with the 5gal and 3/4" drains though.

I'm using a 500gph pump. There is no issue of draining. Because everything is on the same plane, there is no way that a 1/8" feed line can overpower a 3/4" drain. I just pulled about 14" of roots out one of my drains, despite root guards.

And finally,
Where are all the lights? Do you just raise them for the pics? Are you keeping them REAL high to induce stretching? What's up with that? Will they eventually be hung vertically in amongst the plants?

Picture shows the lights. They had way to close of node growth, so Ive been dumping them with nitrogen and raising the lights. I want them to stretch since i am still going to screen.
 

dubracer

Member
hey this shit looks good. i was thinking about making my own dwc next round or doing a flood and drain with 6'' rockwoll cubes with AN sensi a/b and possibly carboload + big bud. what is ur viewpoint on cubes compared to dwc. your plants look extremely healthy, im just concerned if i tried to make my own dwc it wouldnt be nearly as good and problems that i wouldnt know what to do

DWC is by far the largest investment, but has the highest potential as well. Also has chance for a lot of problems.

I don't like doing a lot of plants; there is too much chance for pests and I never feel the quality is as good as a more established and larger plant. That is another reason I do this style.

But finally, the main reason I do it, is because it is what i know. Folks need to just realize that you need to just PICK something and go with it. Soil, hydro, whatever... in the end its what you are familiar with. I know guys that yield more then me from soil, but theyve been growing the same strain, same nutrients, same soil, for years.
 

kusher.jim

New member
Your room and you ladies look perfectly dialed up.
Changing the water is a pain in the ass but i prefer to change it out every 3 weeks or so .You are going to have some serious monsters in there if you leave them in veg for some more days .I was watching you closely and from your dry weights i will decide the setup of my new growroom , keep it up.
 

dubracer

Member
Still haven't changed water, hahaha. They've been in flowering for about 5 days. Changing it out soon, just so lazy... But they are showing signs of lockout, so it is time. Did my a big pruning again, and its time to lay a screen over everything. More pics tomorrow.
 

dubracer

Member
SOooooo busy; was gone for a week. here is a pic from yesterday, out of control...

Running a 1:1:1 with a bit of extra bloom, changed water, bout 1300ppm

Room%2520June%25206A.jpg
 

dubracer

Member
Also after the pic, I spread the lights apart by about 2 feet to expand the canopy, and then spaced the plants out even further so they can breath a bit more. Temps have been a bit low, but it has been difficult to keep humidity below 70% while keeping temps above 70. Need a dehumidifier, sigh...
 

dubracer

Member
time to flip! i bet you are gona pull way more than 2lbs outta that

they've been in flowering for about 2 weeks now or maybe 3.

I believe more then 2lb is well within reason, in fact highly likely, but I like to set my sights low so I won't be disappointed if something goes wrong, etc.

Never grown this particular genetics of GDP, and its a new room/new location, so its possible things may not turn out great. All I need is 1 pound to make it even, 2 to make it worth it, and anything beyond that will make me smile. :dance013:


PS. I changed water about 1 week into flowering. They responded very nicely.
 

dubracer

Member
Oh, so this is like ~24 days into flowering or something like that. Nutrients are at ~1300ppm, going about 1:1:2 of Grow/Micro/Bloom. Will be shifting to a 1:2:3, then a 1:2:4, and finally a 0:2:5 ratio in the last week before flushing.

ALSO, just so everyone is clear here too; I do nothing to my water. It is not filtered, it comes from my well, it is hard at around 250ppm. What I've always learned and try to tell folks is that is perfectly fine and you also don't need CalMag due to the existing hardness. Drastically cheaper and better for the environment.

It is all about pH... Harder water will require a shifting of the pH table in order to properly unlock nutrient uptake. Once you find the pH and balance/stabilize everything, there will never be an issue with what kind of water you use.

My water comes out of the well at 7.0pH. This type of system has a large enough water capacity to buffer the pH quite well once it has settled. The plants can handle an extended range of pH without negative effects, once it is dialed and stabilized.
 

Fattie

Member
I was literally just about to post a question about your pH levels.

When you mention the extended range they can handle, can you put some hard numbers to that?

I understand it will be different for different waters, but just to give a baseline of what you set it to and expect it to rise to in a given time.
 

kusher.jim

New member
Come on guys no way to pull off only 2 lbs dry from this trees ,
with 2400 W over their heads .Especially this happy trees that
dubracer take care so good. Anything below 3 lbs will disapoint me
and i am starting to smile near 4 lbs.
I do not use to be optimistik with my grows too , but this is dialed
grow room with a good grower and i want to see 4 lbs. The only think
that will keep the yield lower than my expectetions can be plant count.

Hey dubracer intresting ratios there 1:1:2 at early flowering
to 1:2:3 to 1:2:4 to 0:2:5 wich is a week Lucas , what is the science
behind this ratios i mean why you use them and how you invent them .

I am using 4:2:1 to feed the stretch at the first week of flowering
and switch to Lucas after that.
 

dubracer

Member
just a little over 4 weeks into flowering. looking great all around, aside from a root/drain disaster which is always possible/inevitable with this system. however, the leaves are just toooo dark green. at 4 weeks, i need to be seeing a bit lighter green and less nitrogen. I've stopped grow completely and cut down on micro even more. Running at 1650ppm with just a tiny tiny tiny bit of burn on the very edge, which could have been pH related.

temps are now 79F under canopy and ~75F in the room; summer time. Could be cooler if needed, but I like the heat for the indicas. Remember I do light at night, dark in day.

Also, I better clarify something too. When I give "ratios", its an extremely rough calculation here. Long ago, I stopped worrying about measuring and sterilization and crap like that which never makes a difference. The nutrient ratios I give are general; as in, I toss what looks like a half cut of micro in and then toss a full cup of bloom, the cup being a used yogurt container. The plants will tell you what they want. Every strain, every genetic, every situation, ever pH...different requirements.


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C

Cheeb

Monsters...

Nice DWC garden you got here Dub. I used to play a lot in DWC but moved away from it due to water temps (no chiller at the time) and noise.

You've got me wanting to give it another go for old times sake. Its just more fun playing in straight water.....less all the transplanting/mess you get with potted mediums.

Lookin' killer!
 

dubracer

Member
Monsters...

Nice DWC garden you got here Dub. I used to play a lot in DWC but moved away from it due to water temps (no chiller at the time) and noise.

You've got me wanting to give it another go for old times sake. Its just more fun playing in straight water.....less all the transplanting/mess you get with potted mediums.

Lookin' killer!

Thanks Cheeb.

I've always felt that growing is just picking something and sticking to it. I've got buddies who can outgrow me with soil like nothing else...but they've been growing the same thing for 5 years in the same place with the same method.

Recirc DWC is my fav, and I'm a mechanical kind of guy so I don't mind some added complication. The growth rate is just unmatched to anything else. Eventually I will have to design something with larger return lines because roots growing into the lines is a big issue. I got my water chiller for free this time, through a nice turn of events, so that really helped the decision.

Once it gets this far into growth, I can't leave them for more then a day or two despite them not needing anything but a check to make sure shit isn't overflowing, hahaha.
 

dubracer

Member
lost almost a whole plant today. so it goes. buds are too big for the branches; a large one snapped and took out half the plant.
 
Dubracer....what type of pump are you using,is it magnetic?
I ask cause you seem to be getting good pressure from yours!

I am currently setting up a 12 bucket grow; my walls are finished and shiney,air has yet to be done but that can be built during veg so my next step is plumbing.

The pump I have at the moment is a pond master 500 , I'm considering feeding with half inch ID lines as the buckets have 1 1/4 inch ID drains.

Your grow is inspirering!
More questions will be forthcoming!
(I have never grown before)
 

dubracer

Member
Dubracer....what type of pump are you using,is it magnetic?
I ask cause you seem to be getting good pressure from yours!

I am currently setting up a 12 bucket grow; my walls are finished and shiney,air has yet to be done but that can be built during veg so my next step is plumbing.

The pump I have at the moment is a pond master 500 , I'm considering feeding with half inch ID lines as the buckets have 1 1/4 inch ID drains.

Your grow is inspirering!
More questions will be forthcoming!
(I have never grown before)

Ecoplus 600gph magnetic, 9 buckets, 1/2" feed with 1/4" from line to bucket.

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