Need help with my hydro system nutes etc..

T

Tree??

Well-Known Member
I purchased my hydro system and came with no nutrient instructions. it came with general hydroponics flora series 3 bottles. 1-micro 2-gro 3-bloom. I have an 18 gal res how do i start my nutes and when do i add more pretty much asking for a chart to follow from start to end for my ppm. i ran Fox Farm 1 part grow and then to the same FF big bloom in my soil set up. EASY!! I hope i can get the hang of the aeroponic system! I will be doing the G-13 haze. hints pointers will be appreciated!!

I will post a pic of my set up if anyone would like to see??
 
T

Tree??

Well-Known Member
I appreciate the quick reply. I will check that out immediately. I was just reading posts your wrote about PPM/PH meters. I have a 10 site set up. 10 beans I want 10 mind blowing haze plants full!! haha I want to do it right!
 
FilthyFletch

FilthyFletch

Mr I Can Do That For Half
In aero you have to have a ph and ppm meter to do it or you wont even be able to use your nutes.10 site you ll need a 600 watt light to do it decent a 400 watt hps will just get by.dont even say cfl on this grow
 
T

Tree??

Well-Known Member
ok just so i have this straight. When i get my seedlings started in the rock wool, i put the rock wool containing the sprouted seedling into mycup with the hydro balls filled iin the cup. with my res full (around 15-18gal) say 15 gal. I would start with 2.5 ml of micro x 15gal water + 37.5ml of micro? and so forth with the other nutes...then to up ppm do you start all over or does the 2.5 per gal i just added always exits and i stack up on top of that as i go? And when it shows a drop in a nutrient to you have to completely change your tank water and restart all nutes?? Sorry for all the questions. i just want a good understand before i get anything sprouting roots
 
T

Tree??

Well-Known Member
600 hps with 4 small size cfls around the sites. here comes a quick pick so you can see what i am working with....The PPM/PH meter will do all the work and tell me exactly what my total is? or what i have or each?
 
FilthyFletch

FilthyFletch

Mr I Can Do That For Half
Im not sure how your nutes are measure but with Fox Farm which I use in my aero setups.I use a 50 gallon res with like 40 gallons of water in it.Ifirst ppm my tap water to see where it starts which is like 200 ppm. I then look at my feeding schedule chart which says like "Week 1 lights 18/6" then it says add so much grow big per gallon then so much tiger bloom per gallon and so on..it then has the rough ppm you should have when you check it again.If your close good deal if too low ad 1 more measure of each as if you had 1 more gallon of water til your where the chart says you should be ppm wise.Then ph test your water with the nutes in it stirred up.5.8 is ideal for aeroponics.Now this mix is week to week so in that week you want to keep the water level where it starts so have a start line on the res and if during the week it drops add plain ph 5.8 water to the res to "top off". The next week make sure the water is at the level line and then add nutes as told in the schedule and see where the ppm is if its right then good if not adjust.Check ph daily keep close to 5.8 (5.6-6 max).Then your chart should tell you to completely drain your res about every 2 weeks then start fresh.I also add grotek H202 to my res for extar root zone o2 and it stops algae and bad bacterias from forming making stronger plants with bigger stalks and tighter nodes.Never use dry nutes in an aero setup or molasses ever.Your ph mter and ppm meter will give you your readinsg daily. Keep a journel to follow your plants feeding and drinking cycles.If ppm raises fast daily your plants are thirsty back off the nutes some.If the ppm is low they are hungry add a little more.Eventually after a few grows you leartn your nutes and strain.I grow from clone but your doing seed so you soak the rockwool in 5.8 ph water over night.Then the next day squeeze them till just moist not soggy and poke your seed into the cube and pinch the hold top closed.place a small layer of clean hydroton (wash it good before using it as it has clay dust that will clog aero setups easy) in the pot then set the cube in the net pot and pack the clay pebbles around it.Just check it daily to make sure its lightly moist.Now also use your inline filter or filter bag in your aero setup to stop mister clogs..Good luck
 
billybob88

billybob88

Well-Known Member
You can get a good quality meter on ebay that tells you ph/ppm/ec. I have a Milwaukee brand. I recommend spending a little on a good meter that will last you cause you will be using it every single day.

Dont be sorry for the questions man, thats what this place is for, I enjoy sharing the knowledge I have gained. I wouldnt put any nutes in the system with seedlings. They dont need any nutes until they are on their 3-4th node. My ppms stay pretty steady because i change my res pretty much every week. I like having fresh water and fresh nutes in my system every week to prevent any toxic salt buildups.

A ppm meter will take all the guessing game that your having right now. When you can test your ppm u always know how much nutes u are giving ur plants. If you need to add anything to ur res after u mixed always add fresh ph'ed water. Then you can check the ppm again and see where your at. For beginning seedlings, if you give any nutes, should be around 250-400ppm. Veg I gradually crank up to 1100-1300 ppm. then during flowering i pump up to 1600 ppm when they are hardcore aggressive flowering. This is what i use and should not be used as gospel by any means.
 
T

Tree??

Well-Known Member
i will be getting a meter before i go any further!! i also got an oxygen bubbler to put into the bottom of the res. How about adding alittle bit of hydrogen peroxide. i have heard about that for the roots?

Also my tap water here sucks...How does the distilled water from the grocery store work? would i have to try raising or lowering the ph of that water before i got started?
 
billybob88

billybob88

Well-Known Member
my tap water is super hard, around 470 ppm. i always go get my water from the store. bring it home and its always 0 ppm. The water at the store is usually 7ph. you will have to lower it with some ph down to ~5.8.

I keep a airstone in my res in my ebb & flow. its not needed but i feel it helps the water from stagnating and keeps it nice and aerated for my babies.

I thought about using some hydro peroxide in my system, but i just did some research on Botanicare's website and they said not to use it with the organic nutes im using(pure blend pro) It will kill off many benificial microorganisms and other shit.
 
T

Tree??

Well-Known Member
where can i find a ph adjustment kit... sounds like i need the ppm ph meter and a way to lower the ph of the water
 
bongspit

bongspit

New Member
FilthyFletch said:
Im not sure how your nutes are measure but with Fox Farm which I use in my aero setups.I use a 50 gallon res with like 40 gallons of water in it.Ifirst ppm my tap water to see where it starts which is like 200 ppm. I then look at my feeding schedule chart which says like "Week 1 lights 18/6" then it says add so much grow big per gallon then so much tiger bloom per gallon and so on..it then has the rough ppm you should have when you check it again.If your close good deal if too low ad 1 more measure of each as if you had 1 more gallon of water til your where the chart says you should be ppm wise.Then ph test your water with the nutes in it stirred up.5.8 is ideal for aeroponics.Now this mix is week to week so in that week you want to keep the water level where it starts so have a start line on the res and if during the week it drops add plain ph 5.8 water to the res to "top off". The next week make sure the water is at the level line and then add nutes as told in the schedule and see where the ppm is if its right then good if not adjust.Check ph daily keep close to 5.8 (5.6-6 max).Then your chart should tell you to completely drain your res about every 2 weeks then start fresh.I also add grotek H202 to my res for extar root zone o2 and it stops algae and bad bacterias from forming making stronger plants with bigger stalks and tighter nodes.Never use dry nutes in an aero setup or molasses ever.Your ph mter and ppm meter will give you your readinsg daily. Keep a journel to follow your plants feeding and drinking cycles.If ppm raises fast daily your plants are thirsty back off the nutes some.If the ppm is low they are hungry add a little more.Eventually after a few grows you leartn your nutes and strain.I grow from clone but your doing seed so you soak the rockwool in 5.8 ph water over night.Then the next day squeeze them till just moist not soggy and poke your seed into the cube and pinch the hold top closed.place a small layer of clean hydroton (wash it good before using it as it has clay dust that will clog aero setups easy) in the pot then set the cube in the net pot and pack the clay pebbles around it.Just check it daily to make sure its lightly moist.Now also use your inline filter or filter bag in your aero setup to stop mister clogs..Good luck
Click to expand...
I was wondering what is the purpose of draining the system every 2 weeks?:peace:
 
billybob88

billybob88

Well-Known Member
in hydroponics/aeroponics you need to replace your res every 2 weeks. to keep fresh water and nutrient solution in there. and to prevent toxic salt buildups in your roots and growing medium.

I personally like to change my res every week. Cant have my babies running on used nutes and having salt buildup.:hump:
 
FilthyFletch

FilthyFletch

Mr I Can Do That For Half
Yup thats why you change it. I dont change mine but every 2 weeks as i have such large res it would be wasteful and not really make too much difference in 50 gallon doses.You can get ph up and down at wal mart or homedpot or lowes.Look in pool or pond section.I use grotek H202 with my fox farm nutes.It works great the plants really like it and it puts a stop to any bacteria or algae that may try to sneak in
 
T

Tree??

Well-Known Member
I use fox farm in my soil grows...what fox farm are you using for hydro?? I am hoping it is a different mix that the 1 part FF i am using as that stuff would surely clog my misters. Ordered my PPM PH meter...and most of my seeds have tapped out so i will hopefullybe getting starting just running ph'd water through the seedling process before i start using the flora series stuff. but after this first grow i would like to get back on fox farm...much easier seems like. Thanks
 
billybob88

billybob88

Well-Known Member
like always, good job on gettin the seeds popped. you can use any hydroponics nute solution. just look on the back of the bottle and it should tell you the ml/g ratio,etc. any liquid nute solution such as, but not limited to, botanicare, fox farm, general hydroponics, advanced nutrients, etc.glad to see ur seeds poped. but wait until they have their 3rd-4th set of leaves b4 u start adding nutes. dont wanna burn them in their most fragile state.
 
T

Tree??

Well-Known Member
up and running. all 10 popped and all 10 have come through rockwool and hydroton pebbles. looking good. running straight h20 til 3 or 4th set of leaves. then nutes begin. got the 24-7 PPM PH TEMP meter free shipping, cant beat it. Had some leaky issues so i had to reseal and retest we are 100% now. lets grow. I can already tell how much fast these plants are headed up in my hydro rather than my soil!! Hydro kicks @$$ till you see me starting to post problems!! will stay up dated with pics on my new grow
 
billybob88

billybob88

Well-Known Member
really man, if make ur hydro setup pretty good u wont have many problems.
u can leave it for a few days and come back and still have nice growth. with soil u would have to rig and automated watering system, and doing that you could easily overwater them. its pretty damn hard to overwater in hydro especially with hydroton. ph, ppms, and just daily checkup will keep things running smooth and worry free.
 
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