Roseman's Closet-Grow Tutorial

[SmokeDoggy]

Another good tip while we're talking about reflective walls, is to try some of the "drawer liner" stuff. It usually is already sticky on one side, a lot less inconspicuous than mylar, does not create hotspots (no crinkling) just in case, and it is flat white. I use it in my micro box (20x36x25) and it works awesome. The whole box now "glows" on all 4 walls, ceiling, and floor. It also doesn't bunch up or fall down, etc.. Not dissing mylar, but this is a lot easier to come by and work with, and it seems to do just fine for me. Just my $0.02...

 

[Roseman]

Time to get my tanks ready and wash them.
These two lids have seen a total of 7 grows, and the white you see is mineral salts, or mineral deposits from my well water. These mineral deposits are often feared to be MOLD, and are often seen on the lids, the rims of the grow cups, on the rockwool cubes and on the Hydroton rocks. MOLD will stink, be slimey, be thick, and have black streaks or black spots in it.
Minearal Deposits will NOT smell or stink, will be very thin and will be gritty. The mineral deposits are not to be feared or worried about and will cause no harm, if you clean them up after each grow.

To clean the lids, I will be using a CLR remover, Calcium, Lime and Rust remover, meant to be used in bathrooms. I will use a stiff brush, and a metal mesh pan scrubber. To rinse the CLR off of the lids and be sure I did not leave any, I will use common vinegar to rinse everything.
Vinegar is very safe and works well for cleaning up after and before a hydroponic grow.

 

[DW4174]

What do you think about the stuff called polywrap like mentioned in the FAQs section? Do you think is reflects as well?

 

[Roseman]

That was a lot of scrubbing and work, but they look good as new now. The vinegar really works well as a rinsing acid.

​

All that hard scrubbing and I had to have some liquid refreshment and a smoke to adjust my attitude.

 

[Roseman]

DWW4174, Mylar is the new word or brand word used for polywrap.

 

[Roseman]

Great Post, SmokeDoggy. I used your suggestion.

 

[SmokeDoggy]

Great Post, SmokeDoggy.

Thanks! I of course didn't mean for that comment to go to you - by all means, you do what you do best, I was merely sharig an idea and some folks may have that in their house already!

Sooner or later I will have to go and put the Bubblehead logo in my sig, as I will "be worthy" enough..

 

[MostlyCrazy]

You already did what Bubbleheads do! Help others freely with gained knowledge! Wear the badge!

 

[Roseman]

Cleaning the Water Pumps

Look at these pics of this pump and see the old dead decayed roots hung up in the filter, inside the pump.











There is all kinds of dead root trash in that pump.

For three years, and 5 grows, I used a smaller water pump, a 185 gph pump. (gallon per hour) Now I have started using these 240 gph pumps, because they last longer and have a built in filter in them. Now I am seeing I need to replace those filters, but I can not find replacement filters for them. I bet I could make something with a nylon mesh pan scrubber. It will take me an hour with the eyebrow tweezers to get the dead root pieces out of this pump, and I have three pumps to clean. I think when these pumps quit working, I will go back to the cheaper smaller pumps and only use them one time and toss them. I could sell my crappy used old grow supplies on ebey like everyone else does. LOL


The smaller 140 gph pumps run cooler, are much cheaper at about $12 to $14, and deliver the trickle I need. I think they are more disposable too. These larger 240 gph pumps run hotter, cost $18 to $20 each, and the filters are too difficult to clean. I would never recommend any larger.

I am starting to see a lot of growers go to FILTER BAGS. A draw-string bag made of nylon screen, that the water pump sits in, to filter out the trash.

IF you use your same water pumps a 2nd time and have a pH problem, it might be the dead root particles trapped in your old water pumps.

I am taking these pumps apart and cleaning them as good as I can with a tooth brush and compressed air and some eyebrow tweezers.

 

[funkydope]

Amazin post Roseman....I'm Subscribed. I will also be starting a thread from startup to harvest. My system will utilize the SH DWC buckets that have been converted to bubblers, 400watt HPS, and my environment will be in one of the new 4X4X6.7 HydroHut's.

 

[Roseman]

Time to check out my Irrigation Hubs, also called Irigation Manifolds.
To clean them, I start reeming them with a piece of wire, and then use a can of compressed air to clean them. Then I always reem them out good with a 1/16 drill bit, then do them again with a 5/64 drill bit. I want to make sure each outlet is not clogged up. I do not want a big stream or flow of water, I only want a slight trickle.






Of course this is not necesary if you start with a NEW pump or hub.

 

[Roseman]

They appear to be unclogged and working great after I cleaned them! Before I cleaned them, half the outlets were clogged.









I am glad I had the electric drill, the can of compressed air and the small wire to clean them with.

 

[Roseman]

Now I am going to soak my water pumps in some pH balanced water. Those filters in the pumps might still have a speck of root in them, and that would sure cause havoc to my pH later.

 

[lilmafia513]

roseman, no pics showed up

 

[Roseman]

A couple years ago, I went to Lowes and bought two feet lenghts of 1/2 inch, 3/4 inch and one inch clear pastic tubing. Each tube will very tighly and snuggly fit into the next bigger size and I use them to connect my water pumps to the Irrigation Hubs. I can cut them to the needed lenght and they fit just right on any brand of pump or irrigation manifold.

I also use the one inch tube to drain my tanks.

 

[Roseman]

Will that cleaning technique work for any ph meter? I own one that was not supposed to dry out and it did. Im getting ready to start a new grow your help would be mighty helpfull.

Welcome to my thread.
It sure beats using clorox.
Clorox Bleach does not rinse off easily.

 

[Roseman]

Subscribed .... I wanna know the same thing for my ppm meter. He goes over the pH meter stuff in the first couple pages.

I will get to the ppm meter and all the others supplies eventually, but YES, CLR works wonders on cleaning any hydro supplies and rinses off with vinegar easily too.

Clorox Bleach, clorine, clorinated rinking water and bleach, are all a conspiracy to kill as many of us as possible. Carcigens, they are called. You can not buy a bottle of bleach jel or any clorox cleaner to clean toilets that does not leak. They make it leak to get on you.

 

[Roseman]

Took another hour to get the two meters to agree within .5 difference, which is really a broad difference, but one I will accept.

What's the ole saying? A man with one watch knows what time it is, but a guy with 2 watches is never quite sure. lol

If I could go back and edit that post, I would add that .

 

[Roseman]

Another good tip while we're talking about reflective walls, is to try some of the "drawer liner" stuff. It usually is already sticky on one side, a lot less inconspicuous than mylar, does not create hotspots (no crinkling) just in case, and it is flat white. I use it in my micro box (20x36x25) and it works awesome. The whole box now "glows" on all 4 walls, ceiling, and floor. It also doesn't bunch up or fall down, etc.. Not dissing mylar, but this is a lot easier to come by and work with, and it seems to do just fine for me. Just my $0.02...

I had time to edit my post and I added your suggestion.
Thanks, SmokeDoggy.

 

[Roseman]

You already did what Bubbleheads do! Help others freely with gained knowledge! Wear the badge!

Amen, my BubbleHead brother.

I do appreciate any helpful tips, or calling out misspelled words, using abbreviations and not telling what they stand for, not explaining anything well, etc, etc, etc, especially from any of the BubbleHead Gang.
So help me if you can with suggestions.