total newbie needs help

I have ran some at 1400 ppm & they just can't get enough with their leaves just barely turning down then have had some that just bend and sag until you have to back off a couple of hundred ppm. After talking with some subject matter experts… I try to keep my pH @ 5.2 - 5.5 during rooting the 1st wk. I use APS (& rooting solution) and the pH is down around 5.0 for either cloning or seedling keeping the ppm count below 300 ppm. You’ll see a lot of new growth after a few days. Then stop the rooting or they will bush up like all hell. Just bring up the nutes a little each week. 300…400...500… Typically I run my vege nutes early at 800 ppm but always hit them with auxiliary supplements that drive the nute count up to 1000–1200 ppm until I flush and start over. And with evaporation and the plants uptake, 2 farms can take close to 2 gals/days. The ppm count goes up as water evaporates or is used. Top off with straight water after adj Ψ (if you have a reservoir then make your adj accordingly. Probably won’t have to…it will read about 700-800 after dumping 300 ppm pH adj, Calcium adj, Anything else adj tap water. When they are feeding, it doesn’t take much to drive the count up and pH up. I generally add Calcium to the water here since it is so soft. Takes about a tblspn per 6 gal to get the ppm count up to 300 ppm. Helps with the Nitrogen uptake. Typically I run my nutes in early bloom at 1000 ppm but always hit them with auxiliary supplements that drive the nute count up to 1200–1400 ppm until I flush and start over. Same kinda thing. Hit them with some bud blaster the 1st week and then again the 2nd to the last week supplementing with Booster all along the bloom cycle with the normal bloom nutes after they have settled in and are drinking hard. What are anyone’s opinion about the size and quality of bud running nutes at 1000 ppm vs. 1200-1400 ppm. Unless you’re growing the same strain how do you know what’s best. I have had better luck – taste-wise and potency-wise running at 1000 ppm. Cheaper too. For light…. 2 ea Sun 125 w Growlight (Vege bulb 2700) for clones, 1 ea 400 MH w /2 ea Sun 125 w Grow for vege and 1000 HPS for bloom…
Ψ - The Adj (prepping water for nutes) – B1 ThriveALive, SM-90, Prosilex, Calcium, pH Correction, Super Oxy H2O2, etc.
I am in total agreement with caliorbust about pH count being so important...
Monty

Hiya, Happy Friday!
wanted to answer caliorbust questions. colling for mh 250 cfm inline fan there is a 55cfm side mounted fan the two fans in pic are 6" duct fans that is the only info i can find printed on those fans. average temp outside the bos is approx 70f. box is not enclosedit is in my small low ceiling(top of box is approx 11" from ceiling) living room. I have moved box from original location as a found a heater vent under the carpet to an area where there are no heating vents back of box to wall with windows approx foot and half away from wall. Having a major temp problem the top shelf of box is at 85f bottom of box by res going to 98f water in res at 88.7f. i am keeping door cracked to keep the temps down to about 82 to 85 while light on door open. humidity at 30. light off door closed temp is 79.1 water temp 81.2 humidity 36. i have light on 18/6.
I think i'm going to have to move it somewhere where is has more space.
my ppm is currently at 220 in res ph is 5.8
i have B.C. boost and grow any suggestions on the best mix for the best results?
look forward to any and all info
blondie

Nice setup are you going to switch to HPS when you flower your girls?:thumbsup:
I would try and up the humidity alittle.You can put ice cubes in a zip-lock bag and place them in the res, to drop the temp in the res if you need to drop down the res temp. Keep us posted on what works and dosent work.:smokin:

thank you, i am planning on switching to hps when flowering. never thought about putting ice cubes in great thought i will try it. i'm not sure how to raise the humidity except to try and find a humidifier that will fit in the unit. i live in a semi arid climate, humidity sits at around 30 most of the time.
i will take more pics later.
thanks for all the input
blondie

hello,
well had a moment, lol, and posted new pics but not under this thread the other thread is new pics more ?'s
have decided to go ahead and flower the girls as they are 4weeks and if they get 3x the size there isn't going to be room.
i have switched to a 400w hps, timer on 12/12 changed out the res and refilled with 2/1 boost/bloom at 500ppm? ph at 5.9
temp in room is 79 temp of res high 60's
please let me know if there is something i need to change i dont want to stress these babies out.
thanks in advance
blondie

ok i've had the girls on a 12/12 cycle since 11/17/06
they have exploded.
but today i noticed that one of them had a really yellow leaf
wondering if it is the res temps?
i'm having a problem with my res temp it is in the 80's
i was using a frozen gallon jug of water to keep the temp of the res down but am afraid to put the gallon in now cause i don't want to hurt the root systems.
Help, how do i fix this?:confused:
thanks in advance
blondie

Better than ices cubes, get an empty 2lt pop bottle and fill 3/4 will water and freeze. Have two or three of these ready to be switched out as needed.

Roots need to be kept cool, and high res temps are one of the main reasons hydro setups fail.

And lower your PH.

Also, you do not ever have to run your lights 24 hours. Respiration stops after about 18 hours so you are just wasting energy. Your plants do not grow faster. There is much research on this all over the net. That is why 18/6 is recommended for best growth and energy efficiency.