Seedling In Top Feed DWC, Day 12, pH & Leaves Question

[Tayyar]

Hey all! Posting my first entry here. Hope you guys are doing well

So I'm a second time grower, I grew my first couple of beauties about 5 years ago, and now decided to go for it once again. I'm not sure if I'm being a little too careful but I think I have a problem and I thought you guys could help me out. Thanks so much in advance.

Strain: Magnum Autoflower Feminized

A brief setup info: Top feed DWC grow setup. I got a 90cm x 90cm cabin with 240W QP Light setup, a 190m3 exhaust fan with carbon filter attached, a 12cm intake fan, Eheim 300 water pump in a 20lt bucket that is covered with layers of reflective tape in order to keep any light coming in, I also got a 12cm circular air stone attached to a quiet bubble maker. I'm giving about 2-3 fingers gap between the bottom of the net and the water levels (which is at 12 liters).

Other relevant info: I used the cup of water and paper towel method to start the seed, put it in a pre-soaked (in distilled water) jiffy tablet, and moved to the system. The water in the bucket was Ph balanced to 5.8, the tube coming out of the water pump indirectly fed the baby (it was/is directed at the hydrotons) for 10 days. Then on day 11 (yesterday), I added nutrient water for the first time. The water pump is also attached to the timer, working 18 hours a day (although because of the apparent problem I reduced it to a few hours a day). Also I can see the roots from some angles inside the bucket. They look white and seem to have started covering the rocks, but not yet going down to the water.
- I'm using GH flora trio. I gave 2ml of each to 12lt of water (about 3 gallons), let it sit, then adjusted the ph to 5.8, then added it into the system. Let the airstone work for a few hours before turning on the water pump.

Numbers:
- PPM for the first 10 days was around 160. Used tap water, still am, and I let it sit for a couple hours before adjusting the PH and adding it into the system. After adding the first set of nutes, it got up to 286.
- PH was adjusted to 5.8. Both PH and PPM values are being checked in the morning and at night.
- Room temp fluctuates between 20C(night)-25C(day) (68-77)
- Humidity leves are at 60-70rh, humidifier running in conjunction with the light. After lights go out it stops moving at around 58-62rh.
- Water temp 23-24C. And although it doesn't smell bad, it smells like water that was sitting inside a bucket with chemicals in it (nutes), and it reminds me of how it smells when I did my first healthy grow back in the day.
- Light is sitting at 1.2 meters above the seedling.

THE PROBLEM: Well, I don't really know what's going on. The roots look white through the hydrotons. The numbers seem fine except...
PH levels are going up! I thought it was because the seedling is eating up the nutes, but I'm not really sure. I adjust it to 5.8, and in a matter of hours it goes up to 7, I wait a bit, the number stays at that level, then I add a bit of PH down and pull it back down to 5.8-6. I only started doing it in the past 3 days (After a fresh water change, followed by nute water change 2 days after that). But even after adjusting the Ph, in a few hours, it goes up north of 6.5 and stays there for a couple of hours before I adjust it again. PPM stays almost constant, if not dropping slightly since yesterday. As you guys can see in the photo, the leaves look really strange to my eyes. Yellowing tip, and weirdly wavy leaves. Well, Welp! If you guys can help out, I'd appreciate it a ton. If you need more info, just let me know.

EDIT 1: Added strain info
EDIT 2: Resized photos so that your eyes don't bleed

(photos below are from day 2, and day 12)

 

[Ycfro]

Welcome T.
I run a RDWC system, just recently I planted a Candy Cane Auto that looked just like that. ( 2 other strains in the same system are just fine)
My ppm was around 200, PH 5.7 to 6.2. water temp is pretty stable at just under 70 degrees.
Just like those pics, my first two sets of leaves where very similar.
I bumped up the nutes to around 400 ppm. problem gone.
just a thought, your water temp is kinda high, but I dont think thats the problem.
I ran a 1/2 inch hose outside through my exhaust vent (outside, in Ontario) its cold..lol
and thats where my air pump gets its air from. This dropped my water temp to below 70.
Hope any of this helps.. good luck..

 

[Tayyar]

Welcome T.
I run a RDWC system, just recently I planted a Candy Cane Auto that looked just like that. ( 2 other strains in the same system are just fine)
My ppm was around 200, PH 5.7 to 6.2. water temp is pretty stable at just under 70 degrees.
Just like those pics, my first two sets of leaves where very similar.
I bumped up the nutes to around 400 ppm. problem gone.
just a thought, your water temp is kinda high, but I dont think thats the problem.
I ran a 1/2 inch hose outside through my exhaust vent (outside, in Ontario) its cold..lol
and thats where my air pump gets its air from. This dropped my water temp to below 70.
Hope any of this helps.. good luck..

Woah that's actually a great idea. I live on the top floor of my building and the tent is in laundry room with the exhaust fan's pipe going out straight to the attic (which should be pretty chill). I keep the air pump inside the tent, so maybe moving it above the tent and placing it in the attic could do the trick. I'll try that!

About the nutes, I'll fix up a fresh mix with slightly higher nutes and Cal Mag tonight. Let's see how that works out. Your answer seriously gave me the calming down I needed hahah. Thanks so much!

 

[Ycfro]

Sorry I meant to show ya the pump and air line.

 

[Tayyar]

Sorry I meant to show ya the pump and air line.

That looks great! My airpump unfortunately doesn't have an inline tubing mouthpiece, it's got it in the body with a foamy filter, so I literally put the pump itself in the attic et voila! The water looks SO much clearer, and the Ph levels although still rising a bit, it's within the acceptable limit at 6.5. And this all happened in a day. Thanks so much for your help, I really do appreciate it.

One more question though. New set of leaves are emerging already, but do you think it looks good for a seedling at day 12?

 

[Ycfro]

Its fine...most plants just take a few weeks to grow some roots and get down to the water, then they will take off. The cooler water will help to keep anything from growing in your buckets. I should mention, I use RO water and the same nutes. GH flora and I add Z9 to the mix (Z7 in the states) its a stabilizer and cleaning agent, seems to work and my roots have always been nice and clean.. PH levels will rise when the nutes are being used up, I think its good to start around 5.5 and let it climb to 6.5, plants take in different nutes at different PH levels. Now ya just need to be patient.. lol