Desperate For Advice On Ph Issues In Small 2 Gallon Reservoir

[heisen]

I think because his ph was high the calcium was out of range.thats old growth from a while back.CC calls for 6.1 in young plants but I've had calcium issues with it being that high.no matter how much calmag u put in if it' out of range the plant cant use it.always just on at 5.6 to 5.9 and not any issues.
I would definitey go with a more concentrated calmag.all that brown chunky shit you see in the bottom of your res is the nutes binding and solidifying.event needs to go over with you how to mix and what to add first.you cant just put all that stuff in one container and than dump it in.it has to be added in a specific order and diluted.

 

[dsiomtw]

For the past 10-14 days I have been letting my pH drift in a range of 5.6-6.1. Just yesterday I hooked up the pH controller and have it pegged at 5.8 so I'm curious to see if she likes a steady pH better than a range.

Understood on the nutes. I learned that the hard way - the first 1-2 weeks of feeding I just mixed all the nutes together in a big batch, and dosed with that. It clearly says you have to add the BC Boost first, but somehow I missed that. So ya, my plant has had trouble from the beginning and maybe she's just "damaged" at this point.

But now when I mix up my res solution I just add the BC Boost first and mix a bit, then add the rest of the nutes, then adjust the pH and temp as necessary before adding it to my res.

 

[dsiomtw]

Oh man I just noticed something really strange. In Technaflora's "recipe for success" dosing chart it clearly says to use 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) of MagiCal per gallon. But if you read the tiny print on the back of the MagiCal bottle, which I just did right now for the first time, the bottle says "Hydroponics: 1-2 tsp (5-10ml) per gallon". What the ........??

The amounts for all the other nutes (BC Boost, BC Grow, Sugar Daddy and Thrive Alive B-1 Red) all seems to match up, so maybe they just have a typo on the MagiCal which is screwing me all up?

It also says "Accelerated application: To overcome deficiencies, dissolve 10ml per gallon." Should I just add a bunch more??

 

[heisen]

Oh man I just noticed something really strange. In Technaflora's "recipe for success" dosing chart it clearly says to use 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) of MagiCal per gallon. But if you read the tiny print on the back of the MagiCal bottle, which I just did right now for the first time, the bottle says "Hydroponics: 1-2 tsp (5-10ml) per gallon". What the ........??

The amounts for all the other nutes (BC Boost, BC Grow, Sugar Daddy and Thrive Alive B-1 Red) all seems to match up, so maybe they just have a typo on the MagiCal which is screwing me all up?

It also says "Accelerated application: To overcome deficiencies, dissolve 10ml per gallon." Should I just add a bunch more??

Personally wouldn't use any calmag I had to use 5 to 10 ML per gallon.i use calimagic.4ML per gallon on full grown plants.with hydro u always start low and work up. Your plants tell u what u need.for your particular line I would say 5 ML per gal sounds about right.
I use 4 different bottles for my entire grows.it all has N P and K in the end it don' matter.2 gallons of floraduo will last me a long time and will grow just as good if not better than 90 percent of every other line I have seen.why would I switch to something else to get the same results for double the price.plus only mixing 2 parts is simple.getting the ratios right is the hardest part.
I don' put ANYTHING organic in my res anymore.my roots stay healthy and white as shit.

 

[heisen]

I stay away from companies that put dumbass pictures on the bottles with words like accelerate,big grow,big buds,monster,success,
Bla bla. you get the point.keep it simple.

 

[EventHorizan]

Oh man I just noticed something really strange. In Technaflora's "recipe for success" dosing chart it clearly says to use 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) of MagiCal per gallon. But if you read the tiny print on the back of the MagiCal bottle, which I just did right now for the first time, the bottle says "Hydroponics: 1-2 tsp (5-10ml) per gallon". What the ........??

The amounts for all the other nutes (BC Boost, BC Grow, Sugar Daddy and Thrive Alive B-1 Red) all seems to match up, so maybe they just have a typo on the MagiCal which is screwing me all up?

It also says "Accelerated application: To overcome deficiencies, dissolve 10ml per gallon." Should I just add a bunch more??

lol,,, I will explain...
First off, very few nutes were designed as canna(MJ) nutes. Mj isnt the only thing you can grow hydroponically. Peppers, as well as many veg can be grown hydroponically. Most nutes are set up for big agriculture, as that is how they do the testing on it. They also give you charts that expect you to have a perfect co2 infused environment... Lastly they would like you to use it quickly, so you can buy more :) Its the way of business these days...

As for mixing nutes, I was always under the impression to add Si, then calimag, then your micros, then your macros, then supps...
But I have tried some things with my UC and I have first hand knowledge, that I can add Si, to a qt of ro, mix well, and add to my system to raise ph of a system that has been running 400 ppm already..
But as you see I mix each in their own qt mason jar then add... I don't care for them nutes because ive never used them.. We get used to what we know. Ive used GH, but now use botanicare.. I also don't get consumed with buying a lot of supplements.

Lastly....
Lets talk in theory.
Say we have a nutrient and it calls for 18 ml per gal, but our plants are young, or you or using a UC system then you have to run at a way lower ppm.
So say at 18 ml its 900 ppm, but we can only run at 450 ppm, so we cut it to 9 ml per gal.
And here is where you learn and understand..
At 18 ml it provides the plant with 100% of all micro and macro NPK's,
but at 9 ml it now drops out of range in some micro nutrients..
Guess which ones?
You got it, Calcium and potassium...
Which is why you need to supplement calimag when you drop the strength of your base nutes. You may need 2ml calimag
But as your base climbs from 9 back to 18 ml, you also drop the calimag slowly as it falls back into range...

I hope that clarifies some things for you...

 

[EventHorizan]

I stay away from companies that put dumbass pictures on the bottles with words like accelerate,big grow,big buds,monster,success,
Bla bla. you get the point.keep it simple.

I agree... Simple is my philosophy.

 

[dsiomtw]

Thanks ya that makes perfect sense. I will slowly increase cal/mag and see how she responds.

I'm just using this Technaflora stuff that came with the box. I did some searching around and people seem to have good things to say about it, but obviously there's a lot of "marketing" going on with the 10 different bottles and trendy names. I will certainly try something else next grow, or switch to cns17 if the plant doesn't start looking better real soon (I'll have nothing to lose).

FYI my night time low is now fixed at 68 degrees.

lol,,, I will explain...
First off, very few nutes were designed as canna(MJ) nutes. Mj isnt the only thing you can grow hydroponically. Peppers, as well as many veg can be grown hydroponically. Most nutes are set up for big agriculture, as that is how they do the testing on it. They also give you charts that expect you to have a perfect co2 infused environment... Lastly they would like you to use it quickly, so you can buy more :) Its the way of business these days...

As for mixing nutes, I was always under the impression to add Si, then calimag, then your micros, then your macros, then supps...
But I have tried some things with my UC and I have first hand knowledge, that I can add Si, to a qt of ro, mix well, and add to my system to raise ph of a system that has been running 400 ppm already..
But as you see I mix each in their own qt mason jar then add... I don't care for them nutes because ive never used them.. We get used to what we know. Ive used GH, but now use botanicare.. I also don't get consumed with buying a lot of supplements.

Lastly....
Lets talk in theory.
Say we have a nutrient and it calls for 18 ml per gal, but our plants are young, or you or using a UC system then you have to run at a way lower ppm.
So say at 18 ml its 900 ppm, but we can only run at 450 ppm, so we cut it to 9 ml per gal.
And here is where you learn and understand..
At 18 ml it provides the plant with 100% of all micro and macro NPK's,
but at 9 ml it now drops out of range in some micro nutrients..
Guess which ones?
You got it, Calcium and potassium...
Which is why you need to supplement calimag when you drop the strength of your base nutes. You may need 2ml calimag
But as your base climbs from 9 back to 18 ml, you also drop the calimag slowly as it falls back into range...

I hope that clarifies some things for you...

 

[EventHorizan]

Thanks ya that makes perfect sense. I will slowly increase cal/mag and see how she responds.

I'm just using this Technaflora stuff that came with the box. I did some searching around and people seem to have good things to say about it, but obviously there's a lot of "marketing" going on with the 10 different bottles and trendy names. I will certainly try something else next grow, or switch to cns17 if the plant doesn't start looking better real soon (I'll have nothing to lose).

FYI my night time low is now fixed at 68 degrees.

Dont over do it.. Leaves that have sclerosis will never repair.
Another words, leaves that have rust spots will never fix..
Remember from this day forward, rust spots on bottom fan leaves,
mean ca dif.

I usually tear off any leaves that show sclerosis, so that the plant can put its strength into new healthy leaves, at the top where the buds grow:)

 

[dsiomtw]

Yep I removed the really bad lower fan leaves that were 50-100% destroyed. With the current ones that look like the last pic, I'm not sure if it's better to remove them or just let the plant keep sucking nutrients out of them? I guess that shouldn't be necessary since I'm adding more MagiCal hmm

 

[EventHorizan]

Yep I removed the really bad lower fan leaves that were 50-100% destroyed. With the current ones that look like the last pic, I'm not sure if it's better to remove them or just let the plant keep sucking nutrients out of them? I guess that shouldn't be necessary since I'm adding more MagiCal hmm

The reason I also remove them, is so I can tell if new ones appear.

 

[heisen]

I agree... Simple is my philosophy.

Cool looking bottles are like cool fishing lures.they catch fisherman not fish.

 

[dsiomtw]

@EventHorizan Is there a thread where I can see your full set up? I don’t mind dropping $1500 if it means I won’t ever have to hassle with crappy equipment and constant upgrades.

I found what I think is your “main thread” but there are something like 800 pages?? I’m hoping you can point me to a link somewhere that shows your set up. I’d love to see it.

Earlier you suggested a 4 pot system, but really I will NEVER want to do more than 2 little autos at a time, and probably just 1 most of the time. I could definitely get by with just 1 at a time, and I really dont have much more space than this box takes up.

Also, what are your guys thoughts on maintaining a rock solid 5.8 pH vs letting it drift from 5.6 to 6.1, then dosing back down to 5.6? The idea behind a drift makes sense on paper, but with todays chelated nutes it shouldn’t really be necessary right? If that’s the case I assume, all else being equal, our plants probably prefer a stable pH?

Now you are talking brother! With that we can do a lot!
Really its about money from here..
I have a controller to..
You got couple nice pieces right there.
So how much you want to spend on a light? and a system?
My system costs 1200.00 plus 300.00 for a chiller
Mt first system costs 225.00
Its all about the money.....

 

[EventHorizan]

@EventHorizan Is there a thread where I can see your full set up? I don’t mind dropping $1500 if it means I won’t ever have to hassle with crappy equipment and constant upgrades.

I found what I think is your “main thread” but there are something like 800 pages?? I’m hoping you can point me to a link somewhere that shows your set up. I’d love to see it.

Earlier you suggested a 4 pot system, but really I will NEVER want to do more than 2 little autos at a time, and probably just 1 most of the time. I could definitely get by with just 1 at a time, and I really dont have much more space than this box takes up.

Also, what are your guys thoughts on maintaining a rock solid 5.8 pH vs letting it drift from 5.6 to 6.1, then dosing back down to 5.6? The idea behind a drift makes sense on paper, but with todays chelated nutes it shouldn’t really be necessary right? If that’s the case I assume, all else being equal, our plants probably prefer a stable pH?

I keep mine at 5.8.

 

[heisen]

And that first pic right there is why I don' like c.c's design.i hate the way they bring the pipe forward and split it there.gravity only pushes water forward from one pipe.if they were to make the pipes come from the control bucket gravity would push water evenly so u have a push pull effect.than they put a 1800 dollar price tag on 200 dollars worth of parts.

 

[EventHorizan]

And that first pic right there is why I don' like c.c's design.i hate the way they bring the pipe forward and split it there.gravity only pushes water forward from one pipe.if they were to make the pipes come from the control bucket gravity would push water evenly so u have a push pull effect.than they put a 1800 dollar price tag on 200 dollars worth of parts.

It has no problems with anything. I run cns17 nutes, its hooked up to continues RO water filter, and it has a ph controller.. Its pretty simple to use.. Got to keep the ppm low or you get some claw...
Honestly it been really cold and its having a bad effect on my plants.. Weather its harmful to my yield we will see...

 

[EventHorizan]

CNN is having a silly silly night!!! Half are drunk, and ones on a bus with a buck ppl smoking pot out of a mask with a bong attachaed.. Its eat up!

 

[dsiomtw]

Nice set up @EventHorizan but I only want to grow 1 at a time. :smoking:

pH controllers are awesome, but don’t knock over that bottle of down! I diluted mine a bit in a milk jug and tucked it in a corner.

Super bummed - I just completely snapped of a branch while trying to adjust its training line. I guess if this plant makes it, 1 branch won’t matter much, but man ... I’ve brutalized this poor plant. If she puts out much at all she has great genes and I’ll be looking forward to the next grow even more.

With the increased temp and more calmag over the past 24 hours, she is looking better. Unfortunately I’m heading out of town tomorrow and won’t be back till Friday. Temps are good and pH is locked in, so she should be ok while I’m gone. Only thing is that my little humidifier that I normally refill daily is going to run out pretty quick, so RH will probably average 35-40 for the 3 full days that I’m gone.

Wish me luck, and thanks for all the help. I’ll post an update when I get back on Friday.

 

[heisen]

It has no problems with anything. I run cns17 nutes, its hooked up to continues RO water filter, and it has a ph controller.. Its pretty simple to use.. Got to keep the ppm low or you get some claw...
Honestly it been really cold and its having a bad effect on my plants.. Weather its harmful to my yield we will see...

Still curious why you use RO water to top off your res and not a secondary reservoir with nute solution.I find this secondary solution critical as to know what is going in and whats going out.I can micro manage the PPM in the system and what is being mixed.So if i have 600 in the Epi bucket and 700 in the top off res i know my plants are taking in more than im giving.I can adjust the top off res to match the Epi.Also i will know how much solution they are drinking so i can add back the calmag.How do you know how much calmag to add in if you dont know how many gallons went missing.I have 6 plants that are drinking 2 gallons a day.If i replaced this with just RO water it seems the PPM would drop drastically in 3 o 4 days.Keeping the solution in a seperate res keeps the system topped off and i dont let up on whatever PPM they are set at.
Just curious as to why you do it that way

 

[PhatNuggz]

Note how few roots are between your net pots and the nute level. How do you expect the root mass near the water line to get through the few roots above it ?

Raise the level to near the bottom of the net pots so more roots can develop from the plant, although it may be too late this grow, do it anyway

You might want to visit my thread as I use < 3 gallon rezes