From Pinto to Porche - How do I drive this thing?

Salton · Mar 21, 2018

Hi folks.

I have a few soil grows under my belt, with mixed results, both indoors and out. I have been playing with a 1,000 watt HPS, having heat problems, plus a bunch of noob mistakes, but I have grown some pretty good weed in spite of myself.

Now, I find myself with. 9X13 room with three 1,000 watt HPS, a 12,000 BTU mini split a/c, 105 gallon Reservoir with a water chiller. I have a water controll unit hooked up to 18 5 gallon buckets. I also have a CO2 tank and regulator, but not going to mess with that right now.

I received zero instructions for any of it, but I have figured out how to program the water control unit.

IM NOT EVEN SURE WHAT TO CALL THE SYSTEM. Is it ebb and flow? Recirculating deep water?

I have some Platinum Cookies, some Monster

cookies, some King Luis, and a couple other strains I never heard of.

I have rooted clones in clay pellets, and they seem to be doing ok to this point. I am watering from the top twice a day and the roots are starting to drop towards the bottom of the buckets.

At first I had the nute solution coming up half way into the pellets, but it seems to me that is more than they need, so I lowered the water level to a couple inches below the bottom of the nets, and have just watered from the top. And I have the flood set twice a day, although at this point it is pointless, since the roots are just almost to the water line.

I need some direction on how and how often to flood. Should I keep the water in the buckets most of the time and drain and refill occasionally? Or is it the other way around? Water in res most of the time and flood occasionally?

I am using Aqua Flakes A and B. Calmag plus, and PH to about 5.7.

Keeping temps between 75 and 80 with lights on, and 67 to 70 light out.

Humidity is running 30-50%.

I have an exhaust fan on my hooded lights to help keep things cool.

Any guidance you fine folks can offer would be appreciated. I would hate to drive this rig into the ditch.

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Salton
Mar 21, 2018

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Salton
Mar 21, 2018

Ac, chiller, and res.

Salton · Mar 23, 2018

Well Salt, I don’t know any more than you do, but perhaps we can think this through.
If people leave the roots hanging into the nute solution with just an air stone, and no reservoir to refresh from, it must be perfectly ok to have the roots wet all the time, as long as there is an air gap between the bottom of the media to allow the roots to breathe. I’m sure some issues arise due to the solution just sitting in the buckets with the air stones. Perhaps heat issues in the buckets, and since they are black, it probably makes that worse.
So, perhaps the fill and drain should be adjusted to give enough time in the reservoir to let the chiller cool and remix the solution, but enough fill time as possible while maintaining temps.
It might take a bit of experimenting, but that’s half the fun.