What am I doing wrong? First time DWC.

[agesbuds]

Hello. I have started a DWC and it doesnt look to be going too well! I started seeds in soil and when they got about 5 inches tall, I rinsed the soil off and threw them into 5gal DWC buckets. I have a feeling something is wrong because the far right bucket is from two weeks ago and it hasnt grown but one inch. What do I need to do? To start them off I make the water a 5.7 ph reading. Then I add about 8ml of iguana grow to the water. Next I added about 6 drops of H2o2. Then I add about half cap of No SHock. And last I added 4ml of calMag. What could be going on? I took pics of the temp in my tent. And the nutes I used. I dont know how to figure the internal bucket water temp, or PPM as I dont have a tool for them. What should I start to do or stop or add more? My roots on week two. The others just started

 

[sky rocket]

If your plant is healthy and that's the only thing wrong that you see it could just be genetics. It just may be a runt. Are the roots in that particular bucket healthy? When doing dwc personally I think its a must to have the proper tools (ppm and ph meter) when growing. That's takes out some of th guess work when growing. When you put your hand in the water does it feel some what cool or warm?

 

[smilinjack]

Ok, I'll give ya what I know. I am on my 3rd grow with dwc and this is the first time I used good genetics. Don't know about starting them in soil then moving them to dwc. I just germinate the seed then stick it directly into a soaked rockwool cube then put them in the dwc but I also use a top feed tube in my dwc. You don't need real big water pumps, I think the ones i'm using are 1 or 2 gallon/hr pumps, costs a bit more to setup but it's worth the investment I think, makes starting things off easier. As far as your nutes go, I don't know, I don't grow organic, I use GH Flora Series w/koolbloom and florakleen to flush. I will say that if you are going to grow in a dwc you will have to have a EC or PPM meter, otherwise you will have a difficult time getting your levels right, also investing in a ec or ppm or better yet ec/ppm meter allows you to push your plant more aggressively with nutrients for optimal growing because you can maintain a consistent level of nutes. As far as your temps in your buckets, you can pretty well assume that unless you are chilling the water in the buckets, the temp will be either room temp or a couple of degrees hotter due to the lights. Hope that helps ya a bit.

 

[mikmike]

what is your ph after u give them all those nuts. I check my ph twice a day sometimes once. normally when lights turns on and then once again before it turns off. I notice sometimes ph varies after nuts and 24 hours. i will be at 5.5 before nuts and then add nuts i get about 5.9 so i lower it and then the next day it is like 6.4 then lower it again to about 5.6 and then it is normally steady but i still check every day. so check ph all the time. and then what is the ppm/ec

 

[Hugo Phurst]

I'd say the delayed growth is because of the stress/shock of switching from soil to hydro.

Been there, done it, not doing it again.

 

[BigBuddahCheese]

I'd say the delayed growth is because of the stress/shock of switching from soil to hydro.

Been there, done it, not doing it again.
View attachment 2188164

Weird when I take kind-clones in any other medium to DWC ... I never get shock like that actually its the opposite they take off and rocket with growth.

 

[nick88]

your going to have to get a ppm meter and a thermometer or your pretty much gonna have trouble the whole way thru with lower yields. The 2 main things in hydro are water temps and ph.. If those aren't right it doesn't matter what genetics, lights, etc.. Why are you adding cal/mag?

 

[agesbuds]

Im only adding calmag because I saw a dude on u tube say he uses a couple drops in his weekly res change. I wont if its not a good idea. And Hugo Phurst, that is exactly what happened to me the very first time I tried this about 6 months ago! I knew it wasnt a good idea. I just want to see explosive growth like my buddy has outdoors. Thanks for the help Rocket, Jack and Mike. My ph is........WOW!!!!!!! You wont believe it guys! Its 7.1 7.2 and 7.1 in all three of them. Its no wonder. How could it sky rocket(no pun intended) like that? What a trip! Ok so now what??? I do have a ph meter but still no PPM/EC meter. I will have to wait for like a month to purchase on as im pretty tapped out......and dang it, there is brown slime coming down the biggest root on my three week old. I will say that of the ten roots, only the biggest is brown. The rest are super white but small. Am I just gonna have to pull the plug on it all(DWC)? I have clones I just started and they are in rockwool. Please help

 

[agesbuds]

your going to have to get a ppm meter and a thermometer or your pretty much gonna have trouble the whole way thru with lower yields. The 2 main things in hydro are water temps and ph.. If those aren't right it doesn't matter what genetics, lights, etc.. Why are you adding cal/mag?

Thats what I was afraid of......I was told by the Hydro store owner that I needed that stuff but I thought he was just trying to make me spend more money, lol. Its like every time I go there he always makes me empty my wallet. I have zero idea of my temps and ppm. What is the cheapest but accurate PPM/EC meter you guys have purchased?

 

[agesbuds]

Weird when I take kind-clones in any other medium to DWC ... I never get shock like that actually its the opposite they take off and rocket with growth.

What is best in your opinion for me to use as a pre-DWC medium? Is going from rockwool the best? I want rocket growth also!!! Thanks in advance.

 

[agesbuds]

Ok, I'll give ya what I know. I am on my 3rd grow with dwc and this is the first time I used good genetics. Don't know about starting them in soil then moving them to dwc. I just germinate the seed then stick it directly into a soaked rockwool cube then put them in the dwc but I also use a top feed tube in my dwc. You don't need real big water pumps, I think the ones i'm using are 1 or 2 gallon/hr pumps, costs a bit more to setup but it's worth the investment I think, makes starting things off easier. As far as your nutes go, I don't know, I don't grow organic, I use GH Flora Series w/koolbloom and florakleen to flush. I will say that if you are going to grow in a dwc you will have to have a EC or PPM meter, otherwise you will have a difficult time getting your levels right, also investing in a ec or ppm or better yet ec/ppm meter allows you to push your plant more aggressively with nutrients for optimal growing because you can maintain a consistent level of nutes. As far as your temps in your buckets, you can pretty well assume that unless you are chilling the water in the buckets, the temp will be either room temp or a couple of degrees hotter due to the lights. Hope that helps ya a bit.

OK now im discouraged...I just found floating rot/mold in my water. Its got to be the Iguana. I but that stuff is best for soil. What can I use that you have had success with but wont break my account? I thought this DWC was going to be easy!

 

[BigBuddahCheese]

What is best in your opinion for me to use as a pre-DWC medium? Is going from rockwool the best? I want rocket growth also!!! Thanks in advance.

I use 100% perlite in party cups with my same nutrients in DWC then transplant. Here is pic of my ChemDog now 10 days from clone:

View attachment 2189902

If I do go straight to DWC it's in way smaller pots then your's. You have seedlings in mature pots, the roots are trying to find food and hopefully they do before its too late in that huge hydro-ton pot. I never top feed and never have an issue, just bubbles popping and water right at bottom of net pot (ALWAYS).

Less is more as well, start small dosage of nutes then work up as needed. PPM/PH meters are must for ANY HYDRO PERIOD. Some guys get bye without them but they already know their grow and nutes. You can get both meters for under 100 or less, just be careful as many need constant adjusting or calibration.

Growing medicine is NOT cheap, if you cannot afford to grow them correctly you are waisting time, money and effort for nothing.

Get Dynagro cheap, effective and easy. DWC is easy if you don't listen to idiots and their erroneous information, but you will have to have some trial and errors but that is the fun if you can adapt, adjust and filter out the idiots BS.

 

[Bigz2277]

What is best in your opinion for me to use as a pre-DWC medium? Is going from rockwool the best? I want rocket growth also!!! Thanks in advance.

Rockwool> DWC is a very easy and common grow method. And just so you know, if the hydro store guy knew how to grow good cannabis, he wouldn't be working for min wage in a grow shop. 99% of what they say is just to get you to buy more shit. Last time i went to pick up some cloning solution the guy told me clones will die without some rooting hormone. 6/6 rooted cuttings 2 weeks ago without any rooting hormones. just water.

 

[agesbuds]

Rockwool> DWC is a very easy and common grow method. And just so you know, if the hydro store guy knew how to grow good cannabis, he wouldn't be working for min wage in a grow shop. 99% of what they say is just to get you to buy more shit. Last time i went to pick up some cloning solution the guy told me clones will die without some rooting hormone. 6/6 rooted cuttings 2 weeks ago without any rooting hormones. just water.

I knew it! Sure I need a PPM/EC meter but it doesnt have to be the $100 one he's pushing. And he told me that if I bought the HUGE netpots, that he had a freeking full stock of, that my roots would love it and hence grow a massive stem. I was wondering why he didnt have but like 5 left of the small ones! LOL the net pots that he pushed on me even had dust all over them! I use rockwool GroDan squares and I barely get about a 50% survival rate....but more like 40%. I have a heating mat.....I guess this is for another thread so oh well. I have to learn sometime, ahahah.

 

[agesbuds]

I use 100% perlite in party cups with my same nutrients in DWC then transplant. Here is pic of my ChemDog now 10 days from clone:

View attachment 2189902






Get Dynagro cheap, effective and easy. DWC is easy if you don't listen to idiots and their erroneous information, but you will have to have some trial and errors but that is the fun if you can adapt, adjust and filter out the idiots BS.

Shoot man! I want my clones to look like this in ten days! Can you please either PM me with a step by step with this method of the party cups or post it here so we can all benefit for your success. It all sounds new to me but I promise to repost a thread with your method, step by step. Thanks in advance, BigBuddah!

 

[missnu]

Well my experience tells me that if growth has stopped it is because that is too much nutes for seedlings perhaps?

 

[agesbuds]

BigBuddahCheese dude I just saw under your post that you have a link to a thread you made all about DWC. I will use that as a M.O. if you will and study it well! I havent read it yet but I hope it has your clone method in it aswell. Time for me to read! Oh and thanks missnu. I went kinda lite on the nutes it was my ph(7.2) and my going from soil to DWC and lastly my Organic Iguana nutes. They seem to work well in soil but not DWC as i've yet to see ANYONE use them as a nute of choice. See, I am learning, lol

 

[smilinjack]

i bought a $15 ppm meter from amazon, it works great. I use all general hydroponics nutrients, the Flora series is a 3 part micro, grow, bloom and it's about 40 dollars for a quart of each and they have feeding charts available online to teach you how to use it. You don't need huge net pots for a good root system, they will expand beyond the pot and grow as big as the rez will allow them. As far as DWC being easy, just like they saying goes "If it was easy everyone would do it". I have no experience with any other medium, I started with DWC and I like it and I"m sticking with it. You can reap major rewards from it if you gather the proper equipment and at least every other day check your PPM and PH. Just like Jorge Cervantes says for a successful grow you must have a plan. Sure some things may come up in the middle, like I had to remove my plant from my grow cab because I let it veg for too long and it's massive, but I got it worked out and she is going to be a very heavy yielding plant. Sounds to me like you just need to gather your equipment and start over.

Never Give Up

 

[agesbuds]

Thanks SmilingJack. +rep was given. I wont give up as this is a journey that i've just started. I do think im going to start over from scratch. Smaller net pots, Dynagro nutes for sure, and a PPM/EC meter before I give it another shot. BigBuddahCheese has an AWESOME thread. Im only 13 pages into the 25 page thread and i've realized im in no shape ready to take on this whole DWC thing. Im excited though and can only hope for results like BigBuddahCheese's. Dynagro..........here I come!

 

[agesbuds]

Pos Rep was given to you my Friend! I have cut and pasted several pages of your thread and am SURE I will have great results like yourself! Thanks again BigBuddahCheese.