need a answer on changing set up.

[Flyinghigh]

I need help on this. My set up needs to be moved to bigger room and change my 5 gal buckets to tote buckets.
But not for sure how to reset it up with out problems.
When buying a tote and I seen a few of them and sat on a few to see if they can hold my weight which some will.
Should I make my plant tote higher then my rez tote this time to let the water flow back into my rez.?
The way I got it now is all flat with water 1/2 way in all 5 gal buckets. I think this way I got it isn't working well to keep ph at bay.

Can u show pix of the way some of u have your hydroponic set up.
Being on phone is a challange to read things.
Thanks

 

[Hushpuppy]

I have found that the larger your resevoir under your plants is, the easier it is to maintain the chemistry. The drawback to that is that you have to make sure to have plants that are happy with the same nutrient levels. I don't have a problem with it the way I do it.

You have 2 options: You can stay in the buckets if you want by connecting all of the buckets together in a "flo-n-gro" setup. Or you can go with the totes and do either a raised bed with a single rez or a taller totes connected together in an undercurrent. You could also connect the buckets together with an undercurrent type of setup.

This is how I have my setup with the undercurrent in 18gal totes in first pic. And the way I used to do it with raised beds connected to a single rez in second pic. Feel free to ask me anything about it
http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=203576&d=1366250075
http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=194740&d=1346983541

 

[pcduck]

There is nothing wrong with the set up you have. Plenty of people grow the same way.

 

[Flyinghigh]

Hush r u using a garment in the side of ur tote.?


Podunk I know many r using my way of a set-up, but I having a issue with the ph everyday. I have 2 extra buckets that I mix up nutrition and adjust my ph in and always have ph around 5.5-5.8 and as I check my rez ph it goes down to 4.8 or so and I use frozen water jugs to low water temp and it frustrating to keep the ph the same all the time.by ce
I have even raise my ph up to 6.2 to adjust the rez bucket when in need more water and seems to work for the moment, and in up with ph 4.8 by the time I check when lights come on.

 

[pcduck]

Changing your set-up is not going to solve your problem of pH stabilization.

I would guess either you have bad nutes or your water is high in ppm's.

If your nutes are good that only leaves your water.

Have you looked into filtering your water with a R/O system?

Could be your water is so high in ppm's that when you add nutes/pH adjuster your nutes are precipitating and that this what is causing your gunk along with high rez temps

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

I also don't believe that going to totes is going to solve your pH problems.

 

[zem]

:yeahthat: :stoned:

 

[Hushpuppy]

I have to agree with everyone that there is a problem going on that is causing the PH drop so quickly. While I love working with the totes and havine a larger rez to work with, I too think that the totes wouldn't solve your problem.

I think Multi is onto something as I had that same problem one time and it turned out that fungus gnats had eaten up my roots and the dead roots in the system were rotting and causing the PH drop.

Flyinghigh, I don't understand your question about "a garment"

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Hushpuppy, I think he meant grommet.

 

[Hushpuppy]

Ah grommet, thanks THG I don't use grommets in the totes. I use hose fittings that are threaded on one end and I screw those into the hole that I drill in the side of the totes. Then I use an epoxy glue called "Goop". I put that around the fittings on the outside and inside of the totes. Once dry, it stays impenetratable for a long time The fittings allow me to connect and disconnect the totes using 1"hose which I heat and press onto the fittings to keep them from leaking.

 

[Flyinghigh]

Ok I pulled her out of growroom and wasnt prepare on the walls but it will have to do as my storage room had to be moved around...
My PH pen been at 7.0 fresh well water been around 5.8 from tap but has dropped when filling buckets to let sit and with nutes it stayed the same most of the time and it does fluctuate and it doesnt matter if day by day, it either I have to put more PH up or down.

I use airpump in mix bucket.

water temp is always around 75-80 I put 1 gal of frozen water each night when lights comes on and each morning when lights goes off.

Room temp is around 80

This morning I found my PH in the 3.4 and I freaked and change out the water and flush the root bucket with about 10 gal of fresh water and refilled the rez aand root bucket just fresh water for a day or 2, I know the bucket is full of Mass roots..

As u can tell my leafs r curling and skinning I am 3 weeks into flowering as of this sunday. Just fusteranting do so good in veggie and then flowering it went hay wire.

the smaller plant that couldn't get much light with the big plant in the room is going to be skimpy will hope for the best on her too.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

I always use boxes, milk crates, etc to set pots on so that I get an even canopy--that way any smaller plants still get adequate light.

I am thinking that your res water may simply too warm. Ice is only going to keep things cool for so long. Do you know the temp range when you put the ice in How cold it gets and how long it takes to warm back up? Also, well water can have some nasty things in it. Do you know your ppms and what is in it? What are you feeding them and how much? What is happening with your ppms when the pH plummets like this?

 

[P Jammers]

PH will also lower as water evaporates if the food is too strong. If you are able to top off at least once a day, do so with a water that holds a PH of 6.1 to 6.3 or so.

Those sativas shouldn't need to go much higher than 900 or so tops, while your Indica strains can handle upwards of twice that depending on the strain.

Best of luck.

 

[Flyinghigh]

I always use boxes, milk crates, etc to set pots on so that I get an even canopy--that way any smaller plants still get adequate light.

I am thinking that your res water may simply too warm. Ice is only going to keep things cool for so long. Do you know the temp range when you put the ice in How cold it gets and how long it takes to warm back up? Also, well water can have some nasty things in it. Do you know your ppms and what is in it? What are you feeding them and how much? What is happening with your ppms when the pH plummets like this?

Yea I would put that one little plant on boxes but the it was connected to the other buckets and learning as I go.. I didn't have another cabinet or area to do clones and didn't want to over welm myself in more Fun.

As for my rez temp it can reach 80 degree which it don't feel that temp and I know the ice jug isn't the best way to cool things down when I run my lights at night while I sleep and in the morning it can be 73 or so.. But I have to do the ice thing 2 when come on and before it goes off and not inbetween.
I never thought of this but if the Jug as Ice conduit on the outside will that cause a PH flip flop.?

PPm when I get it from the faucet is around 085, when I use flora series mix 1) Gro 5mil ,2) Micro 20 mil, 3) Bloom 25 mil. for 5 gal of water I add to water in this order and let set for 2 days and watch the ph at 5.8 and Ph can fluctuate in 12 hour to where I add Ph up or I would have to use down and if the PH stays at 6.1 I leave alone. I do have a air stone in the water running.

I don't use proxide in the water, but would that help.?
Salt build up I am not seeing in the rez and as far as under the roots I can't tell in less I had help to look guess I can get my honey to see for me with a flash light while I lift up the lid up. just Fusterated

 

[Flyinghigh]

PH will also lower as water evaporates if the food is too strong. If you are able to top off at least once a day, do so with a water that holds a PH of 6.1 to 6.3 or so.

Those sativas shouldn't need to go much higher than 900 or so tops, while your Indica strains can handle upwards of twice that depending on the strain.

Best of luck.

Topping the bucket at 1/2 way from rez to roots it gets all wacked out in PH from day to day.
my Ppm runs around 800 or so.

Hope it done by end of June

 

[pcduck]

Need to get your rez temps down. Plain and simple. Your roots are dying. Nothing you do is going to get your plants right till you get a rez temp of around 68* without giant temp spikes. 80* is way to high