New to DWC and struggling to get started

[deercrazy56]

I'm new to DWC and struggling to get my set up running well. I'm running a 200 Watt LED and 3 - 5 gallon vivosun DWC buckets filled with distilled water, GH nutrients, pH 6.3 in all buckets and 720 PPM when i put the clones in. First set of clones were Vanilla Kush and from a late friend. I put them in and the first 4 days they drooped and curled under. I res changed, washed the roots with h2o2 and just gave them all I knew from outdoor and I just couldn't save them. By the end of the second week they had this thick slime on them and stank to high heaven, it was root rot and they were dead. I bleached the system, cleaned all stones, and started fresh.

Second run is with seeds. I started them in rapid rooters and they took right off. In 7 days of growing I have plants that are almost root bound in their little trays. I had the distilled water bubbling already with Athena Cleanse in with the nutrients this time for several hours before transplanting. I moved the plants into the pots carefully placing the clay pellets around the hanging roots and set the plants close to top of the basket for height. The first 12 hours and they looked good. They were getting a bit of water spit on them by the dripper ring so i turned them down slightly. Today, they're curling down like my first batch did but are still very green. pH is 6.1 and PPM 695. Is this transplant shock or what could i be doing wrong? it looks like they're getting too much water but I don't know how to change that in a DWC system.

 

[Bdubs]

“They were getting a bit of water spit on them by the dripper ring so i turned them down slightly.”

Get rid of that drip ring. You don’t want water up there like that. Let all the splash from air stones to do all the watering of the medium.

Droop is overwatered in hydroponics. It is nearly impossible to underwater in DWC unless the bucket reservoir is very low for days.

Rely on the splash from the reservoir to get the pebbles wet from below. Stop putting any water in from the top, including that ring they gave you. That ring is going to have you overwatered all the time. I have no friggen idea why they include that ring but you are the second person I’ve had to tell to get rid of it and causing root rot issues.

 

[Bdubs]

Slide the lid to the side to do your servicing. Nada should go through the pebbles. The only time you would want to water the top is if you are doing a 4 week flush rule and clearing the pebbles of nutrient salts. But always always stresses the plant and droop is imminent if you water from the top.

 

[deercrazy56]

“They were getting a bit of water spit on them by the dripper ring so i turned them down slightly.”

Get rid of that drip ring. You don’t want water up there like that. Let all the splash from air stones to do all the watering of the medium.

Droop is overwatered in hydroponics. It is nearly impossible to underwater in DWC unless the bucket reservoir is very low for days.

Rely on the splash from the reservoir to get the pebbles wet from below. Stop putting any water in from the top, including that ring they gave you. That ring is going to have you overwatered all the time. I have no friggen idea why they include that ring but you are the second person I’ve had to tell to get rid of it and causing root rot issues.

I had been debating shutting the damn ring off because even with it turned all the way down the poor plants were too wet. I turned it off about 5 hours ago and they have already showed signs of relief! 1 is going to be fine and hardly even has any stress, 1 is going to have a few days for recovery and 1... well she just may not make it... but i'm saying there's a chance! Thanks to you! Finally feel like I have things on the mend!

 

[CultivadorAlba]

I'm new to DWC and struggling to get my set up running well. I'm running a 200 Watt LED and 3 - 5 gallon vivosun DWC buckets filled with distilled water, GH nutrients, pH 6.3 in all buckets and 720 PPM when i put the clones in. First set of clones were Vanilla Kush and from a late friend. I put them in and the first 4 days they drooped and curled under. I res changed, washed the roots with h2o2 and just gave them all I knew from outdoor and I just couldn't save them. By the end of the second week they had this thick slime on them and stank to high heaven, it was root rot and they were dead. I bleached the system, cleaned all stones, and started fresh.

Second run is with seeds. I started them in rapid rooters and they took right off. In 7 days of growing I have plants that are almost root bound in their little trays. I had the distilled water bubbling already with Athena Cleanse in with the nutrients this time for several hours before transplanting. I moved the plants into the pots carefully placing the clay pellets around the hanging roots and set the plants close to top of the basket for height. The first 12 hours and they looked good. They were getting a bit of water spit on them by the dripper ring so i turned them down slightly. Today, they're curling down like my first batch did but are still very green. pH is 6.1 and PPM 695. Is this transplant shock or what could i be doing wrong? it looks like they're getting too much water but I don't know how to change that in a DWC system.

There's a few things wrong with your setup.

water PH: it's not the same as soil. During seedling and early veg, keep it at 5.8. Middle veg and late Veg at 5.9, flowering 6.0 and late flower at 6.1. It's all about nutrients availability and each nutrient has its own PH range to be available.

PPM: since you're dealing with DWC, nutrients are promptly available. So I'll share my PPM cheat sheet.

Week 1-6 VEG - 180 to 275
Flowering - 300-500

reservoir temp is really important. Keep it between 63-68F

Also, try using Silicio and H202, as well as Fulvic Acid. They will protect your roots as well as improve nutrients intake. Just make sure you mix Silicio first, as it can cause nut block.

I mean, I'm not close to being an expert, but this is what I've learned.

Good luck brother!

 

[CultivadorAlba]

I'm sorry, I didn't read all the way. Second case: You're at 695 PPM, and a 6.1 Flowering PH, so your plant is having way too much access to CAL-MAG probably, and also not enough acces to molybdenum. She's having a fight with nitrogen because phosphorus and potassium are too much available.

All this would aggravate other mistakes... 695ppm is too much of everything. Lighting would be a dead factor here then. Even like, from 185 ppfd to 280 ppfd would be enough.

My advice for you: I can tell you have knowledge about growing. But not enough about the difference between soil and hydroponics. Or, you were taught wrong. Hydroponics is like... you're a bartender, a engineer and a old lady that loves plants, all together. Patience, precision and love all at once.