Can Air Pumps be Replaced and Other Cool Ideas to Supercharge Your Hydro Grow

PhatNuggz

Active Member
Summer type temps are here, and my Rez ice paks were now only lasting about 1.5 hours at which point the contents became liquid= ~ 75*s+= no bueno. Time to make adjustments

First, I wrapped the Igloo with a ~ 1/4" thick padded mylar then I placed an extra Igloo top on the lid

Time to begin testing

4/08
9:49 68* so I replaced 2 paks
1:00 65*s
3:13 67*s
5:45 pm 68* (removed 2 paks replaced one)

4/09
6:45 am 75*s (replaced with 2 paks)
10:12 68*s

or roughly 4+ hours between replacing 2 paks, but could easily go 8+ now without temp rising much above 70*s.

That's a huge improvement

hth
 

PhatNuggz

Active Member
Yesterday morning I noticed all the leafs had drooped. Alas, it took me the better part of the day to figure out why. 2 days ago the extra cooler lidI place on top of the Igloo lid to add more insulation, slipped off and landed on the feed/drain tubes. Examining them they were intact OUTSIDE but it took me 2 days to figure out that the vertical riser tube from the pump had pulled away so that it popped off the pump= no nuttirients going to the plants. I reset it and increased floods to every 45 minutes, but this morning they have not recovered.

I would like to give them another ~ 5 dayd as the buds are getting very frosty, but may wind up harvesting by late Saturday
 

PhatNuggz

Active Member
Most hydro growers know how fine a line it is between life and death.

The 2 days it took me to figure out that the feeder tube from the pump had come off killed the roots. So this morning I cut one down, and will likely harvest the other today as well

That's bad news BUT these were miracle plants and that I got this far was awesome. Another couple of days would have helped but, here we are, and there's a fair amount of frosty crystals

Since we've had record temperature highs here I am going to wait awhile before I drop my Hindu Kush seeds
 

PhatNuggz

Active Member
Most hydro growers know how fine a line it is between life and death.

The 2 days it took me to figure out that the feeder tube from the pump had come off killed the roots. So this morning I cut one down, and will likely harvest the other today as well

That's bad news BUT these were miracle plants and that I got this far was awesome. Another couple of days would have helped but, here we are, and there's a fair amount of frosty crystals

Since we've had record temperature highs here I am going to wait awhile before I drop my Hindu Kush seeds
 

Kushala Dora Farms

Tempest of Frosty Nugs
Good read! I had a sativa plant that looked similar. Everything but the top bud in the trash not even into hash bin. Was low thc n probably a 12 week strain. Killed the clone too. Havent grown such a bad plant since i started 6 yrs ago with Barney's farm genes
 

PhatNuggz

Active Member
I dropped 3/10 gifted Hindu Kush seeds from a Dispensary 2 days ago. I added some Kelp to the water to facilitate germination. They haven't cracked yet, but I dropped them in starter cubes this morning. Sitting in 4" net pots with ~ 1/2" of stone or marbles between the cube and the bottom of the net pot, which is sitting on a 1/2" grate, directly above a 5" air stone. The pump has output adjustment turned down low so as not to soak the cubes Fingers crossed
 

PhatNuggz

Active Member
The location I was doing this technique wasn't getting enough light, so I temporally abandoned it until the plants pop. Moved them outside and feeding with eye dropper
 

PhatNuggz

Active Member
I decided to place them under my Amare P3 but using only the ~ 100w of mono rings surrounding each CoB. This morning I noticed 1/3 standing up ~ 1/2" tall with cotyledon beginning to open, but 2/3 seeds not properly placed with root tip firmly down (growing sideways). so I reset them using tweezers and a magnifying glass
 

PhatNuggz

Active Member
2 are up and growing, the last one still might make it. Moved them into my DIY bubbler this morning (this rig I only use until the roots get long enough to move into my F & D

I am using a 4 manifold air pump which has an air volume adjustment knob

IMG_4923.JPGIMG_4924.JPG
 

PhatNuggz

Active Member
When I started this grow, I completely forgot that I have Bright Water Ceramic Filtration Media, said to be a better alternative to Hydroton, which I hated due to it breaking down. 2/3 completely replaced with them, but the 3rd already has established roots, so I instead I topped it off
 

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PhatNuggz

Active Member
Here's an interesting YTV for germinating seeds. I seldom have fresh seeds so not often do I get long tails. Unfortunately, I never thought to move them into paper towels. I shudder to think how many seeds I might have saved from the garbage can.

 

PhatNuggz

Active Member
2/3 are doing well. The 3rd didn't make it. Fingers crossed I have 2 females this go round.

The hardiest one is on its 3rd leaf set with the first set stretching beyond the 3" net pot 😎

The second plant now has 2" tap root hanging below the pot
 

treefarmercharlie

🍆
Admin
Some people have great results with the paper towel method but I've personally had shit luck with it. The roots can grow into the paper towel and, if you aren't careful, you can break the taproot when you pull them off the paper towel.

One thing I didn't realize, until recently, is the correct orientation the seed should be in when you plant it. I always assumed the seed should be planted so the "hinge" of the seed faces up so, when the seed cracks open, the taproot grows down into the soil. Seems to make sense, right? Then I saw this and it made me realize I had been planting them the wrong way.
6-26-2020 10-26-23 AM.png
 
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