First Time Grow, looking to do it right.

workngrow · Mar 29, 2021

So a few hours later with the system just resting in place and full, a few of the bulkhead fittings are leaking as they are connected to the plastic containers. I attribute this probably to some level of swelling and moving the plastic is doing under the pressure of the water or they are just simply not screwed on tight enough. I tightened them as much as possible, filled the water up higher and will wait to see if the leak areas dry out tomorrow.

The leaking isn't major but enough for some concern. Warping of plastic due to water weight could become an issue later as the sites are emptied and refilled throughout the course of a grow cycle.

Will likely use some silicon based waterproof sealant outside the containers around the gaskets to just give them a bit of a reinforced seal. Otherwise no leaks at any pvc joint location so we are moving along as expected thus far.

If anyone has any pro tips or tried and true method to seal slight leak lemme know, otherwise ill probably wait til its in its final position then do the silicone seal on inside/out of where the fittings meet the containers.

workngrow · Mar 30, 2021

After tightening everything, refilling it, no leaks overnight. Things are looking good. Will still prob silicon seal everything for added reassurance but having the system assembled as-is not leak is a win.

workngrow · Apr 9, 2021

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Mostlymooses · Apr 10, 2021

Thank you for continuing to post your progress. I am genuinely curious to see how you do as I have been interested in hydro but haven't had any personal experience yet. Good luck!

workngrow · Apr 10, 2021

Mostlymooses said:
Thank you for continuing to post your progress. I am genuinely curious to see how you do as I have been interested in hydro but haven't had any personal experience yet. Good luck!

I hear ya, this is my first go but I had a nice post typed up last night but something was up with my browser or something, kept replacing my text and wiped the post out. Will try again below.

What you are seeing there is the small 5 gallon 2 site setup with res for seedling/veg plants. This was super easy and cheap to setup and really didnt require much thinking at all to execute. Will hold 2 small plants per 5 gallon bucket and then just pick the buckets up out and transferred into the flower setup later. Right now I am using all barbed fittings and its working well though I might add a few hose clamps here and there around the pump to stabilize and get more leak prevention going on.

People just have to be careful when building this stuff, things need to 'feel' tight. If your bulkheads going into containers have a lot of play or your vinyl tubing has a lot of play in it thats a recipe for leaking just from my experience with this so far.

The much larger setup is nearing completion but I need a stronger pump, 550gal/hr is just not enough gusto for something close to 15 gallons per site. Not for the type of circulation I am shooting for. Im not looking for violent circulation but I do want the water to be visibly moving. Oxygenation and Nute mixing is going to be key. I just was getting a small trickle into each site, it was just underwhelming.

As for the seedlings/germination. Germination just stuck the seeds in a glass til the tips were sticking out a bit or clearly visible. With gloves on moved those over to rockwool that had been soaking overnight in a PH'd nutrient solution. It was about 5.7ph and 350ppm. Rockwool has its own PH and needs to be brought down. It takes a bit to get the feel of the nutrient and ph swing so I have been using a small amount of liquid nutes in a few gallons, testing it, pouring it out until I got to where I wanted to be.

Read posts about guys struggling to manage these 2 variables and instead of learning by trying to chemically adjust up and down and up again. Need to be able to hit the appropriate numbers in one go, or climb up to them by just adding marginal amounts at a time vs. trying to remove PPM through diluting the water. So for a few gallons of water and a few tablespoons of liquid nutes poured out to learn this lesson, small price to pay.

As for the lights, they are on the way from alibaba, got 2 of these:

Kingbrite Samsung lm301h 480W QB288 V3 V4 LM301H UV IR full spectrum LED grow lights
Lamp Power(W):480W IP67 waterproof,Emitting Color:LM301H 3500K+ Epistar 660nm UV IR

All in all things are slowly coming together.

workngrow · Apr 10, 2021

Aaaaand they are coming up fast now boooiyee
Only 2 of 5 showing but others could just be taking more time. They've only been in water soak and then Rockwool for like a total of 4 data. 36hrs in water and 2 days in wool.

workngrow · Apr 10, 2021

Should be noted first 2 sprouts ever. The journey starts here.

workngrow · Apr 11, 2021

They coming on strong. Got a new one just showing up to the party. Hopefully get at least 1 of the 2 remaining to fill the 4 site setup. 5 for 5 would be amazing for a first run.

workngrow · Apr 11, 2021

These guys stretching too much or am I overly concerned. If they aren't I guess I'm just getting used to the growth speed. These guys are going off. Lights on 24 hrs at this point. Looks like a third and maybe 4th about to pop out.

workngrow · Apr 14, 2021

Update 1 of 2 king Brite 480w lights is here. I must say the quality is impressive.

Dropped a few more seeds to try and ensure I am running 4 of 4 in the rdwc setup instead of having an empty site. Should only be a weeks difference.

workngrow · Apr 14, 2021

workngrow said:
Update 1 of 2 king Brite 480w lights is here. I must say the quality is impressive.

Dropped a few more seeds to try and ensure I am running 4 of 4 in the rdwc setup instead of having an empty site. Should only be a weeks difference.

I figure next go I'll use bigger rockwool cubes. Like 3 inch to help eliminate some of that stretch. These are only like 1 inch.

ImpulsiveGrower · Apr 14, 2021

workngrow said:
Update 1 of 2 king Brite 480w lights is here. I must say the quality is impressive.

Dropped a few more seeds to try and ensure I am running 4 of 4 in the rdwc setup instead of having an empty site. Should only be a weeks difference.

Nice!!! I ordered 2x 240 watt kingbrites and I can’t wait to get them!!

_VLAD_ · Apr 14, 2021

Im not 100% sure that has to do with size of rockwool, i started mine in rapid rooters until they were decently established with a few roots coming out the bottom and then put them in 4 inch cubes. Mine didnt stretch like yours, what like are you using? At what percentage? Id up the temp some also, not sure if thats ypyr prob or not.

Regardless they look great now

workngrow · Apr 16, 2021

They starting to have a gangster lean to them so I propped them up but tbh thinking about bailing on those 2 seedlings, swapping the light height and starting over. Theyll be better once they are moved into DWC but only a pair of seedlings for a 4 site is just meh.

workngrow · Apr 17, 2021

Room coming together... will be putting small setup on a table along with the prop kit. Main worry having them all in close proximity is light schedules but keeping the tent closed during lights out should be enough.

Newly dropped seeds are sprouting so looks like we'll hit the 4 number. Made height adjustments in prop kit to correct light distance q bit.

Aqua Man · Apr 17, 2021

Leaning towards or away from the light? Towards you can move the light a touch closer... away move the light further

Stretch is more the spectrum than intensity. A cool color or blue leaning spectrum works well for seedlings.

For bucket leaks rough surfaces don't seal as well if it's textured. Holes looked like a good height and make sure the gasket is on the nut side of the bulkhead. Also important to make sure the holes are as close to the size of the bulkhead as possible bigger can mean less sealing surface.

Don't add any silicone it does not bond well at all to plastic and just make things more difficult and a mess.

A large temp difference in day and night temps can cause some stretching also. As well as genetics.

Off to a good start

Mostlymooses · Apr 17, 2021

They look great! The last seeds I popped fell over, too. I think my light was a little too far away, but maybe it's one of these other things too

I saw you are planning on keeping your flower tent in the same room as your veg. It would be good to really make sure it is sealed up as even a small light leak can cause problems. Here's some reading about it! https://www.thcfarmer.com/grow/how-dark-does-the-dark-cycle-need-to-be.275/

workngrow · Apr 17, 2021

Aqua Man said:
Leaning towards or away from the light? Towards you can move the light a touch closer... away move the light further

Stretch is more the spectrum than intensity. A cool color or blue leaning spectrum works well for seedlings.

For bucket leaks rough surfaces don't seal as well if it's textured. Holes looked like a good height and make sure the gasket is on the nut side of the bulkhead. Also important to make sure the holes are as close to the size of the bulkhead as possible bigger can mean less sealing surface.

Don't add any silicone it does not bond well at all to plastic and just make things more difficult and a mess.

A large temp difference in day and night temps can cause some stretching also. As well as genetics.

Off to a good start

Thanks a bunch, the lean direction they are showing is after they've been moved a bit. I re-centered them on the light and raised them up a bit to be closer after checking how close some of the other folks here have them. Damn near just a couple inches away, tested the heat, didn't seem too bad so ill leave them overnight and check tomorrow. Plus its shining through the plastic container for the prop kit so light heat is a bit lessened I would imagine.

The bucket holes are 2'' off the floor, after really tightening the bulkheads the leaking stopped entirely. With that bend and stretch after filling containers up to test it just need to ensure they are spun on max tightness. Hole size is good, slight rubbing of the plastic on the threads when fitting it on and it sits flush when its maximum tightness.

The latest dilemma I am working through is just pump strength for the 1'' drains going into each site. The Active Aqua 550gal just wasnt enough. Works well for the 15 gallon setup, 2 sites 4 plants but I am thinking I probably need something between 2500-5000 gal/hr to really get the water circulating well. One of those Vivosun pumps at around 5000gal/hr is like 120 bucks, not too bad. Just don't want to go overboard, need a solid flow through the 1'' vinyl but im not trying to pressure wash the roots either, haha. A gentle waterfall sound.

The way they rate these pumps is either kind of bullshit or I am missing the mark in how to spec them per volume of water. Some quick resourcing online suggests to just get a pump thats able to handle the res volume in gallons but it really doesnt have enough umph to cycle into all 4 sites, 8 total drains. I dont want to have to wait hours to cycle a nutrient or PH change from the res to each site and back again. To make sure the system can distribute quickly and evenly.

workngrow · Apr 17, 2021

Mostlymooses said:
They look great! The last clones I popped fell over, too. I think my light was a little too far away, but maybe it's one of these other things too

I saw you are planning on keeping your flower tent in the same room as your veg. It would be good to really make sure it is sealed up as even a small light leak can cause problems. Here's some reading about it! https://www.thcfarmer.com/grow/how-dark-does-the-dark-cycle-need-to-be.275/

One did fall over lol but I propped him up and pre-emptively propped up the other one just in case they dip a bit during the night cycle again.

workngrow · Apr 17, 2021

As for the light itself, it just came with the prop kit. Finding that the prebuilt kit while it does work just isnt specific enough to suit the exact need of these seedlings, light height, all that. Would probably be better for larger clones or something.

As for the lean, always leaning towards the light so far so I moved them up about 2 inches and will adjust accordingly. Thanks for the tips, btw. I really do appreciate the feedback and plan to use it.

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