New to Forum with my first grow!

[phatz06]

Hey guys! Happy to be a new member and I'm new to growing, so I'll be looking for help here and there.

This is my first grow, and I'm using two 5gallon buckets (black), Hydrofarm Wide Lip Bucket Baskets, and a clay pellet medium.
I'm using foxfarms nutes...thus far only using BigBloom and GrowBig Hydro because I'm still early in the grow.

• Apollo Horticulture 48"x48"x80" Mylar Hydroponic Grow Tent
• iPower Light Digital Dimmable HPS MH Grow Light System for Plants with XL Air Cooled Tube (2-in-1 Extra Large Wing) Set, 1000-Watt
• Active Aqua Commercial Air Pump, 6 Outlets, 20W, 45 L/min
• 4-Inch Air Stone Disc Bubble Diffuser
• BlueLab Combo Meter

Currently lamp is lit for 20 hours/day at 75%.

I've got two questions currently.

1. pH needs to be adjusted daily, I'm using distilled white wine vinegar. Add about 20ml at night when its 6.9 to bring it to 6.0. The next day it returns to 6.9 and I repeat. I saw somewhere else in the forum that this isn't the right way to control pH.

2. Measuring EC/PPM. I use roughly half the nutrients that are being suggested on the fox farms nutrient schedule, but these numbers are measuring a lot higher than the same schedule shows they should be at. I was using ppm more since I felt I could see an up or downswing more easily, but the measurement is not stable. With each tick/measurement, it could swing 300-400ppm. I make the measurements by throwing the probe into the bucket so its in with the bubbles...could those be interfering? Should I pull water out of the bucket and then measure it?

Thanks in advance...

 

[Icemann420]

My ppm also fluctuate when checked in the air bubbles so I check where the bubbles are lowest as also a lot easer to read still water sometimes I also just remove it and check O no vinegar works but doesn't hold the ph where u need it just get some ph down from general hydroponic off eBay it's really cheap ad it's stable


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[phatz06]

I was a bit nervous using one of those just because I didn't know what they were made of and any silver bullet solution like that sounded un-natural. Apparently its food-grade phosphoric acid so that sounds usable. Anyone disagree with using the ph down solutions?

I'll take a sample out tonight from my buckets and measure the ppm that way tonight. Thanks for the input!

 

[Scrogdawg]

As mentioned vinegar is a poor choice for a ph agent. GH or any brand of hydroponic ph down will work fine and be stable. Measure your ppm's away from turbulent water, best is to scoop some into a glass and measure it standing.

Remember to check your ppm's after you've added Cal/Mag to your water if your using it, as a baseline, then add 300-400 ppm's of nutrients for early stage veg.

Good luck with your grow.

 

[Icemann420]

Well said Scrogdawg and any ph down would b ok just gh is the cheapest and stable


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[phatz06]

What exactly is 'Cal / Mag' ? Calcium/Magnesium? I've seen it mentioned before.

My intention is to swap out the reservoirs in a week or two with fresh. I was planning on putting in 4 gallons of distilled water as the base in new buckets. Then followup with nutrients since they affect pH. Then do whatever I need to get the pH at a good level before dropping the existing grow pots in the new buckets.

Is that a good plan?

 

[Scrogdawg]

Calcium/Magnesium is correct.

Distilled water doesn't contain any cations from Ca, Mg, Fe, Al. Effectively the ppm's are 0 (or close). If you use distilled water you will absolutely have to use Cal/Mag.

Mixing will go like this...Take your water and ph it to 5.8, add Cal/Mag to 200-250ppm. Add Micro then grow then bloom. Do it in that order always. For early veg you should add about 300 ppm of nutrients for a total of +/- 550ppm. If someone asks how heavy your feeding you would tell them 300ppm, anything previous is your baseline. Lastly, keep your ppm and tds meters calibrated at all times.

Hope this helps phatz.

 

[phatz06]

Gonna have to sound dumb now...what is 'Micro' ?

Is it a bad idea to use distilled water? Should I just use tap water?

 

[Scrogdawg]

No dumb questions here phatz. Micro would be one of a three part nurient system. You may have A & B or 1 & 2 part nutrients but a 3 part system will usually consist of a Micro component a Grown component and a Bloom component and are added in that order after ph and Cal/Mag.

Nothing at all wrong with distilled water but you must add minerals to it. I use tap water adjusted to ph 5.8 and still have to use Cal/Mag.

 

[phatz06]

Hmm.

I have three bottles of nutrients from fox farms.

FoxFarms Big Bloom
FoxFarms Grow Big Hydro
FoxFarms Tiger Bloom

I've been using the Big Bloom and Grow Big Hydro so far. Is 'Micro' another nutrient I needed or does one of these fill that role?

Would it be a good idea for me to pick a point here and reset the buckets? I was planning on switching over to flowering in just under two weeks.

 

[Scrogdawg]

This should help to explain the nutrients.
.

 

[phatz06]

I've been following this one:

Are one of those considered the 'Micro' piece?

I'm pretty sure my PPM numbers are incorrect/can't be trusted...thus I'm starting to think maybe something done incorrectly at the start and perhaps...I should just do the sledgehammer flush, and start over for the flowering stage unless that doesn't sound good?

Thanks again for all the help. I've always had the best luck going to forums when trying something new, to learn from the people that have been doing things for years.

 

[DoctorGonzo]

Hey man .
Generally, I'd avoid anything Fox Farm. That nutrient schedule is an absolute abortion. Hitting plants in hydro buckets at near 1700ppm? Yeah, no. Even suggesting that, is nuts. And the whole "just run our flushing product here + here, while continuing to run at retarded nutrient levels late in flower is okay because we say so" is completely f'ing unacceptable.
I saw you're running at 1/2 strength. Good idea. A better idea is to toss that shit in a garbage can and pick up a gallon each of GenHydro 3-part Micro and Bloom, and a bag of KoolBloom powder. And if you can budget it, grab a BlueLab Guardian ph/ppm/ec/temp (constant readout) probe setup. If you decide to head in that direction, let me know and I'll give you a nute schedule that's easy, and efficient as fuck. Namaste!

 

[phatz06]

Right now I'm trying to keep costs down. I've got a bluelab combo meter which seems to be okay, but would love the constant readout.

I think I'll just push forward with what I got...and there will be a second grow starting right after this one so maybe I swap everything over at that point.

Whats crazy is that since the beginning, my PPM has been higher than what they show on their chart. I can't seem to get it low even doing only minimized (or zero!) nutrients. Oh well, I'm pretty sure I'll get something out of this grow, just still a grow or three away from perfection!

 

[Rifleman]

There are more charts that might be useful to you in my blog entries. Nutrient companies...All of them...recommend way more nutrients than what is needed. Remember, their mission is to get you to buy more soon.