About to kick off a new indoor grow, need review

[elious]

Hey-hey-hey!!! Im new to the forum and at first i was really active but ive been really busy constructing a new room and totally new set-up. Here's the set-up:
Two 1000 watt metal halide for veg, switching to 1000 hps for flower. The room is 8 and a half feet by 11 and a half feet. I have 8 tubs (18 gallon each) for a DWC grow. Three plants per tub for a total of 24 plants. I have a 978 cfm, 10" fan and a 10" (2 foot tall) charcoal filter. I have two 71 liter per minute air pumps with eight out-puts each for a total of 16 air infusing airstones (2 per tub). I have gpt my pi h testing solution and tds (500 scale) meter. I have my veg nutes, micro nutes, bloom nutes, root promoter, and my enzymes. I have to take it easy on the nutrition expenses as i have spent about three tgousand dollars on this set-up up to that point. I have simply ran short of cash. The lumber and materials for the room alone was outrageous. I have now made the room "light tight" (no light leaks ANYWHERE) I have a speed controler for the fan as well as a controler for the fan that will keep it cool and the humidity right. I have sterilized the room and made it dust free. The intale to the room is good (creating a slight negative pressure in the room). Im getting my sour diesel clones in two days and tomorrow im filling the tubs to let the water get the impurities out.
Here is what im asking; what am i forgetting? Is there any advice anyone can give me? I'll start a journal on day one of the grow but i really cant screw this up so i need some help thinking of what i havent thought of yet. Please, any input is appreciated.

 

[Jimmycricket]

Re: about to kick off a new indoor grow, need review.

I dont think you listed this, you want some fans to circulate the air.

Besides that sounds like a good setup, show us some pics when you can and i hope it works out well for you.

I too am considering building a special room somewhat like yours. its already partly constructed about 24 by 12 feet. Big commitment though.

 

[elious]

Re: about to kick off a new indoor grow, need review.

Oh yes, I did forget about the small fans. I have two (I think 12" fans) for circulating the air. I was really wondering about then clones. Ian there anything I should do to give them a good healthy beginning? I'm not talking explosive growth, more along the lines of ensuring survival.

 

[Jimmycricket]

Re: about to kick off a new indoor grow, need review.

If they are already rooted clones it should be pretty easy and straight forward to keep them alive and thriving.

Just keep them slightly moist and never fully dry out. Also keep the nutes super light for the first couple week.

 

[elious]

Re: about to kick off a new indoor grow, need review.

Thanks! That's what I have read. I'm just making sure there isn't something that I've overlooked somehow. I have put a lot of time, energy, and money into this thus far and I would hate to have a simple brain fart screw up everything.
Thanks again!

 

[Jimmycricket]

Re: about to kick off a new indoor grow, need review.

Now are you new to growing, or have you done it a couple times before?

 

[elious]

Re: about to kick off a new indoor grow, need review.

Well, I've done outdoor plenty of times and I had one small indoor grow finished a few months ago. But it was basically bringing the outdoor indoors. Just soil and hand watering. The dwc is completely new to me. By the way, I've read some mixed reviews about "light proofing" the tubs/buckets. I have heavy duty aluminium foil on the lids but the sides are only covered with a few strips of duct tape (stability purposes). Is the aluminium foil going to block out enough light? I can't imagine much more than a slight glow getting through the wall of the tubs.

 

[Jimmycricket]

Re: about to kick off a new indoor grow, need review.

The less light inside the better, it causes algae and it also could light prune the roots. Remember roots hate light and will not grow in it.

Imo black paint is the best way all around to light proof plastic tubs. Or just make the tubs with thick black plastic tubs already .

Main advice difference I have for indoors hydro to a outdoor pro would be make sure the PH is fairly decent ranged. and beware of bugs.

Outdoors bugs arnt much of a big deal because other bugs eat them and keep it all in check for the most part. indoors if you start to get an infestation you must be the predator.

Also another piece of advice that I have found true for hydro (i grew a DWC recently for first time). First PH was not as crazy as some make it sound. I would usually just set it to like 5ph when id change water, but then i almost never bothered with it again untill rechanging. I never once had a deficiency or growth problems. Infact in 3 months it went from new clones to 8 foot tall monsters. During that time I only changed the water like 3 times. Not every week or every few days like the nute companies suggest. Whenever the water level got low from the plants drinking a lot (they began to drink .5 gallons a day) I would just add more PHed water sometimes adding halfstrength nutes along with it.

But I basically never changed out the reservoir. Rarely bothered with the PH (my natural taps ph is high at about 7.3), and as I said they grew DWC from 3 inches tall to almost 100 inches tall in a few months

 

[elious]

Re: about to kick off a new indoor grow, need review.

I was thinking that the black paint would absorb heat and make the water too warm. I guess painting over again with white paint won't hurt... Will cheap rattle can paint do?
I'm surprised about the ph and rez change info you gave me. Almost everybody talks about switching it out every 7-10 days and I wasn't looking forward to all that. Like I said, 8 tubs!! It would be a lot of work every weekend. I'll keep that in mind and if the rez does need to be changed, what are some of the signs? I'm assuming nute lockout is one but how easily identifiable is that?

 

[Jimmycricket]

Re: about to kick off a new indoor grow, need review.

well if you can identify it, its been going on for a bit.

let me just say i would be surprised if you couldnt just change the water in begining for veg. then never change it again till flower, then never change it again untill flush.

Also you can daisy chain the tubs together and just have a single spout to drain the tubs from. would make things easier.

 

[elious]

Re: about to kick off a new indoor grow, need review.

I was thinking about that (meaning the daisy chain thing). I came across a snag though. Where would I be putting the lids that are holding the girls while I cleaned the tubs out. So I bought 8 extra tubs and have them ready for the swap when needed. I even have them sterilized with the lids on them so they are totally ready for the plants.
Do you know of a trouble shooting guide that would let me know if I do have lockout? I am, like most newbies, eager for a descent harvest. I am patient though. I know damn well that my first harvest probably isn't going to be brag worthy. However, I financially need it to do well because I have invested so much and the power bill alone is hard enough to keep up with. To keep itself going and make it worth your time, you need a descent yield. I'm not to crazy about the strain I'm getting but it has potential for a descent harvest. I got the paint today and am about to get that done in a little while. I would post pics but I can't seem to figure out how to do it from my phone. I'll have to download them to my computer and then post them. I was expecting the clones today and start the journal as well but so far, NO WORD FROM THE GUY!! Dam it...

 

[elious]

Alright, I have them painted and am waiting for them to dry so I can set them all back up. I heard from the guy and tomorrow's the day. So this how's fixing to get on the road!! I'm excited to start this grow.
So if you don't switch out the water every week to ten days, how do you know how much to feed them? I can use my meter but that could be deceiving right? I mean what if all the N is used up but barely any of the P or K? The nutrient levels in the water would still suggest they're high right? I'm just wanting to make sure I'm understanding how hydro nutrition works.

 

[Jimmycricket]

Well this may not be the most helpful answer but its the truth and worked for me.

I just eyeball everything when it comes to nutes. Yeah in hydro when i first change a res i measure things out. But when adding a little extra from time to time to account for what has been eaten already, I just guesstimate. It worked so far.

I do the same when mixing my soil nutes and amendments. I just guesstimate.

 

[elious]

That's a fair answer. I mean, its what you did and it worked. I'm just starting out with hydro/dwc and from what I understand its learning game. Meaning you learn more about how much and when as you get more familiar with the set-up. I need to get some solution that's ppm accurate that way I can calibrate my meter. Well, thanks for the help and I'll be posting pics as soon as I can get to a internet connection with my laptop. I'll be starting a journal, hopefully, tomorrow and I would appreciate any advice I can get along the way. Peace bud brother!