Hydrologist's UnderCurrent DWC Multi-Kush Operation

[Hydrologist]

Hello all and Welcome to my Scientific Journal on Under Current Recirculating Deep Water Culture Grow Systems and how they are incorporated into my perpetual grow cycle where I am able to average one harvest a month.

Before we get started I would like to also add that I am very excited to be back on 420magazine.com writing a journal once again. I was a very dedicated member about four months ago when I was first getting started with Hydroponics as I chose Deep Water Culture as my choice method. Long story short with all the work involved in growing a hydroponic garden that is constantly growing in size, not to mention going to college and trying to earn a scholarship while also doing my best to maintain a new relationship leaves little time for anything else. So for all of you wondering where I was, I was here, doing my thing like normal, just too busy/lazy to write on the forum hehe. Honestly I am just as busy as ever, but I miss the forum and feel like I am ready to get back in the game, as I have been having some triumphs lately I would love to share with you all but also a few issues I need this forums members to help me with.

So now its time to get dirty:

the CURRENT set up:
Strains: Pre 98 Bubba Kush X Deep Chunk (pre 98 bubba chunk), new addition of Platnum OG KUSH. (Looking to add a very strong INDICA with as short of a flower cycle as possible any suggestions are welcomed)

Gear:
Main set up: 4 site undercurrent dwc system with chiller attached two 600 watt Lumatek Ballast, with Xtra sun-8 and Radian 8 Hoods with 6" Can Fan pulling air through system with Hydrofarm Booster fan between the hoods. I use a 600 watt Digilux Bulb by cap and a 600 watt PlantMax I bought yesterday cuz im broke. I also use C02 with Regulator on a basic timer releases 5.5 for 15 mins every 15 mins.

Secondary set up: 4 site undercurrent dwc system with chiller attached, two 400 watt off bran digital ballast, one with a 6 inch air cooled hood the other with a basic metal reflector attached. Both Set ups use HPS bulbs. One 400 watt digilux, one 400 watt Hortilux

Veg Set up: Two hydrofarm single tube T-5 Lights with optional single cord connection set. With two cheap 15 dollar pumps and one awesome General Hydroponics air pump feeding their roots oxygen

Propagation:
Home Made cloner with double bulb Hydrofarm T5 fixture. I dipp my cuttings in Olivias cloning gel before putting them in the cloner which sprays EZ Clones "Clear" cloner liquid.

Nutrients:

Flower: I am trying Dutch Master Gold Zone Flower A and B for the first time as my base Nutrient after experimenting with Blue Planet Nutrient (which worked great by the way) For addatives I am using Advanced Nutrients Kushi Kush, General Hydroponics Diamond Nectar Humic Acid, Humbolt Nutrients Gravity, Humbolt Nutrients Snow Storm Ultra, Advanced Nutrients B-52(sparingly) Hydro Int. Bloom Oxygen 50% H202, DM's ZONE

Veg: experimenting with Blue Planet Nutrients Veg Micro Bloom in adjusted Ratios on two plants and my usual Dutch Master Gold Zone Veg A and B for the others. Alone with B-52 spairingly, DM's ZONE, Hydro Int. Oxygen 50% H202.

Thats all the info I really feel like posting for now. I will get into more detail tonight after I take more pictures and start addressing some of the issues I am having that maybe some of ya'll can help me with. So enjoy the pics and again, it's great to be back! Also excited to let everyone know that tonight I will be picking up another 1000 watt ballast and hood that I will be hooking up in the next few days, maybe even tonight! We will see, i'll be sure to keep you all posted!

((((HYDROLOGIST))))

 

[Hydrologist]

I NEED HELP BOYS!

For those of you who see this journal today check it out:

I broke my PPM meter and like an idiot I thought I could gestimate the correct ammount of DM Gold Zone Flower A and B because i've used the veg version for so long, based off of what the bottle directions said. Boy was I wrong....atleast I think I was. It looks to me like I nutrient burned the crap out of my girls. they are 30 days into flower and usually by they point the would normall look MUCH FATTER they they do right now Right now they are all weird with very thin tops by somewhat normal bottoms, like pair shaped nugs, but the tops are very sparse and thin, maybe does that mean they got light burn? it looks like they did get a bit of it on their leaves, but then I raised the light so it shouldn't be a problem anymore and they have started to look better but after "burning" them they all have these gnarly ass curled down leaves that look like crab legs all over all of them. Any suggestions on how to get rid of it? for the past week i've been running the nutrients low around 950 which i figure is good enough for plants that are about 3 1/2 feet tall...today I will change their water when the lights turn on at 7pm. Any suggestion on nutrient levels or mixtures based on the nutrients I have would be much apreciated. Thanks guys.

 

[Mr. Krip]

HYDRO!!! Good to see you back, Brother!!!

Believe it or not, I was on your old journal just 5 minutes ago trying to see if you've been back lately, you hadn't, and when I went back to my subscriptions, I saw your post on this new journal.

Must be ESP, or something!

 

[Propa Gator]

Good thing about water-culture is: res change fixes everything if death has not yet occured. Look to the new growth, not the old.

 

[Hydrologist]

@Mr.Krip, dude thats fucking trippy lol. You wouldn't happen to be smoking a bowl at the moment would you? Cuz I am...maybe it has to do with the strain of weed we are both smoking buwahahaha. Im smoking some of the last of the pre 98 bubba chunk left over from my last harvest. Dude i've been getting average harvests of 12-14 ounces, doing alright, but last night I set up a new 600 watt so now I have two 600 watts instead of a 600 and a 400 above my main set up so im way excited and tonight my buddys giving me a 1000 watt and a hood!!!! WOOHOOO! SO STOKED. So hopefully this wack problem will clear up once the Gravity starts kickn' in and they plump up like normal under all the light im about to give them

 

[Hydrologist]

Good thing about water-culture is: res change fixes everything if death has not yet occured. Look to the new growth, not the old.

Thanks dude I apreciate that. That makes me feel a hole lot better about the situation. Do you also grow DWC?

 

[Mr. Krip]

I NEED HELP BOYS!

For those of you who see this journal today check it out:

I broke my PPM meter and like an idiot I thought I could gestimate the correct ammount of DM Gold Zone Flower A and B because i've used the veg version for so long, based off of what the bottle directions said. Boy was I wrong....atleast I think I was. It looks to me like I nutrient burned the crap out of my girls. they are 30 days into flower and usually by they point the would normall look MUCH FATTER they they do right now Right now they are all weird with very thin tops by somewhat normal bottoms, like pair shaped nugs, but the tops are very sparse and thin, maybe does that mean they got light burn? it looks like they did get a bit of it on their leaves, but then I raised the light so it shouldn't be a problem anymore and they have started to look better but after "burning" them they all have these gnarly ass curled down leaves that look like crab legs all over all of them. Any suggestions on how to get rid of it? for the past week i've been running the nutrients low around 950 which i figure is good enough for plants that are about 3 1/2 feet tall...today I will change their water when the lights turn on at 7pm. Any suggestion on nutrient levels or mixtures based on the nutrients I have would be much apreciated. Thanks guys.

Can you post pics of the issue?

When did you burn the plants? Did you do a flush before you re-adjusted?

You should be able to get the right mixing ratios on the bottles or the manufacturer's web site. They should give both PPM's and ml's (or oz.) per gallon (or litre), so just mix by ml's instead of PPM's and you'll be fine.

I would think the bigger concern is whether they have lockout due to being over-nuted. The damaged leaves may not ever repair themselves, but as long as the girls can uptake nutes, everything else can be dealt with!

 

[Mr. Krip]

@Mr.Krip, dude thats fucking trippy lol. You wouldn't happen to be smoking a bowl at the moment would you? Cuz I am...maybe it has to do with the strain of weed we are both smoking buwahahaha. Im smoking some of the last of the pre 98 bubba chunk left over from my last harvest. Dude i've been getting average harvests of 12-14 ounces, doing alright, but last night I set up a new 600 watt so now I have two 600 watts instead of a 600 and a 400 above my main set up so im way excited and tonight my buddys giving me a 1000 watt and a hood!!!! WOOHOOO! SO STOKED. So hopefully this wack problem will clear up once the Gravity starts kickn' in and they plump up like normal under all the light im about to give them

In fact, I've been vaping some of the last PE I have from my last harvest! I'm trying to ration what's left, but I'll be happy if it lasts me another week! It's some good meds!

 

[SuKaFr33]

Yooo where ya been?? I thought you left us for somebody better lol..j/k,, glad to see your back brotha, was kinda worried about you, hope everythings ok overthere, and thats crazy, i was just talkin and askin about you and what happened to you, just talkin about you, thats crazy shit, but yea im glad to see your back.. Come check me out when you get a minute..

 

[Blue Planet Nutrients]

Good to see you back hydrologist!

 

[Xlr8]

I NEED HELP BOYS!

For those of you who see this journal today check it out:

I broke my PPM meter and like an idiot I thought I could gestimate the correct ammount of DM Gold Zone Flower A and B because i've used the veg version for so long, based off of what the bottle directions said. Boy was I wrong....atleast I think I was. It looks to me like I nutrient burned the crap out of my girls. they are 30 days into flower and usually by they point the would normall look MUCH FATTER they they do right now Right now they are all weird with very thin tops by somewhat normal bottoms, like pair shaped nugs, but the tops are very sparse and thin, maybe does that mean they got light burn? it looks like they did get a bit of it on their leaves, but then I raised the light so it shouldn't be a problem anymore and they have started to look better but after "burning" them they all have these gnarly ass curled down leaves that look like crab legs all over all of them. Any suggestions on how to get rid of it? for the past week i've been running the nutrients low around 950 which i figure is good enough for plants that are about 3 1/2 feet tall...today I will change their water when the lights turn on at 7pm. Any suggestion on nutrient levels or mixtures based on the nutrients I have would be much apreciated. Thanks guys.

Hi Hydrologist!

Got your message -- your PPM's should be fine with DM Gold products at that stage. Not sure what other supplements you're running, though, or what kind of PPM meter you are using (believe it or not they don't all use the same math or the same numbers).

Using a Hannah style .5 PPM conversion, I ran about 1100ppm at that stage of flowering, and I believe that's the most typical conversion %. (All PPM's are calibrated as a math conversion of TDS (Total Disolved Solids), but not all companies do this the same way).

DM Gold 2 part, right? DM Gold Zone is a supplement, and it's hard to mess that one up. Also, when you say 900ppm is that including all of the supplements you have in there? Just want to make sure I have the whole picture...

It does sound like light/heat burning a bit. I've seen that cause what you are describing with the leaves, too. Plants only have so much to defend themselves with, and too much light/heat at the top can cause leaf curling and deformities "clawing" and curling around the bud - that sort of behavior, to protect itself and the bud -- is that what's happening?

and nice to see you around again.

 

[420GodsTrichome]

WOOOHOOOOO!!!!Hydro is back in the house!!! Weird so many of us been thinkin of you...guess higher minds think alike

 

[SteveHman]

Glad to have you back brother! I'll catch up on the reading later this evening, just wanted to make sure I got subbed!

 

[Hydrologist]

Wow boys, the kind of love you have all shown me is really fantastic. I really apreciate the kind words and love you all show me. I really have some kick ass friends on here! And Hell No I didn't go anywhere Else! They're sin't a better forum for the type of discussions we have than 420magazine.com and i'll take that to the grave with me! As a token of my graditute i'm going to hook you boys up with a link to a tv show you can watch on youtube called TRAILER PARK BOYS it's all about a couple canadians smokin dope getn' drunk and growing pot, and I love this show and I believe you all will as well. So heres just a random episode I think you boys will enjoy and please don't hesitate to talk to me more about it! I love Trailer Park boys!

Trailer Park Boys/Season 4 Episode 6/If You Love Something, Set It Free - YouTube

The best part is they Grow indoors and outdoors depending on the episode lol. Theres even an episode where ricky throws a quarter pound of nug on his car engine and closes the hood and tells the boys "i've done this before we'll get stoned as we drive just like a vaporizer thorugh the air vents!"
.....and you guies wondered where i've been lol.


Now onto my TROUBLESHOOTING problem.
So boys, it could be a number of things. One thing that hit me last night is the method in which i've been feeding the girls now that I have them in complicated 15 gallon recirculating systems, after dumping the water out of the system, I fill it back up with pure water so the roots are being dosed is pure un PH'd water and then I mix the nutrients with the plants sitting in the water, and I've even been doing it as stoopidly as to put the mass ammounts in the external rez thinking "well it'll recirculate through the system and even out" which is great IF MY PLANTS ARN'T IN IT!!! I am so fucking stupid and pissed that I didn't think about before. See before It wasn't a problem because I was running a crappier verison of a RDWC that didn't require so much water and long story short, the old system I was mixing 3 gallons at a time to the required level before dumping it in, the way your suppose to do it!

So again, I believe this is a multi-issue. Between the warmer temps (even though im running the girls at night) The stupid way of mixing nutrients (I am going to buy a 15 gallon "mixing rez" with an on off valve where I can first mix my water and PH and PPM it to the required levels before dumping it into the system. That way my girls won't suffer these fucked up levels of nutrients.

But boys now I have another problem an ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. Well luckily I have 2 years of experience as an electricians assistant but not enough to complettely solve my problem.
SO last night I decided to hook up the new 1000 watt my friend gave me. About an hour later out of no where all the lights go off in the Apartment. FUCK BLEW A FUSE. (Mind you i live in an apartment so theres just a sub panel with 4 breakers) I go to the panel and none of the god damn breakers were tripped.

Long story short I went down stairs to the main circuit to my apartment and I hit the big botton or whatever. I come up stairs and to my relief the lights are back on but the plugs are dead. Long Long Story short something is really fucked up boys and its not the breaker. I am afraid it has something to do with the "AC" or how the current....goes through the breakers. Fuck now I forget the term for it. But basically there are six slots in my sub panel. 3 are hot. 3 are not. I hit that big button at the main outside and it switches. The 3 that were energized are now dead, but the other 3 that were dead are now energized. It's fucking fucked. I have no idea what the fuck I did. I can tell you though that the way I hooked up my 1000 watt was I tied a line of 14-2 to my light circuuit and then attached a plug to the other end down by the ballast and thats what I plugged my 1K watt into thinking "this way I won't trip breakers putting it on this 20 watt breaker that to much knowledge is only supporting a few shitty light bulbs"

Nothing is grounded either.

I am wondering if it doesn't have something to do with a shared neutral...Luckily of the 6 slots there were only 4 breakers in there, so I have it set up so the 3 breakers are in there energized and my equipment is split up among it all.

My plan now since I have attic space is to tie into my neighbors apartment with her permission, which i was planning on doing anyways to get around this lame ass "teir system" with so cal edison....and unless you boys have some clues to how I can fix this problem I guess I'll just wait till harvest then swop the garden room with my bedroom so I can call my fucking land loard and get a fucking electrician in here without getn' busted hehe. CRAZY SHIT BEING A 23 YEAR OLD GARDENER IN AN APARTMENT IN CA! lol. But it's a whole lotta fun.

Kinda like a giant puzzle...or erector set. Theres always something to fix, theres always somethign to make better, and theres always something to go wrong and piss me off! But thats why it's fun!

Enjoy the new pics boys and hopefully you may have some pointers for me
Hydro out

 

[Hydrologist]

Picture Update from last night:
(By the way my birthday is on the 22nd of this month and I'm tottally ganna get a digital camera because I hate how my phone camera makes my plants look like shit!)

Recovering Main Collah-luckily they're really starting to bulk up now that i've kept the parts per milion low. One thing though is after these burn issues I didn't flush the plants. Any suggestions on flushing techniques is apreciated though they didnt suffer any real lock out signs luckily...Need to be more precise though boys.

In this image you can see the two 600 watts and the Giant 1000 watt in the back covering the two back plants. I went from a 600 watt and a 400 watt to two 600 watts and a 1000 watt in just the last 5 days! I think these girls will really start to take off! Just gatta keep things precise and consistant.

For those of you more interested in the issue I'm having heres a bunch of what I call "Crap legs" caused by over feeding, incorrect feeding, and heat and light stress.

heres a look at the Hortilux Bulb, the XXL Hood and the Quantum Ballast for the new thousand watt set up...Now If I can just get it to NOT blow up my electrical system I'll be good!

Boys I can say I am really starting to experience the fact that the more plants you have, the more complicated things get. I will adapt though. ADAPT AND CONCURE!

 

[Hydrologist]

P.S I'm almost out of Dutch Master Flower and you can bet i'm either going back to blue planet or i may try this stuff called Heavy 16...we will see. Though most likely Blue Planet. I have a ton of it left and it does the job!

 

[Hydrologist]

WHAT STRAIN SHOULD I PICK NEXT???

Boy's i've hit a wall here. I can't decide what Strain I should go with. Im looking for as strong of an indica with the shortest flower time possible! If anyone has any good suggestions PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!!!

P.S does anyone know the composition of Kush? It's always a cross bread hu... both strains of kush that I am growing seem to be way more Sativa than Indica...well atleast the Pre 98 Deep Chunk. I am currently flowering the Platnum Kush for the first time. It definetly grows in a strange fashion. But is pretty cool.

So I got the electrical all figured out. Like I said every other breaker is running which really only drops one breaker from my use and luckily I still have enough power to run the grow room at night, though anything like a vaccume or a microwave could set it off.

Tomorrow or the next Day I will be tieing into my neighbors bedroom, living room, and lighting circuits and bringthing those 3 over to my apartment so that I may split things up and also possibly save on my electric bill.


Here are some more pictures after coming home this evening, and spending some time fixing her net after re-adjusting plant positions after upgrading from a 600 watt and a 400 watt to, two 600 watts and a thousand watt! I'm pretty sure i'll break my record of 14 zips now )

 

[420GodsTrichome]

looking great old friend, but I don't really go along with stealing the neighbor's power, maybe they are smoker's too and you could compensate em with some bud?? this also puts you more at risk to get caught, tampering could even cause light leaks, say if you cut through their drywall or shifted the electrical box , imagine your neighbor's in bed and noticing the BRIGHT STREETLIGHT shining through...just looking out for you brother, nothing insulting intended, peace and God bless...

 

[Bassman59]

I could be wrong, hell probably am, but the first thoughts that come to mind for me are:

1. damn his lights look to close to the plants.
2. Those shots of 2 lights side by side practically touching each other and at different heights looks like a waste of 30% energy/light from one cutting off the other.

As for your electrical and running all those lights, with a few plants, I bet with proper placement you could run the 1000w and take out one other light, thus reducing the load.

Also dont forget, on a 20 amp breaker, add up the actual amps use of each powered item. Then also find out if any items have a higher "startup amperage". I bet you're pushing that 20 amps way too hard. IIRC, and avg 1000w ballast will draw like 8.4 amps alone. A 600w will draw 3-5.5 depending on brand. As you can see, with just those two you're well over 1/2 the allotment on the circuit. Add in your two chillers which I'm sure draw a fair piece, a couple of pumps at maybe an amp, you get the point. Dont turn on the tv or even your clock radio or it'll blow the circuit. It just seems like you're pushing way too much through the circuit.

Hopefully this gives you something to think about and helps ya figure it out. I bet you could do fine with the 1000w and eliminate one of the smaller lights, and adjust height for good coverage.

edit: oh, for next strain. I'm just barely starting my grow, in dwc, AK48, but my understanding is a very nice indica with pretty fast flowering time. Got mine and I'm in nirvana.

 

[Hydrologist]

Yo bassman, There are reasons the lights are at the different heights and angels. But thanks for the input.

also based on this comment:

dd in your two chillers which I'm sure draw a fair piece, a couple of pumps at maybe an amp, you get the point. Dont turn on the tv or even your clock radio or it'll blow the circuit. It just seems like you're pushing way too much through the circuit.


You didn't read what I had posted. I used to be an electricians assistant and I know what I am doing. If you are ganna reply, especially comming the way you did, I suggest you atleast take the time to read my posts. Or Bugg off, your comment was no help at all.
Thanks!




@gods trichome. She gave me permission. I am running it through the attic.