DIY - Over, Under, Sideways, Down...Sky High builds an Under Current knockoff

1776 · Sep 6, 2010

sky high
very well designed grow good job! how big is your room for these 6 plants? did you have enough room for the plants in this size or would adjust the rig at all

thx for the info
1776

1776 · Sep 6, 2010

duh I reread your thread and found the room size

thx
1776

UClover · Sep 19, 2010

No Flush Necessary

First off, good work, your crop looks great!

It looks like most UC users are running nutes all the way to the end with no residual harshness in the finished flowers.

In soil, a flush is necessary to rinse away any built up mineral salts. In water culture, giving plants plain water at the end is counter productive as you are stripping them of everything they need at the time when they need it the most. A better strategy may be to reduce nutrient strength by 50%.

The guys over at Current Cuture recommend running nutes all the way to the end and if you are going to flush do it for just a few days.

This could help your overall yield next time, otherwise good work!

sky high · Sep 20, 2010

Yo folks.

Is this the start of root rot? I've seen the full blown stuff but never caught it as it started. This isn't looking good to me but I don't wanna freak out...just yet.

If it is, do you think I can yank tyhese out and slap em in soilless/etc and save em? the plants look OK up top....so far.

s h

winta · Sep 20, 2010

ive never had root rot but from the pics ive seen that does look like the begining stages :(

Kaiser Puff · Sep 20, 2010

It kinda does look like the start of root rot, but the best way to tell is smell your roots. Do they smell off in any way? Healthy roots smell like nothing or faint vegetation, a little like bean sprouts.

sky high · Sep 20, 2010

No funky smells kaiser, but root growth and plant growth have been incredibly slow this go around. 3 weeks of veg and only 18" tall. Plants of the same age that were smaller specimens when these went in the UC are now in 5 gal buckets and are 2x the mass/size.
The UC plants seem much more "woody".

Temps in the system rose to 72 a few days but lately I've been 64-68.

I'm toyin with the idea of ending this UC run and transplanting them into coco and seeing what happens.

thanks guys

Integra21 · Sep 20, 2010

That is the begenning of root rot, but something has to be causing it. I got it the worst when my containers weren't light tight. Having total darkness makes a huge difference. Light in the res will cause slow growth and rot. So will to high of ppms or temps. I have never done uc but dwc for quite a while. If you aren't using orgaic nutrients, You can try using h2o2 to clear it up, but it will keep coming back if you dont identify the problem. Hope this helps, but that slow growth is an indicator this problemhas been around for while.

sky high · Sep 20, 2010

Thanks, Integra.

I have an idea what may be causing it....but @ this point it doesn't matter because I think I'm gonna tear this system down and reboot my room with coco/chow mix and other soilless goodness. Hopefully I can save these ladies but if not...such is life.

Anybody wanna buy some UC buckets/etc? LOL.

winta · Sep 20, 2010

im on my way bro!:rollj::character0201::friday:

sky high said:
Thanks, Integra.

I have an idea what may be causing it....but @ this point it doesn't matter because I think I'm gonna tear this system down and reboot my room with coco/chow mix and other soilless goodness. Hopefully I can save these ladies but if not...such is life.

Anybody wanna buy some UC buckets/etc? LOL.

MediMary · Sep 20, 2010

what do you think caused it sky?
this run did you change anything up?

Kaiser Puff · Sep 20, 2010

sky high said:
No funky smells kaiser, but root growth and plant growth have been incredibly slow this go around. 3 weeks of veg and only 18" tall. Plants of the same age that were smaller specimens when these went in the UC are now in 5 gal buckets and are 2x the mass/size.
The UC plants seem much more "woody".

Temps in the system rose to 72 a few days but lately I've been 64-68.

I'm toyin with the idea of ending this UC run and transplanting them into coco and seeing what happens.

thanks guys

Yeah the slow growth is a good indicator. Getting baddies under control can be a pain. I'm finding good amounts of beneficials seem to work to keep the root zone under control.

sky high · Sep 21, 2010

Guys...

I think these systems require a "complete" breakdown/cleaning between runs. I didn't do that. (and what a fucking pain in the ass) And you thought rinsing hydroton was bad?

My guess is that there is scale and a large build up at the return "T" where the velocity changes. This is the flaw in these systems, IMO. There was shit tons of sediment/junk stuck in this pipe when I drained it and I shoulda known then that it was gonna haunt me.

The plants are out of the system and hopefully, can be saved. When I dumped em to transplant em there was nasty shit @ the bottom of the net pot so I'm glad I just went ahead and ended this when I did.

Thanks for all the comments along the way, folks.

strawD · Sep 21, 2010

so, whats next? are you gonna clean it and run it again, or pass it on? I used to run some aeroflo 60 site tables, and cleaning them was the biggest problem of the whole thing. after running bennies and organic additives you HAVE to wipe every interior surface w/ a sponge prior to the next grow. my hands wouldnt even fit in those holes, i'd pay my girl to clean them, they'd scrape up her hands, i had to pay a lot. as for the UC, i think if/when i start, i'll have to just give up organic and do some HG nutes + drip clean. i think if you use the drip clean regularly, with no organic additives, then cleanup will be MUCH easier.

MediMary · Sep 21, 2010

yo sky, have you ever used physan 20,
that shit is bad ass for cleaning= )

Socachi · Sep 21, 2010

Sky have you asked Jack or Texas Kid what they use for cleaning. They've both been runnin this sys successfully for awhile.

motherlode · Sep 21, 2010

MediMary said:
yo sky, have you ever used physan 20,
that shit is bad ass for cleaning= )

word - more effective then bleach for killing bad stuff yet way safer!

sky high · Sep 21, 2010

I'm breaking it all down this AM and am washing all the buckets/diffusers/seals with Physan 20....so I'm havin to clean the mutherfucker anyway. Just gotta work through bein pissed at myself and then decide WTF I wanna do. Should I run this again and limit myself to 6 plants or give it a break and do my full count of 15 in coco/etc.

I'll definitely be replacing the "return" end of the pvc where the "t" is no matter what i do for the next run. As I suspected, this seems to be a collection point for anything that falls out of suspension/etc. in your solution and is gonna be very hard to clean thoroughly. Has anyone experimented with a larger "t" and a larger volume pump on the recirc side of all of this?

Since I feel I have to replace the return end anyway, I'll probably just replace all the pvc runs and I might play with the overall configuration of the system if I do. Live and learn.

Still sorting out whether I wanna run this again and be limited to 6 plants in bloom or boot up my alloted 15 in coco. When I built this thing I could only have 6 in bloom but I have since taken on 3 patients. I can still cover everyone with these 6 (if I don't fuck em up!) but 15 would give me some variety and i'm guessing, a larger yield with some luck.

s h

sky high · Sep 21, 2010

didn't wanna junk up TK's thread.....

UC.... dunno if the 1200 gph pump has anything to do with the sediment or not. All i know is that the reduction there from 2" to 3/4" seemed to be a collection point in my system for overall "gunk". FWIW, my root mass got nowhere large enough last run to even come close to getting in any of the return piping/pvc. Maybe a strand here/there from natural breakage...but not from massive root growth.

Thanks for the continued help

s h

MediMary · Sep 21, 2010

, hey sky, how about using a 1" t, and then using a pump with larger in/out

I asked ucmenow awhile back, i think he said the 4 site uses a 350 gph pump.

I too wear the "fucking stoner" tshirt.
haha
I saw this one on the site you posted up,
http://www.water-garden-shop-relaxi...p/cal-pump-torpedo-t1500-pond-pump-detail.htm

DIY - Over, Under, Sideways, Down...Sky High builds an Under Current knockoff

DIY - Over, Under, Sideways, Down...Sky High builds an Under Current knockoff

1776

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UClover

sky high

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winta

Kaiser Puff

sky high

Integra21

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MediMary

Kaiser Puff

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strawD

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Socachi

motherlode

@Rolln_J

sky high

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MediMary

DIY - Over, Under, Sideways, Down...Sky High builds an Under Current knockoff

DIY - Over, Under, Sideways, Down...Sky High builds an Under Current knockoff

1776

1776

UClover

sky high

Attachments

winta

Kaiser Puff

sky high

Integra21

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winta

MediMary

Kaiser Puff

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strawD

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Socachi

motherlode

@Rolln_J

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