Nulife's - Aurora Indica - Top-Fed DWC - Grow Journal - 2016

[Nulife]

Good point, good save, fixed!

Nunu, you shouldn't have quoted the guy, now his spam (and his link) still stands, thanks to your reply

Erase it (the quote), still not too late.

 

[Nulife]

9/10/16 - Week 1 - Since two of the plants have leaves showing. I gave them nutes for the first time. I changed the tank water. I gave them Week1 of the nutes schedule, no calimagic.

Measurements for a 5 gal tank @ 5.5ph: (forgot to check the ppms, will post that next tank change)
Microflora: 1 & 1/4 tsp
Groflora: 1 & 1/4 tsp
Bloomflora: 1 & 1/4 tsp
PhDown: 2 & 1/4 tsp

I'm trying to figure out how to work this system smoothly each week, so this might get tweaked. So here's what I did the first time, and I thought it worked mostly well. I emptied out 95% of the water with the water pump already in the tank used for the manifold. I used the same type/size hose I used to attach the manifold, I just cut a bigger strip of it for tank water removal. I unplugged the water pump, pulled the pump out a little bit, untie the filter bag around it, detach the manifold (let that just hang), place the longer hose on the water pump, plug it back in and place the other side of the hose into a bucket for dumping out. It empties out about 4 1/2 gal of water if not a little bit more. Then unplugged it again to remove the long hose, then popped the manifold back on, tied the filter bag around it, then plugged it back in. That went smoothly, now part two...

This picture is of me connecting the larger hose to the water pump after removing the manifold from the pump. The manifold is hanging on the right side.

This is the water being pumping out of the tank with the water pump into the 5gal bucket for dumping.

I mixed up all the nutes in a bucket (outside of tank), ph'd the water to 5.5. Then placed the nute water bucket near the tank placed on a raised up step that I made. Then I used the same hose to emptied out the water to siphon the nute water out of the bucket into the tank. The only problem is taking in nute water when I suck it through the hose. We're going to have to come up with a better way of doing this part. Though it went smoothly I do not appreciate having nute water in my mouth or swallowing. So if anyone has any suggestions how to get 5 gals of nute water into the tank every week, without me needing to lift it, that would be great.


Here I'm siphoning the nute/ph water from the 5 gal bucket that is on top of a step I made into the tank.

Here's Plant3. I'm not sure if Plant3 is going to survive. It doesn't have any leaves. It's been a week, and even though it's popped it hasn't sprouted out yet. But I'm going to give it another week to see if the nute water will give it a boost. If not I will plant another by Sat.

Here's Plant1:

Here's an awesome picture of the first root showing from Plant2.

 

[Nulife]

9/17/16 - Week 2 - So Seed3 never actually sprouted. So I placed a new seed in, to replace it. It was planted 9/16/16. Plant2 has quit a decent amount of roots showing. Plant1 oddly does not have any roots showing. I gave them Week1 of the nutes schedule again since there's a new seedling in the tank, no calimagic. I also put 10ml of Hydroguard in the water (2ml per gal).

Measurements for a 5 gal tank @ 5.5ph & 375ppm.
3gal bucket:
Microflora: 1/2 tsp & 1/4 tsp
Groflora: 1/2 & 1/4 tsp
Bloomflora: 1/2 & 1/4 tsp
PhDown: 1 & 1/4 tsp

2gal bucket:
Microflora: 1/2 tsp
Groflora: 1/2 tsp
Bloomflora: 1/2 tsp
PhDown: 1 tsp

Plant1:

Plant2:

All Plants, and newly planted seed under bowl:

 

[DankestBuds42]

Hey Nulife, your girls look awesome! I have a few AI on the go but mine weren't nearly as big 2 weeks in. Props. Looking forward to seeing their final structure and hella buds!

 

[Nulife]

9/18/16 Week 2 - I decided to put an ice pack into the water. Even with only one 300w LED and insulation, Tent temperature 72, RH 56% the tank temps were about 80-81 degrees. After adding one ice pack the temps dropped to about 74-75. Seed/Plant3 has not popped yet. Roots already look discolored to me for Plant2, not good, so I hope the ice packs help.

I ordered a Water Transfer Pump to help transfer the nute water into the tank (so I don't have to siphon the liquid), hope it works and I get it before the next water change this wknd.



Plant1 Roots, one or two are finally starting to show:

Plant2 Roots:

 

[Nulife]

Dankest, thanks for stopping by. Good to know of other AI growers. I'll have to stop by and take a look.

Hey Nulife, your girls look awesome! I have a few AI on the go but mine weren't nearly as big 2 weeks in. Props. Looking forward to seeing their final structure and hella buds!

 

[Nulife]

9/23/16 - Week 2 - I decided to top Plant 1 & 2 today. Seed3 (the second seed) I planted did not pop either. So I took it out and did the paper towel method with a heating pad underneath it, to try to get it to pop.


Plant1:

Plant2:

Tops:

 

[Turbostang]

Lookin good. I like your setup, very creative..

 

[Nulife]

9/24/16 Week 3 - I changed the tank today. I did Week3 of the Nutes. (I did Week3 of the nutes since I took Seed3 out of the tank)

5gal - ph 5.65 - 552ppms
Micro: 2.5 tsp
Gro: 2.5 tsp
Bloom: 2.5 tsp
Ph Down: 2.5 tsp
HydroGuard: 10ml

Changing the water was so much easier today and faster this week. I think I finally figured out a system that is easier and I didn't have to swallow any nute water trying to siphon the water out. I used my bucket vac to extract all the water out of the tank. Then I added the nute water from the 5 gal bucket to the tank with the Water (Fuel) Transfer Pump I bought. It works flawlessly so far. It's battery powered and it even has an Auto-Stop Sensor. Walla and I was done.

The ice packs seem to be working. I put 2 ice packs into the water around noon, then 2 fresh ones at 5p, then 2 fresh ones at 10p, then a large one around bedtime. It's keeping the tank under 72degrees.

Plant1 has some nice roots growing out:

Plant2:

Fuel/Water Transfer Pump:

 

[Croatsan]

How often are you changing your res? Every week?

 

[Nulife]

Yes the goal is every 6-8 days. I know it's not that necessary now, but when the roots get huge, I definitely should change it that much. I'm just trying to get use to the system and streamline it.

How often are you changing your res? Every week?

 

[Nulife]

9/26/16 Week 3 (23 Days to be exact) - These babies are growing crazy fast, the roots are already insane, at least on Plant2.

Though I have read endlessly that Hydro produces faster growth, that is not what I'm experiencing. My Northern Lights and my Raspberry Cough planted in 3gal air pots in coco/perlite mix definitely had faster fuller growth at 3 weeks, and I was only only watering every few days the first few weeks. If I was watering every day, then it would've been even faster. So I think the combo of the airpots and the airy mixture of coco/perlite so far is the winner in faster growth, based on photos I have posted in each journal. But lets see how the next few weeks looks with the roots all the way in the water, perhaps that will kick up the speed doubly fast. Though I can say so far the Hydro medium is easier. Probably about 20 minutes a week of work versus 30 minutes a day with coco/perlite mix.

The roots on Plant2's roots are in the water a good 2-3", so I have removed the hose that's connected to the manifold and placed it in a non-used netpot. This way oxygen still gets into the water another way, instead of just shutting it off. Plant2 will just get what she needs from what roots are in the nute water.

Plant1's roots are just about in the water but I want a good mass of roots before I removed the hose of water to another netpot.

I'm still trying to get the Aurora Seed (Seed3) popped, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen. Even if it does, I'll have to plant it into a pot with some coco/perlite mix at this point. It's too far behind the other two plants. So it looks like there will only be 2 plants in this tank, for this grow.

I've also come to learn that the roots are healthy, they're just stained from the nutes mixture. If they develop anything that looks like "snots" around the roots and if the water smells funky then that's a sign there's a problem. But since I'm going to be changing the water every 6-8 days, I'm keeping ice packs in the water to keep the water temp below 72 degrees, and I'm using hydroguard every tank change I shouldn't have a problem, hopefully. But I will do a visual and smell check every day.

The plants have been topped and fimmed. I don't think I'm going to do too much intense training on these plants. I want to see how they grow naturally unless of course they get out of hand. lol


Plant2:

Both plants:

 

[Nulife]

9/28/16: Week 3 - Not sure it this is a problem, if anyone knows what this is can you please tell. Thank you.

This is what's showing up on some of the leaves of Plant1 only, there is absolutely no signs of this on Plant2. Yellow texture spots within the between the veins. Is there a problem or normal? I'm not using calimagic, should I be? Not sure if this is a calcium deficiency. If it is, should I simply raise the PH or add calimagic? My Nutes schedule is on page one. I'm on Week3 of the nutes schedule. PH is 5.65, 552ppm. Last tank water change on 9/24 Saturday. Water is under 72 degrees. RH Humidity 50%, Room Temps 77. Roots looks good, clean and healthy, nothing brown, or slimy or smelly. Root pics on the 9/24. Is this something to worry about?

 

[Nulife]

They drank a gallon already, so I added a gallon of 5.65ph water to the tank today.

 

[Nulife]

10/2/16 Week 4 - I changed the tank today. I did Week4 of the nute's schedule. Everything looks good, now Plant1 is 6"and is getting bigger than Plant2 (5") by a smidge.

5gal - ph 5.75 - 866ppms - Tank Temps 67-69F
Micro: 5 tsp
Gro: 5 tsp
Bloom: 5 tsp
Ph Down: 2 tsp
HydroGuard: 10ml


Plant2:

Plant1:

 

[Nulife]

10/3/16 Week 4 - So I change the tank again. I realize I did the wrong nutes schedule yesterday. I gave them nutes for the transition period, and they're not ready for flowering yet. So I'm suppose to continue Week3 of the nutes schedule until I'm ready to switch them to flowering. So now they have a fresh tank with Week3 of the nutes schedule.

5.70ph 528ppm

 

[PTSDgrower]

528ppm, great spot to be. How big are you going for ?

 

[Nulife]

Hi Ptsdgrower, good question. I was going to decide after this week if they'll need another week or not. They're at 6 & 7" now. I think they should both be at least 8-9" before I switch to flowering. Any suggestions? I have never grown this strain before or grown in DWC before. Do people usually switch in their 4, 5 or 6th week, or simply based on size?

528ppm, great spot to be. How big are you going for ?

 

[PTSDgrower]

I like to get mine to the maximum space that my light can handle

 

[Nulife]

10/9/16 Week 5 - Today I changed the tank, I did Week4 of the nutes schedule because I'm going to be switching to flowering schedule tonight. I've placed a scrog net over them as well. I'm hoping with the flowering stretch they'll fill up the rest of the net frame. It seems like they're drinking two gals of water a week. I've topped off with ph water only.

5.75ph 740ppm