water problem

[arthurjob]

hi, ive just recieved my gro tank 205 thru the post. the problem i got is the instructions say to soak the rockwool cubes over night in ph 5.5 - 5.8ph water. the supplied ph graph only shows up2 6!!! how am i meant to go lower. also, the measuring beaker supplied doesnt have any mls on the side and it doesnt say how much the beaker holds lol. i tried a little tap water to 2 drops of ragent or watever its called and it came out the worst (highest on the chart) which is 7.6. wud i be better using bottled water? or maybe sum other type. also is there any other material i cud use to soak the cubes in other than water?. plz help, im realy not sure what to do now. thanks

[arthurjob]

ok, ive soaked the rockwool in water, i added ph down and it turnt nearly the same yellow as 6.0 on the chart so im just using that. in all the tutorials ive read they dont tell you what to do once the seed has been put in the rockwool. my light isnt set up till tomoro so wud it be better to put the blocks in my airing cupboard or on a window sill somewhere? thanking in advance. :)

[Zandor]

You need to get a pen to measure the Ph. If you are going to grow at all you need the correct equipment. You can get by with something else but you get what you pay for. If you are going to grow Hydro you will need to measure the TDS-PPM as well as the Ph so make the investment. It's like the difference between growing with 40w fluorescents and 400w HPS. They are just not in the same league.

You should use only RO water, most tap water has chlorine and other chemicals you donâ??t want plus itâ??s probably hard water and that is not good for most plants.

[arthurjob]

thanks again zandor for the help, can i ask what exactly is ro water? ive seeded one of my seeds in the rockwool and as the white root has popped out ive put it under my light at about 30 inches away. is this anygood?. also shud i water the rockwool cube? wont it dry out. im buying a pen this weekend, and then next weekend ill buy the other measurer u mentioned. in the next few weeks i shud have all the equipment i need and then i can just upgrade to better parts. thanks again zandor.

btw, the cube is just sat under the light, it isnt sitting in water, im meant to just wait till i see the roots right and then transplant?

[arthurjob]

ok, ive done some research and found out about ro water. ive just looked for some systems and there very expensive, £250 was the cheapest. ill have to save and use my tap water left to sit for 24 hours and then ph adjusted. ill buy a oscilating fan and a ph pen tommorow. in the end i will buy all, its just i spent 225 on a beginners system and the liquid and chart ph thing was all i got. i have nutrien canna aqua vega and flora, are these any good? as you say theres no point buying cheap, once i get used to knowing what to look for and reading ph etc ill be fine. btw, wud i b better of using bottled water than my tap? just in the meantime before i get the ro purifier? Thanks for helping :)

p.s ive read formulex is good for soaking ya rockwool in before using so ill buy some of that also. have u heard of that? and wud u soak the large rockwool just the same as the small?

[Zandor]

Bottle water is great. Here we have places to buy good RO drinking water for a quarter a gallon.

Rockwool can be tough to keep the Ph stable at first. Yes you soak it in Ph adjusted water for day's before you use it. You need to cover it too and keep the light away because it will grow algae very fast.

[arthurjob]

cud someone please tell me what i shhud do with these small grodan blocks, ive soaked them and have just put the seeds in them, now what shud i do with them as it doesnt tell you in the tutorials. do i place em in my hydro set up, or leave them in the dark until i see roots, watering occasionaly? thanking in advance for any replys, plz some1 help

[arthurjob]

oh btw, ive just ordered a ro water purifier, ph pen, mylar, and a thermometre and hygrometre in 1. that shud get me a little closer to the full kit. not there yet tho, by a long way. thanks for the heads up zandor :)

[Zandor]

Well that's one way to germinate the seeds I guess. They need light now 24/7 now. Careful not to grow algae on the rockwool. Most people germinate the seeds using a paper towel and foil to cover then place it in a dark place. Once the seeds sprout then you placed them in the rockwool. You just saved a step I guess.

Anyway what light do you have for the seedling stage?

[arthurjob]

i only have 1 light m8, its a 400 watt hps with a grolux bulb. i did germinate first in paper towels :) do i just put the rockwool in my system then. i bhave a hose outside and the ph seems lower at 6.2 from there for some reason. ive bought 5 litres of bottled water. i also have 2 buckets of water which has been standing for 2 days. and ofcourse i could boil some water. which wud be best to use untill i get the ro machine? on the side of the bottled water it says the ph is 7.8. of course i can lower. ia it possible to change the water once my ro arrives? ive made a bit of nutrient solution also at 1\4 the strength with the standing water. i have alot of canna aqua vega and flora, i hope these r ok. thanks again.

[arthurjob]

these are the items ive ordered. is this all ok?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4374336964&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4374155566&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&rd=1

i also ordered a dvd in hope that may help me a bit
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6386999614&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4373861896&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&rd=1

[Zandor]

Drinking water is Ph higher then we need so bring down the Ph is a must. Bottled water is better then boiling water. Letting it sit will not remove the chlorine and other minerals you don't want.

Could you put up a picture or a link so I know what system you are using? Flood and drain, drip, dwc or what type of hydroponics you have chosen, Iâ??m not familiar with gro tank 205 model.

[arthurjob]

well i havnt set it up yet as i dont need it, but its a ntf i think, on a slight slope with the pump and res below it. the rockwool just sitson the slope taking in the water and nut i take it. heres my link from where i bought it
http://www.basementlighting.com/Merchant2/4.13/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=HS1&Category_Code=

ok so far im germinating my seeds, once they crack im placing 2 in soil with the root facing down, and the other 3 in rockwool, ill place all in a heated propagator and have the light over the top. 2 questions zandor, how do i stop the rockwool from getting light on it, ive heard you cover in a black bag but how bigger hole do u leave at the top so the seed can push thru the top. it has me a little confused. is that the best thing to do. shud i just have it in the propagator but in the dark? until i see the roots? thanks for the help :)

[arthurjob]

1 question about that ro purifier. is it the part i need and also, ive just read it needs to be linked to the drain and also have a pressurized tank connected. also i have to filter the water thru a basic filter before using the ro machine. is this all correct? "confused" :(

[Zandor]

For an RO setup you can use a bucket or large storage container. I use 2 55-gallon plastic drums and a float switch to turn off and on the water. You will burn through about a gallon for every 1/2 to 3/4 a gallon you make. Mine does 200 gallons a day and I don't run it full time. I only turn the water when I need to make more water. I do keep water in the system at all times.

I use flourex about 6" above for seedlings. You don't want the internal temperature of the leaves to get to hot. Don't worry about covering the rockwool until they pop out. You give them light when you plant the seeds.

[arthurjob]

ive just read some where that i shud just place them in the rockwool, then into my propagator, keeping it sealed and heated and place in the shade until it pops out. if i do use the light, how far is a gd distance for a 400 watt lite for this job, considering i dont want to dry the cubes, i have to leave them for 9 hours a day. thanks again