CalBear4Life's Grow Diary (Flood/Drain: OG Kush and ChemDawg D)

Hello everyone...let me start off by saying how appreciative I am for all of the help that people from this forum provide!!! If it wasn't for people like you, then I would have never been able to get the right answers efficiently.

Enough of the formalities...let me explain what I am embarking on!

After a tough first-go at hydroponics (NFT system), I have decided to stick with an easy ebb-flow table for this grow.

Here are my specs:
My tent is 6.5'x4'x8' homemade from Panda Liner
1000w Lumatek dimmable ballast with Hortilux bulbs (1 Blue MH and 1 HPS)
3x6' flood table with a 70 gallon reservoir
Hydrofarm Commercial Air pump with 8 outlets
550 GPH Hydrofarm water pump
Advanced Nutrients Sensi 2-Part system
6" Vortex exhaust w/ a passive intake that is directly hooked to a cracked window

I am getting ready to finish buying up materials and assembling this thing so I thought it would be a great time to start my own grow-diary. As I go along I will inevitably have questions, my apologies in advance. Thanks to those who can provide insight. I will update with pics asap.

I am hoping to do about 25 plants at-first until I can get another light or a light-mover and then bump it up to about 40.

A couple of questions to start with:
1. Any recommendations on slowing down my fan somewhat cheaply? I've heard about the Speedster but IDK if it is good. I need something that has day/night control also. When that fan is on at full-blast it is a real headache and it actually cools off the room too much!

2. What would most of you say is the bear-necessities of the Advanced Nutrients products? I've heard Sensi 2-part and a couple of the additives but wondering what you guys think.

3. What would you guys recommend for my air pump (airstones, diffusers, etc.)? I have an 8-outlet model

Edit: New thread title...same good stuff. Follow the grow along if you want...I have been through a fair amount of "work" to get here and I still proud of everything thus far (I say work with exclamations because it may be hard sometimes but it is fun to me too). ENJOY!

I decided that I needed to run both the intake and the exhaust to the same window so I made a piece of plywood with two holes (one for intake on the far left and one for exhaust on the far right) that fits perfectly in the window. The intake is passive. One end of my hood is open and the other end is hooked to about 3 ft of ducting thats hooked to my 6" vortex thats hooked to another 4 ft of ducting that goes right to the plywood in the window. Sorry if this is hard to imagine...just giving an update on what I have been up to. Before I purchase my clones and get them in the system I want to make sure that everything is set.

Next on my agenda is to build a stand for my 3x6' tray. Going to build it out of wood similar to these plans but without the wheels: http://www.rollitup.org/do-yourself/129824-diy-stand-flood-tray.html Do you think I need to put an extra set of legs because it is for a 3x6?

Finally purchased a camera...as soon as it comes in I will post some pictures of what is going on

Glad to see your thread, bharv! I'm looking forward to those pics.

Don Juan said:

Glad to see your thread, bharv! I'm looking forward to those pics.

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Great to know that there is some interest!!! I am doing some work on the setup tomorrow so I will try to upload some photos then. I am currently on a mission trying to find Chemdawg D clones...will be checking out several Bay Area clubs tomorrow

Going to upload pics now!!!

Here are some pics of how the setup is going!!!

More

Okay so as you can see I built my tray stand today...it is going to be sturdy and clean.

I also talked today with someone here in the Bay area who sells clones through craigslist. He has all the strains I want and several people have told me that they have found reliable clones through craigslist so I think I may give him a try. Any thoughts?

I took the time today to completely clean the growroom and the tray out (bought the tray used for $50 on cl ), so I should be ready to rock once everything else is set. Just a few more things to purchase and install and I will be well on my way...namely a few temp/hygrometers, an oscillating fan for the wall, a computer fan for the inlet, some rockwool cubes, a few odds and ends nutes, and the clones. Almost there and cannot wait to begin.

Big day yesterday. I finished putting mostly everything together and picked up my clones, 15 Chemdawg D and 10 OG Kush. I am currently soaking 6' rockwool cubes and was planning on putting the smaller cubes in the bigger cubes today. I am struggling to get 50 posts (just over 30 now) so for those of you who have asked for info I will do it as soon as I'm able. I am going to post pictures in a little while so you guys can see whats going on. Please feel free to give any advice or comments!

Here are some pics of the ladies in their new homes!!! Really pumped right now

Well its my 50th post so I figured I would celebrate by posting on my own thread! I am now free to PM...I look forward to all I can provide

Here are some pictures of the ladies after their first full day on the table. As you can see, they are still looking happy (whew!). I currently have the light about 5' above the tops of the plants and an 18" ocillating right above the tops of them. I am still trying to figure out how to level off my temperatures: I currently have the inlet fan and exhaust fan come on for only 15 minutes per hour but I am still at only 68 degrees. I am just going to adjust how much the intake and exhaust fan are actually going to run so we can keep close to desired temps all day and night (I WILL get it). I ended up buying huge bottles of the GH 3-part because it just seemed so much easier than AN. I am currently only using 1/4 strength CalMag+, but I will be starting the GH 1-2-3 recipe today at 1/4 strength and slowly working it up over the next week.

Also there is a picture of a new addition to the family...my new bong!!!

looking great bharv! Gonna pull up a seat for yer show. Thanks for sharing!

IamNug said:

looking great bharv! Gonna pull up a seat for yer show. Thanks for sharing!

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Thank you...hopefully it is a good show

bharv2003 said:

3. What would you guys recommend for my air pump (airstones, diffusers, etc.)? I have an 8-outlet model

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Oddly enough, a open ended line works just as well. I used to think that the small bubbles were better, but its not.

After awhile the stones get clogged anyways.

About the GH 3 part.

For the most part you dont need the Green stuff. You can just use Micro and Bloom.

For example: Rez Dog uses a 6:9 Micro and Bloom in ml per gallon, but thats' for coco. I've used micro and bloom for veg mainly but you could use it in bloom.

If you got the green stuff.. might as well use it.

GrowerGoneWild said:

Oddly enough, a open ended line works just as well. I used to think that the small bubbles were better, but its not.

After awhile the stones get clogged anyways.

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Luckily enough, I had a dual outlet Hydrofarm 7.8 l/m from a prior grow This one: http://www.hydrofarm.com/pb_detail.php?itemid=7640 . I am going to end up using that instead of buying the commercial pump. Do you think that is enough airflow for the 70 gal rez?

GrowerGoneWild said:

About the GH 3 part.

For the most part you dont need the Green stuff. You can just use Micro and Bloom.

For example: Rez Dog uses a 6:9 Micro and Bloom in ml per gallon, but thats' for coco. I've used micro and bloom for veg mainly but you could use it in bloom.

If you got the green stuff.. might as well use it.

Click to expand...

I bought the BIG 6 gal size of each one...I think I am going to go with the manufacturers suggested formula but starting at 1/5 strength and topping off at 1/5 per day until it is at full strength. http://www.generalhydroponics.com/genhydro_US/feeding_charts/GH_KeepItSimple_Recirculating.pdf

Do you think this is a good way to go or would I be better off with the 1-2-3 formula, Latewood's formula, Lucas formula or what?
(I have G, M and B so I think I am going to avoid the Lucas formula)

bharv2003 said:

Luckily enough, I had a dual outlet Hydrofarm 7.8 l/m from a prior grow This one: http://www.hydrofarm.com/pb_detail.php?itemid=7640 . I am going to end up using that instead of buying the commercial pump. Do you think that is enough airflow for the 70 gal rez?

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Well, looking at that setup, I would say it should be enough, RW, has its own aeration properties. Just dont carried away with flood times.
you can overwater RW.

Its not like RW is dependent on dissolved oxygen as much as a Deep Water Culture. I ran an E&F for my clones without an air pump. But I was running hydrotron with my clones sitting in RW cubes.

In theory it looks like it will work.. I think my buddys E&F table has the same specs. Hes running pearlite tho, thats even more airy.

You'll just have to watch for problems.

bharv2003 said:

I bought the BIG 6 gal size of each one...I think I am going to go with the manufacturers suggested formula but starting at 1/5 strength and topping off at 1/5 per day until it is at full strength. http://www.generalhydroponics.com/genhydro_US/feeding_charts/GH_KeepItSimple_Recirculating.pdf

Do you think this is a good way to go or would I be better off with the 1-2-3 formula, Latewood's formula, Lucas formula or what?
(I have G, M and B so I think I am going to avoid the Lucas formula)

Click to expand...

I prefer the lucas, or RezDog formula even if its in coco. It works all around. Run your numbers on the NPK profile, and it comes out pretty good. You can grow without buying the grow formula.

Might as well use the grow formula.

If you really want to simplify things, just buy a one part bloom formula, and buy something inexpensive like maxigrow for the veg stage.