First grow, looking for tips before i start. lmk what you think

So i have finally almost gotten everything together after months of saving and researching.

My system







-18 gal Rubbermaid
-200 GPH water pump
-60 gal duel outlet air pump
-30 gal duel outlet air pump
-2 air curtains
-2 air diffusers diffusers
-5 in net cups
-5 in net cup lids
-black air tubing
-black micro drip line
-4 way, adjustable flow drip manifold
-Hydroton


I have 2 of these^^^ each holds 3 5in cups


-To start the seeds (feminized barnys lsd)i will be using the hydrofarm germination station w/ heat matt, and Rapid rooters.

-Next I will be using 2, 2ft 4 bulb T5 HOs for Vegging, one vertically and one
hanging regularly

-For flowering i will be using a 600 watt HPS Sunmaster bulb in a Super Sun II reflector connected to my Gallaxy 600watt digital ballast.

-To keep it cool i will be using a 400+ Cfm fan with insulated ducting and a few oscillating fans.

The system will be in a 4x4 secret jardin grow tent


Questions i am having

-Could i use a cloner to grow the seeds after they are ready to be transplanted in the hydroponic system? like use a small/shallow rubbermaid container and a 20 gal air pump, and instead of using net cups or hydroton i just cut a whole big enough to fit the rapid rooter and the roots hang in the water nutrient solution? and then once the plants have a good root system transplant them into the 18 gallon tubs? or would it just be easier to use my drip system on my 18 gallons?

-I have everything besides the Inline fan, any good reasonably priced 400+ cfm fans?

-Before I begin to grow, I need to clean the systems, what are some good ways to do that?

- I used silicone adhesive to attach the the air diffusers and air curtains down, They came off so i tried to scrub all of it out; I ended up using hot glue. There is still some silicone on the bottom that i couldn't get off, will this effect anything? If so what should i do?

-Any general tips, tricks for the 1st grow?

-Anything you would change and why?

Thank you

silicone is ok

use the cloner like aeroponics yes

i would ues both 2x4 floros above the tub 1 above each because the lighting from floros dont go but 1 foot a most so sideways it wont get but 3 plants they will be most efective if used sidebyside 6-8" above

dont forget your oscilating fans for air circulation.

ebay for 400cfm fan ide go with HTG of ebay with free shipping

setup system and caompletely and add 100ppm bleech to it and let run over night check for leaks and disenfect

hang the hps light and make sure the roof of the tent holds it before you put plants under it!!!

be patient keep notes change one thing at a time so u know what worked buy a grow book for bathroom make friends with the owner of the local hydro store use canna nutes or humbolt county have fun

i would ues both 2x4 floros above the tub 1 above each because the lighting from floros dont go but 1 foot a most so sideways it wont get but 3 plants they will be most efective if used sidebyside 6-8" above

^^^
makes sense
thanks for the responses
keep em coming

Bubbles look good, flip one of those long white wands backwards so that the bubbles are evenly distributed, one pointed the way you have it another the opposite lol if you really want to get picky lol otherwise looks great bro.

x2 on ebay for the fans and I agree all floros above plants, you can clean reservoirs with H202 (hydrogen peroxide) or what I like, a mild soap, diluted bleach then another good mild soap bath.

Use a standard 3 part solution one of the name brands. Decide what additives you like. Personally I am switching the Canna Aqua line after the new year.

Right now I am using General Hydroponics 3 part formula but I am leaving out the grow which is basically a modified Lucas Formula with the additives I put in. I start the plants off with tap water and some rhizotonic by Canna Tap water is 250 PPM so I leave them there until roots have hit the water and they have started really developing some nodes. I slowly raise PPM and reach max veg nutes at least after a month and plants are almost 10-12". If anything slow & steady is the best approach pushing plants and causing stress, nute burn is not fun.

nice setup. one thing you said about a "few" oscilating fans. in tight spaces, a strong wind can break the airflow through the room actually diminishing exhaust and heat removal resulting in a hot windy room. i know many disagree, but i actually grow without oscilating fans, only a dehumidifier in mid flowering. i got mold consistently inside big buds even with a storm blowing without dehumidifier. i suggest that if you want, just add one small fan to give a good breeze. if you have big enough buds, invest in dehumidifier, but you have time. needed months later when buds are bulking up

Weedler

Bubbles look good, flip one of those long white wands backwards so that the bubbles are evenly distributed, one pointed the way you have it another the opposite lol if you really want to get picky lol otherwise looks great bro.
Will do


Use a standard 3 part solution one of the name brands. Decide what additives you like. Personally I am switching the Canna Aqua line after the new year.
Right now I am using General Hydroponics 3 part formula but I am leaving out the grow which is basically a modified Lucas Formula with the additives I put in. I start the plants off with tap water and some rhizotonic by Canna Tap water is 250 PPM so I leave them there until roots have hit the water and they have started really developing some nodes. I slowly raise PPM and reach max veg nutes at least after a month and plants are almost 10-12". If anything slow & steady is the best approach pushing plants and causing stress, nute burn is not fun.
Im using the General hydroponics flora series. great advice thanks

That setup is exactly the way i started. The advice that i have is for you is this. When you put a seedling in the pot, use low nutes, 300 to 400. Now what i had to learn the herd way, it is not mentioned in the forums, put your pump on a timer, maybe start with a minute on and 10 minutes off. Keep the nute level just below the pots. When the roots dangle in the nutes a couple inches, you will not need the pump any longer. With this system, the more bubbles in the water the better, and follow the manufactures recommended nute schedule, put like 400's MH then HPS and you will grow MONSTERS!

I would also buy some panda film and place it over the tubaware they are notorious for leaking light.