Newb Closet Coco Grow, 400w MH+HPS
- Thread starter mared juwan
- Start date
bkstylz
Well-Known Member
I still don't understand why you would need a tds meter if you aren't growing Hydro??
UserFriendly
New Member
Coco is hydro my friend.
UserFriendly
New Member
Hydro is generally accepted as anything not grown in soil. When you consider that soil is usually peat, and that soilless mixes are also peat, the lines blur a bit. When you grow anything but organic, you might do best with a tds meter. If you used guanos, kelps, and teas in coco, you've got yourself an organic hydro grow. I don't know if you can accurately measure tds in guanos. Definitions suck balls anyway.
mared juwan
Well-Known Member
No MH or HPS makes Mared a dull boy... No MH or HPS makes Mared a dull boy... Oh, sorry. Forgive my psychotic rants - I've been driven to madness by shitty quality equipment. I came home to find my closet illuminated by the single CFL side light I had set up a couple days ago. I believe my ballast is fried because I have two bulbs and neither works. I also tried several outlets, no dice. The ballast hums and gets hot like it's working but no light. I threw up the three remaining CFLs and uncovered the window to utilize the sun in the morning. I'll have to scramble tomorrow to find a socket/ballast, might as well get a better quality hood while I'm at it. And it's fucking finals week to top it all off. So how long can my 9 plants make it on 106 watts of CFL light if I can't get something tomorrow? What do you guys think, am I screwed here?
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UserFriendly
New Member
Dude, that sucks a lot. Take your setup to a hydro store or electronics repairman to have checked out before you are done with it forever. It might be something small.
As long as you are vegging, you'll be fine with the cfls. Obviously more will be better, but at this point, they will keep your plants alive; cut back the foliage if you have to.
As long as you are vegging, you'll be fine with the cfls. Obviously more will be better, but at this point, they will keep your plants alive; cut back the foliage if you have to.
UserFriendly
New Member
If it comes to getting a new ballast, Sunleaves Pulsar 2.0 has an 8 year warranty. Lumatek digitals have 5 year warranties.
mared juwan
Well-Known Member
Maybe the ganja gods are trying to tell me I was supposed to have two lights all along. Hopefully I will pick up a nice new one tomorrow because I can't bare to see my plants in such dim light and then when I have time, I can get the busted one repaired and have a veg/clone light. (Trying to stay positive) Unfortunately, this is one of two weeks out of the year where school is so hectic it takes precedence over my plants. So I have to sign off to study now but thanks for the support, User. It's good to know they should be alright for a day or two. I'll let you know what happens. 
mared juwan
Well-Known Member
Oh, sweet. Didn't see your second post. Those ballasts will be at the top of my list. Thanks.
UserFriendly
New Member
I've just recently started seeing HPS -> MH conversion bulbs for 600's.
HiLUX GRO MH Conversion Lamp, 600W - Worm's Way
TetraHyC
Well-Known Member
Right on, User, you always find the good stuff, owe you again.
Won't hesitate to replace the dinosaur hydrofarm 400MH soon,I know its efficiency is way down, poor air flow too, HIDs don't last forever, I think the DIGIs last longer than magnetic.
mared juwan
Well-Known Member
Crisis averted. But it cost me. $189 for a 400 watt Lumatek. The shop I went to is pretty small and all they had were two 400 watters. It beats the brakes off my old unit though. You can notice it's brighter and doesn't run as hot either. I also picked up a bag of coco, some ph down, a couple trays and a humidity dome. I figure I'll take a shot at cloning before I throw the lights to 12/12. The plants look great despite the day of dim light
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mared juwan
Well-Known Member
I don't know. I don't want to get overconfident. I see so many terrible things happen to people in flower on this site. I'm hoping they're just too busy/braindead to realize there is a problem in time and an attentive person like myself can avoid the same mistakes. I'm pretty sure the verdict before was that I would be okay to flower in these 2 gallon bags but when I water now there is no loose coco on top anymore, it is solid root mass all the way to the sides. What do think? Bigger pots? And do you switch to the bloom nutes as soon as you go to 12/12? I would imagine it would be best to wait a little while.
