Mars Hydro 5-Gallon DWC Hydroponic System - Continuous Feed?

[Ke0ncp]

Wow, that's a good find!

You'll love it. I have a Bluelab monitor that I bought in 2017 so it's not WiFi and I have to use a web cam to check it. At 20-something gallons, things don't change very quickly, though (that's a feature, not a bug).

Oh, I record PPM and use PPM in my grow journal here. I realize that EC is the standard but, with a big res, it may take a long time (a few days) for EC to change 0.1 units. If you're tracking by PPM, you'll see 500, 510, 520, etc vs if you're tracking using EC, in tenths of a unit, it will only read 1 until PPM reaches 526 and then it will flip to 1.1. Since PPM is expressed in multiple scales, I use the syntax "xxx/500" to denote the 500 scale.

And then we learn that PPM really doesn't mean much of anything… ;-)

Well my nute calc does PPM and I have all of my stages built out already so that’s what I’m going with


EDIT:
Actually looking at it, the calculator actually does do a predicted EC value at a mS/cm value.

I will have to manually add the PPM

 

[Wastei]

Wow, that's a good find!

You'll love it. I have a Bluelab monitor that I bought in 2017 so it's not WiFi and I have to use a web cam to check it. At 20-something gallons, things don't change very quickly, though (that's a feature, not a bug).

Oh, I record PPM and use PPM in my grow journal here. I realize that EC is the standard but, with a big res, it may take a long time (a few days) for EC to change 0.1 units. If you're tracking by PPM, you'll see 500, 510, 520, etc vs if you're tracking using EC, in tenths of a unit, it will only read 1 until PPM reaches 526 and then it will flip to 1.1. Since PPM is expressed in multiple scales, I use the syntax "xxx/500" to denote the 500 scale.

And then we learn that PPM really doesn't mean much of anything… ;-)

I use Siemens scale that is 1.0 EC by 1000 points. It's even easier to use than ppm since you get a wider range. 1265 Siemens is 1.265 EC.

Hope that helps someone out!

Cheers

 

[Wastei]

Well my nute calc does PPM and I have all of my stages built out already so that’s what I’m going with


EDIT:
Actually looking at it, the calculator actually does do a predicted EC value at a mS/cm value.

I will have to manually add the PPM

Ms/cm is Siemens scale. 1000 = 1.0 EC.

Cheers!

 

[Zeefarmer]

Well my nute calc does PPM and I have all of my stages built out already so that’s what I’m going with


EDIT:
Actually looking at it, the calculator actually does do a predicted EC value at a mS/cm value.

I will have to manually add the PPM

you have a RO system ?

 

[Ke0ncp]

you have a RO system ?

I do not. I might go down that road at some point but I will be using tap for this grow.

 

[Sativa1970]

I use PPM in the rooms because it is a more precise scale but EC on here because it is a universal language. Th actual number doesn't matter. You are looking for a change in the number.

Dechlorinate water and set PH bellow 8. Add cal/mag if using RO or distilled water, wait 15 minutes. Add the recommended nute and wait 15 minutes. Set to PH6 and note the PPM reading. This helps you find the PPM that your plant wants. If the plant pulls PPM down you need a higher PPM mix. If the plant pushes the PPM up the starting PPM is too high. Correct PPM down with water or up with nute/water mix. If your PH is way off after topping up and you can not get it to settle at 6 your NPK ratio is off. It is time for a res change.

 

[Zeefarmer]

I do not. I might go down that road at some point but I will be using tap for this grow.

Depending on your water quality, you might get lucky, but with my cities water quality ,, no way....
Mine is 600 ppm's , I was using 1.5 ounces of PH down at water change per plant,I started mixing my own PH down.
I was also getting giant PH drifts .


Also having nutrient lock out or sodium lock out issues .

I use about 60 to 80 gallons a day of RO water with 7 RDWC systems .

Roots hold or retain dissolved solids ,, if your tap waters PPM's are hi your screwed

 

[Ke0ncp]

Depending on your water quality, you might get lucky, but with my cities water quality ,, no way....
Mine is 600 ppm's , I was using 1.5 ounces of PH down at water change per plant,I started mixing my own PH down.
I was also getting giant PH drifts .


Also having nutrient lock out or sodium lock out issues .

I use about 60 to 80 gallons a day of RO water with 7 RDWC systems .

Roots hold or retain dissolved solids ,, if your tap waters PPM's are hi your screwed

Good to know, I will have to pull up my cities water parameters. If i remember correctly it is like 700PPM LOL

So I might have to do a mix of RO and tap to balance things. Fortunately it is $0.29 a gallon at the refill station up the street for RO. So for under $15 a full fill for both reservoirs of RO I am ok with that

 

[Zeefarmer]

Good to know, I will have to pull up my cities water parameters. If i remember correctly it is like 700PPM LOL

So I might have to do a mix of RO and tap to balance things. Fortunately it is $0.29 a gallon at the refill station up the street for RO. So for under $15 a full fill for both reservoirs of RO I am ok with that

I have about 750.00 $ into my 5 stage RO system with a 20 gallon fiber glass pressure tank.
I am looking at adding on a 30 gallon PSI fiber glass tank.
RO systems need more then 40 psi inlet. I have a 80 psi pump feeding my RO system.
They need back pressure too, I use a permeate pump.

Packing water anywhere sucks. mixing half and half is bad idea at any tap water over 200 to 300 PPM's
You want the reservoir water as low in PPM's as possible when changing the water to start off with.

Hydroponics can be a giant learning curve if you dont study up.
I use allot of different nutrients

 

[Sativa1970]

I forget how lucky I am to have good "city" water for hdro on tap. Non chlorinated 120PPM at the faucet. You need to drop bellow 300PPM. It's not just how many PPM but what is in it. Get a water report to find out how much of what needs to be filtered out.

I have a cabinet full of bottles. 95% of the time I only use the same 2 bottles.

 

[Ke0ncp]

Actually I might be good. I just pulled up the cities report and if I got everything in there correctly I’m sitting at 115.39 PPM on average.

Here is the report

 

[Sativa1970]

If your meter agrees with that number you may be able to work with that. Chlorides and sulfides are a bit high. Dechlorinating the water is all that would be required. An inline, under sink type, carbon/micron filter would pull both of those down. Plenty of calcium but just a little low on mag. Dechlorinated tap water would work but sulfide filtered would work better.

 

[Ke0ncp]

If your meter agrees with that number you may be able to work with that. Chlorides and sulfides are a bit high. Dechlorinating the water is all that would be required. An inline, under sink type, carbon/micron filter would pull both of those down. Plenty of calcium but just a little low on mag. Dechlorinated tap water would work but sulfide filtered would work better.

I will have to see where mine sits at to make sure.

Suggestions on a dechlor other than time?

I will see what I can make work for a filter at the sink I use, shouldn’t be too hard.

I add in mag to my nutes to bump that a tad as well

EDIT:

I found cheap inline filters that will pull the chlorine out as well. I’m just going to grab one of those and I should be set.

Going to test the water first and see what it says.

 

[Zeefarmer]

You have to have a PH testing equipment and to be able to check EC or PPM's or TDS meters .
I test the PH on my 7 RDWC systems EVERYDAY. I use a Blue Lab PH pen .
My Blue Lab PH pen tells me when it needs recalibrating. I have had digital PH pens read inaccurate, giving false reading ..
THIS WHY I BOUGHT THE BLUE LAB PH PEN.

You have to replicate TOP SOIL in water. Not all micro nutrients in hydroponics can be added to the water.
I do not like foliage spraying .. but in hydroponics it seems like there is no choice like for copper or boron, sulfur .

Top soil is 50% silica and 5% nutrients .. I am sold on adding Silica gold in my RDWC systems .

Hydroponics has a steep learning curve. Don't think that a couple of bottles of hydroponic nutrients is going to have all the macro and medium and micronutrients that a cannabis plant needs ..

NEVER give the plants max doses of nutrients .... Most of the time I am doing half doses .

 

[Ke0ncp]

I’m going to use MegaCrop with added Epsom for Mg, added potassium chloride for K, Ammonium sulfate for added NH4+, and I made a silica solution following This thread for added silica.

My plan is to start with a 25% of full power and increase as needed.

As for as testing a few pages back in this thread I had posted a link to a monitor that I’ve purchased to keep track of water temp, ph, ec and ppm.

Good to know on the foliar sprays, I also am not a fan and will try and remember that when I have issues.

 

[Zeefarmer]

I’m going to use MegaCrop with added Epsom for Mg, added potassium chloride for K, Ammonium sulfate for added NH4+, and I made a silica solution following This thread for added silica.

My plan is to start with a 25% of full power and increase as needed.

As for as testing a few pages back in this thread I had posted a link to a monitor that I’ve purchased to keep track of water temp, ph, ec and ppm.

Good to know on the foliar sprays, I also am not a fan and will try and remember that when I have issues.

Looks like your doing your home work.
Foliage spraying some of the micro nutrients.....boron first and 3rd week of the month Copper the 2 and 4th week of the month


I put zinc/iron, cal mag and silica in the reservoirs.

 

[Sativa1970]

but in hydroponics it seems like there is no choice like for copper or boron, sulfur .

Don't think that a couple of bottles of hydroponic nutrients is going to have all the macro and medium and micronutrients that a cannabis plant needs

I don't understand what you meant with that. Those are standards micro nutes. This is off my Dynagrow bottle. No need to add anything else. One bottle for veg and one for flower. This is the cheapest stuff I got but it has all the macro and micro in it.

Ingredients: Ammonium nitrate, calcium nitrate, potassium nitrate, mono-ammonium phosphate, mono-potassium phosphate, cobaltous sulfate, magnesium sulfate, boric acid, molybdic acid, potassium chloride, manganese, iron, copper and zinc disodium ethylenediamine tetra acetate

I have a cabinet full of bottles. Some for the rare deficiency like cal mag and slica. Mostly just leftover snake oil tests. You know most weed killers are just strong fertilizers. Cannabis requires no special magical food, It is a weed.

 

[Zeefarmer]

I don't understand what you meant with that. Those are standards micro nutes. This is off my Dynagrow bottle. No need to add anything else. One bottle for veg and one for flower. This is the cheapest stuff I got but it has all the macro and micro in it.

Ingredients: Ammonium nitrate, calcium nitrate, potassium nitrate, mono-ammonium phosphate, mono-potassium phosphate, cobaltous sulfate, magnesium sulfate, boric acid, molybdic acid, potassium chloride, manganese, iron, copper and zinc disodium ethylenediamine tetra acetate

I have a cabinet full of bottles. Some for the rare deficiency like cal mag and slica. Mostly just leftover snake oil tests. You know most weed killers are just strong fertilizers. Cannabis requires no special magical food, It is a weed.

So far my best results is what I am using at this time and the way I am using them.
My plants are very healthy and/or healthier then they ever have been in the past .


I have not ever used Dynagrow and up to this point you are the only hydroponic grower that I have heard of using one bottle of nutrients for Veg and another for flowering?

 

[Ke0ncp]

up to this point you are the only hydroponic grower that I have heard of using one bottle of nutrients for Veg and another for flowering?

This was 20+ years ago I was growing hydro and that’s all we used was one bottle for veg and another for bloom. I have not a clue as to what it was called but that was the only thing we even had access to where I lived at the time.

We also had NO idea what we were doing and flew by the seat of our pants, in lore way than one!!!

 

[Sativa1970]

If you found a mixture that works for you, that is great. Growing this plant is as simple or complicated as you make it. The only magic in a bottle is if it is correcting a deficiency. You can not force feed a plant no matter how good the advertising is.

Separating the macro and micro bottles is new, maybe 10 years ago. Dyna grow has been around for over 30 years. Also labeled as supper thrive, or nutrien AG. It's $60 a gallon and 1 tbsp. /gallon is full strength. Walmart, amazon, and our local hydro stores all carry it, and another dozen AIO brands. I use (veg) 9-3-6, (cuttings) 7-9-5 and (flower) 3-12-6 cal, mag and all micro included. Adding anything to it just causes lockout.