MrRobert420's LP Aeroponics - DWC - LED - SCROG - 2 Hindu Skunk

[Skybound]

Yeah, please don't use that title, I was planning on naming MY next journal MRROBERT'S HAREM.

As far as your space, 4 quadrants of 5'x5', each with a 4'x4' scrog net and some walking/crawling space in between. If the 10x10 is accessible from all sides, you're really golden. I have yet to get myself into perpetual, but assuming I can revisit my attic in the winter, I will have about the same square footage as you and my plan would then be Indicas=8 weeks (+1) and Sativas=10 weeks (+2) with an average of 9 or 12 weeks to plan around. A happy middle ground would be roughly 10.5 week turn around per site. Each site is 1-4 plants (more if autos) and if you preload a site every 2.5 weeks with plant(s), your perp will happen at your first chop. Granted, you will likely mistime the harvests in the first revolution, especially if you haven't yet nailed down which strains you will grow, and found specific phenos within each strain that you have also nailed down, but the concept will flesh itself out for you (and hopefully me) over time and with experience. You have so much potential with all that space, and if compartmentalization is an option, might even be good if you can arrange for an off site cloning and early veg op. this way a lot of the headaches can be prescreened for you, all while enabling someone close to you to expand their own cannabotanous knowledge and experience.

 

[HunterHunt]

Thanks for that awesome review mrrobert! I have just ordered one! $144 couldnt beat it. Cant wait to try it out.

 

[mrrobert420]

Exactly, you might lose a little efficiency with other tasks, but trimming takes up so much time, it works out better to spread that load out a bit. It does mean you are cloning and transplanting more often. It's still the same plant count, you're just doing everything twice (or three times or whatever you decide) instead of once.

Another potential issue/downside. If you have the giant flowering room with multiple schedules, timing becomes pretty important to keep everything full. You can't transplant them into the flowering room and give them a few days of veg light cycle. You will need a veg area to feed the flowering room. I'm guessing you will use your cabinets? You need less veg area if you split it up as well. My timing is messed up right now, so I'll have a 2 week gap before my next round. I'll be 'on schedule' after both sides cycle once more.

I'm excited to watch a fellow E&G grower build a room.
I do use GH also, but I'm not a fan of the Lucas technique. I see you DO actually dump the res during the grows, so you're doing more a hybrid approach I guess. My thought on Lucas is this... Let's agree that the plants don't use up everything in the nutrient mixes. Lucas tried to replace what the plants do use without throwing away the leftover nutrients. Doesn't that mean the things the plant doesn't use will build up over time? His goal seemed to be saving money on nutes. While I agree they have incentive to encourage me to use more nutrients. The more I use, the more they sell, the more money they make. I get that. I tend to mix mine a little weak anyway.

I used GH back in the 90's, and even then I knew there recipes were too strong. Rather than looking up the recipe for 50g then dividing the ingredients, I just look them all up for 25g or 30g, or even 40g if I'm hitting them hard. Some of my ingredients I mix closer to "full strength".

Which ones? well specifically, one that I will recommend with this system. Dutch Master's Zone, or I recently started using the made in USA Uncer Current's Roots, are "root conditioners". If you run a sterile reservoir, then I think you should run of these. I tried running this system with a beneficial colony, but I think the conditions out "in the system" are too inhospitable for the bennies. The reservoir might stay OK, but the buckets and tubes probably don't. I couldn't make it work. DM's Zone works awesome.

I have a few tips/mods with this system I can share too. First, add a 'tail' to each bucket. Put elbows into the bucket grommets, and then connect the 'tail' to the T fitting. This makes it possible to re-position the plants better IMHO. It also eliminates an issue some growers have with roots chasing the water into the T and starving the plants further down the circuit. It's simple and cheap and I like it. The other thing I do is raise my buckets a little. I used 2 layers of OSB to make inexpensive little platforms. I thought I had pictures, but I'm not seeing them. I will be starting a new journal soon (next week), so you will see them there. I thought it was in my old journal, but I can't find them.

Sorry for all the rambling. I get exited seeing folks using E&G and GH. It's a great combination.

awesome write up brother!! ++++++reps Thank you for the kind words of encouragement -
Yea i use the lucas formaula but more as a starting point - I DO NOT like going more than 2 weeks without changing the res and I also do add some Bloom and Rapidroot when needed at the appropriate times. I like the basis of his starting point although i understand the second i add anything to it then its not really the lucas formula anymore lol -

Just like my res is 50/50 aero / DWC - I like to mix things up a little bit lol. So I will be using the lucas formua for my starting point in the ebb and grow but i will be res changing like normal probly every two weeks with that 55 gallon res.

thanks for tip on the DM's Zone - I am going to look into this

and lastly Thank you thank you thank you for the tip on adding the extra pigtails to the buckets - what a great idea - i finally got the whole system together last night and ran 8 test flood and drains - Working PERFECT!!! - although its pain with no pigtails - Best idea ever and im going to buy more tubing this weekend to make that upgrade - I already use every inch of that tubing they gave me lol - They do not give you much lol.

Tent will be in today - Cant wait to see that bohemoth of a tent.

 

[mrrobert420]

Yeah, please don't use that title, I was planning on naming MY next journal MRROBERT'S HAREM.

As far as your space, 4 quadrants of 5'x5', each with a 4'x4' scrog net and some walking/crawling space in between. If the 10x10 is accessible from all sides, you're really golden. I have yet to get myself into perpetual, but assuming I can revisit my attic in the winter, I will have about the same square footage as you and my plan would then be Indicas=8 weeks (+1) and Sativas=10 weeks (+2) with an average of 9 or 12 weeks to plan around. A happy middle ground would be roughly 10.5 week turn around per site. Each site is 1-4 plants (more if autos) and if you preload a site every 2.5 weeks with plant(s), your perp will happen at your first chop. Granted, you will likely mistime the harvests in the first revolution, especially if you haven't yet nailed down which strains you will grow, and found specific phenos within each strain that you have also nailed down, but the concept will flesh itself out for you (and hopefully me) over time and with experience. You have so much potential with all that space, and if compartmentalization is an option, might even be good if you can arrange for an off site cloning and early veg op. this way a lot of the headaches can be prescreened for you, all while enabling someone close to you to expand their own cannabotanous knowledge and experience.

Yes this is a great idea - i wanna see the tent set up and actually walk around it so i can see if 6 inches is enough room to access the side or if ill need a full 1 ft to be comfortable - I know the tent i got does not have a glorious amount of opening - so we shall see lol - and like you said also not sure on ht exact strains etc.

I like the idea of perpetual - gonna see if i can get there lol

 

[mrrobert420]

Holy Cow, I don't check your journal for a week, and come back to find I'm way behind in the news.

Congrats on your new setup, its gonna be sweet when everything is all setup and running.
I look forward to following along with your journal for sure. Looks like its gonna be an EPIC grow.
Cheers man.

thanks stealth!! Looks like i will probly use my box for vegging and my tent for flowering - the amount of room is going to be crazy - very anxious and excited, just gotta stay within my plant numbers and i should be fine

PS - your mystery strain is out of control - what a beast - super excited to see what thats gonna do in the last two weeks lol

 

[HunterHunt]

I thought the tent had arrived! I saw your post..... Cant wait for the update!

 

[mrrobert420]

I thought the tent had arrived! I saw your post..... Cant wait for the update!

i know right hahahahahah sorry for the fake out - Im at my office working so i wont even get to see it till after 6 30 tonight!! I have to run by the hydro store and grab a SHIT LOAD of ratchet straps for hanging everything before i get home lol

soooooooooooooooooooooo stoked on the 4 day weekend coming up - I am will be a thankful man this thanksgiving - 4 days straight of grow room building - ughhhhh like a dream vacation!!

I had my employees come in sunday through wednesday so we can have t-day friday saturday and sunday off - whoop whoop.

 

[Hiker]

awesome write up brother!! ++++++reps Thank you for the kind words of encouragement -
Yea i use the lucas formaula but more as a starting point - I DO NOT like going more than 2 weeks without changing the res and I also do add some Bloom and Rapidroot when needed at the appropriate times. I like the basis of his starting point although i understand the second i add anything to it then its not really the lucas formula anymore lol -

Just like my res is 50/50 aero / DWC - I like to mix things up a little bit lol. So I will be using the lucas formua for my starting point in the ebb and grow but i will be res changing like normal probly every two weeks with that 55 gallon res.

thanks for tip on the DM's Zone - I am going to look into this

and lastly Thank you thank you thank you for the tip on adding the extra pigtails to the buckets - what a great idea - i finally got the whole system together last night and ran 8 test flood and drains - Working PERFECT!!! - although its pain with no pigtails - Best idea ever and im going to buy more tubing this weekend to make that upgrade - I already use every inch of that tubing they gave me lol - They do not give you much lol.

Tent will be in today - Cant wait to see that bohemoth of a tent.

You're welcome. Like the rest of life, it's a learning curve.

2 weeks will work for the big res. I go 10-14 days most of the time. I mix the nutes with RO, but I add back plain tap water. The tap water here is VERY hard, so using it lets me add back some extra Ca and Mg. When the plants lower the res level, my ph is usually going down. Since my tap is ph 7.2, adding it also brings my ph right back where I need it. I have a crop in ~week 7 of flower. The 12 plants are using ~10g a day, so I add back ~20g every other day. It could be worse. I have a dehumidifier in there and it pumps the water back into the brain bucket.

I don't know anyone who uses a bucket system that doesn't run sterile. I'm only on my first bottle of the UC Roots product, but it seems to be working as well as DM Zone. Both my shops stopped carrying DM products, so I am trying a competitor this round. So far so good!

The pig-tails work well. Every bucket system on the market does it wrong IMHO.
The platforms are less important, but I won't run without them. Even with Zone, I think leaving the water in the bottom of the buckets causes root rot.
Of course this is my opinion: YMMV, no warranties expressed or implied, not available in all markets, some restrictions apply, batteries not included

Have fun with the new system. I love mine!

 

[Skybound]

are using ~10g a day, so I add back ~20g

Pray tell what the "g" stands for?

 

[mrrobert420]

Pray tell what the "g" stands for?

I would say gallons - thats how im reading it lol

 

[mrrobert420]

wow hiker - 10 gallons a day? thats insane - not used to that amount - Im sure there will be a bit im not used to with this massive addition

 

[Hiker]

yes, gallons
12 large plants at the end of flower should use a lot of water!
A single large plant will use a gallon a day alone at the end of it's life.
I get worried when I don't see the res drop fast enough. Sometimes I worry that the veg trays don't use up the res as fast, but the plants are tiny compared to the big girls.

 

[HunterHunt]

I agree! My DWC papaya was using 1.5 gallons a day just by herself!

 

[mrrobert420]

yes, gallons
12 large plants at the end of flower should use a lot of water!
A single large plant will use a gallon a day alone at the end of it's life.
I get worried when I don't see the res drop fast enough. Sometimes I worry that the veg trays don't use up the res as fast, but the plants are tiny compared to the big girls.

I agree! My DWC papaya was using 1.5 gallons a day just by herself!

oh awesome - thanks for the tip on that - i guess my two plants drink about 1.5 gallon a day right now - they were not when i had on 240 watts of LED but the HPS has made them heavy drinkers - guess i never did the math on 12 plants like that lol here i thought the 55 gallon drum was an overkill - i guess not hahaha - I love this site!

 

[Hiker]

Sorry I made a mistake. I have 18 plants flowering this round (only doing 12 going forward though).

The 55g barrel is a good size. CAP says it can support up to 24 sites. That seems about right based on my experience. I don't recommend 24 though, unless they are small plants.

I like the big barrel because it can go unattended for a few days if needed. The buckets are ~2.5g each, but the rock displaces most of the water. My 18 plants appear to use ~20-25g for a flood cycle. I prefer my res to have AT LEAST double what's needed for a flood cycle, but I prefer triple. This system is sized pretty much perfect. I have 2 of the EBB & Gro systems. For my second one, I had considered a bucket system from a different vendor, but I went with another CAP system. The others use bigger buckets, but for my style of growing, the small buckets work well. The plants aren't in them long enough to really need the larger sites. If the buckets are larger, the floods will require more nutes from the reservoir. They all use the same barrels, so the res for these systems would probably not be a 'triple' size res with 12 plants.

I didn't see if you mentioned this, but there are a couple other things I would recommend...
I have a mix pump and air pump running for ALL 3 of my reservoirs. If the space your reservoir is in is real warm, you might want to put them on a timer though. I've heard growers say the constant pumping of warm air into the res warms it up. Mine stay in the 60s with both pumps running 24/7, but it's something to keep in mind. You need the mixing and aeration, but you could just time it to come on a half hour before your flood cycles. My mix pump is just a 200something gph pump with a ~24" piece of tubing attached. I then took one of the neoprene pucks from the cloner and put it around the end of the tubing to make it float near the top. I try to make it so it's still under the surface of the water as I read a study that determined that the greatest aeration happens with the water is being pushed towards the surface and just makes a little bump on the surface. I know hard to explain in words. Basically the tubing and float are under the surface (except maybe in a flood when the res is low) as much as possible, but close enough to be making a nice big water "hill" on the surface. I like the ~300gph pumps as they should recirc the whole res every 10-15 minutes.

In addition to the mix pump, I run an air pump. IMHO, anything below the "commercial" pump model levels is a waste of $$. You want the little metal body ones that come with a manifold. They are a little louder then the lower end models, but they perform much much better. I have one of these in both of the 55g reservoirs, but I have one of the smaller models still aerating my veg res (just a large tote). I will replace it eventually as the airflow is anemic compared to the better pumps. With a 55g res, you want the bigger air pumps.

 

[mrrobert420]

Well We'll do an update on the plants first lol - my dumbass was testing the box with no ac for 4 days - PERFECT - Insulated the garage and never checked back on the box for 24 hours - needless to say you can see where this is going - box was 95 degrees for like 8 hours - my plants were PISSED!!!!!! - One cola just down right hates me and everything around it - Kinda bummed as i probly killed 25% of my yield but well see - My new tent is so exciting and temps are sooooooo easy to control in there - This should be my last flower in the box

Were 36 days into flower - few more weeks to go - lets see how she rebounds

They are soooo lanky from only getting 240 watts during her stretch - At least she should pack on a few ounces in the next three weeks........

next update coming is the tent build - LOTS AND LOTS OF PICTURES!!

 

[mrrobert420]

Thank you for waiting patiently while I am working diligently on completing this project - One more quick thank you to everyone who assisted me getting to this point - Hunter, stealthgrow, Skybound, Cmon, Hiker, 60cal, B.A.R., Kingjohn - you are all awesome plus everyone else I didnt mention i know there are more THANK YOU!!

The tent was easy to set up - but a pain at the same time - The tent was heavy putting on the frame and that was with two people. I did not get all 4 lights yet - Funds came a little short at the end but well see if i can swing two 600 watts in the next month - Xmas is coming so gotta keep some money lol............... Lots of pics - questions-comments -concerns - lets hear em!!!!!

what an update......... - cant wait to put plants in this week!!!

 

[mrrobert420]

oh yea sphnx and 2blgl - cant believe I forgot you in my shout out - again thank you!

 

[cmon]

You’ve got it made.

 

[mrrobert420]

You’ve got it made.

thanks Cmon now lets see if i can put my limited growing skill to use lol

with only 6 months experience i am not anything but a noob still hahahah