Starting first grow LED/DWC - questions.

2

2_minutes_hate

Well-Known Member
I'm starting my first grow, and want to journal the experience.

I've got 2 2'x4'x6' tents, each with two Induxpert 270w draw LED panels (advertised as 600w equivalent), with carbon filters and exhaust fans for both. Each tent will have two plants in DWC buckets, and I've got some screen ready to set up and scrog once I get that far.

https://www.amazon.com/Induxpert-600W-LED-Light-Growth/dp/B06ZXXYV65/

I've attached pictures of most everything I've got, plan to start germinating in the morning using a wet paper towels in a pair of saucers, while I hang the carbon filters and fans and get everything plugged in and full of water. I have a few questions:

Do I need to do anything to the water I use to germinate or is tap fine?

Do I also need to do anything to the clay grow pellets aside from put them in the net pot and keep them wet?

Should I prep the water and buckets and such as if there's a plant in them while I wait for the beans to sprout?

Last, I initially planned on getting two of the air stones per bucket, but somehow miscounted while ordering and only got 6. Will these work fine with 1 stone per bucket in one tent, or should I go ahead and order another pair?

Much appreciated if you can answer any of my questions, or see anything I'm missing.

Thanks in advance!
 

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Yodaweed

Yodaweed

Well-Known Member
2_minutes_hate said:
I'm starting my first grow, and want to journal the experience.

I've got 2 2'x4'x6' tents, each with two Induxpert 270w draw LED panels (advertised as 600w equivalent), with carbon filters and exhaust fans for both. Each tent will have two plants in DWC buckets, and I've got some screen ready to set up and scrog once I get that far.

https://www.amazon.com/Induxpert-600W-LED-Light-Growth/dp/B06ZXXYV65/

I've attached pictures of most everything I've got, plan to start germinating in the morning using a wet paper towels in a pair of saucers, while I hang the carbon filters and fans and get everything plugged in and full of water. I have a few questions:

Do I need to do anything to the water I use to germinate or is tap fine?

Do I also need to do anything to the clay grow pellets aside from put them in the net pot and keep them wet?

Should I prep the water and buckets and such as if there's a plant in them while I wait for the beans to sprout?

Last, I initially planned on getting two of the air stones per bucket, but somehow miscounted while ordering and only got 6. Will these work fine with 1 stone per bucket in one tent, or should I go ahead and order another pair?

Much appreciated if you can answer any of my questions, or see anything I'm missing.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
get a ph pen, most important thing when doing hydro.
wash those grow pellets off until the water comes out clean.
good luck.
 
Samblakaka

Samblakaka

Active Member
Looks like a good set up to me...I'll be following this for updates! The only thing I'd say is you can germinate using tap water, but I'd also say it depends on where you live. The tap water where I am here in Vegas is horrible...I wouldn't give it to my dog...it tests at around 500ppm regularly and they load it with all kinds of chlorine and shit....I prefer using RO water for everything in my grow and then you have total control over what is in the water. Why not give your beans a nice start in nothing but regular RO water? Seeds will grow in cracks in concrete, they're rough little survivors...but if you used tap water somewhere like where I live, your seed would be very sad if it germinated and survived somehow
 
2

2_minutes_hate

Well-Known Member
Samblakaka said:
Looks like a good set up to me...I'll be following this for updates! The only thing I'd say is you can germinate using tap water, but I'd also say it depends on where you live. The tap water where I am here in Vegas is horrible...I wouldn't give it to my dog...it tests at around 500ppm regularly and they load it with all kinds of chlorine and shit....I prefer using RO water for everything in my grow and then you have total control over what is in the water. Why not give your beans a nice start in nothing but regular RO water? Seeds will grow in cracks in concrete, they're rough little survivors...but if you used tap water somewhere like where I live, your seed would be very sad if it germinated and survived somehow
Click to expand...
Right on, our water is super clean. It tests 6.5-7.5ppm out of the tap! Since it's that clean, I'm gonna go ahead and use tap for my first grow/germ and see how it treats me.

I just put 2 Mephisto Sour Crack beans in a saucer with wet paper towels on top and bottom, and placed it near a space heater to keep them warm. I'm still trying to decide on the strain for the other 2/tent. Mephisto sent me like 10 free seeds with my order, including a strain that wasn't on my list. I think I'm gonna try that out to see how she grows.
 
Samblakaka

Samblakaka

Active Member
That's very impressive tap water, I'm a bit jealous lol. Since you're starting from seed I will say this though....don't be "that guy" who throws his seedling under an intense light and expects explosive growth...the root structure needs time to build, and this may vary but I give my seedlings a good 2 weeks to possibly pushing a month under a 25 watt single bulb t5 light to establish good roots before moving it to veg...roots=fruits and if your root system isn't well established enough, even if you don't see problems in veg, when you switch to flower you will see what I'm talking about. Fan leaves will die off since the plant is seeping nitrogen from them to support the explosive growth flowering incurs in the first few weeks, because the roots are insufficient to provide the plant with what it needs. Slow your roll, take your time, and also remember...the less you do the more you get. Don't be negligent, but don't suffer from OCD (obsessive crop disorder) where you do that "hovering thing" and the plants just want nothing more than for you to disappear until needed :)
 
2

2_minutes_hate

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the advice! All 4 of these lights have a veg and flower array. I was thinking that to start out, I'd just use the veg and try to keep them a little higher (since these are the only lights I have) to keep the intensity down and let them gain root. Since I chose to start out with autoflowering strains exclusively, I'm thinking I'll use the full spectrum and the same light cycle from start to finish after the plant is ready.

But yeah, a big part of the reason I want to journal/post here is to keep me from overdoing it.

Welp! I've got em in paper towels, covered, and hopefully keeping warm. I'll check them before I finish rigging the tents in the morning and see if there's been any movement.
 

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Jypsy Dog

Jypsy Dog

Well-Known Member
2_minutes_hate said:
Do I also need to do anything to the clay grow pellets aside from put them in the net pot and keep them wet?
Click to expand...
You don't keep them wet in DWC. They are there to stabilize the plant. Sounds like you need to do some more research on your new hobby, DWC can go "south" with a lack of understanding. You also need to be able to calibrate that pH meter, and calibrate those cheap one's once a week.
After you kill a couple plants, DWC gets pretty easy.
 
be4meliz

be4meliz

Well-Known Member
using bubble buckets, get one of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HE9YEM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and using holesaw, cut access hole in lid to change water, draw samples, add nutes, etc- the root ball will get so big it will help you access res.. good ppm/ec meter and ph meter is a must and also water supply( i'm running 12 buckets and go thru 25 gal. a day when full flower and veg) use scrog or LST to keep plants spread for more light penetration.
 
auto1dwc

auto1dwc

Well-Known Member
Jypsy Dog said:
You don't keep them wet in DWC. They are there to stabilize the plant. Sounds like you need to do some more research on your new hobby, DWC can go "south" with a lack of understanding. You also need to be able to calibrate that pH meter, and calibrate those cheap one's once a week.
After you kill a couple plants, DWC gets pretty easy.
Click to expand...
Samblakaka said:
That's very impressive tap water, I'm a bit jealous lol. Since you're starting from seed I will say this though....don't be "that guy" who throws his seedling under an intense light and expects explosive growth...the root structure needs time to build, and this may vary but I give my seedlings a good 2 weeks to possibly pushing a month under a 25 watt single bulb t5 light to establish good roots before moving it to veg...roots=fruits and if your root system isn't well established enough, even if you don't see problems in veg, when you switch to flower you will see what I'm talking about. Fan leaves will die off since the plant is seeping nitrogen from them to support the explosive growth flowering incurs in the first few weeks, because the roots are insufficient to provide the plant with what it needs. Slow your roll, take your time, and also remember...the less you do the more you get. Don't be negligent, but don't suffer from OCD (obsessive crop disorder) where you do that "hovering thing" and the plants just want nothing more than for you to disappear until needed :)
Click to expand...
Root systems can be encouraged to grow better with a root boost or stimulator. This needs to be used from the start.
 
auto1dwc

auto1dwc

Well-Known Member
Question 2.
Your nutes can last up to three weeks mixed with the water.
I fill my res a couple hours before I transplant the seedling into Rockwool.
I also turn on the air pump as well to circulate the water and to prevent it sitting still.
Putting the pump on also provides a dissolved oxygen pocket at the top off the bucket, I personally think this creates quick growth at the start.
To prevent the water creating algae I use a bacterial enzym to protect the water from algae, and bad bacteria which forms through high water temps.
So yes you can mix your nutes and have the water bubbling away even though the roots haven't shown.
Plant roots stretch and grow to find the water, and the roots locate the water in no time at all.
 
auto1dwc

auto1dwc

Well-Known Member
When it comes to how many air stones, first consider whether the pump his the right copasity to feed enough oxygen through each stone.
Are you using 1 air pump per bucket or relying on splitters to divide the oxygen.
 
auto1dwc

auto1dwc

Well-Known Member
Yodaweed said:
get a ph pen, most important thing when doing hydro.
wash those grow pellets off until the water comes out clean.
good luck.
Click to expand...
And ensure as soon as the roots touch the water that your ph is steady and stays that way.
The two most common problems with dwc is calcium and ph.
Some nutes stay steady and some don't.
 
2

2_minutes_hate

Well-Known Member
Jypsy Dog said:
You don't keep them wet in DWC. They are there to stabilize the plant. Sounds like you need to do some more research on your new hobby, DWC can go "south" with a lack of understanding. You also need to be able to calibrate that pH meter, and calibrate those cheap one's once a week.
After you kill a couple plants, DWC gets pretty easy.
Click to expand...
Thanks! I've got a TDS and calibration solution on the way.
 
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