First Grow (DWC). Would like some suggestions/advice regarding my setup and process.

This is my first grow. I have done a good amount of research but would like some more input.
-Im using Sensi Grow Two part Grow/Bloom. 4 plants, Three headband clones about 3-4 weeks old, and a lemon haze seedling that is almost ready for a pot.
- My plants are under a 600 watt metal halide for veg, HPS for bloom.
- They are in a 4 gallon reservoir. I also have another 4 gallon res that pumps water through the plant res.
- I have a ph meter, and ppm meter. The ph is steady at 5.8-6.0. No humidity/temp meter.
- Ventilation is an inline fan, and a small fan blowing on the plants.
-Problems thus far include.
1- Purple stems
2- algae in the res (Fixed by using another external res, ancient forest, and some other things.)
3- White spots on leaves
4- yellowish-brown leaves
5- brown spots on leaves
Here are some pics.
ANY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED!
THANK YOU.

Bring the light up higher to much light that early will miniaturize your plants and also the purple stem is a mag problem , start adding 200 ppm to ro water before anything else , what size pump are u using I was having a few problems and when I got a larger air pump plant started growing healthier and faster

Im using a dual diaphragm air pump with 4 airstones attached. I have another air pump with a small airstone on it. the other four are large.

Also, how many inches should the 600 watt mh be from the plants?

I would raise it at least 4 to 5 ft above the above the canopy I took mine to the ceiling . Main thing is getting the cal-mag into your soultion at 200-300 ppm at every top off .

A 600w light should be 12-24 inches above your plants once they are use to it. Keeping a 600w light 5 feet above your plants will give you stretched internodes and a thinner canopy. The trick is to keep the light as close as you can during pre flower to keep node spacing small, and maximizing ceiling space/yield. Although some strains like less light, id be surprised to see burning of any strain at 24" with a 600w. Thats only 75watts per square foot.

Once the initial stretch is over you can raise the light a bit to allow the plant to grow back into the optimal distance. Keep your canopy below 80° and you should be fine. I use temperature only to depict my light distance. More light more trichs. Although its a fine line between maxamizing potential and over doing it. Better to error on the side of caution.


I also notice the blue tubs your using wont black all the light from your res. Wrap them in panda film or black plastic. If u have algae already dose your res with 15ml of hydrogen peroxide per gallon of water once in the morning, and once at night. Will need to change nutes after this as hydrogen peroxide kills algae as well as beneficial organics in fertilizers.

Ps. Now that I see your using a tent I recant my statement about the 75w/sq. Ft. Since your reflecting off the walls. You can have your lights a bit higher, however its still best to keep close to canopy as possible. Will increase your yield, as well as consistency in quality.

HydroMd sorry bro you are wrong about the light , when plants are that small and you have a 600watt light beating down on a 80 watt plant you are forcing the plant to run from the light instead of growing towards it not from the heat part but from the actual light itself most people don't realize that to much light will drastically hurt your yield, it's why it's better to vegg with half the light say 400 or so . I no this now because I have had the pleasure of meeting probly one of the top five growers in my state 2 months ago and scents then my grow has turned 100% for the better .

If your lights cooled properly u can get pretty close , but closer than 6 inches will bleach your leaves..

It's not about the heat ... Look bro what ever you deside on doing with the lights try the opposite the next run you will be surprised

Anything more than 50W/sqft is overkill anyway.

You said you got a ppm meter, so what's the ppm of the total nutrient solution in the reservoir?

Tone, anything in extremes is bad for a plant. However there are many different grow styles and RIGHT ways to do things. What you are talking about is widening the lights coverage (which impersonated the levels of light a plant would get in the spring time)

What I'm talking about is keeping your light as close as possible (without stressing the plant) to promote bud sites and internodes stacking right as the plant has gone into pre flower.

This isnt an herb growing trick, it is the science of how a plant grows.



And to clarify, this was only advice for flowering if you read my post. Yes, you are right that seedlings do not require tons of light. However any plant grown with lights 5ft above it is not going to yield or perform like a plant that is getting the most light penetration it can handle without overdoing it.


More light=more potential energy the plant can use to synthesize the vital compounds for growth.

Do a side by side with a single plant under 1000w and one under 600w. Keep both at 3 feet above the plant and let me know what you find!

I understand there are different styles if he is growing in a tight space he needs to be vegging with a lower watt bulb that simple a young plant can only photosynthesize so much light . Like I said if you choose to leave the light as close as you can try it the opposite way next time.

You're getting a stretch for sure. I agree that your light should be closer so when you go into flower they won't be so lanky. I keep my 400w about 15 inches away and my nodes stay pretty tight. What nutes are you using? Definitely need Cal mag. The first run is always a learning process it'll get better! Look around on here and study online that's how I did it.

QUICK UPDATE ON FIRST GROW

If you are going to keep running plants I would suggest a black tote as well as a black bucket for your res. As far as the light goes let the plant tell you how far or how close to keep it. Different strains have different needs including light distance.

Just reinforcing what others have already said... but you need your res system light proof. I prefer silver bubble wrap for light proofing because it is good thermal insulation and reflects some light too. 27 gallon black totes from home depot or lowes are popular, strong sides that won't bow out and split, lightproof container, but the yellow lid has to be light proofed. Tidy Cats litter buckets if you want a more modular setup.

If you have algae in the system it is because of light leaks. The plastic of your res lets the 600w light stream through. Try holding the res up to your 600w lamp and run your hand between the lamp and your plastic res... if you can see the shadow of your hand at all, it is not light proof. Insulate with a few layers of silver bubble wrap and don't even worry. With cheaper containers you also run into bowing and splitting... risking a flood.

I have found aquashield and pondzyme with dechlorinated water to be best for overall root health and protects against warmer water temps. Another trick to stabilize your system is simply set up a bigger res to run more gallons of water.

It could be multiple nutrient deficiencies caused by root rot. The translucent res and problems with algae could severely hamper the roots. It would be nice if you could upload some pics of the roots. This is one of the better links I have found for diagnosing problems with the plant itself:
http://growweedeasy.com/cannabis-symptoms-pictures

Here are the roots and flower res.
The roots look kinda green in the pic but the roots are white/clear so I think they are healthy.

More roots in the veg room. I'm almost certain I don't have root rot.