I think consistency, or at least tracking a known quantity of inputs, is important. If you don't do it that way then you are just guessing at a solution when an issue comes up.
I thought you said the pots were "surprisingly light" when you lifted them before watering? And, if that is true, and you find that situation every day, or every other day, then I would still maintain that the issue for that plant is
under watering. Exactly the opposite issue we helped you with on your small plant. That one was over-watered.
Dust and I are giving you two
very different suggestions on watering. He thinks you are dramatically overwatering your plants. He said he gives his 5 gallon pots about a cup of water every 2-3 days. So let's say every 2 days to be generous. That's an average of 4 oz per day in a 5 gallon, or 640 oz container. 4/640=0.00625 or a little over half a percent of container volume on average per day.
I find my mix will hold about 25% of container volume of water when it is thoroughly watered.
Shed, a very knowledgeable and accomplished grower, told you he waters his 7 gallon containers with 2 gallons (2/7=28.57%). He also told you that
@StoneOtter (another very accomplished grower) waters his 10 gallon pots with 2 gallons in mid-flower every other day (or 20%).
All of these waterings are roughly in the same ballpark percentage-wise, but drastically different from Dust's one half of 1%.
So, if your plants don't have good color and the pots are surprisingly light every other day when you pick them up, I still maintain that those plants are both hungry and thirsty.
The more times you can water them with a large amount of water, and therefore a larger amount of nutrients, the faster and larger they will grow. The challenge is you have to develop the roots to handle that amount of water. Your little plant that was struggling did not have a sufficient root system when you up-potted it and that is why it looked the way it did.
So, you're going to have to pick a side because Dust's and my advice are polar opposites.
You still haven't told us what, if anything, you are feeding your plants or, if you are trying to do a 'water-only' grow, what you amended your soil with a month or so before you planted and what you are using for microbes.
So let's have you answer that question next. I think we can get you sorted, but need some background first.
Ultimately it's your grow and they're your plants so you'll have to make the call on all of this. We all are just trying to give you info that was hard won to help shorten your learning curve.
