New grower in over my head. Need help with identifying problems

Hi everyone, I’m hoping to find some help in identifying what I suspect is a nutrient deficiency. I’m an over ambitious new grower, and probably bit off more than I can chew, but it’s not all bad. My system is an 8 pot RDWC setup built using square 5 gallon buckets. I’m using a bluelab monitor for ph, tds, ec, and water temp. I’m running a water chiller, and the water is consistently between 64°-66°. I’ve been using advanced nutrients 3 part, as well as a bunch of their other supplemental additives. I’m in an 8x8 grow tent running 4 mars hydro tsw-2000 lights, and 2 mars hydro Tsl-2000 lights. Im also setup with a separate 3x4 tent running some generic compact led’s and 4 plants in 2- 10 gallon bins. Both share a common feed reservoir, only difference is the buckets are undercurrent recirculating, and the containers are overflow circulation. I ran into problems initially with my plants growing into the lights and burning up, when I had to unexpectedly go away on a work trip. I fixed those issues by transferring everything into a bigger tent, pruning all of the damaged plant material, and using elastic netting to control growth direction. I’m about 6 weeks into a 12 week flower cycle, and I’m seeing what I think is a nutrient deficiency. Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

Side note, the 8 pots are Maui wowie, and the other 4 are a purple haze, a super skunk, and 2 lemon haze. They are all showing basically the same symptoms. Not throughout the entire plant, mostly on the older growth fan leaves. The flowers are all developing very nicely otherwise.

Did you have bugs and spray something?

No, I have seen no evidence of any pests. I’ve looked with a digital microscope. It’s an indoor tent grow, with very good air filtration and environmental controls in place. I haven’t had to use any treatments or pesticides.

What's your pH and EC?

The addition of a "bunch of other supplemental additives" is rarely a good idea

I think I may have had an over concentration of unavailable nutrients. I had just been topping my reservoir up with additional nutrient solution whenever it got low on water. Eventually about a week ago my tds were off the charts, over 2500 ppm which is I believe the limit on the bluelab monitor. I’m using RO water for all of my nutrients solutions, but when I discovered the high ppm, I flushed everything with my raw well water (because I didn’t want to flush with RO and strip nutrients out of the plants). After the flush, I started with fresh nutrients solution about a week ago. I was seeing evidence of whatever the spots and burn are before the flush out.

I think you've found your problem. Your EC was off the charts. You need to be monitoring your res to maintain your desired EC.

Billy the Mountain said:

What's your pH and EC?

The addition of a "bunch of other supplemental additives" is rarely a good idea

Click to expand...

Ph=6.3
EC=2.4
TDS=1180
Ppm=1660
Water temp is 66°
I’m using advanced nutrients micro, grow, bloom @4ml/L, as well as their rhino skin, bud candy, carboload, and sensizym all @ 2ml/L, and the Revive @ 1ml/L

dtm1182 said:

I think I may have had an over concentration of unavailable nutrients. I had just been topping my reservoir up with additional nutrient solution whenever it got low on water. Eventually about a week ago my tds were off the charts, over 2500 ppm which is I believe the limit on the bluelab monitor. I’m using RO water for all of my nutrients solutions, but when I discovered the high ppm, I flushed everything with my raw well water (because I didn’t want to flush with RO and strip nutrients out of the plants). After the flush, I started with fresh nutrients solution about a week ago. I was seeing evidence of whatever the spots and burn are before the flush out.

Click to expand...

Swap solution. Go in at 600-700. Use the 3-part and dump the rest of the stuff.

Billy the Mountain said:

I think you've found your problem. Your EC was off the charts. You need to be monitoring your res to maintain your desired EC.

Click to expand...

I’m a total newb, so I’m winging it, and learning as I go.

So is it likely that this is nutrient burn from unavailable nutrients or salt lockout, as opposed to a deficiency of some type?

Wow, that's a lot of extra shit. As mentioned, skip those. That in itself will drop your EC.
You were overdosing them
They'll recover

dtm1182 said:

Ph=6.3
EC=2.4
TDS=1180
Ppm=1660
Water temp is 66°
I’m using advanced nutrients micro, grow, bloom @4ml/L, as well as their rhino skin, bud candy, carboload, and sensizym all @ 2ml/L, and the Revive @ 1ml/L

Click to expand...

Do these numbers seem more inline with normal, or am I still running at too high a concentration?

I see so much conflicting information on what proper ec and tds are. A lot of the additives aren’t doing anything to add to tds I don’t think. One is a root zone enzyme, one is a glucose. But again, total newb. I do add each individually, and watch what they do to my levels.

I never exceeded 1.5-1.6 EC during my dwc runs; often lower.

Others seem to routinely run higher EC, but every time I've tried, my plants say no.

Everything except water temp is on the high side.
How are your ppm and tds different?
I never took my DWC above 1000ppm, Ph is a little high and that ec, whoa.

Stick to EC its unambiguous
TDS(.5) and PPM(.7) are simply derived measures
The meter is measuring EC and displaying it in a few alternative formats.

2.4 EC is pretty high for a newbie. If you are measuring EC, you dont need to also measure TDS. It's easier for everyone to help you if you stick with EC and not PPM, because TDS is measured in a few different ways and no one ever mentions if they are on a ppm500 or ppm700 scale and it adds to confusion.

I don’t know according to my meter, tds is ECx500, and PPM is ECx700. Lol. I’ve run the recommended dosing schedule provided by advanced nutrients, of 2ml/L for veg, and 4ml/L for bloom. And the numbers have been high from the start.

By the way, you folks are all awesome!! What a great community!!