Rifleman's Roost Open 24/7: Perpetually Perplexed

[Ganjagrowergu]

Lol, perfect sense. I have a heck of a buzz too.

I'm not sure I would be able to afford the ph perfect line. I suppose using other less expensive nutrient lines I would be looking at more frequent full reservoir changes. Water here is free and I have less than 20ft from it to the grow, so not a big hassle.

I probably cant run DWC here in the summer unless I bought a chiller. Even with QBs, my tent gets in mid 90s+ when summer is at it's worst. Sativas love that crap. May have to be next winter's project.

I am going to be breeding sativas in the sweltering summer heat. (Columbian Punto Rojo x Durban Bubble) F1 x Columbian Gold. Only have to decide if I want feminized or regular crosses.

Now who's chatty?

 

[Rifleman]

I buy the pH Perfect in gallon jugs about every 18 months. All three gallons (m,g,b x 1each) together come in at less than $150us. That and a cheap cal-mag is all the nutrients i use. Been through the entire master series of additives, side by side grows and all, and there are only a couple i would consider adding...if i find them at a nice price. Otherwise i stay with the base nutrients and do well. <tooting my own bong> Not much difference in cost to other brands when I factor in the ease.

 

[Rifleman]

BT and 4A both took 4 quarts to top off today. That's 16 quarts for 4A, or an entire bucket worth since the last water change. Looks like I'll be mixing nutrients and cleaning buckets tomorrow. It'll take about an hour if I do all four. Wake and bake, water change, then a big breakfast off sausage, fried eggs, cathead biscuits, gravy, and black coffee.

 

[Rifleman]

Highdee Hoooo hydro students, guests, friends, family, and you. Yeah you, lurking over there in the corner without a care in the world. Somebody throw a rock at that stoner and wake him up. It's water change day !

I topped off 4A, SS, and BT this morning and due to the amount of water they have used this week it is time for another water change. So......

After topping off everyone's bucket I took ppm and pH reading of each plant and recorded it in my notebook. Remember the take notes lesson ? Well I've got a treat for you today. A rare glimpse into how I keep everything straight and not get confused as to where, what, when, and why.

After taking the readings and consulting the chart from a couple of pages back, I decided what to do with each plant separately. Hint, I raised the amount of nutrients in three of them, and decreased them in another. Y'all studying this with the desire to attempt DWC in the future, take a look at my notes below and the previous chart in post #2635 and figure out why I did, what I did nutrient wise. If you catch on to that, then you've really unlocked the secret to DWC. Simple and straightforward ? Ask em if ya got em ?

View media item 1650470
After studying the notes you might wonder why plants getting the exact same nutrient recipe have different "ppm in" readings. It happens when using cheap plastic eyedroppers to measure out nutrients, 3ml at a time. In a perfect world each dropper would contain exactly 3ml, i'd never lose count , and everything would be very close to the same. In my world, inexact is close enough. Again DWC isn't that hard or complicated. Even an old man nearly deaf, and half blind can do it.

 

[Rifleman]

Top off buckets, sleep, top off buckets. Rinse repeat.

4A + 2qt
SS + 1qt
BT + 2.5 qt
DC --------

And a shot of everyone except DC who is hiding near the fan.

20190204_090743.jpg

• Rifleman
• Feb 4, 2019

2-4-19

 

[Rifleman]

4A and BT both took another gallon of top off water today.

I cut the reversed branch from the NCH and shook it vigorously around the flowers on everyone else before throwing it away. If it's not pollinated by now it never will be. In truth I left it in too long. The two big girls are likely going to be seed heavy.

 

[Rifleman]

It's easy to tell y'all what is going on in the garden, but it's easier and might help you more if I put into visual terms. Yep, open your eyes and feast on some dwc notes. I do this for every grow, although not always everyday like you see here.

View media item 1651352

If y'all have suggestions, questions, thoughts, ideas, or just want to say "we didnt do it that way back home" then spit it out.

 

[Rifleman]

PSA.... I do not sell, nor ship seeds.

I know everyone is on a budget, and cheap seeds are an attraction. But before you ask, read the headline above. Please don't ask me to violate local/federal laws.

 

[Ganjagrowergu]

PSA.... I do not sell, nor ship seeds.

Smart thinking to add this. People appear to sometimes get the wrong impression of personal breeding programs... lol

Also, I am still following along with your dwc lessons. Unfortunately, Wife(the real boss) says no to hydroponics in our upstairs apartment. I had to let that one slide and instead will be pushing for more new lights, lol.

 

[Rifleman]

..........Unfortunately, Wife(the real boss) says no to hydroponics in our upstairs apartment.

Wise Lady. Running DWC in buckets like I do would not be wise in an apartment. Downstairs would have a constant roar from the buckets bubbling.... ask me how I know.

 

[Rifleman]

4A + 3qts, total 11
SS + 1 qt, total 3.5
BT + 4qts, total 14

20190207_090150.jpg

• Rifleman
• Feb 7, 2019

2-7-19
350w of 3500K COB

BT(back L) has exploded in growth this week. I was lazy setting up the tent and did not hang the filter, if it weren't for my earlier problems there would not be room for them all with the fans and filter on the floor. Story of my life.

Later Y'all.

 

[TorturedSoul]

Wise Lady. Running DWC in buckets like I do would not be wise in an apartment. Downstairs would have a constant roar from the buckets bubbling.... ask me how I know.

They just sound like those bait tanks that some people keep in their homes to me. Now fans that run continuously for 12 (or 18) hours a day, every day, on the other hand... .

 

[Ganjagrowergu]

They just sound like those bait tanks that some people keep in their homes to me. Now fans that run continuously for 12 (or 18) hours a day, every day, on the other hand... .

I run my fan 24hrs per day, been doing it so long that there is an immediate eerie silence when I have to shut her down for a couple of minutes....

I know where my wife is coming from. I am clumsy and am constantly weaving my way between children and dogs, plus being more than half baked more than half of the time brings clumsy... a five gallon bucket spilled up here would be catastrophic.

 

[Rifleman]

Topped off water this morning and realized two of the four had drank 14 and 18quarts since Sunday. Time to take readings and change the solution in the buckets. Three were changed and little DC was left to ride it out. Those three got a bump in nutrients also, 30ml m,g,b 18ml calmag, 9ml Hydroguard, 2ml Z7. Stats below.

4A day 44 - ppm out 740, pH out 6.9@73, drank 14qts, ppm in 1260, pH in 6.1@71

SS day 40 - ppm out 903, pH out 6.7@73, drank 4.5qts, ppm in 1160, pH in 6.1@71

BT day 39 - ppm out 519, pH out 6.9@73, drank 18qts, ppm in 1240, pH in 6.2@71

DC Day 35 - ppm 867, pH 6.9@74, drank 1/2qt..... did not get changed

 

[Rifleman]

As always the days just following a water change are spent busy topping off the buckets. It went something like this today:

4A day 45 +3qts

SS day 41 +2qts <~~~~finally coming to the party

BT day 40 +5qts This girl has POTM written all over her. Getting ginormous.

DC day 36 +1qt Will probably get a water change tomorrow depending on pH/ppm readings.

 

[Rifleman]

Since I did not have enough dechlorinated water sitting around Friday not everyone got their water changed and bucket cleaned. Fixed that this morning. DC had a ppm of 811 and pH of 7.2@72... had. Now she is sitting pretty at 930ppm and a pH of 6.4@70

The real news is how much top off water is being used by the others, particularly BT. Remember the totals below represent water usage since Friday morning(roughly 48hrs ago exactly) when everyone else got fresh buckets.

4A day 46, +4qts = 7qts total

SS day 42, +1.5qts = 3.5qts total

BT day 41, +5qts = 10qts total <~~~told y'all she's gonna be a beauty.

Tomorrow's top off session will not be as dramatic. If it is I'm just going to run a hose to BT and let her reach out and take what she wants whenever.

 

[Rifleman]

Monday Morning Top Off Time. Yeah again...

4A day 47, +2qt = 9qts total

SS day 43, +1.5qt = 5qts total

BT day 42, +4qts = 14qts total

DC day 38, +0qts = 0qts total

Tomorrow morning after topping off the buckets I'll take some ppm and pH readings. There is no doubt that BT will get a fresh bucket tomorrow too. In three days she has used nearly the entire reservoir which I try to keep at a 16qt level. By Wednesday I expect 4A to have used enough water to possibly need a reservoir change too. We'll have to wait and see though.

Here are some photos of the small and large of the garden this morning.

20190211_091930.jpg

• Rifleman
• Feb 11, 2019

2-11-19

20190211_091949.jpg

• Rifleman
• Feb 11, 2019

2-11-19

20190211_091957.jpg

• Rifleman
• Feb 11, 2019

2-11-19

 

[West Hippie]

Monday Morning Top Off Time. Yeah again...

4A day 47, +2qt = 9qts total

SS day 43, +1.5qt = 5qts total

BT day 42, +4qts = 14qts total

DC day 38, +0qts = 0qts total

Tomorrow morning after topping off the buckets I'll take some ppm and pH readings. There is no doubt that BT will get a fresh bucket tomorrow too. In three days she has used nearly the entire reservoir which I try to keep at a 16qt level. By Wednesday I expect 4A to have used enough water to possibly need a reservoir change too. We'll have to wait and see though.

Here are some photos of the small and large of the garden this morning.

20190211_091930.jpg

• Rifleman
• Feb 11, 2019

2-11-19

20190211_091949.jpg

• Rifleman
• Feb 11, 2019

2-11-19

20190211_091957.jpg

• Rifleman
• Feb 11, 2019

2-11-19

I use the RO h2o at a tds of 13 ppm then at 25% nutrients I have about 356 ppm which checking your grow is on tap water , my tap water is over 300 ppm . My question is the ppm level of 356 do I try to maintain the 356 ppm or watch it devour the nutrients like I’m doing till the next h2o change? I usually run it down to 175 ppm then change it out!

 

[Rifleman]

I use the RO h2o at a tds of 13 ppm then at 25% nutrients I have about 356 ppm which checking your grow is on tap water , my tap water is over 300 ppm . My question is the ppm level of 356 do I try to maintain the 356 ppm or watch it devour the nutrients like I’m doing till the next h2o change? I usually run it down to 175 ppm then change it out!

I just let the ppm free fall, topping off with nutrient free water only. Many others prefer to top off with a dilute nutrient solution. Both will work, one only need find which they prefer and then by trial and error and note taking, a system or procedure will be found that works for each different gardener.

I don't know what nutrients you're using, so I can't say if 356ppm is a good amount of not. Use the chart I sent you and compare what is going on with your water consumption, ppm, and pH. Then do what the chart says. You may be able to bump up the feed some without burning tips and gain harvest weight.

 

[West Hippie]

I just let the ppm free fall, topping off with nutrient free water only. Many others prefer to top off with a dilute nutrient solution. Both will work, one only need find which they prefer and then by trial and error and note taking, a system or procedure will be found that works for each different gardener.

I don't know what nutrients you're using, so I can't say if 356ppm is a good amount of not. Use the chart I sent you and compare what is going on with your water consumption, ppm, and pH. Then do what the chart says. You may be able to bump up the feed some without burning tips and gain harvest weight.

I top off every morning, I use Advanced Nutrients the Connoisseur part a&b grand master line up for hydro.
I’ve been getting mostly keep doing what I’m doing, six days of running on this batch of h2o and nutrients under 200 ppm the ph starts to rise which yesterday was around 205 ppm and the ph was 5.6 which it stays on 5.5 from the start . If it gets to 5.8 before the 7 day water and nutrients change I go ahead and change it ! Tomorrow’s change was thinking 50% instead of the 25% nutrients.
Thanks for the reply the free fall is how we have been doing it since @Grandpa Tokin gave me your chart , I see quite a few using it .