first time using a w/f hydro system, need help!!

[nlkush]

i am used to growing in coco with a drip system on a timer. I decided since my friend had a bunch of water farms that i would try them. I am having nothing but problems!!!

I did all the mods that needed to be done to the w/f. i drilled new holes to get them daisy chained together. also got it recirculating on a pump and timer. i changed the rez's and got 32 gallon garbage cans instead. Pretty heady looking system i might add. i am running 4; 8 pot systems. each is its own system. i am in hydroton as well.

i took 32 cuts from mothers and put in easy cloner. after a few weeks of root growth i transplanted to w/f. put them in the room under 4 600 watt lights.

here come the problems

1) ph is all over the place. spiking a point a day. think this is due to the hydroton not being properly washed. so i changed the water in the rez. still getting the problem. i sucked out all the water in the lines with a shopvac. got rid of all the dust and shit from the hydroton, but stiil i am going up a point aday. on two systems i am at half strength fert, total ppm is 600 right now. it is low because ppm spikes with ph and need the room to lower. the other 2 systems are straight water, h202 and cap of superthrive

2) plants look good at first, then started to droop. so i cut down on the watering reg. it went from always on to 15min on 2hours off. had to dial that in, think i got that straight at 15 on and half hour off. the palnts are still drooping and showing signs of burn. either lights to close ( i just move them up, 3 ffet above now) or fert burn( so i cut the rez mix in half with water to cut ppm down on 2 systems and did the water in the other 2)

i may look that i may loose half this crop already, drop down to 16 and take new cuts. any suggesting would be awesome. i can also submit pictures later on after work. i am really frustrated. i have been growing for years and never had problems like this.

do you think from the cloner to directly into the w/f under 600 was a bad idea. they went straight from cloner to hydroton to veg. temp in the room is 77-80 and the water temp is 67. the 600 watts are bout 3 feet from the tops of the w/f. not sure what other info you need. i am using all AD nutes. i am also using some super thrive, stimulater, nitrozyme as addons. the ppm of the water is around 600 - 700.

any help would be great.

thanks

[nlkush]

H=Answer if you grow hydro or aero Hydro
C=Answer if you grow coco
S=Answer if you grow traditional soil
L=Answer if you grow soilless other than coco (Promix, Hyponex, SunshineMix)
R=Answer if you grow in RockWool
T=Answer if you grow in HydroTon HydroTon
D=Answer if you run any type of automatic drip system, including into soil or soilless Water Farm, drip method with recirculating

E-indoor or outdoor indoor
E-soil, soilless, coco, aero, or hydroponic hydroponic
E-specific medium
CSL-Soil type/brand
HCL-Hydro/aero/soilless system type Hydro
SCL-Anything you have added to the soil
SCLR-Soil or slab runoff pH
E-Water source tap right now, ph 7 ppm 175
E-Source water pH
HRT-Source water EC (if hydro)
E-Age of plant less than a week out of the cloner, in the cloner for 3 weeks
E-Type of fertilizer advanced
E-Rate of application (if hydro, this is your PPM number, preferably after each component is added) 600 ppm with tap water included
E-Lighting source and distance from plant bout 3 feet now
E-Air temperature (both day and night if you are running a dark period) day 77/ night ?
HD-Reservoir temperature 67
E-Air % Relative humidity day 60%
E-Lighting schedule 18/6
E-Type of ventilation your room has air cooled hoods with at one end a carbon filter, i leave door open a crack for ventilation also, all in a basement
TR-Did you pre-soak your media in pH corrected solution? washed hydroton after the fact, cleaned out all the dust and shit

[xcrispi]

600 ppm seems kinda high for babies .

I shoot for 6.2 or so w/ my ph .

You can never wash new hydroton too much .

Peace
Crispi :stoned:

[nlkush]

i have been hitting 5.6, but just check after 24 hours and it was 6.4. just need to calm the ph down. is the swing from the hydroton or could something else be to blame.

also using Advance N as a fert.

Have since cut ppm in half

[xcrispi]

I've found ph rise to be more common than drop . I think it's from evap / transpiration ? I use lots more ph down than up over the course of a grow .

I'm no help w/ AD nutes . I'm a tightwad -n- use G/H 3 part .

Next grow soak the hydroton overnight in ph adj. water after washing the dog livin hell outa it 1st .

Peace
Crispi :stoned:

[stinkyattic]

Hydroton fresh from the factory comes in at high pH and needs to be soaked down to pH 5.8-6.o before use. Keep on top of your pH until it stabilizes. This is of utmost importance.