danishpassion
Member
this is really a cool system
thank you for sharing it with us
thank you for sharing it with us
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800W Octagon - starting & need help
- Thread starter ericsson
- Start date
mangosmango
New member
how many plants are still alive my friend. also how about just running straight water(ph 5.0) and tell me what the ph is after the days cycle
Hi mango,
I lost about 5 plants, some of those that are alive lost plenty of leafs, but are starting to re-grow. Also the nice green colour is comming back, and today I wan't the throw them back into the octagon.
What I'm worried about atm is that I can't fully balance my hydroton (as I mentioned in my Irnfirmary thread) - it's been in pH'ed RO water for over 4 days now, and after 24-36h the pH goes up to ~6.5 pH, even if a bring the pH down to 3.0!! It doesn't seem to go over 6.5 any more (in the first day in would go over 7.7), but it's not staying around 5.5 - 5.7 either. Is this ok, or should I dump the hydroton and try to fill the octagon with rockwool like mr cheese did?
As for the watering times - still no one suggested what to try to change the schedule to? The problem is that now, since the rootmass isn't in the tubes, and the rockwool qube keeps the water in very well I not sure how solve this. I was thining of trying 2min on / 1h off, untill the rootmass doesn't develope in the tubes and I'll notice that they aren't getting enough if they start drooping. But, how will I know if the 1h off still isn't too short for now?
I lost about 5 plants, some of those that are alive lost plenty of leafs, but are starting to re-grow. Also the nice green colour is comming back, and today I wan't the throw them back into the octagon.
What I'm worried about atm is that I can't fully balance my hydroton (as I mentioned in my Irnfirmary thread) - it's been in pH'ed RO water for over 4 days now, and after 24-36h the pH goes up to ~6.5 pH, even if a bring the pH down to 3.0!! It doesn't seem to go over 6.5 any more (in the first day in would go over 7.7), but it's not staying around 5.5 - 5.7 either. Is this ok, or should I dump the hydroton and try to fill the octagon with rockwool like mr cheese did?
As for the watering times - still no one suggested what to try to change the schedule to? The problem is that now, since the rootmass isn't in the tubes, and the rockwool qube keeps the water in very well I not sure how solve this. I was thining of trying 2min on / 1h off, untill the rootmass doesn't develope in the tubes and I'll notice that they aren't getting enough if they start drooping. But, how will I know if the 1h off still isn't too short for now?
greenthumb2
Member
moving plants from site to site is only making it worse. you need to leave them in the system and play doctor there.
Nice setup, I'd have liked to see her with 2x600w though 
....I've learned to never depend on anyone to look after my plants. Get your ph/ec sorted and them plants will be fine.
....I've learned to never depend on anyone to look after my plants. Get your ph/ec sorted and them plants will be fine.If I left them in the system, where the res pH was going over 7 after the first feeding cycle, none of them would be alive by now..
I don't think that toxins are my problem. I'm still having trouble with the pH.
Maybe in the near future, if get things sorted out I'll think about 600'sNice setup, I'd have liked to see her with 2x600w though
The plants got back into the system yesterday evening, today I changed out the res (it was full of hydroton "dust" even though the hydroton has been soaked over 5 days and rinced out before going into the tubes). When soaking, after a few days the hydroton would still go over 6.3-6.4. I could leave it in pH 3.5 RO water, come back after 48h and it would be 6.3. After 5 days nothing changed, so I decided to give it a try as it is.
Today, after the res change I also changed the feeding schedule to 2min on / 4h off. After the frist cycle, the pH when up from 5.5 to 5.7. Not as bad as before, but still going up. I'll take a look whats going on in the evening, but I don't have a good feeling about this..
And, I aslo don't have any more ideas what to do with the hydroton if the problem continues (if it does - the plants certainly won't survive any more of the beating they received latley
). For fucks sake, what could still possibly be wrong?
Ps. I just had a thought - been reading a few pH problem threads and noticed that a few people had mad pH swings when the res was too small.. My res is 20 gal (UK) or 23 (US).
Perhaps this could be the cause.. how big should my res be?
E.
theweedman.fr
Member
Hi ericsson.
I've seen from your infirmary thread that you've had the clay pebbles in the water and the ph is still raising ? Thus we can deduce it is the hydroton or somthing todo with that that is the problem.
Have you thought about filling those tubes full of the rockwool pebbles instead then just put a dripper at the top of every tube and run for 15mins every hour. Making sure when you burry the plants into the Y netpots that they are sitting low in them.
Also because the PVC piping is black, its going to be absorbing heat like mad, which could also become an issue. Maybe cover them in Mylar or get white ones instead next time.
Hope you can take somthing useful out of my post.
I've seen from your infirmary thread that you've had the clay pebbles in the water and the ph is still raising ? Thus we can deduce it is the hydroton or somthing todo with that that is the problem.
Have you thought about filling those tubes full of the rockwool pebbles instead then just put a dripper at the top of every tube and run for 15mins every hour. Making sure when you burry the plants into the Y netpots that they are sitting low in them.
Also because the PVC piping is black, its going to be absorbing heat like mad, which could also become an issue. Maybe cover them in Mylar or get white ones instead next time.
Hope you can take somthing useful out of my post.
Bulldog501
Member
how is this great grow progressing?
any updates?
any updates?
Hi BD501, looks like U haven't gone through my whole thread and the grow wasn't great at all
tweedman,
All I managed to do is save about 20 plants, which got thrown into the dirt and looks like most of them will recover. The rest got exterminated, there was absolutely nothing I could do with the pH and they died due to lockout
Now I started 60 seeds and want to give the octagon one more try - this time filled with rockwool. I've been soaking it in 5.5 pH water for 3 days now (over 3 days it climbed from 5.5 to 6.2, so I lowered it to 5.5 again) and tommorow or during the weekend I want the fill up the the system (this time only 4 "stories" high, 1 x 400W HPS with a total amount of 56 plants, so if shit gets out of hand again I can't afford to loose another 100 femi seeds). If somthing fucks up once more, I'll ditch the octagon, as up till now I lost over 4-5 months of time, lots of good quality seeds / plants and about 2 months worth of electricity.
As for my system - is it really necessary to change the feeding system from sprinklers to drippers? From what I've read the key is to find such a feeding time, after which you will get a small run off, so I don't think the feeding method is that important. Apart from that it would be a big PITA to change everything now. About the watering schedule, I looked at mr cheese's thread, and he ran the same system (only 6" ABS instead of my 3" PVC) and only fed them 3 times a day for 5min, I would think 15min every hour would be far too much. Oh, and my PVC is a light gray colour (didn't want white, as I was worried about possible light penetration), so I'ts not really that absorbing. I don't think that PVC is to blame here..
If anyone would like to help me out on the rockwool feeding method / schedule etc. - you are more then welcome!
I'll try to post an update once the system starts again. Ps. Today I've checked the runoff water from the rockwool qubes in which my seedlings are (they aren't growing as fast as they should, and the ones next to them in dirt are looking much better), and my pH meter showed 7.5!!
WTF, no again - is there some curse on me or what? Later today I will rince them out in pH 5.5 RO and see whats up during the next watering (they are in a humidity dome and hand watering bout every 3 days atm).
p0opstlnksal0t
Active member
bro you need a bigger res. this will keep ph and ammonia swings from happening so fast.... also this is the ticker... DITCH THE HYDROTON! throw the shit away! go to a pet store or online and fill your tubes with large (1-2in diameter) bioballs used in fish tank wet/dry filters. also, i would say you need to be watering far less... most coli setups ive seen like this follow a the standard cycle every 3 hours or so.
I have been dealing with an identical looking problem for almost 9 months. I have been growing for 10 years now and am very experienced. I had water samples done, tissue samples, I even switched nutes and water supplies thinking it was that. Then I found out about 30+ other growers were having the same problem. I visited each room to verify with my own eyes that it was the same. I had everyone look at my tissue sample/water results and they tell me I have no nutritional/water problem I am talking about 3 different guys with PhD’s in horticulture even the horticulturist from advanced nutrients said no nutritional/water problems they suggest an off gassing problem. So I began testing materials that were common in all 30+ rooms what I found out was that a PVC product that everyone was using was releasing dibutyl phthalate into the rooms that is the same chemical that was causing the problems with the hydro huts. The test were done using mass spectrometry at a very respectable lab in town it is very accurate at identifying the molecular weights of materials and I was looking for 278.34. I was so relieved when I found out I was not the idiot I starting think I was. I literally was going crazy I spent the last 9 months online on the phone and basically consumed by this problem. I would bet money that this is your problem as well. PM me your email and I will send you some information.
p0opstlnksal0t
Active member
UGU do you have any idea where to get proper fitting safe for use?
Diamond Dave
New member
When you say BIOBALLS are you referring to the plastic round balls (http://www.google.com/products/cata...og_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCgQ8wIwAA#) or are you talking about the lava rocks?
DD
p0opstlnksal0t
Active member
the plastic round balls. the only function of the hydroton in the pillars is to spread the water out to as much surface are as possible. bioballs would be better suited for this without leaching anything back into the water
The pH I wrote about above was the runoff from rockwool qubes standing on a tray with a humidity dome over it, so the res isn't taking part yet. As for hydroton - It's already gone, yesterday I filled the system with rockwool, today I'll try to get the plants in it.
Back to the seedlings - last time I started the seeds in the exact same conditions with no problems & now they aren't doing so good + the pH of the water run off..
As for the watering schedule I'm thinking that I'll try 5min every 8 hours. Still know one replied to my question about the watering method - can I leave the sprinklers or is a drip-feed system a must?
Hello U.G.U! Thanks 4 sharing ur experience with us. I understand from what you've wrote that there is a big possibility that the PVC is to blame in my case as well - how to make sure though? I wouldn't even know where to take my PVC for testing..
But, the pH 7.5 run off I wrote about earlier on was in from the trays which hold the seedling in rockwool qubes, not in my system yet. They are plastic, but I'm pretty sure it's not PVC.. & what really wierd is that I have the same seeds in the same rockwool qubes standing on the same trays covered with the same dome just a while ago with no such problem. I'm really close to going bananas..
Take care,
E.
