High Res Temps

[dejayou30]

My Tri-Meter says my DWC res is 80 degrees. I read in Cervantes Medical Grow Bible that anything over 85 will damage the fine hairs on the roots and cause the plant to wilt and growth to slow. I have plenty of air, 40W worth through four cylindrical 4" air stones and a bubble rope, going to the roots, so if its not getting up to 85 should I still worry about it? So far, the plant is not showing any negative signs, and the roots are still white and thriving as opposed to brown and rotting, which I am very familiar with. I have about 2-2.5 weeks left of flower, and then I am putting my HID up for the summer. Do you think I can make it without an IceProbe? Thanks in advance for any insight that anyone can provide!

[DOUGAL25]

A quick fix is to put a frozen 2-liter in the rez...I'm not sure the size of your rez, but just monitor it.

:stoned:

[LOC NAR on probation]

If everything is going OK then you will make it. Like said a plastic bottle of froozen water will help. Don't forget to show us the buds.

[dejayou30]

It was 82 this morning when I went to shut the night time curtain. I think I am going to move my portable AC down there tonight before the light comes on. I've used the frozen water in a bottle trick before, but in the past it lasts like an hour and then the temp is right back up where it started. My res is a 10 gallon bin with 4-5 gallons of water in it

[LOC NAR on probation]

That's the size tubs we use, the A/C will do you right. Beware you and your plants will love it. Might be a year round hobby. lol. Don't be surprised by a little purple some strains do it because of the cold. Our papaya the stems all turn purple at 72 degrees and the hawwianxskunkxbigbud stays real green.

[dejayou30]

If only I had the money to afford a second portable AC unit, I probably would grow year round, but the unit I am going to put in there for the next two weeks is from my bedroom, and I get too hot when I sleep without it. :jointsmile: Thanks for the help! :hippy:

[LOC NAR on probation]

I have not tried sleeping with the plants yet. It's aways cool there. Maybe like a human c02 genereator. LOL. Sure would smell good to me. Well off the the flower room it's late. LOL

[herbie the love bud]

Even if you don't have any pythium, the water can hold very little oxygen at that temperature and will significantly reduce yield. Switch to soilless next and grow year round.

[dejayou30]

Well the AC has lowered air temp from 88 to 81 the res temp from 82 to 75, but it doesn't look like its gonna go any lower than that. The buds are clearly still growing and the roots still look good, so I'm just gonna keep up with the AC and ride it out for two more weeks. I really need to look into one of those ice probes though for next year.

[LOC NAR on probation]

Awsome 75 will work well to finish. Glad you had it. Let us know how it does.

[dejayou30]

Man I am fighting tooth and nail to keep these temps under 77°. I add a gallon of near frozen distilled water and it lowers it to about 69°, but then 3 hours later its back to 74° and slowly climbs to 77° by the time the lights go off. I left the AC on in the dark to see if it would cool the water but it only lowered it to 74°. And the funny thing is, it hasn't even been hot out! It was only 61° outside today, so how is my water warmer than that? :wtf:

[tinytoon]

Plastic holds heat fairly well and sorry but I have no idea atm on how to lower it outside of things already mentioned.

[Greenthing]

I have a trimeter and it needs calibrating now and then so i keep a check with a aquarium thermometer to make sure its right.:hippy:

[dejayou30]

I just got a new Tri Meter because my old one crapped out, so I'm sure its calibrated. Luckily I only have about 9-10 days left before I can harvest so I will just have to make do.

[tinytoon]

also if you are not on the 1st floor of where u are at then you could have heat rising from floor/s below you

[dejayou30]

Nah I'm in the basement on a cold cement floor.

[OutportGrower]

Have you tried to move more air in your res? Bubbles will help keep the temp down, as well putting the pump on a timer. Eco pumps run pretty hot as do MagDrives. Big ass air blocks keep mine happy and right at a steady 71.2.

[dejayou30]

I'm currently running a 36W industrial air pump to four 4"x2" cylindrical air stones, and a 4W pump running one of those 12 inch bubble rope things around the outside of the bin. Maybe the air that's being pumped in just needs to be colder?

[LOC NAR on probation]

If pumps are just pushing hot air from the room into water, then warm water. Been there had that problem.

[dejayou30]

Hmm I never thought of that LOC NAR. I guess I just assumed that the colder air was going to be closer to the ground, so they would be pumping the coolest possible air. I now have both my pumps' intakes sitting directly in front of the AC vent. Thanks for the tip! :thumbsup::jointsmile: I am also waiting for some 2 liters of water to freeze so I can throw that in there too.
The temps up to 79 now, went from 74 to 79 during the dark on a 71° day sitting on the cold basement floor. :wtf:

[SpaceNeedle]

Have you tried using Hydroguard? It 'allows' you to have the temp up in your res without the rotting the roots. I've had mine a couple of years ago where the water would go up to 84F and never had a problem when I uses Hydroguard.

sn

[dejayou30]

Just checked my temps after having the pump in front of the AC and it went up 2°. :wtf: My ice bottles aren't frozen yet either. :(

I used hydroguard a while back, but I thought it was just to eat algae? The reason the roots rot is because the water holds less oxygen, so IDK by what mechanism the Hydroguard would add more oxygen or make it so the water was able to hold more O2 at higher temps. :wtf:

[dejayou30]

Anyone tried using a water heater blanket? I did a search for Ice Probe on the forum and someone suggested them, but is it a big hassle? Like is the water heater blanket sticky on the inside to get it to stick or what? :wtf:

[LOC NAR on probation]

Very strange the temp going up. I feel for ya. Hang in there and do what you can. You can make it to the end.

[dejayou30]

The frozen 2 liter is probably the best method yet, it keeps my res chilled to 65 while the air temp is 85. Just gotta keep three in rotation because they melt in about 5 hours.

[tinytoon]

glad to see you found something to get you through DJ :thumbsup:

[the image reaper]

Nah I'm in the basement on a cold cement floor.

possibly use a metal reservoir, that may absorb some of that cool floor temp ? ... :smokin:

[dejayou30]

I remember Weedhound (I think) said metal reservoirs were no good because the elements of the metal could potentially get in the water and affect the plants. Plus, I'm cutting them down in 3 days so I think it will be alright. Thanks for the advice anyways! :thumbsup:

[McDanger]

I remember Weedhound (I think) said metal reservoirs were no good because the elements of the metal could potentially get in the water and affect the plants. Plus, I'm cutting them down in 3 days so I think it will be alright. Thanks for the advice anyways! :thumbsup:
Hey DJ,
I was surfin around icmag and saw in their DIY forum a guy that built his own res cooler out of an old water cooler. Thought I'd let you know in case you want to check it out for your next run.:D Cheers:thumbsup:

[the image reaper]

I remember Weedhound (I think) said metal reservoirs were no good because the elements of the metal could potentially get in the water and affect the plants. Plus, I'm cutting them down in 3 days so I think it will be alright. Thanks for the advice anyways! :thumbsup:

I would say that's a 'reach' ... depends entirely upon the metal, and the acidity, etc., of the solution ... same could be said for Rubbermaid containers, leaching polymer resins, and/or, oil byproducts, into the solution :wtf: ... see my point ? ... if I had high temps, I wouldn't hesitate to try it ... :smokin:

[cigarettes42]

Hey dejay did you ever get the ice probe? I'm curious how well it works. Right now a have a 55 gallon barrel Res. with 30 gallons of nuted water. Thats getting warm(75f) and I'm maintaining it with 2 one gallon ice bottles. It drops my temps down to 68f but climbs slowly. I'm curious if that probe will work for me. I kinda don't want to buy a water chiller cause that's an extra 300 watts.

[dejayou30]

No I never got an IceProbe, no money. I will probably pick one up during the winter of this year to use for next summer. From what I understand, they are best suited to 20 gallons or less as they are designed for fish tanks, so IDK if it will work for your 55 gallon. Hope you can find more info.

[McDanger]

DJ,
Most of the people that were commenting on the DIY forum over there were picking up used water coolers for about $35, taking them apart and putting the cooling coil in the res and the compressor and heatsink standing next to it. It takes some room but the money savings seems significant, and it will cool a bigger res. with some playing with the thermostat.
P>S> thanks for the rep:thumbsup:

[sdholic]

No I never got an IceProbe, no money. I will probably pick one up during the winter of this year to use for next summer. From what I understand, they are best suited to 20 gallons or less as they are designed for fish tanks, so IDK if it will work for your 55 gallon. Hope you can find more info.

Hey there just wanted to chime in shortly on the air pump location issue. I have seen water temps up to 90 degrees in my DWC scrogr tub. I know you mentioned trying to put the pumps in front of your AC.

A few thoughts.

1-check the bottom of your air pump. Is it hot? Some air pumps can produce more heat over time due to wear and can end up pumping hotter air through your res. I had this problem, replaced my pump-problem solved!

2-is the pump/ pumps COMPLETELY outside the growing environment? Even cheap diaphragm air pumps have no problem with long tubing runs. Keep those pumps in the dark and AWAY from the grow.

These two factors helped me bring my res temp down over 15 degrees. I know this isnt new info, but it sure worked for me!