Total newbie, looking for ways to improve (Complete pics/videos inc)

Hey guys! Super new to growing, in fact I only even though about growing 2 months ago, and then 1 month later I started growing, I did TONS of research and came up with what I thought, would be my best set up. So now that I have gotten started, 5 weeks under my belt, I am looking for some ways to min/max my set up and I also want a estimate on my total yield. (Just curious if I am ball parking correctly.

What I know I need:
Co2- I dont want to get that until I have a couple of grows under my belt, I still have a lot to learn to be adding in another big component.
A couple of oscillating fans-my old one blew a day ago, and 2 are coming with the next paycheck
A new non-batwing hood-Again next investment

My set up-Videos and pictures to be included
Hydroponic/bubbleponic grow with 3.5 gallon buckets and Dakine 420 nutrients with hydrogaurd
2 1000 watt MH bulbs with HPS ready to go
6 week total veg
First set is deathstar at 5 weeks
Second set is blue dream at 1 week(out of clone dome)
6 inch inline fan bringing in filtered outside air.
78 temp with 20% humidity
18/6 light schedule

Anything else you need to know please ask!

Video link to whole set up- Multiple pictures to roots ect- http://imgur.com/a/fsrDl

please use our forums intergrated photo system to add photos and not imgur .

Do you plan on flowering them at the same time? Looks great, keep it up.

No, I plan to flower in stages, so I can have a self sustained grow off of its own clones.

Drizzall said:

No, I plan to flower in stages, so I can have a self sustained grow off of its own clones.

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Welcome to R.I.U,
do u have a ph tester?
nice setup & thx for sharing
VG

I do not have a digital tester, but I do have a PH test kit

Vented hood is a great investment especially with those 1k lamps but honestly co2 is a huge expense & you can do just fine with fresh air intake only. Those exhale bags suck ass & tank$ co$t a lot maintain...only worth it if you plan to get big returns on investments- good luck & happy growing

Richard Drysift said:

Vented hood is a great investment especially with those 1k lamps but honestly co2 is a huge expense & you can do just fine with fresh air intake only. Those exhale bags suck ass & tank$ co$t a lot maintain...only worth it if you plan to get big returns on investments- good luck & happy growing

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Awesome reply, thanks! Vented hoods and a few fans come in a week. Yes I dont plan to go into Co2 for at least 4-5 harvests to maximize yields, but I want to grow for awhile first. Any other ideas?

The only other advice for your setup I would give is to keep your airlines & buckets clean- change out your res water every 2 weeks religiously & wipe out everything you can reach inside your buckets when you do with Clorox saturated bleach wipes. Check your ph daily & if you find it's hard to adjust down that is bacteria growing & you'll need to clean out your buckets really good with hot water & bleach... the drops work great & are more accurate than a pen IMO - will detect issues before they become a problem; the biggest problem with DWC is bacteria and later stages of root rot but if you are vigilant you'll be fine

I completely clean and change my res water every week and do a COMPLETE clean up of the room, buckets ect.
Ill try using clorox wipes next to clean the buckets. I do use Hydrogaurd to fight root rot. I know its not perfect, but it is certainly a strong helper from what I understand!

Thanks for your input, I would love more critique and ideas/opinions.

Sure hygrozyme, hydro guard, etc will help - it's basically pool shock- but you can still get bacteria built up in your airlines where that stuff doesn't get...plus you've got to treat it every time you change it. Even keeping your shit clean as an operating room you can still grow bacteria because a DWC bucket is optimal conditions for them to grow. If you can find a way to keep your water temps low like growers use frozen water bottles in the warmer months..that will help too.

Is there an optimal temp for water?

I do feel like I keep it very clean, so I feel good about that. How do the plants looks? Should I put 2 more plants under there? Or let it stay as is? Anything else?

Any other thoughts or critiques guys? :.)

Very nice setup. I would invest in a wall mount oscillating fan if you haven't already. Im not sure if I saw one in the video. If the air around the plants is too stagnant it could encourage powdery mildew or other types of mold. In veg its not that crucial but in flower its mandatory in my opinion.

GhostBud420 said:

Very nice setup. I would invest in a wall mount oscillating fan if you haven't already. Im not sure if I saw one in the video. If the air around the plants is too stagnant it could encourage powdery mildew or other types of mold. In veg its not that crucial but in flower its mandatory in my opinion.

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Thanks for the compliment! Its my first grow room build, I just tried to make it as tight as possible. I do intent to get some fans, what sizes would you recommend, placed where, and how many?

This is what im using. 16" hurricane , 3 fan speeds with 90 degree oscillation. Theres many different types of fans that you could use though.
With the size of your grow area I dont think you would need more then 2 on opposite ends oscillating on medium or even low fan speed. The key is not to overdo it and get wind burn.
Just enough so you know there are no stagnant areas between plants or inside of the plants. In my experience every time ive had a problem with PM is when I did not have enough air circulation. My Rh was probably up to 75-85% in my flower tent a few days ago and the temps were getting low as well. These conditions are great for PM to start showing up but the fans make it so the PM has no place to settle and start growing.

RH= real humidity? I dont think I have to worry much about humidity, It stays between 16 and 20% total.

And awesome recommendation, so big fan, low setting, oscillating.

My goal, (Long term of course) is to get a set up of 16 plants in there total (Me plus a patient) and then the other 8 plants in a veg room. I was thinking having 4 of those big kahunas in each corner, do you think 4 under those 1k watts? Or should I increase it to 6?

rh = relative humidity

2 fans per light is a safe bet in my opinion. I only need 1 fan per 1k light at the moment. But I also use tents. I would play around with the placement of the fans to maximize the use of the 90 degree angle that the oscillation provides.

Mine is a "tent" per se too, its just a portion of a room, how would I know whats optimal air movement? Is it something Ill "feel"...

This conversation got weird fast, Ha! XD