first time doing a hydro need a few probable easy questions that I need answers pleas

dunn7314

dunn7314

Active Member
I have ordered a nft system gt424 and have a few questions.
1. When Go to top up the water with nutes do I change the whole reservoir or top it up n if u top it up how can u tell how much nutes to put in?

2. How does an ec meter work totally clueless on it?

3. I will b growin autos do switch bulbs or use just one iwas thinking start with mh n switch to hps Half way through or just use hps on a 18/6 hour cycle
 
1. When Go to top up the water with nutes do I change the whole reservoir or top it up n if u top it up how can u tell how much nutes to put in?
Click to expand...

This is where your EC meter comes into play. Do a EC check. If the EC rises as the water level lowers then top off with some plain pH water to bring the EC back where you want it. If the EC lowers then top off with a slightly higher dose of nutrients. If the EC stays nearly the same then top off with the same level of nutrients you were previously using.

2. How does an ec meter work totally clueless on it?
Click to expand...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_conductivity_meter May just want to read this yourself.

3. I will b growin autos do switch bulbs or use just one iwas thinking start with mh n switch to hps Half way through or just use hps on a 18/6 hour cycle
Click to expand...

Seems to be that HPS on a 18/6 cycle is the most common configuration.


This is a quite rough answer to your questions. You may want to do a seach for a grow journal using your exact NFT system and see how others do it.
 
Yes keep reading! There are things you will need to decide on your own like topping off versus draining and refilling. Im a newb at this so I rarely top up and just drain and refill every 7-10 days depending on water uptake (135L). It never gets low enough that i have to top up. It just keeps things simpler for me. The EC meter will give you an ideal as to where your res is at versus recommended levels. Also as said it will help you judge nute uptake and adjust accordingly. I run on the lower and at 600-700 tds which equals 1.2-1.4 ec in flower. Also you will need to watch your PH and try and keep it stable, again at recommended levels. Just a note, nute levels recommended by manufacturers tend to run a bit hot. A good read is The Lucas Formula to give a good understanding of how things work as well, good luck!
 
Most of us go by ppm's however you should have a conversion chart ec to ppm's, ec or ppm's is the strength of your nutes, an important thing to know as well as ph for hydro, I've enclosed a conversion chart to assit you, you want to go by the Hanna numbers, best of luck.

EC to PPM conversion chart
[TABLE="class: MsoNormalTable, width: 257"]
[TR]
[TD="width: 131, bgcolor: transparent"][/TD]
[TD="width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"]Hanna
[/TD]
[TD="width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"]Eutech
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[TD="width: 85, bgcolor: transparent"]Truncheon
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[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 131, bgcolor: transparent"]
EC​
[/TD]
[TD="width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"]
ppm​
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ppm​
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ppm​
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0.1​
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50​
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64​
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70​
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0.2​
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100​
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128​
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140​
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0.3​
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150​
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192​
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210​
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0.4​
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200​
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256​
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280​
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0.5​
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250​
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320​
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350​
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0.6​
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300​
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384​
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420​
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0.7​
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350​
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448​
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490​
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0.8​
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400​
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512​
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560​
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0.9​
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450​
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576​
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630​
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1​
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500​
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640​
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700​
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1.1​
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550​
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704​
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770​
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[TR]
[TD="width: 131, bgcolor: transparent"]
1.2​
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600​
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768​
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[TD="width: 85, bgcolor: transparent"]
840​
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1.3​
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650​
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832​
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910​
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1.4​
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700​
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896​
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980​
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1.5​
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750​
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960​
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1050​
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1.6​
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800​
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1024​
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1120​
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1.7​
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850​
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1088​
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1190​
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1.8​
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900​
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1152​
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950​
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1216​
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1330​
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2​
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1000​
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1280​
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2.1​
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1334​
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2.2​
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1100​
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1408​
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1540​
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2.3​
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1150​
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1472​
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1610​
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2.4​
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1200​
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1536​
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1680​
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2.5​
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1600​
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2.6​
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1300​
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1664​
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1820​
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2.7​
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1350​
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1728​
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1890​
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2.8​
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1400​
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1792​
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1960​
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1984​
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Opps!! Yes ppm's, also people here sometimes get upset when I use tds ppm's, and say EC is what i should refer to, why lol?
 
^^^^^I agree^^^^^The way I see it is when checking the ec, it seems to me that one would check to see what the ppm's it stands for, it depends on what the reading of you tds meter uses, at least that's my opinion, either way it doesn't matter, the object is to know the strength of your nutes.
 
waterdawg said:
Opps!! Yes ppm's, also people here sometimes get upset when I use tds ppm's, and say EC is what i should refer to, why lol?
Click to expand...

I use EC because its what I am use to. Its also universal across the board for people who are not in america or using different conversion meters. Its all personal preference.
 
Yes exactly! I really dont pay attention to recommended levels anymore. When i did I burnt the hell out of my girls. Now i just watch closely and keep notes on the strains i grow and add accordingly. Again thats the reason i refill and not top up, just easier for me lol. Also knock wood never had slime or bacteria issues.
 
Thanks every one for ur input it'. Helped out alot especially the way use ur ppm ec tds lol when topping up or draining. Also the conversion chart very much appreciated
 
>>>1. When Go to top up the water with nutes do I change the whole reservoir or top it up n if u top it up how can u tell how much nutes to put in?

I find that this depends on the size of your resevoir and what stage your plants are at (how much water are they drinking daily). In my expereince, I have a 10 gallon resevoir that feeds two plants, this has the ability to last me a whole week without needing to 'top up' as other growers have mentioned. I have never gone more than 7 days without changing out my reservoir as I know deficiencies are more likely to occur.

Are you going to be doing a 'sterile' or 'live' grow Dunn?

>>>2. How does an ec meter work totally clueless on it?

EC/PPM meter as others have already mentioned is a key tool in a hydro growers arsenal. Those are some great links Bucees posted, I would read them thoroughly and try to get an overall understanding on how to work the device. A brief overview of PPM ranges for hydro growing that I use are:

Seedling: 200-300 PPM
Vegetative: 300-600PPM
Flower: 600-1000PPM

I find little need to go over 1000PPM in flowering as some grower do. If the roots are being exposed to multiple feedings a day (ebb & flow) or constant exposre to nutrients (DWC) they require less dosages of nutrients overall. I found that most strains I grow will start to show sign of dry leaves starting from the bottom, up. That is a clear sign of nutrient burn.

If you need any more help on the subject of EC and pH feel free to elaborate as I don't mind helping a fellow grower!

>>>3. I will b growin autos do switch bulbs or use just one iwas thinking start with mh n switch to hps Half way through or just use hps on a 18/6 hour cycle

IMO, different spectrums of light are a must when growing cannabis. You are spot on with using the MH for vegetative growth (18/6) and using the HPS for flowering growth (12/12). I have recently been experimenting with dual-spectrum HID's that supposedly provide all spectrum of light that cannabis would need throughout its entire grow span. Eliminating the need for changing bulbs at all!

Any more questions, please fell free to ask!
​
 
I have a 45 litre res I think and will b doing 4 plants per system I have 2 gt424 nft setup I am still waiting on my seeds to come in I have grown before using 100 percent perlite in a home made hemp setup but thought I would move up to proper hydro so I know basics but just a few wee questions before I started like how do u till if the flow is right on the system as I know if it's to fast or two slow it not as good am just trying to get it as professional as possible n.when topping up ur res do top it up n then add nutes to the ppm u desire bit by bit till it's rite??
 
A wise man wrote a book once. Hes new school so most wouldnt know him and i lent the book out so i dont know his name. But he wrote that you should change your resevoir when the plants have consumed the total volume of that resevoir once. Ive used this method in the past and it worked fine. I grew sog once and had a large rez under small plants and didnt change it out for 60 or more days, everything was fine. They didnt consume it all so i didnt change it. Ph drifted up only half a whole number so i saved a couple bucks by not changing it.
 
I believe Alien is referring to the lucas formula (could be wrong). Its a good read for newbs, it will help you to understand the fundamentals of nutes and how to read whats going on. As for your question about lighting and auto's go to the auto threads. Lots of knowledge there. 12/12 for an auto is a no no!
 
These NFT systems will work fine with topping up the water and nutes
res changes are unnecessary with most nute brands canna vitalink and other 2 part foods
saves the effort of pumping them out every 2 weeks or whatever also saves on food

peace
 
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