Unhealthy

Hey guys,
This is my first time posting, first time growing. I have 2 plants grown at the same time in an unused bathroom in our basement currently at day 17 of growth, Arjans Haze 1 and 3, im using 4 105W CFL lights growing in general purpose potting mix with perlite in 4" pots, I have not fed them yet and water once a day, for ventilation there is a rotating fan however there is no access to fresh air except when I open the door at night for 5 or 6 hrs.

Arjans 3 is doing perfectly with no signs of problems, everyday like clockwork the top soil is dry when i come to water and it seems to be thriving.

The problem is with number 1, since its start it has been weak, compared to 3 there are only 4 sets of leaves which are bending and twisting where as 1 has 6 sets, and recently its growth has been stunted, the top soil is wet when i come to water and I have noticed a slight greenish tinge to the soil which is increasing everyday, said tinge is not on the other healhty plant and I was wondering if that could be the problem.

I have tackled the problem with heat and the leaves seem to straighten out now however I am worried my plant will not make it, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I will try to post some pics later today if anyone is interested

Thank you very much in advance

You're over-watering mate. Let the soil dry out more before you water it. That way you'll prevent algal growth (what you have), as well as fungus gnats, mold and rot. Depending upon the size of the plant and pot, I usually go 3-7 days between watering.

Also if you're growing from seed I can tell you the genetic variety between different seeds seems sometimes to be huge - even from the same batch of seeds. So you probably will get one strong and one weak plant.

its pretty hard to say for sure w/o pics, but i agree it sounds like your overwatering. Your pots do have holes in the bottom, right? the problem w/overwatering is not how much you water, its how often you water. Give them a real good watering and let them dry out, lifting the pots is the best way to tell if its time. Take and lift one after youve given and good watering and feel how heavy it is, now take some dry soil in a similar sized container and lift it and feel how heavy it is, You want to water just before it hits that point. you'll get the hang of it real quick, i can tell instantly when i pick up the plants if they need water.

Thanx alot for your input guys I figured it was an over water problem however I have been subjecting both plants to the exact same environment, the Arjans 3 (the healthy one) needs water once a day, I follow the same method you guys outlined ie. to see the weight of the pot and it is significantly lighter in the morning which is when I water, also the topsoil will be dry in the morning, I figured they would need the same amount of water so I tended to water them both despite the weaker plants topsoil being somewhat moist.

The sizes of pots and plants are in the pictures I will upload now. The thing is that they are completely different strains Arjans Haze 1 and arjans haze 3 so I wouldn't expect them to perform the same. Yes my pots do have holes in the bottom.

I have also fixed some cardboard around the base of the plant to kill the light from the algae which is what some ppl suggest, I am a little hesitant to keep it as I think it will affect the rate at which the water will evaporate. Then again if im going to deprive the plant of water for a few days id want to make sure the plant got the water in the soil rather than the atmosphere..im rambling now..

So! how long should i let the soil dry out before watering? considering the healthier plant needs watering once a day
Cardboard..keep it or bin it?
When can I expect results?
Will the plant ever recover? better yet is still salvageable?
Do i need to isolate the healthy plant?

My apologies for asking so many questions and being anal about this

Thanks Again

Stuff the cardboard; if I were you I'd just leave it. Don't panic, a little algae is okay - you've learnt now anyway. A couple weeks and it'll be gone if you improve your watering schedule.

Aww poor little plant looks sick . Will be fine though if you act now! No need to 'isolate' it, just continue as normal with fewer waterings. And just because you're subjecting two plants to the same environment doesn't mean they'll react the same - same for water, nutes, stretching etc. Start with a little and work up to a little more, with everything.

Thanx a million man, If i knew where you were i`d send you some of the finished product in gratitude

yeah its that wet i think theres moss on soil. when the pot is light to lift- water, otherwise dont water and think about re-pot in next 2 weeks.That soil a bit sludgy to, try a different mix when u re-pot.