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Something wicked this way comes

967

Active member
Hmm I'm seeing it as ppm dropping in pump tank. I wonder if it's circulating properly. I assume so as if I check pump res at 350 ppm, then add another 500 or whatever it settles somewhere in the middle

I've always run this strain lazily in coco at 1.6ec watering every second or third day. Plants much bigger now but also pulsed 10 times every 24 hours. How does one settle on target strength? I'm not running jacks so can't just straight copy like most...
 

zeke99

Active member
Hmm I'm seeing it as ppm dropping in pump tank. I wonder if it's circulating properly. I assume so as if I check pump res at 350 ppm, then add another 500 or whatever it settles somewhere in the middle

I've always run this strain lazily in coco at 1.6ec watering every second or third day. Plants much bigger now but also pulsed 10 times every 24 hours. How does one settle on target strength? I'm not running jacks so can't just straight copy like most...

I've never used an input higher than 1.4. That's for plants being illuminated with a single 600w, up to 2x 600w or 1K + 400w.
 

967

Active member
I figure if I input 1.2 - 1.3 and it stays around that, with no deficiencies present I'll run with that for now. Would like to test individual buckets but I have plants nesting, to limit container height. Now they're stuck I can't wrestle them out with a 3 - 4' plant on top

First run with ppk so next round I should be able to iron out the kinks...
 

Snook

Still Learning
Veteran
I figure if I input 1.2 - 1.3 and it stays around that, with no deficiencies present I'll run with that for now. Would like to test individual buckets but I have plants nesting, to limit container height. Now they're stuck I can't wrestle them out with a 3 - 4' plant on top

First run with ppk so next round I should be able to iron out the kinks...
To get PPMs of PPK bottom rez -Drill hole in bottom bucket/tub above the water line and use one of these https://www.ebay.com/itm/Infant-Ene...ndly-Rubber-latex-non-synthetic-/252860138590 . suck a shot glass full and test. Tape up hole when finished just to keep evaporation from happing and potential algae from forming..
EDIT: I have nothing to do with that ebay link, just for example, a large hypodermic will work just as well or just the hose and orally suck and gravity feed a little for testing. GL
 

967

Active member
Good idea snook! I got a 30ml syringe I use for measuring nutes that 1/4" hose should fit on quite nicely, I'll give if a go. I'm actually using white buckets so algae is a possibility. Doesn't form in pump res tho, I was just running out of time and smashed it together in a hurry, overlooked that part...
 

Snook

Still Learning
Veteran
Good idea snook! I got a 30ml syringe I use for measuring nutes that 1/4" hose should fit on quite nicely, I'll give if a go. I'm actually using white buckets so algae is a possibility. Doesn't form in pump res tho, I was just running out of time and smashed it together in a hurry, overlooked that part...
Thinking about your pump rez PPMs:
What type (if you stated before, sorry) of sizing do you have on the 'nested' buckets? One inside the other, right? a 3.5 inside a 5? I ran that type of bucket combo twice: once a 3.5 inside a 5 gallon bucked and another time a 3.5 inside a 7 gallon bucket. The 3.5 in a 5 left me with what I thought was too little water in the bottom rez, the tail piece was only (I forget exactly) 2-3 inches long. The 3.5/7 gallon buckets worked out better but, like your height dilemma, were taking away too much vertical grow space. I finally cut the top of the tent out, mounted the light on the ceiling of the room and fashioned a facade from the ceiling down to just below where the tents roof used to be. Tada! giving 18 inches more vertical height and coincidentally a pretty close amount of height that the light used to take in the tent when it had a roof.
What media do you use?
 

967

Active member
Thinking about your pump rez PPMs:
What type (if you stated before, sorry) of sizing do you have on the 'nested' buckets? One inside the other, right? a 3.5 inside a 5? I ran that type of bucket combo twice: once a 3.5 inside a 5 gallon bucked and another time a 3.5 inside a 7 gallon bucket. The 3.5 in a 5 left me with what I thought was too little water in the bottom rez, the tail piece was only (I forget exactly) 2-3 inches long. The 3.5/7 gallon buckets worked out better but, like your height dilemma, were taking away too much vertical grow space. I finally cut the top of the tent out, mounted the light on the ceiling of the room and fashioned a facade from the ceiling down to just below where the tents roof used to be. Tada! giving 18 inches more vertical height and coincidentally a pretty close amount of height that the light used to take in the tent when it had a roof.
What media do you use?


Be close to a 3.5 in a 5, I'm not 100%. Maybe 12 or 13L in a 20L, top of media bucket is a couple inches higher than the res bucket. I'm thinking my buckets don't really hold much water, but it shouldn't really matter a whole lot? - Nutes pumped draining to it every 2 hours

Media is 70% perlite 30% chunky coco with hydroton on top 1.5" (Had gnats, helps keep it all moist too)
 

tilopa

Member
coco coir as medium

coco coir as medium

Been experimenting with using coco on a couple of my veg plants. I have one in intermediate veg and one in full veg. They are both doing really well, however the veg plant is starting to clog up now. Nutes are coming out over the top.

Is this the inherent problem with using coco? Is anyone using coco and found a way to keep it from clogging the tail piece.
 

Snook

Still Learning
Veteran
Be close to a 3.5 in a 5, I'm not 100%. Maybe 12 or 13L in a 20L, top of media bucket is a couple inches higher than the res bucket. I'm thinking my buckets don't really hold much water, but it shouldn't really matter a whole lot? - Nutes pumped draining to it every 2 hours

Media is 70% perlite 30% chunky coco with hydroton on top 1.5" (Had gnats, helps keep it all moist too)
So in that bottom bucket you have what ?? 2" of water? That means your control apparatus is at only 2".. not enough to water 4 plants at the same time and trying to do one at a time would drive me crazy and I'd screw it up sooner rather than later :biggrin: was that you talking bout not enough water in your system?? cant help with your media, but I started putting 2 wicks (1.5" each) in and covering one with panda film, under the media and up over the side of the PPK> until the first clogs and then pull out the panda film.. few roots, no clogs. sacrifice the few inches and stack them in the future. SCROG!
 

Desert Hydro

Active member
Veteran
full steam ahead! clones are mainlined and vegging for the next round. timing should be good on these.
 

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967

Active member
So in that bottom bucket you have what ?? 2" of water? That means your control apparatus is at only 2".. not enough to water 4 plants at the same time and trying to do one at a time would drive me crazy and I'd screw it up sooner rather than later :biggrin: was that you talking bout not enough water in your system?? cant help with your media, but I started putting 2 wicks (1.5" each) in and covering one with panda film, under the media and up over the side of the PPK> until the first clogs and then pull out the panda film.. few roots, no clogs. sacrifice the few inches and stack them in the future. SCROG!

Nah, around 6" in the res, buckets are elevated on bricks soon after I realised the mistake I had made.
It's around 3.5" in the bucket leaving around a simiar size air gap (just checked and was fairly high so I could be wrong

But yeah it was me saying not enough water in my system. I might just find lids for the buckets and keep using the shallower tub stacked on top for next round. Be not much higher than what I have now if I lose the bricks...
 

Snook

Still Learning
Veteran
Nah, around 6" in the res, buckets are elevated on bricks soon after I realised the mistake I had made.
It's around 3.5" in the bucket leaving around a simiar size air gap (just checked and was fairly high so I could be wrong

But yeah it was me saying not enough water in my system. I might just find lids for the buckets and keep using the shallower tub stacked on top for next round. Be not much higher than what I have now if I lose the bricks...
For me, I'm buzzed up quite often and some things that are blatantly obvious (like your bricks) sometimes escapes my perspectives.Talking it out here has answered many of my problems, sometimes before the problem arises.. wakenbake... shut up snook.. :biggrin:
 

967

Active member
For me, I'm buzzed up quite often and some things that are blatantly obvious (like your bricks) sometimes escapes my perspectives.Talking it out here has answered many of my problems, sometimes before the problem arises.. wakenbake... shut up snook.. :biggrin:

Things that are blatantly obvious (Like My water level will be far too low nesting) escaped mine. Ah well, didn't have lids at the time and wanted to throw it together quick. Still works fine, not sure if the smaller res of buckets is a good or a bad thing (bad I guess, lowers my total volume of water.)
 

gmanwho

Well-known member
Veteran
ya, thats nice other then the price tag. i wonder where i was reading that the bulbs weren't supposed to be fired vertical. im gonna email phillips ...

bsafe everyone
 

Desert Hydro

Active member
Veteran
all at lowes. about 65c each and they are a dull gray plastic. they come in individual bags.

i think they are marked as 1/2" inside fit fittings or something like that. i will try and remember to take pics of my surplus when i get there tonight
 

Snook

Still Learning
Veteran
Things that are blatantly obvious (Like My water level will be far too low nesting) escaped mine. Ah well, didn't have lids at the time and wanted to throw it together quick. Still works fine, not sure if the smaller res of buckets is a good or a bad thing (bad I guess, lowers my total volume of water.)
967, I forgot PPK basics previously and realize that you've taken care of this but.. all buckets/PPKs and pump/control rez(s) should be at the same level so that nutrient exchange happens between all components except the volume rez. So those elevated ppks might have been the cause of the low PPMs..
 

967

Active member
967, I forgot PPK basics previously and realize that you've taken care of this but.. all buckets/PPKs and pump/control rez(s) should be at the same level so that nutrient exchange happens between all components except the volume rez. So those elevated ppks might have been the cause of the low PPMs..

Yeah they're all at the same level and nutrient exchange happens, however I plumbed them all in series so the furthest from the pump res drains and has to go through all other buckets before getting back to res, so would be interesting to check the ph and ec of each. Think if I run another drain from furthest bucket and tee off at the res could be a good idea. So would basically be a square of plumbing and tee at res, instead of. O - O - O - O - RES, if you catch my drift...
 
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