Invisible Poltergeist Bugs

Ok. So, at first I thought I was having a nutrient issue coupled with fans being to high or something, but everything else seems fine.

Here's my grow:
Indoor grow tent, active interesting with intake filter
Temp: 68-79
Humidity: 25-35% (yes, super low, can't get it any higher here in the winter)
Watering: water to saturation ever 2-4 days as needed, will wait until top 2 inches is dry
Light: 1000watt HPS
Medium: Fox Farms Ocean Forest Soil
Nutrients: Advanced Nutrients Sensi full line, followed @ 1/2 strength through veg & tapering up to full strength + 1x per week tea (Grass Roots terp tea, Stump Tea, or homemade compost tea)
pH checked in and out, always within 6-7
Timeline: Currently at 5th week flower
Strain: Gorilla Glue, from clone
Previous issues and treatments: powdery mildew @1st week flower, mild, treated with hydrogen peroxide, Nature's Cure, Green Cure, and most recently Serenade. Each treatment weekly and has kept PM issues at bay.

Problem: started shiny dark gray spots and pieces of leaves crisp and breaking off, nearly all were older fan leaves. The problem has only gotten worse.
I do not see anything flying, crawling, or otherwise moving. I have looked under magnification under and above and can't see anything that I recognize out can find in any online guides although all signs point to mites or thripes or something. I don't know what else to look for our how to treat it but flowering had obviously crawled to a halt.

Thanks in advance for your help and I apologise if I haven't added enough useful info.

All I can say is they are pretty dark green which leaves me to believe they have plenty of nutes and probably not a deficiency. Could have been the fan.

70's natureboy said:

All I can say is they are pretty dark green which leaves me to believe they have plenty of nutes and probably not a deficiency. Could have been the fan.

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Yeah, I thought it was the fan, but all plants have been affected and the problem seems to be moving up the plant. I found one of my buds with dry crispy leaves yesterday too and dry buds so I cut that off to be safe.

I really don't know.

its nutrient related probably .. no bugs

those soil mixes can be too hot .. some tips burnt here and there

kingromano said:

those soil mixes can be too hot .. some tips burnt here and there

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Thanks for the input!
Yes, Fox Farms can run hot. The soil is the same soil and pot I had used from the last week of veg (last time I up-potted to the final 5 gal container). I did have some mild nute burn early in flower so I tuned bottled nutet back and didn't have burn after that. I've never had any problem like this running Advanced Nutrients.
Any idea which nutrient/nutrients?

probably phosphorus or potassium
Nitrogen excess produce dark plants and claws
i think its potassium burn but its minor

kingromano said:

probably phosphorus or potassium
Nitrogen excess produce dark plants and claws
i think its potassium burn but its minor

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Dude! I don't know why I wasn't thinking nutrients... I think that since there was no yellowing and I've used these nutes with such great results before that I wasnt even going in that direction, but looking up both P and K issues, it is definitely somewhere in that realm.

Well, that's good. At least I don't have to worry about bugs (dealing with PM has me paranoid!).

Time to flush and start again with some light nutes.

Thanks!

kingromano said:

probably phosphorus or potassium
Nitrogen excess produce dark plants and claws
i think its potassium burn but its minor

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Ok, so. I just ran some pH 6.5 water through the soil. The runoff pH was 6.4. however, the ppm going in was under 120, coming out was 1700+!
Yikes

I would call Ghostbusters.

Fox Farms and having troubles....found your problem lol. Seriously though, doesn't Fox Farms have nutes in it already?

Powertech said:

Fox Farms and having troubles....found your problem lol. Seriously though, doesn't Fox Farms have nutes in it already?

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Yeah, it does. I've been using good ol promix but wanted to try and get away from feeling like a chemist with all the bottles. I was hoping I could just supplement with nutes, but it looks like old habits and nute schedules got the best of me...

FoxFarms isn't a "water only" soil, but after trying this out, I think I'll try Detroit Nutrient Company's water only soil for a go. It sounds too good to be true, but I'm tired of the whole watering to runoff, mixing nutes, flushing, etc etc. Am I crazy to think I can just pour in a soil, top dress here and there, water, and still get good bud and good yields? .... Probably...

Titikshu said:

Yeah, it does. I've been using good ol promix but wanted to try and get away from feeling like a chemist with all the bottles. I was hoping I could just supplement with nutes, but it looks like old habits and nute schedules got the best of me...

FoxFarms isn't a "water only" soil, but after trying this out, I think I'll try Detroit Nutrient Company's water only soil for a go. It sounds too good to be true, but I'm tired of the whole watering to runoff, mixing nutes, flushing, etc etc. Am I crazy to think I can just pour in a soil, top dress here and there, water, and still get good bud and good yields? .... Probably...

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yeah 1700 ppm is too much .. there is salt accumulations in your media .. try to keep the ppm under 1000 in the medium

Gratefultrip said:

I would call Ghostbusters.

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Isn't that you guys?

Thanks for the help. It's very much appreciated.

Titikshu said:

Yeah, it does. I've been using good ol promix but wanted to try and get away from feeling like a chemist with all the bottles. I was hoping I could just supplement with nutes, but it looks like old habits and nute schedules got the best of me...

FoxFarms isn't a "water only" soil, but after trying this out, I think I'll try Detroit Nutrient Company's water only soil for a go. It sounds too good to be true, but I'm tired of the whole watering to runoff, mixing nutes, flushing, etc etc. Am I crazy to think I can just pour in a soil, top dress here and there, water, and still get good bud and good yields? .... Probably...

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I use soil and don't flush, not once, don't need to. I'll feed straight water every once in awhile but that's it. Just don't mix as strong

Michigan me mix is pretty good water only.

Reminds me of thrips but it has been a while since I been on the scene.

Put some 'underside' shots up if you get time please...

spliffendz said:

Reminds me of thrips but it has been a while since I been on the scene.

Put some 'underside' shots up if you get time please...

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Yeah, I thought that at first too which is why I was so annoyed. I flushed with straight water a couple days ago and nothing has gotten worse. I'll water heavily again tomorrow with a light compost tea to re inoculate and flush some of my built up salts, but hopefully that's it.

Here a photo of the bottom

Titikshu said:

Yeah, I thought that at first too which is why I was so annoyed. I flushed with straight water a couple days ago and nothing has gotten worse. I'll water heavily again tomorrow with a light compost tea to re inoculate and flush some of my built up salts, but hopefully that's it.

Here a photo of the bottom

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Most likely not then, you would see them scuttling about...