Noob doing DWC grow

Hey RIU.

Thought I'd try a DWC grow from seed using the Roseman Bubbleponic DWC design. I like the design but I don't think I am seeing the fast growth I expected and read about by growing using this Bubbleponic DWC system.

Here is what I have.

2 fem PPP seedling. Germinated and tap root showed on 8/2, so planted in rockwool on 8/2 and placed in this system (home made). The seed broke through and showed its inital leaves on 8/4. This pict if from today (8/17). So approx 13 days since it broke ground.

Some info:
- PH has been between 5.8 and 6.5, having to lower it a little everyday cause it keeps going up.
- Room air temp is approx 79deg F.
- Reservoir temp about the same, maybe a little lower when I put in frozen plastic water bottles.
- 4, 4ft long, 54W T5 6500K lights. Kind of overkill since only a portion of the light is hitting the little seedling.
- My PPM's are hovering around 190ppm's. I am using only tap water. NO NUTES. So that I think is strange why it is 190ppm's.
- I run the feeder tubes for 30 min ON, then 3 hours OFF, since the rockwool gets really wet.

Does this seedling look OK? I ask that because I have looked at some posts on here and some guys have these picts from seed and the seedlings are like 15 times the size of my seedling, about 2 weeks in.
They say things like, "Yeah, just planted this from seed 5 days ago, and it's growing like crazy". Then they post a pict of this tree!

So either they are mega skilled at growing fast seedlings, or are just lying. OR they just know what they are doing and I am stupid/unlucky/...

So can any of you Bubbleponic DWC'ers and other experienced hydro growers let me know if my seedling is where it should be 13 days into a grow?

This is a pict of just one seedling. One of the Cotyledon is turning brown. The light is close but maybe too close. Also on one the one main leave is twisting.

Thanks! Any help would be great guys.

Just a newb here but thought i'd give an opinion...

Your seedling looks a little young for almost 2 weeks old. I'm at almost 3 weeks and pics below of what mine looks like now.



1.) I noticed your room temp & res temp being close 80 degrees. My guess is that's a little high. I think u want ur res to be at about 60-65, & ur room temp is ok around 70-75.

2.) IF YOU HAVE BEEN KEEPING YOUR ROCKWOOL MOIST, then it looks like you should maybe be giving it JUST A LITTLE NUTES. like 1/4 strength, then work your way up every week or two, thats wat I did and i'm at 3/4 strength now @ 3 weeks from seed.

3.) Are you going to be using Fox Farm Nutes??? If so, google & dl the Fox Farm Hydro Feeding Chart. This, & following closely along with Roseman's advice and journals with probably keep you on the right track.

good luck



3 Weeks from seed

The rapid growth with really get going when the roots hit the juice, so to speak. Need to add some more hydroton to cover the rockwool as well. Keep the res temp around 68 and just give it a little time. DWC rocks ass.

i4204lyfe8424 said:

Just a newb here but thought i'd give an opinion...

Your seedling looks a little young for almost 2 weeks old. I'm at almost 3 weeks and pics below of what mine looks like now.



1.) I noticed your room temp & res temp being close 80 degrees. My guess is that's a little high. I think u want ur res to be at about 60-65, & ur room temp is ok around 70-75.

2.) IF YOU HAVE BEEN KEEPING YOUR ROCKWOOL MOIST, then it looks like you should maybe be giving it JUST A LITTLE NUTES. like 1/4 strength, then work your way up every week or two, thats wat I did and i'm at 3/4 strength now @ 3 weeks from seed.

3.) Are you going to be using Fox Farm Nutes??? If so, google & dl the Fox Farm Hydro Feeding Chart. This, & following closely along with Roseman's advice and journals with probably keep you on the right track.

good luck



3 Weeks from seed

Click to expand...

Thanks i420. So you are in 3 weeks and you are already giving nutes?

All I can tell you is what I've done with my sh bubbleponics. I pulled the water pump and the feeder tubes. Useless IMO. Now it's a straight dwc tank. I added two 12 in airstones for a total of four and got a higher power pump instead of the petstore kind. One line to each airstone. Lots of bubbles. The bubbles break on the surface and fill the space between the water and the lid, the space the netpots are in, with a mist.

My seedlings are beyond where yours are and this is the 4th day since the germinated seeds were put in rockwool and hydroton, just like yours. I assume you are also using the stealth II lights, so am I. Your pH sounds right, all the other variables are the same. IMO, Half the reason for having bubbles is so you don't need submersible pumps and feeder tubes which bring problems of their own.

Illegal Smile said:

All I can tell you is what I've done with my sh bubbleponics. I pulled the water pump and the feeder tubes. Useless IMO. Now it's a straight dwc tank. I added two 12 in airstones for a total of four and got a higher power pump instead of the petstore kind. One line to each airstone. Lots of bubbles. The bubbles break on the surface and fill the space between the water and the lid, the space the netpots are in, with a mist.

My seedlings are beyond where yours are and this is the 4th day since the germinated seeds were put in rockwool and hydroton, just like yours. I assume you are also using the stealth II lights, so am I. Your pH sounds right, all the other variables are the same. IMO, Half the reason for having bubbles is so you don't need submersible pumps and feeder tubes which bring problems of their own.

Click to expand...

I am afraid to remove the feeder tubes cause I don't see how the mist gets through all the hydroton through the bottom of the net pot to keep the rockwool moist and to get water to the roots. I do not have any roots coming out of the bottom of the net pots.

How low is your rockwool down inside your net pot? How far up from the bottom of hte net pot? Maybe that is my problem and why I feel I need the feeder tubes.

flogger said:

I am afraid to remove the feeder tubes cause I don't see how the mist gets through all the hydroton through the bottom of the net pot to keep the rockwool moist and to get water to the roots. I do not have any roots coming out of the bottom of the net pots.

How low is your rockwool down inside your net pot? How far up from the bottom of hte net pot? Maybe that is my problem and why I feel I need the feeder tubes.

Click to expand...

I have an inch of hydroton on the bottom then the cube filled in and covered with more hydroton. I'm not suggesting you try it until you have sufficient bubble action. My netcubes are wet halfway up and the bottom of the rockwool is moist, right where the feeder tube would dribble water. I tested this with no seeds in the cubes before planting seeds. I would take the netpots apart now and then to examine moisture.

If your seedlings are getting light and and there's nothing else wrong with the environment, I don't know what it is other than not enough water. Feeder tubes often get blocked in one way or another, another reason I didn't like them. So much easier to peek in and verify bubble action.

Illegal Smile said:

I have an inch of hydroton on the bottom then the cube filled in and covered with more hydroton. I'm not suggesting you try it until you have sufficient bubble action. My netcubes are wet halfway up and the bottom of the rockwool is moist, right where the feeder tube would dribble water. I tested this with no seeds in the cubes before planting seeds. I would take the netpots apart now and then to examine moisture.

If your seedlings are getting light and and there's nothing else wrong with the environment, I don't know what it is other than not enough water. Feeder tubes often get blocked in one way or another, another reason I didn't like them. So much easier to peek in and verify bubble action.

Click to expand...

Well my rockwool is not that deep in my netpot, as seen in the pict I posted. I will have to consider that next time. My feeder tubes are working cause I see water dripping from the netpots.

Thanks Illegal for the info.