Seedling Looking Unhealthy: Help

[Zebulah]

Currently babysitting 3 seedlings for my father and one of which is displaying symptoms that the others aren't.
In the last 1-2 days this has happened:
- 2 bottom leaves are yellowing
- Top 2 are drooping.
- Zooming in you can also see there is slight darkening at all the edges.
- Growth stopped and falling behind other two.

6" net-pots / Hydroton / 2000W LED
Bottom 1.5" of net-pot submerged in water (total water depth in tray is 4")
24/7 gentle flow, not directly on plant, occasionally wet the surrounding rocks.
Have 2 fans circulating air
2 Air bubblers going around bases of plants.
Light schedule 18/6
Cannot currently see any roots coming out of net-pot
Rockwool cubes in hydroton

Temp at plants 80F
Water temp 68.5F
PH 6.1
Relative Humidity 50%
Tap water before adding nutrients 170tds
Added Flora-Micro, Flora-Grow, Flora-bloom (33ml/100L according to instructions)
Water after nutrients 325tds

So far I have -
Raised them up above water level for about 12 hours, no change so brought back down to 1.5" deep.
Emptied and mixed all new water, 9 hours later no change.
Raised PH from 5.5 to 6.1, 9 hours later no change.
Swapping positions with other plants in case it was air flow or positioning, 24 hours no change.

Really confused because the other two seem to be doing well, my father is adamant that they aren't overwatered because it's hydroton. Really desperate to get this thing healthy again.

Thanks!

 

[Bill284]

Currently babysitting 3 seedlings for my father and one of which is displaying symptoms that the others aren't.
In the last 1-2 days this has happened:
- 2 bottom leaves are yellowing
- Top 2 are drooping.
- Zooming in you can also see there is slight darkening at all the edges.
- Growth stopped and falling behind other two.

6" net-pots / Hydroton / 2000W LED
Bottom 1.5" of net-pot submerged in water (total water depth in tray is 4")
24/7 gentle flow, not directly on plant, occasionally wet the surrounding rocks.
Have 2 fans circulating air
2 Air bubblers going around bases of plants.
Light schedule 18/6
Cannot currently see any roots coming out of net-pot
Rockwool cubes in hydroton

Temp at plants 80F
Water temp 68.5F
PH 6.1
Relative Humidity 50%
Tap water before adding nutrients 170tds
Added Flora-Micro, Flora-Grow, Flora-bloom (33ml/100L according to instructions)
Water after nutrients 325tds

So far I have -
Raised them up above water level for about 12 hours, no change so brought back down to 1.5" deep.
Emptied and mixed all new water, 9 hours later no change.
Raised PH from 5.5 to 6.1, 9 hours later no change.
Swapping positions with other plants in case it was air flow or positioning, 24 hours no change.

Really confused because the other two seem to be doing well, my father is adamant that they aren't overwatered because it's hydroton. Really desperate to get this thing healthy again.

Thanks!

Love the bathtub setup. I'm not great with that setup so may not be much help. But your girl might not be fully rooted and therefore struggling.
It sounds like you have a good grasp on things though. Hopefully someone with experience can help.

 

[PE636]

I'm not a hydro guy but pretty sure your water should be an inch or 2 below the net pot. Not sure if that's the issue here but worth looking into.

 

[PE636]

12hrs might not be long enough. You might have to top water for a few days til the roots grow out of the net pot.

 

[PE636]

Ah just seen the 24/7 flow, better get this coffee into me! It does look over watered with the curled down leaves.

 

[Ycfro]

Good morning, I run a rdwc set up and currently using the same nutes. if the roots are not out of the net pot, I'd top feed them till they get out side that net. Its probably fine, just makin roots. I dont really follow the manufacturers feed chart, I think its to hot. I would be trying for a 200-300 ppm till ya have good roots, then I go up say to 400 ppm then 600 then 800... I dont go much higher than that, right or wrong its just what I do.
I dont think its the problem "yet" but I'd try to blackout that water, maybe a well cut piece of wood, plastic, even some black poly just to keep the light off any roots and keep anything from growing in your water..

 

[Rexer]

1st I'm no expert. But....this is very close to how I grow, only I do it in an Ebb and Flow. I noticed that the seedling with a droop is the one planted closest to an edge. It could be light issues. Roots don't like being in the light. Other options are the seedlings root got damaged, or banged up. The roots are very sensitive and if your moving the cups around....can happen easily enough.
Hopefully it's not dampening off. Careful not to wet the top rocks too much.

And sometimes I'll be damned if I know. I have a SuperSkunk that was similar, turns out she was just a bit cold and also wanted higher RH.


Edit- are you leaving them in the tub till finish? What's the plan if you don't mind my asking?

 

[Zebulah]

1st I'm no expert. But....this is very close to how I grow, only I do it in an Ebb and Flow. I noticed that the seedling with a droop is the one planted closest to an edge. It could be light issues. Roots don't like being in the light. Other options are the seedlings root got damaged, or banged up. The roots are very sensitive and if your moving the cups around....can happen easily enough.
Hopefully it's not dampening off. Careful not to wet the top rocks too much.

And sometimes I'll be damned if I know. I have a SuperSkunk that was similar, turns out she was just a bit cold and also wanted higher RH.


Edit- are you leaving them in the tub till finish? What's the plan if you don't mind my asking?

They were in a tent in 4 buckets at my fathers until his furnace blew and he had to send them to my house where we did the bathtub setup, I've had them for 5 days and will have to keep them another week before they get sent back to his house with buckets and tent.

 

[Zebulah]

Good morning, I run a rdwc set up and currently using the same nutes. if the roots are not out of the net pot, I'd top feed them till they get out side that net. Its probably fine, just makin roots. I dont really follow the manufacturers feed chart, I think its to hot. I would be trying for a 200-300 ppm till ya have good roots, then I go up say to 400 ppm then 600 then 800... I dont go much higher than that, right or wrong its just what I do.
I dont think its the problem "yet" but I'd try to blackout that water, maybe a well cut piece of wood, plastic, even some black poly just to keep the light off any roots and keep anything from growing in your water..

Thank you, I seem to be seeing a lot of people saying the flora trio runs hot. Being in the first couple weeks, how much less do you go than the recommend 33ml/100L?

Had one person tell me the 6" netpot is way too big too, what do you use?

Thanks.

 

[Ycfro]

Honestly I haven't looked at a feed chart for along time now. When the plants are tiny like that I use equal parts of the trio plus Cal/mag (R/O water) probably around half strength. I just let my monitor tell me what I've got in the system.
The net pot is fine, I had to go downstairs to look at mine, they are almost 6'' at the top of the net, 5'' at the bottom. My plants don't seem to mind, lol.. I think that little one will be just fine.
Why not just put those lids on buckets ?

 

[Zebulah]

Honestly I haven't looked at a feed chart for along time now. When the plants are tiny like that I use equal parts of the trio plus Cal/mag (R/O water) probably around half strength. I just let my monitor tell me what I've got in the system.
The net pot is fine, I had to go downstairs to look at mine, they are almost 6'' at the top of the net, 5'' at the bottom. My plants don't seem to mind, lol.. I think that little one will be just fine.
Why not just put those lids on buckets ?

I would have to raise my light setup if I did that which I don't have a good way of doing right now so they had to come out of the buckets, the plants got dropped off to me and I had to use some scrap wood just so I could have something to hang the light from.

 

[Ycfro]

So,, Z ,you dont normally grow ? If not, you did a great job of explaining the set up..
I just went back to look at the tub photo, I'm wondering if 2 air stones is enough oxygen for the volume of water. Just kinda thinking out load, I have one air line per bucket, probably not much more than 3 gallons per bucket. There would be a lot more volume in the tub. I dont know if adding more air would help but it probably wont hurt. And black out the water... good luck, hope it comes around.

 

[SoGnotSOG321]

Light leak to your roots, it's not going to work. The longer it sits roots exposed they're dying, with only light on top, the roots would grow down away from it so no issues. But here..no, fix that first because they are desperate for roots right now, until they get them expect more problems with bouncing around with your water nutes lights..its a waste of time. What you see on top growing isnt even half of what that plant should be below where the roots are. Two to three times the growth in roots compared to what's above, then she'd take off. Till your pops can get them back in their regular place, stack something across that tub then lay some black trash bags over that, something even a few 2x4s to block off that light.
Please, I dont mean to come off heavy handed or like I definitely know it all, I DO NOT KNOW IT ALL lol GG

 

[Zebulah]

So,, Z ,you dont normally grow ? If not, you did a great job of explaining the set up..
I just went back to look at the tub photo, I'm wondering if 2 air stones is enough oxygen for the volume of water. Just kinda thinking out load, I have one air line per bucket, probably not much more than 3 gallons per bucket. There would be a lot more volume in the tub. I dont know if adding more air would help but it probably wont hurt. And black out the water... good luck, hope it comes around.

Thanks, never grown, just trying to learn and considering doing my own grow soon in a proper tent setup. I agree on the air stones, normally there was an air stone in each bucket giving a lot more but this is what I had on hand. I will try to black out the water somehow but was hoping I wouldn't have them at my place long enough for it to become an issue.

 

[Zebulah]

Light leak to your roots, it's not going to work. The longer it sits roots exposed they're dying, with only light on top, the roots would grow down away from it so no issues. But here..no, fix that first because they are desperate for roots right now, until they get them expect more problems with bouncing around with your water nutes lights..its a waste of time. What you see on top growing isnt even half of what that plant should be below where the roots are. Two to three times the growth in roots compared to what's above, then she'd take off. Till your pops can get them back in their regular place, stack something across that tub then lay some black trash bags over that, something even a few 2x4s to block off that light.
Please, I dont mean to come off heavy handed or like I definitely know it all, I DO NOT KNOW IT ALL lol GG

Thank you, hoping they won't be with me for more than a few days but I will try covering the water best I can. They seem to be picking up pretty well now but still not as fast as they should be growing normally.