OCCG Hydro's 1000w Closet Drip System - Blueberry Kush & White Russian

[occg.hydro]

I tried 24/0 for a while. I've gotten great results in the past by using a continuous light cycle, but that was with flourescent lights, not MH. I don't know what the deal is with this grow, but in switching from soil to hydro I've had to re-learn everything I thought I knew. 18/6 is working much better this time around. Not 100% sure why but I think it has to do with the high heat during the days here. Even with the co2 and the AC I think the stoma's were closed. The plants seem much happier with a night cycle for some reason. I also got a STUPID high electric bill for my month of continuous light. I have to use a 930w portable AC to cool the room, so turning off the light for 6 hours a day means that the AC runs less and saves me a bunch of $. with my setup everything seems to affect everything else much more directly than I'm used to. More light=more AC=low humidity (to the point of being problematic)=watering cycle problems=mass confusion... but that's just my setup. Everything I'm using is complete and utter overkill. I sould be running a 600w but noooooo, I wanted to go all out and make a 1000 work in a 4.5x4.5 room. I wouldn't do it again, I'll say that. I'm quickly figuring out that if I get something working right I should stop ****ing with it at that point.

 

[KGB30]

I baught the Sun yield 1,000 MH & HPS with both bulbs.. My ballast is switchable so I can veg & flower. I also baught a charco filter. I baught can fan 6HO. My Hood has 2-6 inch fan hook ups.

 

[occg.hydro]

I baught the Sun yield 1,000 MH & HPS with both bulbs.. My ballast is switchable so I can veg & flower. I also baught a charco filter. I baught can fan 6HO. My Hood has 2-6 inch fan hook ups.

nice light! I use an MH conversion bulb on an HPS ballast which seems to run really hot, even for an MH. That reflector you have is nice, with the 6" vent holes on either end of the light. I use a sun system X ballast and their smaller footprint reflector. I have a "super large" hood as well, but I don't use it because it doesn't cool as well. The reflector I use now has 4" vents on the horizontal (long) sides instead of the lateral sides (tip to socket style). I don't like the fact that the vents are 4" instead of 6" and I don't like that they're on the horizontal side (doesn't cool as well as yours), but it has a really tiny footprint which works well for me. I run a can fan 4HO and a vortex 172cfm 4" on either side of the light and run the ventilation independently for the light (check out the pics if I don't make sense). I have a carbon filter but I don't use it during veg because I vent the room exhaust through the AC, in to a bathroom and out the ceiling and smell really isn't an issue 'till they start to bud. During flower I take one of the fans off the light and run the carbon filter with the vortex and the light with the can fan. If I could start over again I'd go with a set of 6" HO's just because of the huge difference with the amount of air it can move over a 4". Right now I have 1 exhaust for the AC, an intake for the room w/ a hepa filter and 200cfm inline blower, an intake and exhaust just for the light with the 2 4" fans I mentioned above, and an exhaust for my carbon filter. too many holes in my wall. 3 inline fans and an AC with a total of 5 holes. I've managed to over complicate everything about this setup, but I'm really starting to like the control I have with hydro as opposed to soil. Everything's really touchy though. I just had to do it the hard way.

 

[KGB30]

I got my Can-fan sucking air from the 6 inch Hood and the other 6 inch is hooked up to the Charco filter. So the air gets sucked from the filter through the hood & out of the grow tent.... Once I get the Indoor grow down then I will switch to Hydro from soil... I can not grow inside until my out side plants are completed.

 

[occg.hydro]

for sure bro. I was just checking out your outdoor journal and those monsters are lookin great! If you're just getting in to hydro expect to feel like a noob all over again. This is my first time w/ hydro after years of soil grows and it's taught me things that I didn't even know that I didn't know! At least I can still handle a plant though!

 

[KGB30]

Ya once I get the soil down growing indoors then i'll venture into Hydro... I have alot more to learn about soil growing & different strains and how they react... I enjoy learning something new & easy.

 

[occg.hydro]

for sure man, soil's tons of fun and fairly forgiving compared to hydro. Right now it feels like more of a chore than growing ever has, but I'm sure the harvest will make it all worth it! It looks like you're doing great with soil from what I've seen! are those 6ft monster trees from seed or clones? Gotta be seed, right?

 

[KGB30]

for sure man, soil's tons of fun and fairly forgiving compared to hydro. Right now it feels like more of a chore than growing ever has, but I'm sure the harvest will make it all worth it! It looks like you're doing great with soil from what I've seen! are those 6ft monster trees from seed or clones? Gotta be seed, right?

I planted the beans in the soil and they sprouted two in one pot... I joined and Hick recommend transplanting them into their own pots and using FFOF as soil.....

 

[occg.hydro]

I used to use FF Ocean Forest when I was doing soil grows too. Great stuff, I never had any nute issues at all. It seems like the fox farm products are really top shelf stuff. I'm just not sold on the extra $ tacked on to the price for organic nutes in a hydro system. I don't know if I could manage going organic with hydro yet either. I know that the payoff to organic growing is awesome but with hydro I hear that it's way more straightforward to go with chem based nutes.

 

[KGB30]

I can you use organic nutes in hydro? I had problem with my moon light clone & heat issues being in direct sun light.. I moved her with the other children so she would have friends. lol...

 

[occg.hydro]

yeah, they do make organic nutes for hydro but it's way more unpredictable from what I've read because it's not made in a lab (not derived from chemicals and what not) and you can't get a true ppm reading which makes it a guessing game trying to figure out nute strength when you adjust your resoivoir. I'm still a noob to hydro though, so just because I can't do it yet doesn't mean that other people aren't kicking arse with the organic stuff. That's just what I've read though. Soil is fairly self regulating with the nature of how plants use bacteria in the soil to break down minerals in the soil in to the nutrients that the plants need. In hydro you're using an inert medium so instead of having bacteria doing the work for you, you have to supply all of the nutrients in the water. It makes it much more precise and gives you more control but everything is really touchy because you're in control of EVERYTHING instead of leaving it to mother nature.

 

[KGB30]

yeah, they do make organic nutes for hydro but it's way more unpredictable from what I've read because it's not made in a lab (not derived from chemicals and what not) and you can't get a true ppm reading which makes it a guessing game trying to figure out nute strength when you adjust your resoivoir. I'm still a noob to hydro though, so just because I can't do it yet doesn't mean that other people aren't kicking arse with the organic stuff. That's just what I've read though. Soil is fairly self regulating with the nature of how plants use bacteria in the soil to break down minerals in the soil in to the nutrients that the plants need. In hydro you're using an inert medium so instead of having bacteria doing the work for you, you have to supply all of the nutrients in the water. It makes it much more precise and gives you more control but everything is really touchy because you're in control of EVERYTHING instead of leaving it to mother nature.

Can ya sprout beans in soil while using MH light or is the zip bag the tricka. Ya I've had other people state get use to soil and feed nutes first before starting on hydro.... What is the better setup for hydro for six plants..

 

[occg.hydro]

I would sprout the beans in 1.5x1.5 inch rockwool cubes in a propagation tray with a humidity dome under a couple of CFL's or fluorescents. When they start to show roots go ahead and transplant them into whatever container you're using and pop them under the MH. I've never tried using an MH for sprouts, only after they have their first 2 or 3 sets of real leaves (not including the sprout lobes). Be really careful putting tiny plants under a monster 1000 though, just make sure to start with the light pretty far away until they've adjusted to the transplant and then you can start to lower the light down closer to the tops each day until you get it as close as you want it.

 

[Mogwi]

Absolutely beautiful man. Such a professional looking grow. How could i not pull up a chair and watch this grow. Good luck to you man. Looking forward to future updates. Be safe.

Peace and love to you all,
Mogwi

 

[KGB30]

I would sprout the beans in 1.5x1.5 inch rockwool cubes in a propagation tray with a humidity dome under a couple of CFL's or fluorescents. When they start to show roots go ahead and transplant them into whatever container you're using and pop them under the MH. I've never tried using an MH for sprouts, only after they have their first 2 or 3 sets of real leaves (not including the sprout lobes). Be really careful putting tiny plants under a monster 1000 though, just make sure to start with the light pretty far away until they've adjusted to the transplant and then you can start to lower the light down closer to the tops each day until you get it as close as you want it.

The rockwool do you soak it before you drop your beans.... I have heard of other growers who soak it before they drop beans... I appreciate the info buddie... Ya I new that you have to adjust the transplant to the light... I made small but High table to for the filter to sit on to save space for the grow area... I guess I will have to do a journal on my grow Tent... Except no one except Timmy has given me advice on my Sativa Hybrid Journal.. Well good night..

 

[occg.hydro]

yeah, you want to make sure that you adjust the ph of the rockwool. There's a product out there specifically for that called rockwool soak or you can just do it with RO water that's been adjusted to 5.5. Just make sure to let it soak over night. You don't need nutes when you're first sprouting the seeds, just give them some water and make sure that they stay moist. You shouldn't have a problem with over watering the rockwool just don't drown the things.

 

[KGB30]

yeah, you want to make sure that you adjust the ph of the rockwool. There's a product out there specifically for that called rockwool soak or you can just do it with RO water that's been adjusted to 5.5. Just make sure to let it soak over night. You don't need nutes when you're first sprouting the seeds, just give them some water and make sure that they stay moist. You shouldn't have a problem with over watering the rockwool just don't drown the things.

Thanks for the info friend... How are they doing?

 

[occg.hydro]

they're doing really well. I'm going to flush them tonight and change the reservoir. They've only got a couple more days until I switch them over to flowering. I've got to get a few CFL's too so that I can get some extra light on the lower branches. I'm going to cut a couple of clones and start a mother plant of each strain so that when I harvest this crop I'm all ready to go again!

 

[KGB30]

Sounds good Oc...

I start my Grow tent build journal take a look the links below. How tall are they buddie 12 inch?

Ya I need to start messing with cloning so I can learn...

 

[occg.hydro]

Ok, so I flushed w/ clearex and changed the reservoir tonight. The nutes are at 505 ppm. I measured the plants as well. The tallest of the Russians are at 20" and the tallest kush is at 16". This should be the last few days of veg for these guys!