# dry rapid rooter in veg?



## fortphoenix (Jan 7, 2016)

hey guys Im doing flood and drain in hydroton i know you shouldnt let your water level touch your rapid rooters and Im pretttu sure people dont hand water the plugs the whole way through veg either so at what point should you stop hand watering them? my plants are 2 weeks from germination and even if i give the rooters a good hand watering they will be dry again in 2-4 hours under my 400w a/c hps. and not only that, the rapid rooter is like impossible to evenly water. any tips on how to evenly water?  so basically my question is, do you just let your rapid rooter dry out in veg? and at what point do you stop moistening it and let it dry out? any help is appreciated!!


----------



## pcduck (Jan 7, 2016)

Roots reach water is when I quit.


----------



## sopappy (Jan 7, 2016)

fortphoenix said:


> hey guys Im doing flood and drain in hydroton i know you shouldnt let your water level touch your rapid rooters and Im pretttu sure people dont hand water the plugs the whole way through veg either so at what point should you stop hand watering them? my plants are 2 weeks from germination and even if i give the rooters a good hand watering they will be dry again in 2-4 hours under my 400w a/c hps. and not only that, the rapid rooter is like impossible to evenly water. any tips on how to evenly water?  so basically my question is, do you just let your rapid rooter dry out in veg? and at what point do you stop moistening it and let it dry out? any help is appreciated!!



Your 400W HPS (MH or T5 6500K is better for veg) is drying them out fer sure, I use a T5 and can't use it without a fan blowing on the fixture and plugs. I'm unsure why you find them hard to water. Take an empty dry one and syringe drops of water on the top... it soaks it up like a sponge and you can see the plug saturate.
I use a heating pad under a hydroton filled tray and all up in 4 days flat.
I don't start in my net pots (thanks THG) as they are just too easy to transplant


----------



## Hushpuppy (Jan 7, 2016)

If you already have your seedlings/cuttings sitting in their pots of hydroton, then you need to bury the plug down in the hydroton so that the light doesn't suck all the moisture out of the plug between waterings.


----------



## fortphoenix (Jan 7, 2016)

sopappy said:


> Your 400W HPS (MH or T5 6500K is better for veg) is drying them out fer sure, I use a T5 and can't use it without a fan blowing on the fixture and plugs. I'm unsure why you find them hard to water. Take an empty dry one and syringe drops of water on the top... it soaks it up like a sponge and you can see the plug saturate.
> I use a heating pad under a hydroton filled tray and all up in 4 days flat.
> I don't start in my net pots (thanks THG) as they are just too easy to transplant



yeah i didn't realize how much the 400w was for seedlings so last night i raised it as high as possible its probably like 18-20in above the canopy but my t5 is already being used by some other plugsthat just sprouted so lesson learned i guess but yes I've used a syringe but noticed it never waters evenly or it seems like I'm just over saturating the top of the plug and its funny you mentioned net pots... some guy told me once the rapid rooter sprouts and has roots that i can i put it in a 5 net pot with hydroton under my 48w of T5 and hand water for a week or 2 then transplant to the 1 gallon pots and surround the net cup with hydroton and start flooding under the 400s


----------



## fortphoenix (Jan 7, 2016)

Hushpuppy said:


> If you already have your seedlings/cuttings sitting in their pots of hydroton, then you need to bury the plug down in the hydroton so that the light doesn't suck all the moisture out of the plug between waterings.



thanks for the response!! I'm going to just put hydroton all the way to the top of the 1gal pots and hopefully that will help solve the problem but my plugs are sitting like a 1/4" above the flood line, so is it the roots responsibility to wick the water to the rapid rooter once it gets into heavy veg?


----------



## The Hemp Goddess (Jan 7, 2016)

Another reason to bury the plugs is that algae can grow on the plugs.  I always cover them with hydrotron.


----------



## Growdude (Jan 7, 2016)

fortphoenix said:


> my plugs are sitting like a 1/4" above the flood line, so is it the roots responsibility to wick the water to the rapid rooter once it gets into heavy veg?


 
Once the roots are coming out that 1/4 inch, a few days at most, the rapid rooters job is done. The roots will grow down into the hydroton.


----------



## fortphoenix (Jan 7, 2016)

The Hemp Goddess said:


> Another reason to bury the plugs is that algae can grow on the plugs.  I always cover them with hydrotron.



yes ma'am i just washed some extra hydroton and threw it on top of the plug and made the hydroton level, leveled. thanks for that, algae is definitely not some thing I'm trying to look at every time i open the tent lol


----------



## fortphoenix (Jan 7, 2016)

Growdude said:


> Once the roots are coming out that 1/4 inch, a few days at most, the rapid rooters job is done. The roots will grow down into the hydroton.



thank you very much for your reply sir! i think thats why one of my seedlings look so overwatered, the rapid rooter kept drying out and i kept wetting the damn thing lol lesson learned, thanks again!!


----------



## sopappy (Jan 9, 2016)

fortphoenix said:


> yeah i didn't realize how much the 400w was for seedlings so last night i raised it as high as possible its probably like 18-20in above the canopy but my t5 is already being used by some other plugsthat just sprouted so lesson learned i guess but yes I've used a syringe but noticed it never waters evenly or it seems like I'm just over saturating the top of the plug and its funny you mentioned net pots... some guy told me once the rapid rooter sprouts and has roots that i can i put it in a 5 net pot with hydroton under my 48w of T5 and hand water for a week or 2 then transplant to the 1 gallon pots and surround the net cup with hydroton and start flooding under the 400s



I shouldn't give advice, I got confused re the plugs: During a germinating nightmare I was actually weighing and measuring the amount of water it took to keep a plug moist, yup, I know, ridiculous. I was sure I saw some wicking going on, both ways too, but I imbibe. 
I love the things though, with the hydroton, they sure make for easy transplant. 
Did the layer of pellets do the trick? If it's still baking, you could try a piece of white/black panda film. I cut pie plates (with holes for stem and slit to get there) for my surfaces. White side up (unless you want to keep them warm)


----------



## fortphoenix (Jan 10, 2016)

sopappy said:


> I shouldn't give advice, I got confused re the plugs: During a germinating nightmare I was actually weighing and measuring the amount of water it took to keep a plug moist, yup, I know, ridiculous. I was sure I saw some wicking going on, both ways too, but I imbibe.
> I love the things though, with the hydroton, they sure make for easy transplant.
> Did the layer of pellets do the trick? If it's still baking, you could try a piece of white/black panda film. I cut pie plates (with holes for stem and slit to get there) for my surfaces. White side up (unless you want to keep them warm)



yeah i actually did some similar experimenting the other day and i found that that once the rapid rooter was really dry the only way to get it even somewhat moistened evenly was to dunk the plug in water and squeeze it, nothing i tried could water it evenly though and its like impossible to get water past the top 1/4" of the plug once its dry yes i think covering worked, the plant has shown some growth since i stopped watering the plug and covered it with hydroton, growth is still slow though, i hope i don't have root rot or something. my problem with the 1 leaf tip on one of the plants only got worse, the rest of the plant seems pretty healthy and I've noticed some growth but one leaf on its first set started curling up (the tip) then it started turning white/yellow and now its totally dry/crumbly and it looks like the leaf was rotting. i hope the plant can be salvaged


----------



## sopappy (Jan 10, 2016)

fortphoenix said:


> yeah i actually did some similar experimenting the other day and i found that that once the rapid rooter was really dry the only way to get it even somewhat moistened evenly was to dunk the plug in water and squeeze it, nothing i tried could water it evenly though and its like impossible to get water past the top 1/4&quot; of the plug once its dry yes i think covering worked, the plant has shown some growth since i stopped watering the plug and covered it with hydroton, growth is still slow though, i hope i don't have root rot or something. my problem with the 1 leaf tip on one of the plants only got worse, the rest of the plant seems pretty healthy and I've noticed some growth but one leaf on its first set started curling up (the tip) then it started turning white/yellow and now its totally dry/crumbly and it looks like the leaf was rotting. i hope the plant can be salvaged



 That's it alright. Once they dry out, you can't really get them back. You must have dried them out under that light.
Why did you say these plugs can't sit in water? I let it collect on the bottom of tray for almost a week when I sprout seeds. 
Can't you gently pull the plant out of the hydroton and have a look at the roots? 
That crumbling sounds awful... PICTURES?... I found the advice here so valuable that I ran out and got a decent camera and tripod, ya gotta give them something to work with.


----------



## fortphoenix (Jan 11, 2016)

sopappy said:


> That's it alright. Once they dry out, you can't really get them back. You must have dried them out under that light.
> Why did you say these plugs can't sit in water? I let it collect on the bottom of tray for almost a week when I sprout seeds.
> Can't you gently pull the plant out of the hydroton and have a look at the roots?
> That crumbling sounds awful... PICTURES?... I found the advice here so valuable that I ran out and got a decent camera and tripod, ya gotta give them something to work with.



yeah they definitely dried out but its working i guess since I've seen more growth now then since i was watering the plug (and seeing no growth at all) but i meant i don't let the water level in the flood tray reach the plug and when i have them in the seedling tray i just make sure the plug doesnt dry out and keep the humidity high with the dome on and airholes open but i guess i could pull them out the hydroton and check out the roots but i really don't want to stunt their growth any more then i have lol the new growth looks healthy though, its weird I've notice when the new sets of leaves come in they have like a brownish/purplish color when the first tips of the new set of leaves start to poke out and they're only like half a milimeter thick. hopefully you cans ee the pics idk how to add them directly to this site so hopefully it works


----------



## fortphoenix (Jan 11, 2016)

http://postimg.org/gallery/20m612ihe/566f19a8/


----------



## sopappy (Jan 11, 2016)

fortphoenix said:


> http://postimg.org/gallery/20m612ihe/566f19a8/



 I get a CAPTCHA thing using that link, I hate those things. I see them a lot with TOR browser, I won't do it, paranoia  
Click on that Manage Attachments link down there in the additional options or Go Advanced button if you use the Quick Reply


----------



## fortphoenix (Jan 11, 2016)

sorry for some reason i couldn't remember how to use it, you should be able to see them now 

View attachment Photo on 1-11-16 at 4.05 AM #2.jpg


View attachment Photo on 1-11-16 at 4.05 AM #3.jpg


View attachment Photo on 1-11-16 at 4.05 AM.jpg


View attachment Photo on 1-11-16 at 4.06 AM #2.jpg


View attachment Photo on 1-11-16 at 4.06 AM #5.jpg


View attachment Photo on 1-11-16 at 4.06 AM.jpg


View attachment Photo on 1-11-16 at 4.07 AM.jpg


View attachment Photo on 1-11-16 at 5.40 AM #2.jpg


View attachment Photo on 1-11-16 at 5.40 AM.jpg


View attachment Photo on 1-11-16 at 5.41 AM #2.jpg


View attachment Photo on 1-11-16 at 5.41 AM #3.jpg


View attachment Photo on 1-11-16 at 5.41 AM.jpg


View attachment Photo on 1-11-16 at 5.42 AM.jpg


View attachment Photo on 1-11-16 at 8.14 AM #2.jpg


View attachment Photo on 1-11-16 at 8.15 AM.jpg


View attachment Photo on 1-11-16 at 8.16 AM.jpg


----------



## sunakard2000 (Jan 12, 2016)

it seems the biggest problem with hydro or at least a big problem i see a lot of people doing, is trying to move too quickly... now i grow organic but if i was doing hydro i would sprout seeds in rapid rooters, keep them in a rapid rooter nursery tray until they have a nice blasted cluster of roots, at least 2-3 inches long... you want a lot of roots, and i would also put them into solo cups with hydroton for a week or so until the root system really builds up better, THEN transplant it into your veg net pot, that way you ensure there is a nice, healthy, and large established root system so things like this dont happen. when i did some DWC i found the net pots to be a pain in the butt with very young plants, so just used a tray and some solo cups with good drainage, kept a small amount of water in the bottom of the tray, keeping the bottom of the tray warm with nothing more then a pair of old jeans, just to keep the air flow from directly touching the bottom and cooling the water off more... personally i found it easier to work with if the plants had established root systems rather then just a few scraggly roots poking out of rapid rooters. remember although typically veg goes a bit faster since the nutes are always readily available to the roots, but you cant rush things, take it slow and let the roots really build up before transplanting. hope this helps


----------



## fortphoenix (Jan 12, 2016)

sunakard2000 said:


> it seems the biggest problem with hydro or at least a big problem i see a lot of people doing, is trying to move too quickly... now i grow organic but if i was doing hydro i would sprout seeds in rapid rooters, keep them in a rapid rooter nursery tray until they have a nice blasted cluster of roots, at least 2-3 inches long... you want a lot of roots, and i would also put them into solo cups with hydroton for a week or so until the root system really builds up better, THEN transplant it into your veg net pot, that way you ensure there is a nice, healthy, and large established root system so things like this dont happen. when i did some DWC i found the net pots to be a pain in the butt with very young plants, so just used a tray and some solo cups with good drainage, kept a small amount of water in the bottom of the tray, keeping the bottom of the tray warm with nothing more then a pair of old jeans, just to keep the air flow from directly touching the bottom and cooling the water off more... personally i found it easier to work with if the plants had established root systems rather then just a few scraggly roots poking out of rapid rooters. remember although typically veg goes a bit faster since the nutes are always readily available to the roots, but you cant rush things, take it slow and let the roots really build up before transplanting. hope this helps


yes thanks for the info i actually have a new plan to transplant to 5"netcups with hydroton first once they're rooted and hand water them until the roots are more established then put the whole net cup in the 1gal pots once they're ready to start being flooded


----------



## Hushpuppy (Jan 12, 2016)

Yeah I totally agree with Sunakard on this. I think the problem you are currently having is the roots have dried out too much and the seedlings are having to rebuild them. Don't worry at this point about the leaves that are browning off as that is a result of the roots drying out. Get some "Root66" or other "root tonic" and add a little bit to your water and that will help them repair their roots quicker. Any time you see new plant growth, that is a sign that they are still viable plants.


----------



## fortphoenix (Jan 12, 2016)

Hushpuppy said:


> Yeah I totally agree with Sunakard on this. I think the problem you are currently having is the roots have dried out too much and the seedlings are having to rebuild them. Don't worry at this point about the leaves that are browning off as that is a result of the roots drying out. Get some "Root66" or other "root tonic" and add a little bit to your water and that will help them repair their roots quicker. Any time you see new plant growth, that is a sign that they are still viable plants.



i didn't know the browning off of the leaves could mean the roots are drying too much, thats weird after i took one of the AKs out of the pots/hydroton to check the roots, the hydroton was still soaked. the only dried roots were the scraggly roots near the top of the rapid rooter that didn't get wet because obviously the water level doesnt touch the rapid rooter but any thoughts on rhizotonic? i know its expenisive but if it gets the job done right then its worth the price. i feel like some people either don't use it and think its basically snake oil and then theres people who used it once and say they'll never grow without it again. and also, any thoughts on H&G root excelerator ?


----------



## sopappy (Jan 12, 2016)

I can't believe I'm disagreeing with these guys (ducking and running) <br/>
I only see two plants, trash them. Turn off that lamp. Save for a T5 with 6500K and a fan for the canopy, NO domes<br/>
I also think you are fine in those pots. You can top water 2-3 times a day forever, when you see those nice white roots starting out the bottom, start yer ebbing & flowing<br/>
which is pretty much what pcduck said... I just muddied the waters.


----------



## Hushpuppy (Jan 12, 2016)

The browning off of the leaves can be several things, not just the roots drying out. But in this case, we know that your having trouble keeping the rooter and hydroton moist. Don't be afraid to keep them wet. being in hydro means keeping them wet. They can actually sit completely submerged in water and still do fine. I have seen it done. The key is keeping that water at the proper temperature(67-70) and keeping it aerated with oxygen filled air.

I'm not sure but I don't think you can use Rhizotonic in hydro setup as most of the microbes will drown. If you are going to try to do Organics you can get some liquid working microbes but if you are going to use synthetic nutes like most hydro/soilless growers then you will not need any microbes, and any that you do add will not survive long as they have nothing to eat.


----------



## Hushpuppy (Jan 12, 2016)

I would not use the H&G stuff at all. That is standardized fertilizer to be use on general variety of plants. You should only use nutrients formulated specifically for MJ. I would get the Root66 from Technaflora, you can get it on Amazon. Or you can use this one: http://www.discount-hydro.com/botanicare-rhizo-blast-275-ml/


----------



## fortphoenix (Jan 12, 2016)

sopappy said:


> I can't believe I'm disagreeing with these guys (ducking and running) <br/>
> I only see two plants, trash them. Turn off that lamp. Save for a T5 with 6500K and a fan for the canopy, NO domes<br/>
> I also think you are fine in those pots. You can top water 2-3 times a day forever, when you see those nice white roots starting out the bottom, start yer ebbing & flowing<br/>
> which is pretty much what pcduck said... I just muddied the waters.



yeah my whole thing with the domes is they take away air circulation which I've read is key to staying pest, mold and disease free but yes sir thats basically what I'm doing. going from rapid rooter tray (germination.sprout) then put the rapid rooter in a 5" netcup with hydroton (hand water the net cup under the t5) then once the roots are at the bottom of the net cup i know I'm good to flood because the bottom of the netcup is like 1.5" below the flood line I'm just trying to decide if i should wait a week or 2 after i start flooding before i put the 400w on them


----------



## fortphoenix (Jan 12, 2016)

Hushpuppy said:


> The browning off of the leaves can be several things, not just the roots drying out. But in this case, we know that your having trouble keeping the rooter and hydroton moist. Don't be afraid to keep them wet. being in hydro means keeping them wet. They can actually sit completely submerged in water and still do fine. I have seen it done. The key is keeping that water at the proper temperature(67-70) and keeping it aerated with oxygen filled air.
> 
> I'm not sure but I don't think you can use Rhizotonic in hydro setup as most of the microbes will drown. If you are going to try to do Organics you can get some liquid working microbes but if you are going to use synthetic nutes like most hydro/soilless growers then you will not need any microbes, and any that you do add will not survive long as they have nothing to eat.



yeah my water temp is at 68-69 degrees but I'm using synthetic i just assumed rhizotonic was applicable in flood and drain, i thought it was cannazyme that couldn't be used because the h2o2 would be render it useless. could something like the root66 be used with h2o2? my shop has it but its organic so doesnt that mean my h202 would make it useless? my shop doesnt have the botanicare rhizo blast though


----------



## sopappy (Jan 12, 2016)

fortphoenix said:


> yeah my whole thing with the domes is they take away air circulation which I've read is key to staying pest, mold and disease free but yes sir thats basically what I'm doing. going from rapid rooter tray (germination.sprout) then put the rapid rooter in a 5&quot; netcup with hydroton (hand water the net cup under the t5) then once the roots are at the bottom of the net cup i know I'm good to flood because the bottom of the netcup is like 1.5&quot; below the flood line I'm just trying to decide if i should wait a week or 2 after i start flooding before i put the 400w on them



 Domes are for clones. I don't think seeds need nearly the humidity. Keep the place clean and you won't have any problems, but you're right o be wary. You have a T5, perfect. I wouldn't be in a hurry to get them under that HPS again, save it for flower. Maybe you can get an MH bulb for your ballast but I wouldn't. You'll find lots of things to spend money on :-(


----------



## rickyjack9 (Jan 13, 2016)

everywhere I see overfeeding it seems. this taboo of coco in ebbnflow is false.
I used 2 gal smart pots, 50% coco/chunky perlite. ebbnflow twice a day working fantastic. leaves pointing up. my 1000w stays high not to bleach nothing. I may have to add a third flood...loving it and wont go back now.


----------



## Hushpuppy (Jan 13, 2016)

Once you get the functions of coco down and remember to use something like the smart pots to prevent the small bits of coir from going into the hydro system, coco works very well. I prefer to use coco coir and pearlite exclusively, but I have recently added some coco chips on the bottom to help with drainage. The roots seem to like it quite well.

Phoenix: yes the root66 will work fine with the H2O2 as it isn't microbe based. But I wouldn't use the H2O2 (I have never needed it in my years of growing) I know its an important component to fight off pathogens in the water but unless you have some issues with your water, it generally isn't needed in an ongoing manner. I have a bottle of it that I bought 5 years ago and brought it in the house as I had not so much as cracked the seal on it.


----------



## fortphoenix (Jan 14, 2016)

Hushpuppy said:


> Once you get the functions of coco down and remember to use something like the smart pots to prevent the small bits of coir from going into the hydro system, coco works very well. I prefer to use coco coir and pearlite exclusively, but I have recently added some coco chips on the bottom to help with drainage. The roots seem to like it quite well.
> 
> Phoenix: yes the root66 will work fine with the H2O2 as it isn't microbe based. But I wouldn't use the H2O2 (I have never needed it in my years of growing) I know its an important component to fight off pathogens in the water but unless you have some issues with your water, it generally isn't needed in an ongoing manner. I have a bottle of it that I bought 5 years ago and brought it in the house as I had not so much as cracked the seal on it.



well the only thing is right now I'm having a problem lol in my res i have some clear/white stuff.. it looks almost like old broken up toilet paper floating around in the res and when you take it out and examine it its like a a jelly/gelatin snot-like stuff that floats around and sticks to the air stone and water pump filter. its hard to get a pic of it. i couldn't even see my air stone 5 days after a total res/tray/hose cleaning/sterilization (although, i didn't clean my pump filter) so i cleaned and sterilized it all again today and added another stone but from my research i think its a bacteria bloom and idk where it started from but i definitely need to get rid of it so I'm probably going put some uv in the res and hope that can help me fight whatever is breeding in my res because I'm definitely not trying to fully clean and sterilize my tank and res every 3 or 4 days 

View attachment Photo on 1-14-16 at 12.15 AM #2.jpg


View attachment Photo on 1-14-16 at 12.15 AM #3.jpg


View attachment Photo on 1-14-16 at 12.15 AM.jpg


----------



## Hushpuppy (Jan 14, 2016)

Do you see this every time you start a new rez of solution? is this before, or after using the H2O2, or is this what happens if you don't use the H2O2?


----------



## sopappy (Jan 15, 2016)

Jesus, remind me not to log on here before eating, man, that's gross, start over!
Use HDPE plastic, clean all again, light bleach, rinse well, let water sit a day after H2O2 (I say 15mL per 5gal)  
Is your water always covered? temperature?

ALWAYS USE GLOVES WITH H202 (29%) BEFORE YOU TOUCH THE BOTTLE AND RINSE EVERYTHING ESPECIALLY THE DAMN GLOVES AND BEFORE YOU TAKE THEM OFF, THE STUFF IS AWFUL!!!


----------



## fortphoenix (Jan 15, 2016)

Hushpuppy said:


> Do you see this every time you start a new rez of solution? is this before, or after using the H2O2, or is this what happens if you don't use the H2O2?



well the res change i did 2 days ago was my 3rd res change and i saw it in the other 2 and I've noticed the h2o2 seems to slow it down. when i waited 5 days before reapplying the h2o2 is when it got really bad. couldn't even see my airstone


----------



## fortphoenix (Jan 15, 2016)

sopappy said:


> Jesus, remind me not to log on here before eating, man, that's gross, start over!
> Use HDPE plastic, clean all again, light bleach, rinse well, let water sit a day after H2O2 (I say 15mL per 5gal)
> Is your water always covered? temperature?
> 
> ALWAYS USE GLOVES WITH H202 (29%) BEFORE YOU TOUCH THE BOTTLE AND RINSE EVERYTHING ESPECIALLY THE DAMN GLOVES AND BEFORE YOU TAKE THEM OFF, THE STUFF IS AWFUL!!!



lol sorry dude but yeah i absolutely cleaned and sterilized everything from my pump and filter to my syringe and ph meter and tray. i even used the hose in my sink to totally flush the plants and sterilized the outside of the pots and used a spray bottle to pour h2o2 in the pots and of course i use gloves that **** fuckin burns if it gets on you and i have 35% too lol but no i don't cover it to not get algae and bacteria build up on the cover and stuff, i did buy black hose and another airstone and an air pump thats 3 times more powerful and uses 2 air stones though. and my res temps around around 68-69. never over 69 though


----------



## sopappy (Jan 15, 2016)

fortphoenix said:


> lol sorry dude but yeah i absolutely cleaned and sterilized everything from my pump and filter to my syringe and ph meter and tray. i even used the hose in my sink to totally flush the plants and sterilized the outside of the pots and used a spray bottle to pour h2o2 in the pots and of course i use gloves that **** fuckin burns if it gets on you and i have 35% too lol but no i don't cover it to not get algae and bacteria build up on the cover and stuff, i did buy black hose and another airstone and an air pump thats 3 times more powerful and uses 2 air stones though. and my res temps around around 68-69. never over 69 though



 I was relieved to see the lol there, you're having a rough go of it, I should be a more tactful here, I feel your pain! Temps are good but I don't think you'll get away with water uncovered (I got that **** on my hand IN THE STORE, it should come in a plastic bag like that acid to unclog drains, cripes, 35%... isn't that rocket fuel?)


----------



## fortphoenix (Jan 16, 2016)

sopappy said:


> I was relieved to see the lol there, you're having a rough go of it, I should be a more tactful here, I feel your pain! Temps are good but I don't think you'll get away with water uncovered (I got that **** on my hand IN THE STORE, it should come in a plastic bag like that acid to unclog drains, cripes, 35%... isn't that rocket fuel?)



yeah I'm hoping everything will be good and clear now so i can actually start seeing some real growth in these damn plants lol but I'm thinking I'm probably going to cover it once my northern lights are ready to transplant because thats when I'm going put up my black tubing in place of the clear tubing but yeah thats some strong stuff, it'll temporarily bleach the skin and have you itching like a crackhead lol


----------



## Hushpuppy (Jan 16, 2016)

Are you certain that its bacteria and not single cell algae from having too much light getting into the water. Are you using well water or city water? I would have it tested to see what that is.


----------



## fortphoenix (Jan 16, 2016)

Hushpuppy said:


> Are you certain that its bacteria and not single cell algae from having too much light getting into the water. Are you using well water or city water? I would have it tested to see what that is.



i mean i guess it could be that (I'm not qualified or experienced enough to know) but everywhere i read it said that if its clear it probably isn't algae because algae need to photosynthesize to grow and doing that gives it some sort or color, unless single celled algae is different but idk, I'm not educated on single cell algae but believe it or not, the tank doesnt get much light because my tray fits perfectly in my tent and my res is only like 4 or 5in under it so most of the light gets blocked. the only other light i have is my t5 which is on the side of the res but the light hits more of the drain tubing then it does in the res plus its a few inches lower then the res so there isn't much lighting hitting the water. and i was thinking about having it tested but idk *** to look for in a test lol. i was also thinking about putting a uv light at the top of the res to help with the sterilization, like i said my whole res is supposed to be sterile and synthetic anyway so i don't see how it could do any harm. any thoughts on the uv light?


----------



## Hushpuppy (Jan 16, 2016)

If you could get a UV light under the table so that its not shining up onto the plants but run it on the same schedule as your lights.

I would take a water sample from your source water and have it tested to see if there is something in your system. I have a single cell pink organism that is prevalent in my water but it doesn't harm anything unless you don't clean the toilets in the house. Then it will build a thin pink slime. I get some slime growth in my system but it doesn't get to where its a problem. It may be the same stuff that gets in the toilets but I'm not sure.


----------



## fortphoenix (Jan 16, 2016)

Hushpuppy said:


> If you could get a UV light under the table so that its not shining up onto the plants but run it on the same schedule as your lights.
> 
> I would take a water sample from your source water and have it tested to see if there is something in your system. I have a single cell pink organism that is prevalent in my water but it doesn't harm anything unless you don't clean the toilets in the house. Then it will build a thin pink slime. I get some slime growth in my system but it doesn't get to where its a problem. It may be the same stuff that gets in the toilets but I'm not sure.


thats a pretty good idea to make the area surrounding my res sterile but the pink organism stays away aslong as the toilets are clean? ***? loll but yeah then I'm definitely going to get it tested because i need the problem solved before i put my northern lights in the flood table but thanks for the responses and feedback dude!!


----------



## Hushpuppy (Jan 17, 2016)

The pink slime doesn't "stay away" it is there in tiny amounts that cant be seen (single cell) but then over time it collects and colonizes the toilets like settlers around a lake and I have (that is my wife does it before I get to it) to clean it to get rid of the pink buildup that slowly appears after some time. It doesn't keep it away as the single cell organism is in the water in my well. It has been tested and is harmless, but its an ugly nuisance. 

Glad to help, don't be afraid to ask questions


----------



## sopappy (Jun 23, 2016)

fortphoenix said:


> hey guys Im doing flood and drain in hydroton i know you shouldnt let your water level touch your rapid rooters ....



I'm just trying an ebb and flow table and had intended to flood at least half way  up the rapid rooter every 2 hours. Tons o' roots come out the sides of those plugs so I'm puzzled., sounds like it's okay to let the plug dry out? 
(two kinds of roots, is that it?)


----------



## Hushpuppy (Jun 23, 2016)

You say "Rapid Rooter", the ones I've dealt with are very small (1.5"x1.5"x2"). Are you working with larger cubes? 

In hydro systems, you generally don't want to allow them to completely dry out (especially exposed roots). As Hydro solutions are generally highly aerated, there is little need to allow significant drying as the aerated solution has plenty of oxygen to prevent the roots from drowning. If you don't have the cubes and roots covered by something to prevent over-drying, you should cover them.

There are 2 types of roots. the shorter "feeder" roots stay shallower (generally) while the "water" roots (generally) reach deeper for the water. Growing in shallower mediums of hydroponics can certainly affect how these 2 roots grow and act.


----------



## sopappy (Jun 23, 2016)

Hushpuppy said:


> You say "Rapid Rooter", the ones I've dealt with are very small (1.5"x1.5"x2"). Are you working with larger cubes?
> 
> In hydro systems, you generally don't want to allow them to completely dry out (especially exposed roots). As Hydro solutions are generally highly aerated, there is little need to allow significant drying as the aerated solution has plenty of oxygen to prevent the roots from drowning. If you don't have the cubes and roots covered by something to prevent over-drying, you should cover them.
> 
> There are 2 types of roots. the shorter "feeder" roots stay shallower (generally) while the "water" roots (generally) reach deeper for the water. Growing in shallower mediums of hydroponics can certainly affect how these 2 roots grow and act.



Hey HP, 
yup, those are the ones. If I stop the flow before the bottom of the plug seems to me it will dry out. Confusing, contradictions bug me 
I can't pick out the shorter roots but i do see different root "patterns" in my RDWC on the roots between the bottom of the pot and the water level.


----------



## Hushpuppy (Jun 24, 2016)

I wouldn't be concerned about the different roots as you are in hydro and the plants adapt to the different medium conditions. The one big thing that I have learned about doing hydro (or MJ growing in general), You have to experiment some to find the "sweet spot" for the plants in your specific environment. Depending on how exposed or how well covered your roots and rooter plug are will decide how you run the system. Don't be afraid to try different levels, run times, solution strengths, etc, as different strains will like different conditions. The trick is to only do 1 change at a time so that you can see how the plants react to the change. Doing more than one change at a time can quickly have you chasing your tail. 

With Hydro growing, everything happens quickly. This is a double edged sword but if you stay on top of it, you will learn quickly to judge the plants and what they are telling you that they want. As I said before, as long as your water is well aerated (and the temps are kept in 65f-72f range), the plants will not drown. I have seen systems where water was literally standing 1/2" deep on top of the medium because the system was top feeding continuously, and the plants didn't suffer any issues.

You will get conflicting views and opinions on this because there are so many variations to grow methods, and many of these variations will work in their given conditions. You have to find the right one for your unique setup.

One thing to remember... Well rooted plants can take a significant amount of variations and will respond quickly enough to recover without issue if one method "tweak" is not the right "tweak". But if the clones (or seedlings) don't have well established roots, you have to be really careful with making changes. I try to keep those kids in a very stable environment until they are well established.


----------



## sopappy (Jun 24, 2016)

you always get more than you asked for from HP hahaha, thanks butI'm still hung up on whether I should let the rapid rooters get flooded 
I'm not doing it, they won't dry out much in 2 hours


----------



## Hushpuppy (Jun 24, 2016)

LOL  Are you trying to kindly say that I am long-winded? I've never been accused of that..... too many times. Mostly by my wife and son. :doh:

I don't want to tell you, "do it this way" and then it crash and burn and you think what I said is wrong. You should try it one way and watch it carefully for changes (better or worse), better will take 4-7days to show but worse will only take 2-4days to show in the plants.... Then try it the other way and see if its better or worse. Then you've learned something about your plants that you can use in the future. 

I personally would flood them to wet the rooters each time. but that's just me opinion


----------



## sopappy (Jun 25, 2016)

Hushpuppy said:


> LOL  Are you trying to kindly say that I am long-winded? I've never been accused of that..... too many times. Mostly by my wife and son. :doh:
> 
> I don't want to tell you, "do it this way" and then it crash and burn and you think what I said is wrong. You should try it one way and watch it carefully for changes (better or worse), better will take 4-7days to show but worse will only take 2-4days to show in the plants.... Then try it the other way and see if its better or worse. Then you've learned something about your plants that you can use in the future.
> 
> I personally would flood them to wet the rooters each time. but that's just me opinion



Yes, I think they call them backhanded compliments. I'm not sure why I do that but I mean well, sort of hahaha
I say you're right, I'm flooding the rooters, I may extend the interval though
...way more fun than a train set
thanks


----------



## Hushpuppy (Jun 25, 2016)

Do you currently have the rooters in something like hydroton, in the netpots to keep the roots covered? (man its hard to type when stoned. Only thing worse is texting)


----------



## sopappy (Jun 26, 2016)

Hey, I answered this one this morning ???

HP, yes, I love hydroton and I know ur cuckoo for coco though, but sarright,
please pop by 
http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=73538


----------

