Just looking for a few ideas about changing up

[Bowtie]

Current set up is a 4x8 with 6...5gal Dwc.
3x philips 315
Humidity is s constant struggle, it's usually high.
Room is 60, nutes stored at 60.
Tap water, GH 3 part nutes, pH to 6.0 and 10 ml of UC roots about once a week.
700 ppm.

Seeds and clones separate, tap water, 6.0 same temps, under Mars led. 30x30 tent.

This is everything.

There is real trouble with seedlings and clones starting.
Still dwc, clone X stick to directions.
And seem to always end up with spots on seeedlings and adults in separate tents.

Just looking for new ideas.
Maybe some info about the occasional little Nat I see flying around but really don't think it's an issue, have read I should see other signs.

And just some ideas to try something new.

Obviously I have some equipment, just still seems to be a struggle everyday.
I want just some details as to what is WORKING for others, what made DWC a little friendlier

Thanks to anyone who wants to write out a few things to the new guy.

 

[LiveAndLetGro]

Any pics? They help a lot. What are you doing for oxygen at the roots? Air pump and air stones? Is that temp 60 degrees Fahrenheit ? What are your reservoir temps? How big is the LED you are using to start your young ones? What do you consider to be high humidity? I'm not familiar with the HID lights you are using so I can't comment on those but I will try to help any way I can. Once I got my DWC dialed in it became very hands off and I love it.

 

[Bowtie]

Any pics? They help a lot. What are you doing for oxygen at the roots? Air pump and air stones? Is that temp 60 degrees Fahrenheit ? What are your reservoir temps? How big is the LED you are using to start your young ones? What do you consider to be high humidity? I'm not familiar with the HID lights you are using so I can't comment on those but I will try to help any way I can. Once I got my DWC dialed in it became very hands off and I love it.

Thank you for even taking the time to talk to me, as I read through the threads I just become more confused.
Ok, first. 5 gal buckets, air pumps and 2 air stones per bucket.
Not sure of exact liters on airpumps, but good pumps, I can post that later.

Things I'm noticing as I read, and I'm sure I'm missing tons as I go.
1. I have no idea what EC is.
In an adult plant, I use tap water which comes out about 150 ppm, add nutes and uc roots (non Saline bleach) then pH down to 6.0.
Roots never "fill" 5 gal buckets, but pretty good white size ball. Try to keep nutes about 600. Sometimes I do get spots on leaves, seems like root balls should be bigger from things I see around here, but yield has overall been good.
That process is not my weak link.
I am ok on that part ... Kinda.

Yes, temp is in F°.
About 70 air, 67 water in buckets, humidity about 60 inside tent.

Where I really struggle is from seed or clone, to point where switch to big tent.

Seeds and clones.
If I start a seed, I put it in pH rockwool and under dome.
About 3 days later I have tap root, about 5-7 days later popping out top of rockwool.

At this point, and the same when I clone, I take the small plant and place in a 2 inch basket with one of those foam tops that surround and pinch the stem. I place it in a 30x30 inch tent with a 200w Mars led about 15 inches over top of bucket.

I have a 5 gal buckets that has a top. I have 5, 2inch holes cut in the lid.
I fill the bucket with tap water to about half an inch from the root, and add clone X and pH down till 6.0

This is where things slow way down

A month later, I have a one inch plant with two nodes. This is where my process fails.
I know I'm missing something by pictures I see here, but don't know what.
My small plants always look like crap till they are like a foot tall.
Like 4-8 weeks.

So what am I missing.
Water temp good.
pH good.
Light
Air
No rot

I'm about to start a few seeds next week.
I will add some pictures as I go

 

[The Germinator]

The only thing you said that I think could be wrong is rockwool. I've seen a lot of problems with it. Usually because it holds a lot of water. I use rapid rooters ,check out my first grow. Plants as wide as the bucket in a short time. Good luck to you.

 

[The Germinator]

10 days. Rapid rooters. That's the only diff I see in yours from mine.

 

[LiveAndLetGro]

My pleasure Bowtie. I remember what it was like to be a new member lol. I like seeing people active in the DWC thread. I'm trying to be more active here myself.

EC means electric conductivity. It is the same as PPM. I think they are interchangeable terms. EC is PPM, I think. One thing to note, you should ph your water first, then add your nutes. They will drop your ph a bit so you should have an idea of how much they will drop it and ph before you put the nutes in with that in mind. Looks like your temps are in pretty good shape. I wouldn't want the air temp to drop any lower than 65F'ish.

As far as the seeds/clones go, wow, that is some slow growth. My experience with clones is also limited but 3 of 4 have been successful using basically the same process as you. I just cut the clone and put it in the ph'd rockwool and into the dwc. Are those foam things pinching too much? I don't have any experience with those either. I can see how you are confused, it sounds like you have everything setup to work. Did you mention your humidity in the clone tent? I know the young ones like it high.

 

[Bowtie]

I have no idea about the pinch, but it is very frustrating.
I can put up pics tomorrow, but I have 2 seedlings that are 4 weeks old that are no bigger than an inch high, and an inch across. They have probably a single 8 inch root down into the bucket.

 

[LiveAndLetGro]

Sounds good, look forward to seeing them. You may consider starting a little grow journal to document the process. That way all these more experienced farmers can follow along and give you real time advice. They helped me a lot when I first got started.

Edit: 420th Post! Smoke'em if you got'em! LOL!

 

[Bigjake8]

Ec is the standard reading then there is 3 different translations to the ppm reading
Sounds like your not talking to them enough haha I'm still working on my cloning methods but I use the plugs and then put them in 4 inch blocks with just a touch of veg nutrients and have no problems could it be something eating on them the spots is why I ask sounds like a mite

 

[DukeO]

(At this point, and the same when I clone, I take the small plant and place in a 2 inch basket with one of those foam tops that surround and pinch the stem. I place it in a 30x30 inch tent with a 200w Mars led about 15 inches over top of bucket.

I have a 5 gal buckets that has a top. I have 5, 2inch holes cut in the lid.
I fill the bucket with tap water to about half an inch from the root, and add clone X and pH down till 6.0)

I do not put my clones under direct LED light until I see roots. The first 24hrs I leave them in the dark and then I put them to the side of the light for about 5 to 6 days. By then I have roots showing and I move them under the light at about 24"

I use a home made spray cloner. A 5gal bucket with 8 2" holes and a 160gph water pump and two spray heads. I use plain tap water with z7 water treatment in it and nothing else. I have a success rate of 99.99%

A clone does not need much light until it has roots. With to to much light it will try to go to work instead of resting and growing new roots.
That will use up it's stored nutes and that is when spots start to form and leaves start to drop.

As far as from seed. I soak for 12hrs and then into a Rapid Rooters under a dome. 5 to 7 days after they pop I move them to their DWC bucket. I will pour water from the rez with 25% nutes twice a day until the roots hit the water and off they go.

Hope that helps.

I had a lot of issues at first too.

But now after years of dialing it in, it is all very easy and pretty much a sure thing.

 

[bignugz420]

When I do DWC I start my seedlings at 1 - 2" add to dwc bucket, I then top feed til roots hit water once they hit it I let water go down in bucket a inch below roots to get them to stretch for it so when it bubbles they splash into it eventually it will be submerged, I just then maintain 5.8 pH and I feed GH products balanced thru life

 

[bignugz420]

Doing it that way will air prune your root making tap root basically top itself those are my 3 biggest root masses plants aren't even halfway through flower

 

[Rifleman]

I germinate seeds in a paper towel. As soon as it cracks I place it in a Rapid Rooter and bury it in the netpot. I top water it once a day until I see roots coming out the bottom of the netpot. After that it's all auto pilot. Advanced Nutrients pH Perfect and I never worry about adjusting pH.

 

[IslandGrow420]

i made an aero cloner.....well it`s basically just dwc but i use an aeroponic effect. I`ve used it for 2 yrs now with a 100% record so far.

IMG_445116

• IslandGrow420
• Jan 16, 2018

IslandGrower420 - Crop King

• IslandGrow420
• Jan 14, 2018

the clones sit in rapid rooter plugs in the cloner lid, hanging 2 inches above the res water water line. The air stones in the cloner bubble and splash the rapid rooter plugs and keep them moist and oxygenated. I add rapid start and dyna-gro KLN (i swear by that shit, it has changed my cloning game to foolproof) and after 7 days I have nice roots. I let the roots get 3-4 inches long and then I take them out of the cloner and put them into hydroton and 6 inch net pots, then into my dwc buckets. I make sure the dwc res water line is 2 inches below the net pot, so the bubbles from the air stone keep the hydroton moist, but things don`t get too soggy. same sort of process for the seedlings, except I use paper towel method to germ, then put them in rapid rooters, then the cloner. changed my life lol

 

[Stltoed]

i made an aero cloner.....well it`s basically just dwc but i use an aeroponic effect. I`ve used it for 2 yrs now with a 100% record so far.

IMG_445116

• IslandGrow420
• Jan 16, 2018

IslandGrower420 - Crop King

• IslandGrow420
• Jan 14, 2018

the clones sit in rapid rooter plugs in the cloner lid, hanging 2 inches above the res water water line. The air stones in the cloner bubble and splash the rapid rooter plugs and keep them moist and oxygenated. I add rapid start and dyna-gro KLN (i swear by that shit, it has changed my cloning game to foolproof) and after 7 days I have nice roots. I let the roots get 3-4 inches long and then I take them out of the cloner and put them into hydroton and 6 inch net pots, then into my dwc buckets. I make sure the dwc res water line is 2 inches below the net pot, so the bubbles from the air stone keep the hydroton moist, but things don`t get too soggy. same sort of process for the seedlings, except I use paper towel method to germ, then put them in rapid rooters, then the cloner. changed my life lol

Rapid Start is God. Rapid Rooters are pretty cool too. I was a dyed in the "wool" Rockwool user. Someone kicked down some Rapid Rooters, and I will never go back.