G13 Pineapple Express and UFO Skunk #1 from Attitude. First Time Hydroponics Grow

Okay, so I'm a first time hydroponics grower, and I've done a good bit of research but I also assumed this would be a learn as you go type experience as well, so lets start.
The setup:
24x48x72 reflective grow tent.
2 CocoGrower units. (like a waterfarm or ecogrower)
400w Lumatek Digital Ballast w/ Sinowell enhanced HPS bulb.
250CFM fan blowing cool air in from the bottom of the tent.
Temperature when operating light at 100% power is around 89F when the fan is on.
Will be installing a seperate fan to pull hot air from the top and into a carbon filter soon. Humidity is around 30% on average.

Day 1 - Germinated both seeds in napkins between two dinner plates, the Skunk #1 popped after 16 hours, the PE popped after 24.
Day 2 - Taproot for both seedlings grew to about 3/4 of an inch so I placed the PE in one of the CocoGrowers in between a few pieces of hydroton. I planted the Skunk #1 into a peat pellet which I then placed in the hydroton. (the reasoning behind not doing both the same way is a long story, but I look at it like an experiment from this point on. And as far as why I placed the freshly sprouted seedling directly in the hydroton, if you've followed ScottyBalls threads at all that's the way he does it and it seems to work fine)
Day 3 - Skunk #1 is about 1 and 1/2 tall and has its first set of leaves. PE has straightened out and began to pop its shell off to expose the first set of leaves.
Day 4 - Skunk #1 has two sets of leaves and is looking amazing compared to the PE. The PE has grown about 1" since planting and has its second set of leaves almost, but the first set are curling downwards.

This is currently where I am at the moment, typing this thread. I will include a few pictures, and if anyone could tell me why one plant is doing so much better than the other, and why the PE's leaves are curling under as they are.
My tap water is 55 PPM, with a PH of 6.8. I leave the pump on 24/7, and they are on a lighting schedule of 18/6 with the HPS light at 100% power at 2 feet of distance from the plants.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!!!

The first four pictures are the plants on day 2-3. The PE is in hydroton, the Skunk #1 in the soil looking thing.
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Okay.
Day 4 pictures. Sorry for such crappy pictures, but I have to use my webcam on my laptop to take them, and its hard to aim the screen while clicking the mouse.
The tiny looking hard to see plant is the PE. There should be 4 pictures of it.
The other two are of the Skunk #1, it may be hard to see, but its doing well. I covered the peat pellet material it was in completely with hydroton so it may be confusing when you look at the pictures. Again, any help on why the PE looks so shriveled and the Skunk #1 is going fine? Or at least I assume it is, maybe they're both doing terrible?

110 views and no replies? Odd.
Bump for help.

Hi, I can't see the plant and I grow in soil so I might not be much help but what are you asking help on?

Cant really see there man wat are your temps ?

At the moment its 79 degrees, and the humidity is at 32%. I know the pictures are crappy, its hard to take one with a laptop as your camera. She's looking a little better today, not as much droop in the the cotyledons and the first set of true leaves were tiny, now they're about double in size. I was reading that for some strains/plants it's natural for the cotyledons to droop as the plant matures, and eventually they will dry up and fall off. Perhaps that's what's happening here? Here are a few more pictures, they're a little better.
The majority of the pictures are of the PE, and one or two of the Skunk #1 for a comparison of the two.

Good be just that dude. I had a kushberry seed jus pop and it wasnt the best looker to start with i was going to throw it but i give it a chance and its really shooting up now . Good luck dude keep me informed

I'm hoping that's the case. Anyone else got any input?
And will do man. Thanks for trying.

Day 6 from seed.
PH - 6.0
Temp - 82
Light - 50% power
Humidity - 49%

PE is looking better after raising humidity. Skunk #1 looks good as well. So I'm assuming by now that the cotyledon droop in the PE is natural and she should be fine for now?
1st and 3rd picture are the Skunk #1, 2nd and 4th are the PE.

Hi raylan

Glad you sorted your probs out bud

And with your light test it on the back of your hand if it feels ok move up till it gets hot then you can work out wheres right so its just warm, when you find that out like add half that amount on to its self an start with that an let her grow upto it when shes big you can keep it at the min distance you found and you should be ok

peace

Actually I'm having small issues again. I can keep the humidity at 50% when the oscillating fan is going, but the temps get up to around 90. So then I turn the 250cfm fan blowing air into the bottom and it drops the temps down to around 84 but the humidity drops back down to 30%. Guess I'm going to have to go buy a humidifier this weekend. On a side note, I moved the Skunk #1 out of the grow tent and into a closet in the spare room next to mine. My original plan was to only grow the PE in the tent, and to veg as long as was necessary to fill it more or less, so after cramming the space w/ various objects I decided to make the move.
The Skunk #1 has been an experiment from the beginning, so lets see get a side by side going (sort of). The Skunk #1s new environment is 24x48x60 after covering the entire area I wanted to grow in with 2mil mylar. I grew in soil a couple years back with a Mercury Vapor lamp and decided to use that as my grow light. I know, it's garbage for growing MJ, but I had nothing else, and while making tons of major mistakes, I managed to get 1 oz dried of decent bud off it. I figure growing hydroponically it should veg quite nicely all things considering. I'll also be using a different nutrient feeding schedule for this plant just to see the results it yields.
The plan eventually is to veg the PE for a month to fill the tent more or less, then to flower for another month or so. While this is going on, I'll be vegging the Skunk #1 under the MV for the entirety of the time. When the PE is harvested, I will then move the light to the closet and begin to flower the Skunk #1 for a month or so. By that time I'll hopefully have another 400w ballast to start running a MH in one area for vegging, and a HPS in another for flowering. Pics when I wake up of the Skunks new home.

Did you try the bucket thing with the towel or rag hangin half in water half out with a fan blowin on it it worked wonders for me in veg and now she big an takin more water the humiditys sound an ive took the bucket out

Or havent you got the space? also you may not need a desk fan blowin on it you mite get away with your 250cfm fan on it all time as long as the air is blowin on the towel it will evaporate the water as its constantly sokin up out the bucket to the end of the towel you just have to top water up every day

i also found i could rase or lower the humidity by movin the desk fan closer or away from the towel

Sounds like a plan bro you scrogin, LST or toppin the PE to fill tent better?

peace

I did the bucket/towel trick, it helps a lot, just not w/ a TON of airflow going around the tent. I'll try not running the oscillating fan and see what the temps/humidity reach. I'm gonna scrog the PE to fill the tent. Already have it made, just waiting on the plant to get a little bigger before placing it in.

cool you got any pics of the screen and your tent?

The screen isn't in yet, but I'll get some pictures of it, the tent, and the Skunk #1s new environment when I get off work later tonight, as well as updates on the PE.

Day 7
Okay, so today I got home from work to check the PE and I noticed a tiny bit of yellowing in the edges of the first set of true leaves, and a the cotyledons look a little odd. I drained the reservoir and the PH was 7.2 w/ a ppm of 240 so I'm hoping that was the issue. Filled with 2 gallons of fresh water and since today is day 7 I decided to start her on 200ppm nutes, with a PH of 5.8. Will be buying a humidifier tomorrow. Here's some pics of the grow tent that has the 400w HPS and the PE. When I took the pictures the tent had been open for 5 or 10 minutes so thats why the humidity is so low in the picture. (if anyone even notices lol). Finally managed to get some decent pictures of the PE, how's she look?

Day 7
Heres the closet I moved the Skunk #1 to as an experiment. It's vegging under a Mercury Vapor light until my HPS is free'd up or I can afford to buy another ballast. Temperature in the closet is 84, right now I have no way of pulling air out/in other than the hole I cut in the sheetrock wall that leads up to my attic, eventually I'll run some duct and put a fan in the attic. For time being I have a fan blowing around the air in the room constantly at least, and I open the closet door frequently to vent heat and let fresh air into it. Humidity is 30%.
Can't wait to see what both of these ladies turn in to, it's so exciting.

Hi mate lookin good nice set up!.......yeah 7.2 is high thats all the yellowin will be you should be fine now its sorted keep a eye on it though
Hope the humidifier works for you, but with all that extraction it mite get sucked stight out, but with the bucket and that it should help i think.

peace

Day 8
The Skunk #1 is looking awesome compared to the PE, I don't know whats going on with it.
I called my hydro shop and the guy I spoke with told me to NOT use PH Up/Down after using my nutrients as it will cause nutrient lock-out. He said that the buffers in the FloraDuo should lower it to a reasonable level. So before adding nutes, my waters PH is 7.6, and after adding nutes the PH is 6.8 with a ppm of 300. When I updated the other day I had to change the water out, so I added nutes, then adjusted PH down to 5.8 with PH Down, then filled the reservoir. It was after this that I spoke with the guy at my hydro shop, and now it is time to change the water in the reservoir. I'm confused as to what to do, because no matter what I do it seems that the PE looks a little worse each day as far as the yellowing in the leaves. Should I continue to leave the water at 6.8 after the nutes buffer it, or should I then add PH Down to get it lower? If I do this, will it lockout the nutrients? Basically I need to know why she's yellowing, and correct it immediately. Here are a few pictures of what I'm talkin' about. Any help would be awesome.
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Cant see the pics mate!
My tap water is 7.9pH & around 250-300PPM.
I only added nutes after 7 days, first water change.
I added the nutes which lowered to 6.6. (Flora Micro & Bloom 1/4 Strength)
I ran it through my system. Kept draining a litre and pouring it over the hydroton.
I did this til i thought my ph was stable and added pH down in 0.5ml til i got my desired ph. Check in an hour and do final adjust.
I note how much i use for future grows.
Check it out, im 13 days in!

Peace & Goodluck!