Hydroponics

thanks that is a good idea. i will prolly get net pots for my next grow. if you have any other helpful hints about my grow I can use all the help I can get. please take look at them

https://www.rollitup.org/blogs/blog801-first-timer.html
https://www.rollitup.org/indoor-growing/333219-first-timer.html

I will be there to help where I can. It's what I do best

Let me note on your pictures real quick hope you don't mind.
In this picture you show the air pumps but I'm seeing them being below water level is that so?
https://www.rollitup.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=947762&d=1274414481
If you have your air pumps below water level and have a power outage the water will back draw and go right into your pumps and fry them...
If you look at this picture
https://www.rollitup.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=947755&d=1274414341
you will see the roots are actually bound up and stuck in the cups where they aren't getting much water.
You can see them binding up here too in both of these pictures.
https://www.rollitup.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=947753&d=1274414298
https://www.rollitup.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=947759&d=1274414408
You may consider changing your air stones to something with a little more give. Those are cheap for a reason lol I have used the Wal-Mart brand air stones too. You should go to petco and find the black ones.
https://www.rollitup.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=947768&d=1274414631
You also might want to make your water level higher lol They drink a lot when they get bigger.
You are using rockwool cubes correct? If so you should seriously consider cutting about 1 inch below the cubes so the roots have nothing but free space. Give it a try and hopefully by next grow you have the proper net cups. Check out this picture of my "net pots"
https://www.rollitup.org/attachments/indoor-growing/723514d1266835035-my-first-riu-grow-journal-jblwf.jpg
https://www.rollitup.org/attachments/indoor-growing/723513d1266835035-my-first-riu-grow-journal-fhi4b.jpg

thanks for input,

i have already cut the bottom out of all that i could, cept the ones where i wold have to cut up the root system, ill have to let them go, dont want to risk hurting the root system, the plants are looking pretty good i think. any idea on getting the roots freed up without hurting them in these pics?https://www.rollitup.org/attachment.p...3&d=1274414298
https://www.rollitup.org/attachment.p...9&d=1274414408

i thought that the check valves would prevent the water from goin into the air pump, ill just set them on the lid i guess, thanks for looking out.

i will look into new airstones, i am wanting one of those industrial pumps that i can hook into all 5 of my totes, each contains 4 plants, i will get new air stones when i do that i hope.

I lost my income since i started this endevor, straped for cash, tough times right now, i even quit tokeing so i can get a new job...LOTS of stress at home, have baby otw to, nov. any online store for good pump/airstones(we live in small town)

i usually keep atleast 1 gallon per plant, should i have more? what you see is the plants consumption over course of 1 week, they drank about half the water,is that normal? i change nutes every 2 to 3 weeks, depending on water levels, will post more pics next time i change...how should i go about adding, full nutrient mix or just ph water?

i use micro rockwol plugs...i use red lava rock, i prolly shouldnt put any under the rockwool plug eh.

thanks for advise i will listen to anyone who has more exp then me, i am new to this.

smokendude420 said:

thanks for input,
i have already cut the bottom out of all that i could, cept the ones where i wold have to cut up th eroot system, ill have to let them go, dont want to risk hurting the root system, the plants are looking pretty good i think. any idea on getting the roots freed up without hurting them in these pics?https://www.rollitup.org/attachment.p...3&d=1274414298
https://www.rollitup.org/attachment.p...9&d=1274414408
I would say cut above the root ball and let the plastic dangle until you harvest then cut it out
i thought that the check valves would prevent the water from goin into the air pump, ill just set them on the lid i guess, thanks for looking out.
Better safe than sorry bud....
i will look into new airstones, i am wanting one of those industrial pumps that i can hook into all 5 of my totes, each contains 4 plants, i will get new air stones when i do that i hope.

I lost my income since i started this endevor, straped for cash, tough times right now, i even quit tokeing so i can get a new job...LOTS of stress at home, have baby otw to, nov. any online store for good pump/airstones(we live in small town)
Sounds like a friend of mine actually lol Just lost his job after starting a grow, has a baby otw, lives in a small town lol. Ok well as far as pumps and air stones you can go to petco.com for air stones and you can go to cheaphydroponics.com for air pumps. 950 gph for $35.. I can't find a better pump...
i usually keep atleast 1 gallon per plant, should i have more? what you see is the plants consumption over course of 1 week, they drank about half the water,is that normal? i change nutes every 2 to 3 weeks, depending on water levels, will post more pics next time i change...how should i go about adding, full nutrient mix or just ph water?
Typically your plants drink more water than nutes so just half nutes in ph'd water will be fine... That's what I do a lot of the time. Most of the time I take my meter and test the tanks before adding and just adjust as I see fit..
i use micro rockwol plugs...i use red lava rock, i prolly shouldnt put any under the rockwool plug eh.
none under, no
thanks for advise i will listen to anyone who has more exp then me, i am new to this.

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Well not a problem bud I have been growing for over 5 years and have turned it into a full time hobby Was better than banging and keeps me outta trouble

thanks again i like the idea of cutting and let the plastic dangle...good idea.


I have an air compressor...small pan compressor...I can regulate the pressure and it will supply anywhere fro 0 to 240 psi, can i use this as an air pump, and put spliters on it, if so what psi should i use for 5 air stones? or would this not be a good idea due to condensation in the tank?


sorry for bombarding you with questions, i just had alot of them...i'll get this figured out soon enough. i do not plan on giving up, unless i run out money for nutes...they are expensive.

Yea I'm there with you on that man I spend $30 on 3 nutes man and that shit adds up after a while lol. As far as the bombarding it's completely fine. I asked a lot of questions in the beginning to so I don't fret on that shit dude. I would have to say no to the air compressor as I think they suck too much dust n shit from the air to be considered "Good air" for the roots... They use a vacuum basically to compress the air into the tank that you feed into the water of your babies...

ya i can see that...i will have to work my air supply i guess. i was really hopeing to get me new hps, what do you think is more important at this point, i have split all my veg lights up to accomodate both the flower and veg side, its one big room atm i still have to get seperate ventalation and section off the flowering area, plant are not pre-flowered yet anyway.

smokendude420 said:

ya i can see that...i will have to work my air supply i guess. i was really hopeing to get me new hps, what do you think is more important at this point, i have split all my veg lights up to accomodate both the flower and veg side, its one big room atm i still have to get seperate ventalation and section off the flowering area, plant are not pre-flowered yet anyway.

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You tell me bud. If you got your light taken away what would happen? If you took your air away what would happen These are living things
You should visit and read my cheap throw together grow room in my first riu journal.

I need a mentor! I am growing in soil indoor now. I am moving to the Palm Springs area soon and I had an idea. What about outdoor Hydro? I had an idea but I really have no idea. Anyone have a clue?...can this be done with the intense heat?

Yea but it will require a lot more maintenance and more chillers than normal. I am going to do an outdoor DWC also

Humboldt14 said:

can your PH in your rez. with a flood and drain table fluxuate a little example- 5.5 to 6.0 with out hurting the plants?​

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well mine goes from 5.8-6 all the times and i keep it there.
5.5 to 6.0 is not a lot of fluctuation, but it might be enough to cause nutrient lock out.
from personal experience i would say i dont think it will hurt anything, but i'm no botanist tho.

ImTheFireMan said:

well mine goes from 5.8-6 all the times and i keep it there.
5.5 to 6.0 is not a lot of fluctuation, but it might be enough to cause nutrient lock out.
from personal experience i would say i dont think it will hurt anything, but i'm no botanist tho.

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thanks man

ImTheFireMan said:

well mine goes from 5.8-6 all the times and i keep it there.
5.5 to 6.0 is not a lot of fluctuation, but it might be enough to cause nutrient lock out.
from personal experience i would say i dont think it will hurt anything, but i'm no botanist tho.

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Not typically actually. You can have your ph as high as 7.5 before it actually hurts the plants and even then it would have to be a fluctuation like 5.0-7.0 or visa versa. Higher or lower numbers too but that would cause nute lockout as well as some Ph burn. If you read a little into some botany books you can find a lot out about Ph and how they fluctuate. Sometimes they wont fluctuate for years then boom all of a sudden you get a bump (down or up) and you get burns on your plants. I've always been interested in botany

I'm starting a hydro setup,got all the components in mind for a shopping list twomarrow.I have five blue mystic seeds just sprouting in rockwool.I already have a big bag of hydrocorn.So,my question is,can I use the nutes I have for feedings in any amounts?I have the Fox Farm soil trio,big bloom,grow big and tiger bloom.

If I were you I would google the feeding schedule and instructions on it. Usually there is certain amounts that have been safely tested for years and charted. Hope that helps some

A question on hydroponic nutrient.. The shop I got my nutrients from have a formula for "leafy and herbs" and another for "flower and fruits"... Which one is better for me, or do I need to get both formulas for different stages,

Cernunnos said:

A question on hydroponic nutrient.. The shop I got my nutrients from have a formula for "leafy and herbs" and another for "flower and fruits"... Which one is better for me, or do I need to get both formulas for different stages,

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The Leafy and Herbs 1 you are referring to is a Veg nute which will be a part of your plants life. The Flower and Fruit 1 you are referring to is a Flower nute which will be another part of your plants life. Therefore you will need them both bud

Joker209 said:

If I were you I would google the feeding schedule and instructions on it. Usually there is certain amounts that have been safely tested for years and charted. Hope that helps some

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good info bro..............

Eclipse46 said:

I need a mentor! I am growing in soil indoor now. I am moving to the Palm Springs area soon and I had an idea. What about outdoor Hydro? I had an idea but I really have no idea. Anyone have a clue?...can this be done with the intense heat?

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you can most def run into alot of problems besides just the heat in palm springs, you would also run into contamination probs i would think, like stuff getting into the rez. just a theroy thoe I guess you will not unless you try it. I have mest sombody who did it in Florida but it was in a screened in area and i dont know how it turned out.