Roseman's DIY Bubbleponics Tutorial

Normally, I do a Drain and Replinish on Saturday, every Saturday after the first ten days to two weeks.
I am really working on THE DELIBERATE STRETCH today and will Drain and Replinish tomorrow.

I am at the stage now where I arrive home daily, and find at least a half gallon of water gone from each reservoir.

Let me go over Feeding and Draining and Replinishing.

The VERY FIRST TIME, at set-up, I put SIX gallons of water in the tank, and adjust the water's PH, in the tank then. I took a black magic marker and marked a line inside the tank at the 6 gallon water line level.

I started the seeds in the cubes or in a wet papertowel.

Then, a day or two later, I pH tested it, and added pH UP or DOWN to a half gallon of water and added that half of gallon of water to the tank. Then I removed a half gallon, leaving 6 gallons.

When my seeds have germinated or sprouted or cracked, or been added to the tank, about a week later, 6 to 7 days, I found my first node of leaves. (a node of leaves is a pair, or one leaf directly across from an other new leaf)
I added 1/4 packet or 1/4 dose of nutes (Grow and Micro nutes) to a gallon of water, pH adjusted that one gallon and added it to the tank.
If you are way over 6 gallons, remove some water. Babies are hungry, but not ready for a full meal deal.

Once a day, every day, you check the water level and pH. It will be 2 to 3 weeks before they start drinking a half gallon a day, that needs to be replaced.

As they grow, about every other day to every 2 or 3 days, you add another 1/4 packet, until you have used a full dose or full packet of nutes.

After 14 days, drain it, and add one gallon at a time, that is pH balanced, adding 5 gallons. In the 6th gallon, add one full packet of GROW and MICRO nutes, shake and stir it good, before adding it.

After 3 weeks, they will start drinking close to one gallon a day. Every 7 to ten days, you DRAIN AND REPLINISH.

FEEDING IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A PPM METER.
You will daily add one half to one gallon of pH water TO REPLACE THE ONE GALLON MISSING. If the water in the tank tests a pH of 7.0 (too high for example) and you know you want it lower, make one gallon of 4.5 to 5.0 water, and it will make the tank about 6.0 or in that neighborhood. ALSO, in that one gallon of water added daily, add 1/6 packet or dose of new nutes.
If they drank 1/6 of the tank's water, they ate 1/6 of the nutes, so you need to replace that 1/6 that was consumed.
IF the grow area is VERY HOT, add back a little less than 1/6 nutes, the plant is just drinking and needing lots of water.
If the grow room is cool, or NOT VERY HOT, use the full 1/6 dose.


DRAINING AND REPLINISHING

First two grows I did, I syphoned the water out into a 5 gallon bucket with an Aquarium syphon hose. That was really a chore!

Then I learned to prop the lid open about three or 4 inches, STILL LEAVING THE LID ON THE TANK, BUT PROPPED UP ON ONE END and reach in and take the Irrigation Hub off of the pump, and with a 1/2 inch hose, I use my fist as a coupling, sit my fist on the upward pump tube with the hose half way in my fist, on top of the pump, and let the pump.....pump the water out into a 5 gallon bucket. It works good for me.

You can also use a WET-VAC, or a small pump to drain it.

A drill pump (you attach it to an electric drill) is $10 at Lowes.

Let me add here, that Roots love the AIR BATH they
get during a Drain and Replinish. This is a very important step. The more often you can do it, the faster the plants will grow.


Remember what I am telling you here.

Pot plants sprout with two round leaves, called
cotyledons . Do NOT count those as leaves, they are really the inside of the seed.
AFTER 4 full leaves appear, even tiny ones, use 1/4 dose of nutes.

When you start a new grow, and AFTER the seeds have sprouted, and you have done one full dose feeding, you do a Drain and Replinish at 14 days, then every 7 to 10 days. I do it every Saturday.

AFTER the first week, the water is still fresh, and you may have only added 1/4 packet of nutes or 1/4 dose of nutes, to the tank at the end of the first week IF you saw two full leaves, besides those FIRST two round ones,

During the 2nd week, you probably added 1/4 DOSE OF NUTES 2 more times 3 or 4 days apart to finish the feeding.

AFTER 14 days from germination, you do the first DRAIN AND REPLINISH. Then, again, every 7 to ten days you DRAIN AND REPLINISH. Like I said, I do a complete DRAIN AND REPLINISH every Saturday afternoon. BUT, every Wednesday, half way through the week, I drain the tank into a bucket, pH test the bucket and adjust it, and then, after ten minutes of having an 80% empty tank AND LETTING THE ROOTS GET AN AIR BATH, I add it right back to the tank. That way I did not use ANY extra NUTES OR too many nutes, but I did give the roots an air bath.
You will see a RAPID GROWTH SPURT the very next day.


IF you do not have a ppm meter...........
and you do a DRAIN and REPLINISH........Try to think in term of SIXTHS. You got 6 plants, and 6 gallons of water in the tank. AFTER ABOUT the first two weeks, you are going to come home from work one day and find the plants drank half a gallon of water, and need to add half a gallon of water back. Half a gallon is half a SIXTH, so add back half a sixth of a packet of nutes back and half gallon of pH adjusted water.

Later, AFTER about three or 4 weeks, you will check the plants and they will have drank one whole gallon of water in one day. ONE gallon is 1/6 of the tank's water, and if 1/6 of the water is gone, then 1/6 of the nutes are gone, so add back one gallon of pH adjusted water and 1/6 does of nutes.
AFTER 4 weeks, you might find that they drank two gallons in one day. Then add two gallons of water, (1/3 of the tank's water) so also add 1/3 packet of nutes.

if THE ROOM IS VERY HOT, USE A LITTLE LESS NUTES WHEN REPLINISHNG NUTES.


IF you got the drain plugs, (little black faucets for the tank) make sure you use some plumbers glue or they will leak. The problem with using the DRAIN PLUGS is most of us have to sit our tanks on the floor, making it very difficult to drain the tank that way.

I'm often asked do I drain it out 100%? NO, I don't, I always leave about 1 inch of water or half a gallon. I'm too lazy to get it all, and it doesn't seem to matter.
I'm often ask do I clean the tank when I drain it?
No, I don't let it get dirty to start with. I do not use nutes that color the water or roots, until about the last few weeks, I do use some Liquid Karma. But I still do not let trash or any thing foreign into the tank to clean out.

Mistakes I made with the Bubbleponics in the beginning on my first grow, and errors I posted here in other threads, that I wish I could take back:

You should start the seeds in the cubes, in the system, with the water flowing, but with NO nutes.
You should start 2 or 3 EXTRA seeds in a wet paper towel to replace the plants that are deformed or runts.
DO NOT USE THE SYSTEM TO RINSE THE HYDROTON ROCKS. AND rinse those rocks ten times, over and over in a collander, until the water runs clear.
DO NOT LISTEN TO ANYONE OFFERING ADVISE THAT IS A SOIL GROWER OR HAS NOT USED THIS SYSTEM.
I wish I had added 1/4 nutes at the first sight of 4 full leaves, and another 1/4 daily.
I wish I had done 24/7 lights THE FIRST DAY, and NOT gradually built up to 24/7.
I wish I had not tried 18/6 Lights, BIG WASTE OF TIME.
When it was time to flower, I wish I had not wasted the time gradually going to 12/12. BIG MISTAKE.
I wish I had not went for the SOG grow and had VEGGED 5 FULL WEEKS, and then started BLOOMing to get a bigger yield.
I wish I had not taken any advise about additives, and supplements.
I wish I had used an extra air stone the first grow.
I wish I had used some SIDE LIGHTS the first grow. You get a bushier plant and more tops.
I wish I had not listened to anyone who said to remove the big fan leaves near the bottom.
I wish I had snipped the tops off, about one half inch, at 2 and 4 weeks, along with the ends of any large branch.
I wish I had never done anything thinking "I wonder what will happen if I ...............................?"
I wish I had not added miracle grow to the tank. BIG MISTAKE, THE NUTES FROM SH ARE PERFECT!
I wish I had made cup covers the first grow.
I should not listen to "they say........."
I was very wrong about doing a SOG.
I WAS WRONG ABOUT MIRRORS AND TIN FOIL.
I was not putting the cube low enough in the cup. Put it half way down.
I was WRONG about introducing the nutes THE FIRST DAY.
I wish I had butted the tube right into the side of the cube.
I was VERY Wrong about City WATER, (It is probably better, but do not let it sit)
I DO Advise going for large plants, you can do 3 or 4 in the one tank.
You DO soak the cubes.
I wish I had learned to DRAIN AND REPLINISH more often, earlier.
I wished I had checked the feeder tubes more often to see if they were still connected to the hub AND NOT CLOGGED.
I wish I had learned how to let the pump empty the tank, instead of siphoning it out.
I wish I had learned to pH the water first, then add the nutes.
I wish I had spent the $39 to $59 on a pH meter, earlier.
TEST STRIPS work just fine, they are just not as precise.

I WAS WRONG IN WANTING TO KEEP DOING SOMETHING. YOU CAN REST AND LET THE SYSTEM DO THE WORK.

Trimming, Pruning, Fimming, LSTing, PINCHING, TWISTING and Adding Nutes are like WORDS. AFTER they are said and done, they are said and done and you can not take them back. Like toothpaste, once you squeeze it out, you can't put it back. What I'm trying to say, that when you experiment, take it easy, don't go hog wild crazy doing anything to them. Too little is just too little and can be fixed. TOO MUCH is TOO MUCH and you can't go back and do less, it's too late. It is so easy to get stoned and ask yourself "I wonder what will happen if I...." DON'T DO THAT! If you don't know what will happen, don't do it!

I completed the Deliberate Stretch.

I kept my LIGHTS about 18 inches, maybe 16 inches higher up above the plants for about 20 hours, and they grew two inches taller at least, maybe three. I think the ones in the bucket may of grown 4 inches taller.

I am amazed.


I am bending them over now, tilting the cups some, (LST, but no wires or bondage, I am not into tying them up) to allow more light to penetrate in. I have at least 5 plants that are going to be Monsters, with a dozen UPWARD main or major branches, and I have topped and fimmed them twice already, too, and I mean all of them.
They are BUSHES! VERY FULL BUSHES, and I had to do something to OPEN them up and let the light in. The Canopy of each reservoir is SOLID THICK new growth. I have no nute burn, no yellowing and only one leaf tip burnt by a bulb so far.

I have had a lot less mistakes, less errors, less boo-boos because I feel like there are some people standing over my shoulder watching the grow and I can't mess up. After all, it would be embarrassing to kill them all and fail.

Let me go over a few things I do not do, that I have not used or have not even mentioned.

I do not have algae, gnats, spider mites, pythium, yellowing, leaf curling, root rot, larvae, mold, nute burn, or other most undesirable critters or conditions for a very good reason. I did my homework and studied, I took the precautions and did the proper planning up front.
I have not mentioned or used peroxide as an additive, I do not need it.

I have not mentioned SM-90, Hygrozyme, Root66, Physan20, Prozyme, Magi-Cal, Cal-Mag, Superthrive, Neem oil, and another hundred supplements, because my plants are not sick, my roots are not sick, my water is not sick and nothing is going to make my plants grow any faster. My nutrients are sufficient enough!

I have not mentioned Mollasses, Cat Urine, Epsom Salts, Human Urine, Baking Soda, Iron, Sulphur, Maganese, Peroxide and a hundred other crazy supplements because I have not needed them, and they are a big waste of money and time to use or even discuss.

You do not need Mollasses, Urine, Epsom Salts, Baking Soda, Iron, Sulphur, Maganese, Peroxide in your tank.

A few of the above mentioned additives MIGHT become necessary if I made a mistake and did not properly plan, or did not take the proper precautions.

I'll discuss plant problems and remedies later.

If you read all I've submitted here, you will not need them either.

This is the two tanks, one at each end of the closet.
All three reservoirs drank one gallon each today. I replaced the one gallon plus fed them a little less than 1/6 packet of Grow Nutes. The pH was 6.8 to 7.1, and I lowered it to 6.3 to 6.5. I will lower it again in 4 hours, attempting to avearage 5.9 to 6.0. Drastic changes within 12 hours are not wise.


This is the oldest tank, seeds were put in the rockwool 3 weeks ago, today. There are 6 N/L in that reservoir.






This tank has 5 plants, about one week behind the other tank, but almost as big.

The bucket grow grew 3 or 4 inches taller during the STRETCH. It is as tall as the Air Pump hanging on the wall behind it. It was 3 or 4 inches lower two days ago. Flip back and look at the pics.





There is a 12 ounce styrafoam cup full of water inbetween the three plants.





I also have a very large Oscilating Fan that you can not see in the pics.

Look at how much higher the air pump is above the bucket, before the Stretch.

thanx roseman i was wonderin the difference in feeding from soil to dwc keep up the teaching

Stuff Happens.

Around the 2nd week, you might start seeing little tiny white specs on your rockwool. Do not panic, that is salts, mineral salts also called water salts. They are harmless.


Around the 2nd week, you are going to find a dead leaf or two at the very bottom of the plant. The cotyledons, those first two round leaves you saw, they are going to die off. You will also find a dead leaf or two almost every day at the bottom of the plant by the third week. That too is normal. It just happens.



Remember that each and every leaf has a corresponding leaf, and visa versa. Every root has a corresponding leaf. As I go in and out of the tank taking a daily water sample to check pH, I am going to damage a baby root, and that just might cause a leaf tip to curl up, or yellow, or crisp. That is normal too. And as you throw some cold water into a warm tank, or as you throw some 4.0 pH water into a 7.0 pH tank, the roots and leaves are going to respond. You are going to do it, it will happen.
I am trying to tell you to not panic as you see normal natural leaves dying and crisping and drying up.


By the end of the third week, you should daily look at the bottom of the canopy for dead leaves and gather them up and keep the lid top neat and clean. Dead leaves make great homes for critters and mold. Throw those dried dead leaves away, they are not good for anything. I will let you know when it is time to start saving them.


And one more thing. I've never heard of a grower not dropping a LIGHT and breaking a branch with a fallen bulb, and possibly breaking a bulb too. It is going to happen. Repair the broken limb with some good masking tape by just wrapping it up good, it will heal and thrive.

IF you break a CFL [FONT=verdana, arial,
helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial,
Helvetica, sans-serif]


IF YOU BREAK A BULB...
1) Open a window before cleaning up, and turn off any forced-air heating or air conditioning.

2) Instead of sweeping or vacuuming, which can spread the mercury around, scoop up the glass fragments and powder. Use sticky tape to pick up remaining glass fragments or powder. Wipe the area clean with a damp paper towel or wet wipes.

3) Dispose of the broken bulb through your local household hazardous waste program or recycling program. If that service is unavailable in your area, place all clean-up materials in a trash container outside the building.

4) Wash your hands after cleaning up.

5) If vacuuming is needed afterwards, when all visible materials have been removed, vacuum the area and dispose of the vacuum bag in a sealed plastic bag. For the next few times you vacuum, turn off any forced-air heating or air conditioning and open a window before doing so.

This is a copy andf paste from a newsletter I get.[/FONT][/FONT]

Roseman said:

When I get to the Section on LIGHTS, I will explain why a large number of 42 watt CFL bulbs are more efficient than using LARGE 105 and 200 watt CFL bulbs.
But you can see what I have collected.
Those 200 watt CFLs are GIANTS!
There are 200s, 105s, 85s, 65s and 42s there.
I only want to use the 42s, 65s and 85s, but I am going to try the big ones, for a short while, as an experiment. I already know they are going to get TOO HOT.
You also see a collection of CLAMP REFLECTORS .


Those 200 watt bulbs are a lot bigger than those 42 watt bulbs.

You also see two Parabolic Reflectors that I am going to try. Those are expensive, $49 EACH. I've never used them but I will try them on those 200 watt bulbs. Those 20 watt bulbs did nto come with a regular sized socket, (called medium size) they are much larger and are called MOGUL Sockets. I had to buy Mogul Sockets to screw the bulbs into.



Oh, that first pic has my ferret playing on the bed. We was going to throw that old bed away, but kept it for the kids to jump and play on. The ferret thinks it is her bed now. I don't know how I will ever keep her out of that room, except to keep the door closed.
Attached Thumbnails

You see my two tanks, 6 holes in each lid. I need to wash them good, and get the mineral salts from my well water off of them.
The next pic is my 5 gallon buckets. One is needed to do the DRAIN and REPLINISH, when yOu drain the water out and replace it.

You also need a trash can or box for trash near the grow area. I use that ASH Bucket from my fireplace. I had a dozen OLD, nasty air stones I am tossing that have done 5 or 6 grows.

For security and privacy, you want to save all trash from your grow room, and discard it separately. You need to put everything you thow away in a public trash dumpster, and not in your household trash.

You also see my collection of water pumps and Air pumps. I had loaned a few pumps out and was not sure I'd get them back for this grow, so I bought two new ones. Then I got the loaned ones back.
Attached Thumbnails

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roseman referring to your cfl lighting recommendations why do you use the big shop reflectors rather then the smaller ones? the smaller ones are only 5 dollars vrs the other one which is around 20

jerkin247 said:

roseman referring to your cfl lighting recommendations why do you use the big shop reflectors rather then the smaller ones? the smaller ones are only 5 dollars vrs the other one which is around 20

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The real answer is evolution and personal preference. And cost is not an issue. The first grow I ever did was with the clamp reflectors so I just keep buying more. A grow like I am doing can be done with just two bulbs and two reflectors over one reservoir tank.
I now buy them for $12 at Lowes and Home Depot, the 12 inch ones, they have some cheap ones for $8 (8 inch) but they are plastic, flimsy, and not as durable.
I like being able to move them around easily and place them wherever I want to place them. I can "aim" or point them too.

How many lights will u have total while flowering?

Sr. Smokesalot said:

How many lights will u have total while flowering?

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Bro, I really don't know yet. When I ask myself that question, I still don't know. I have another dozen bulbs in the house. I 've done a successful grow with only 4 bulbs in Flowering, but I sort of got addicted to buying more and more bulbs. I want to show other growers here that they can successfully grow with 200 to 300 watts of CFLS, or 3 or 4 bulbs, but I also want the most yield or biggest harvest of buds from my grow, too. I will probably add a lot of 42s, 2700k bulbs later.

Your thread has been a ton of help man, thanks.

Well, I did it. I dropped reflector with a 105 watt 5100K bulb in it. And I am supposed to know better! Oh well. Fecal Matter Occures!

But that is exactly why I urge you to buy some extra lights, even if they are lower wattage than what you are currently using. You are going to drop and break a light eventually. Those air pumps and water pumps will last for years. They were made for aquariums and to run 24/7 all year to year long. But you need to keep a spare bulb or two in case of an accident.

I am daily cleaning up a few dead leaves from my lid top. If they are already wilted and yellowing and crispy dry, then remove them and dispose of them. But if they are at least half healthy green, do not remove them. I keep a plastic trash bag handy to put them in.

I found a bug in my closet. A dead bug. The lights and humidity and water attracts them but because I sprayed my closet first with a good pesticide, he did not have time to do any harm.

Daily I am adding one gallon of water, adjusting the pH, and almost everyday I add 1/6 packet of nutrients, Grow and Micro nutes. I normally do it everyday when I replace a gallon of water, but I am being extra careful on this grow, and skipping the additional nutes every third day.


This being the end of the 4th week, I am disconnecting my irragation hub from the water pump. The tubes are clogged with roots, and my roots are into the deep water. I did keep my water pumps running. They are shooting cool water up in the air, and helping add oxyegen to the water and stir it around, and I use my pump to drain the tank.

Let me add I have about $100 invested in this crop, for new air stones and nutrients.

Just a simple closet grow.
This is the oldest tank, 6 plants, all N/Ls.

This tank is one week younger.

And the bucket, with 1 N/L, two Skunk Bud.

Lookin good Rose. thats a bummer about the 105w.

say roseman hows it going looking petty good from the photos id say i hope im not being a bother but i need your advise on my grow i know you havent used soil in a while but when you did have you ever had a problem keeping the soil wet im having that problem now almost killed my girl at 2 1/2 weeks old my mixure is off i think to much perilite in the mg my water drains upon feeding to fast i think it runs it drys up in a little over 6 hours at three inches doing the finger test is there anything i can do i dont want to just jump in and change the soil without asking the question first if anyone has any info please advise my ears are open...