Can Air Pumps be Replaced and Other Cool Ideas to Supercharge Your Hydro Grow

[PhatNuggz]

The previous nute change I added too much Kelp (< 1/8 tsp/2G, attempting to stimulate root development), which made the nute solution look quite dark and precipitates out of solution. Since just changing that out, cleaning the DWC tote and making fresh nutes, no discernible improvement, AND, pH STILL keeps rising 1 full point + daily (set at ~ 5.3 but jumps to 6.5+ by days end)

The one thing that has worried me is my Hydroponic Research V + B is 4+ years old and the dry powder has changed colors to a light orange, and is sticky. I may need to use something else to eliminate it as the potential problem. I just checked my backup pound of V + B, which is noticeably lighter in color and powdery, so making fresh nutes now

 

[PhatNuggz]

The other V + B is even worse at holding pH, jumping from 5.3 to 7.6 over night. NPK Raw Grow dry formula scheduled delivery for today

 

[PhatNuggz]

DOH. It occurred to me that people grow with SEA 90 minerals, which I have on hand for drinking purposes. I just dumped the nutes and made < 200ppm with Sea 90, pH to low 5s. I have a dental appointment and will be gone 3-4 hours. Certainly can't hurt at this point

 

[PhatNuggz]

OK, enough is enough.

Short of pulling these 2 and starting over, I removed both from their net pots, and soaked the Brite Water coarse ceramic thingies in 20% H2O2. Meanwhile, I removed the starter cubes, both were quite wet (no bueno). So, essentially these are now clones, which allows me to feed some nutes from the top, which should help develop new roots along the stems above the bottom of the net pots. Some roots were lost in the process. The brown stained roots are from when I added Kelp, This was washed off as much as possible, although the NPK RAW grow nutes turn the water brown, but should not be enough to stain new roots

Fingers crossed

 

[PhatNuggz]

Looks like my stubbornness is about to pay off. I see tiny new root tips

It occurred to me I could eliminate the pump and air stones by replacing my manual empty and fill method by using my Sentinel timer which has a digitally adjustable on off cycle. This means the nutes will drain back into the cooler awaiting the next on cycle. Very much like F & D, BUT, the roots need to get long first as my cooler is too small to contain enough nutes to reach the existing tiny roots

 

[PhatNuggz]

In an effort to speed up the root regrowth I added some NPK RAW Enzymes this morning. Also I raised the water line to be much closer to the roots. Although they were wet, I don't think the nutes were getting deep enough into the Bright Water Filtration Media, which may be part of my slow regrowth problem. If I don't see significant root development I will dump them and go back to my stones

 

[PhatNuggz]

Just when things were looking up, late yesterday when I had drained the nutes to cool them, I forgot to pump them back into the tote. Fingers crossed they will survive this

 

[PhatNuggz]

I forgot to say that early yesterday I did 2 things different

1. I raised the water lever to just below the net pots. I have been hesitant to do this after multiple grows where this caused the starter cube to stay wet 24/7 = RR, but, since I removed the starter media, essentially I now have clones.

2. I added Aminos to facilitate nutrient uptake even with almost no new roots

By days end I was seeing new root development, and then, I screwed up

 

[TheSadVeryBadMadGrower]

While I have never had my temps hit that high 80's...I have not noticed any difference with my water temps being in the low to mid 70's. But never higher then 80F.

 

[PhatNuggz]

It's been mid 90s here, so erring on the side of caution, + cooler temps hold more DO

and it's easy, until you forget

To give you some idea, my ball mouse gets hit with morning sun and is quite warm

 

[TheSadVeryBadMadGrower]

It's been mid 90s here, so erring on the side of caution, + cooler temps hold more DO

and it's easy, until you forget

To give you some idea, my ball mouse gets hit with morning sun and is quite warm

Can you run an AC to lower? I have even read where grower will drop frozen 20 oz soda bottles in the DWC res to lower temps with lights on.

 

[PhatNuggz]

Im tired of waiting for these 2 to revive, so I dropped 2 more Hindu Kush seeds this morning

 

[PhatNuggz]

Can you run an AC to lower? I have even read where grower will drop frozen 20 oz soda bottles in the DWC res to lower temps with lights on.

AC in summer is $$$, easily adds $100+++/month, and I do use it. Temp in the tent even with wide open flaps and a circulating fan is 82*s+.

It is difficult to drop ice bottles into a bubble system with a lid (or to adjust pH, PPMs..., which is why I have an outboard cooler to drain the nutes into, then add the blue ice packs, and once cool, then pumped back into the grow tote

 

[PhatNuggz]

Editing too shot at 10 minutes. Come on

Using the valves to open and drain, then pump back in once the nutes have been chilled (blue ice not in the pictures) then close valve so nutes do not drain back out

hth

Here's pictures of set up

 

[PhatNuggz]

New seeds have yet to break ground, and 2 plants still not making new roots.

I decided to throw in the towel with air pump/stones. I inserted my O2Grow 2020, but only using one emitter, which Ive been waiting to use for a couple years now. My question is: what level should the water line be at under the net pots to attract root development?

 

[PhatNuggz]

Finally, one 1/2 seeds dropped back on 7/25 has popped out of the starter cube. The other looks likely to make it too

This morning I redressed the 2 that are barely surviving. The Bright Stones may not be the best choice, so I surrounded them with small ornamental stones, except for the cap

 

[PhatNuggz]

Im feeling good about the existing 2 recovering, although quite likely their hard beginnings will not allow them to fully develop

I should have thought of this from te getgo: I moved the 2 new seedlings (2nd should pop up today) into net pots with proper stone drainage on the bottom. This should allow the cubes to drain easier (they were staying too wet).

 

[PhatNuggz]

Good News Bad News

The 2 plants are developing new roots

1/2 of the seeds fell over and died, due to the shell not breaking off and the tap root not getting any photons. Dropped another HK seed into the starter cube. 2/2 seems to be SLOWLY popping up

 

[PhatNuggz]

As you can imagine, I am frustrated with how slow the recovery is going, AND, the new seeds not popping, so I dropped one of my Blueberry Cheesecake this morning

 

[PhatNuggz]

I don't have any idea why the HK seeds are not vigorous, but...

Here's a picture of my BBCK seed I dropped in water yesterday morning. The same technique as with the HK seeds! Notice the taproot is already >1/4".

So I just checked the 2 newer HK seeds (dropped 7/25!) which are in starter cubes, they are barely out of their shells

At least I know it's not me