Waterfarm with Jack Herrer, Pineapple Kush & AK-48 Clones.

midibullets said:

Hey Growdude. Yes, i finished cutting all the tubes. I cut about 1 1/2 inches off the top, and kept the air tube same length so it sticks out above the top of the hydroton. I buried the small rockwool cubes with roots the same level as the drip ring, and then filled hydroton over the top of it, so now all i see is hydroton with a plant and an air tube coming out of it I assume the hydroton on top of the drip ring will get wet by wicking it up once the hydroton underneath gets wet?

The water is just under the white mark on the overflow tube.

In the next day or 2, i should have my hands on a PH/EC/PPM meter. After my PH scare this morning, i'm starting to realize how necessary it is to have.

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Your modifications to the stake sound perfect..

The drip rings "spit" water..there isn't really a consistant flow from each of the holes at all times....

Like GD said, you don't want the hydroton at the top to get wet so you're all set there...it is harder to check and verify that everything's flowin from the rings like it should, but it keeps things cleaner..

Oh, and "topping off" is just adding fresh (pH'd) water to replace the water that evaporates during the week between nute changes..(Nutrients and minerals don't evaporate, but water does)

Hey all! Thanks for the info so far, very helpful!! I got an electronic Hanna meter today, the combo one, that does everything. I hope these things come precalibrated, because i didnt buy any of that calibration solution, and as a noob, the salesguy didnt recommend i get any.

Here are the stats from the meter:

Pineapple Kush 1: PPM: 523, PH: 5.4 WaterTemp: 72F
Pineapple Kush 2: PPM: 458, PH: 5.6, WATERTEMP: 72F
G48: PPM: 464, PH: 5.5, WATERTEMP: 72F
JACK HERRER: PPM: 585, PH: 5.4, WATERTEMP: 72F

The PH keeps rising every few hours on me to 6.0, so i've been adding PH Down to about 5.5 or so, to give it room to spike up to 5.8 to 6.0.

Does that look about right for 1st week of veg of clones? Although i've been mixing only 1/2 recommended GH Flora 3 part nutes, does 500 PPM seem to high for this stage? I recall hearing in the 300 range for first week of veg. And do I lower PPM by simply adding more water, or does it require a whole rez change? Does Hydroton dust in the rez count in the PPM value? Thanks!

I have a aquafarm bucket.. It is the same as your buckets just a bit bigger. I change the res every 14th day. But every 7th day I fill up with full strength nutes. Btw I use GHE 3 part nutes. You can check out my grow journal to see how it is working out for me. I keep the PH around 6. I don't have all the meters, but use simple techniques to find it so I aim for 6.

RiskyPack said:

I have a aquafarm bucket.. It is the same as your buckets just a bit bigger. I change the res every 14th day. But every 7th day I fill up with full strength nutes. Btw I use GHE 3 part nutes. You can check out my grow journal to see how it is working out for me. I keep the PH around 6. I don't have all the meters, but use simple techniques to find it so I aim for 6.

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Hey RiskyPack. Those aquafarms are nice! I remember browsing your 2nd grow thread with the "competition" Very nice. I LOVE the bushy plant you LST'd in the aquafarm, very impressive! I've taken note to your 14th day rez change and filling with full strength every 7th day. Do you flush your plants aywhere in that process, or just simply change the nute water?

Check 2nd pic, those arent hairs are they? Maybe dried up leaves from my PH disaster a few days ago? Anyway, changed rez's for all 4 plants. mixed 8 gallons of water in the big tub. I added 20ML each of Mirco, Gro & Bloom, and 8 drops of Floralicious plus. mixed together, and PH was about 7.0. I then added about 4 teaspoons of PH Down to get the entire rez PH to about 5.8. Then dumped 2 gallons into each waterfarm and let em rip.. The PH keeps jumping from 5.7 or so up to 6.2-6.4 overnight. So one or 2 times a day I have to PH balance the water.

Next morning had a plumbing emergency which brought plumbers to the house. Luckily my freind was here while I was in the front room because one of the plumbers tried to open the grow room door to see if plumbing outlets were in the room since the bathroom is on the opposite wall, and my freind stopped them quickly saying nothing is in there. *Reminder to self, buy a frickin keyed lock for my door!*

I turned the lights and pumps off for about an hour while they worked on the problem, hope that didnt interrupt anything!

In general, i think the plants are doing better. They are starting to green up where they were yellow. I think the problems started with putting the 1" rockwool into the 4" rockwool. i didnt "pre treat" any of the 4" cubes, so they were watered with some 7.0+ PH bottled water, and i kept watering them couple times a day, not realizing you just have to water them once and leave them for a day or 2. I think the plants were suffocating on the water, so the 1" cubes went right into the rockwool and have been recovering ever since.

Here are the latest stats from today and some pix. Hope all is well!

69F, 62% HUMIDITY

Jack Herrer - PPM: 489, PH: 5.8, CONDT: 985, WATERTEMP: 70F
G48 - PPM 469, PH: 5.7, CONDT: 947, WATERTEMP: 70F
P.A.KUSH1 - PPM: 486, PH: 5.7, CONDT: 980, WATERTEMP: 70F
P.A.KUSH2 - PPM: 470, PH: 5.7, CONDT: 941, WATERTEMP: 70F

Alright, looks good I will be doing something as the same when my little seedlings get here from attitude PUMPED.. any who I don't understand how you are draining your water from your buckets? Kinda explain this to me I'm doing the same thing put I am hooking up line out of every bucket and draining back into the reservoir. Whats your secret?

JohnO said:

Alright, looks good I will be doing something as the same when my little seedlings get here from attitude PUMPED.. any who I don't understand how you are draining your water from your buckets? Kinda explain this to me I'm doing the same thing put I am hooking up line out of every bucket and draining back into the reservoir. Whats your secret?

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Hey JohnO! For this grow, i'm not using a "large" resovior, i'm using each buckets' resovior individually. I just prepare enough nutrient solution to fill all 4 buckets (8 gallons) and then i dump 2 gallons into each tan colored bucket. From there I can add more nutrients to each bucket, depending on how the plant is looking. I do this because i'm running different strains, and i dont want them all feeding the same nutrients, because some might need adjustments individually. For instance my "G48" plant requires more nutrients than the other 3, so i've got to feed it larger amounts, and that just wont work on a universal resovior. If i was growing all the same strain, i would have used the large waterfarm resovior. Hope that answers your question, and thanks for checking my grow out, hope yours is very rewarding!

Whattup Midi?

Nice job burying the rings...looks clean in there!

cmd420 said:

Whattup Midi?

Nice job burying the rings...looks clean in there!

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Hey cmd420! Things are good here so far. Yeah burying those rings is definately a great idea! No more splashles on the mylar On my way out to buy some Cal MG solution, been hearing good things about it. I also finished installing my Can Fan/Filter venting into the attic. Just used a Leatherman tool to cut a hole in my ceiling and installed the duct flange. works great, but my attic is now venting into my house through a vent in my kitchen and bathroom. Basically, wherever there is a fan currently (over the sink in the bath, and over the stove in the kitchen) the Can Fan is a higher CFM rating, so i think its overpowering the other fans in my house and venting through those! haha. Gonna have to figure something out. My heater also quit working, pilot wont light. I feel a "breeze" coming out of the heater, so it must also be pushing air down the heater vent too. Lots of power for a 440 CFM can fan, thats for sure! gotta figure something out, cause all these things need to play well together!

See ya!

cal mag is great! good call..

I just thought of something for you...

I had a problem when I had to tie up my plants cuz there is nothing to tie them to...

I drilled three 1 inch holes on each side of the orange part of the bucket to tie strings to if I need to anchor the plant...

when I first used the waterfarm without burying the drip rings, I would try to tie the plants to the drip rings, then I had to brace the drip rings...big PITA...

Something to think about while your plants are still lil'

lookin' good brutha (or sista?)

You have answered the question well.. that way just seems like unnecessary work to me, ha ha. Although I see what you mean. I ordered two batches some master kush and some super skunk from attitude but through nirvana, they through me in to free packs so im setting up four mothers of each strain. Get some mothers and go on from thier? How do you really tell what needs more nutrient or what?

cmd420 said:

cal mag is great! good call..

I just thought of something for you...

I had a problem when I had to tie up my plants cuz there is nothing to tie them to...

I drilled three 1 inch holes on each side of the orange part of the bucket to tie strings to if I need to anchor the plant...

when I first used the waterfarm without burying the drip rings, I would try to tie the plants to the drip rings, then I had to brace the drip rings...big PITA...

Something to think about while your plants are still lil'

lookin' good brutha (or sista?)

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Brotha here, haha. You never really know online You read my mind on the LST thing. I was gonna do exactly what you mention, drill holes and tie to that. I'm thinking of starting LST in about a week or 2. Thanks for the info!

JohnO said:

You have answered the question well.. that way just seems like unnecessary work to me, ha ha. Although I see what you mean. I ordered two batches some master kush and some super skunk from attitude but through nirvana, they through me in to free packs so im setting up four mothers of each strain. Get some mothers and go on from thier? How do you really tell what needs more nutrient or what?

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Yeah, my fear is my plants start acting funny while hooked to a rez, and if they need special attention, i'd be stuck. As far as telling what strains need what, you dont know until you start growing it Every strain has its strengths and weaknesses, you just have to get to know them. I now know that G-48 (gods gift x ak-48) requires alot more nutes than what is recommended by GH Flora series and their online chart. The Pinapple Kush plants seem to be doing the best, and the Jack Herrer has been trouble for me. I guess I wont really know for a few more weeks what they require, they are still young.

midibullets said:

Hey RiskyPack. Those aquafarms are nice! I remember browsing your 2nd grow thread with the "competition" Very nice. I LOVE the bushy plant you LST'd in the aquafarm, very impressive! I've taken note to your 14th day rez change and filling with full strength every 7th day. Do you flush your plants aywhere in that process, or just simply change the nute water?

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I don't flush... I just top up with PH'd water every once in a while.. I have a really nice schedule I follow for the GHE 3 part nutrients. I posted it in another thread so here is the link:

http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=135625&d=1255946289

It has worked perfect for me. Just remember.. When your plants get really big they will drain the res faster.. I need to water my plants every 2nd day with about a gallon of water.

intrested in your grow mate, really fancy that pineapple kush!! which seed bank does them? fantastic lookin grow man i must say , hope u dont mind me pulling up a chair for this grow!!!

RiskyPack said:

I don't flush... I just top up with PH'd water every once in a while.. I have a really nice schedule I follow for the GHE 3 part nutrients. I posted it in another thread so here is the link:

http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=135625&d=1255946289

It has worked perfect for me. Just remember.. When your plants get really big they will drain the res faster.. I need to water my plants every 2nd day with about a gallon of water.

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Cool, I just replenished my 4 buckets back to the line on the blue tube, but i used PH'd water AND nutes, so does that mean my PPM's are about to spike up alot?

I'll check your feeding schedule for sure. I used the online calculator thing on the Gen Hydro website for 8 gallon rez (4 waterfarm buckets worth) and that's what i've been using. I'm currently feeding them 5ml per gallon of GH Micro, Gro & Flora, and a tiny bit of GH Floralicious Plus. I've got another 8 gallons of 10ml per gallon solution circulating with an airstone in a large rubbermaid container, was gonna change rez in 3-4 days with that, got a lid on it so it wont evaporate too much.

I just calibrated my ppm meter with the wrong solution, so now my measurements are way off, such bad timing too, cant get any solution for 3 days! Hope my plants dont go south in the next day or 2!

homegrownhomer said:

intrested in your grow mate, really fancy that pineapple kush!! which seed bank does them? fantastic lookin grow man i must say , hope u dont mind me pulling up a chair for this grow!!!

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Glad you'll be checking it out homegrownhomer! I am really looking forward to the Pineapple Kush myself. I hear its a mix of the old Pineapple strain and Landrace Hindu Kush These 4 plants are clones from a medical marijuana outlet here in California as I am a prop 215 patient. I did plant some kind bagseeds that i got in New York City, and i'll be doing a journal for that as well. Thanks for stoppin by!

midibullets said:

Cool, I just replenished my 4 buckets back to the line on the blue tube, but i used PH'd water AND nutes, so does that mean my PPM's are about to spike up alot?

I'll check your feeding schedule for sure. I used the online calculator thing on the Gen Hydro website for 8 gallon rez (4 waterfarm buckets worth) and that's what i've been using. I'm currently feeding them 5ml per gallon of GH Micro, Gro & Flora, and a tiny bit of GH Floralicious Plus. I've got another 8 gallons of 10ml per gallon solution circulating with an airstone in a large rubbermaid container, was gonna change rez in 3-4 days with that, got a lid on it so it wont evaporate too much.

I just calibrated my ppm meter with the wrong solution, so now my measurements are way off, such bad timing too, cant get any solution for 3 days! Hope my plants dont go south in the next day or 2!

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When you add nutes and fresh water to bring up your levels, you will spike your PPMs...

I read on your post that you didn't buy the calibrating solution...it was too late to suggest that you buy some..

it's cheap and now you see that it's one of those things that you would pay a lot for when you need it and don't have it

cmd420 said:

When you add nutes and fresh water to bring up your levels, you will spike your PPMs...

I read on your post that you didn't buy the calibrating solution...it was too late to suggest that you buy some..

it's cheap and now you see that it's one of those things that you would pay a lot for when you need it and don't have it

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Cool, now I know. Luckily I only mixed a 1 gallon container with nutes, and shared that among the 4 buckets. The Jack Herrer & G48 both got the most, and both needing more nutes anway as they are looking less healthy than the Pinapple Kush. The 2 Pineapple Kush only got a little bit of that gallon, maybe 1/8 to 1/4 gallon each, so they shouldnt be too bad.

My other thought was if I calibrated my meter with 1500 solution, and it was supposed to be 1382 solution, the difference is 118. So i'm just adding 118 PPM to my PPM readings. That should suffice til I get the Hanna solution on Tuesday. After doing a reading my PPM's have spiked from the mid 700's, to the 800's. My G48 spiked up to 930's but thats because i had added extra nutes to it a day ago and added some Cal Mag to it this morning, so it should have been higher. All this week my PPM's have been rising from the 600's to the 800's. My next batch of nutes is starting at 880 PPM's, so this transition should work out perfectly. I'm gonna let these nutes run for a day or 2 more, and let them get close to the 1000's, and see how the plants react. I'm hoping the Jack Herrer & G48 improve with this increase.

midibullets said:

Cool, now I know. Luckily I only mixed a 1 gallon container with nutes, and shared that among the 4 buckets. The Jack Herrer & G48 both got the most, and both needing more nutes anway as they are looking less healthy than the Pinapple Kush. The 2 Pineapple Kush only got a little bit of that gallon, maybe 1/8 to 1/4 gallon each, so they shouldnt be too bad.

My other thought was if I calibrated my meter with 1500 solution, and it was supposed to be 1382 solution, the difference is 118. So i'm just adding 118 PPM to my PPM readings. That should suffice til I get the Hanna solution on Tuesday. After doing a reading my PPM's have spiked from the mid 700's, to the 800's. My G48 spiked up to 930's but thats because i had added extra nutes to it a day ago and added some Cal Mag to it this morning, so it should have been higher. All this week my PPM's have been rising from the 600's to the 800's. My next batch of nutes is starting at 880 PPM's, so this transition should work out perfectly. I'm gonna let these nutes run for a day or 2 more, and let them get close to the 1000's, and see how the plants react. I'm hoping the Jack Herrer & G48 improve with this increase.

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Did I understand that to mean that you mixed two different kinds of nutes together without diluting them? This is reeal important....