Help, I have gone off the rails somehow.

[kz1000r]

Hi
I have a small closet grow with a 250 watt MH cupboard (20"w x 48"t x 48"l) inside containing 1 mother in a basket of expanded clay being dripped on from a 5 gallon bucket half filled with Ph 5.6-6.0 water and DNF Grow (Dutch Nutrient Formula). I also have a home made areo cloner with 8 spots in the this grow cupboard that generally takes about two weeks until the roots are a couple inches long. The 6 best clones then get put into a rubber maid tote with 6 spots for the 5" baskets of expanded clay that they spend their lives in. I usually keep them in this for a couple more weeks under the 18/6 250 watt until they get 6 nodes or about 6-8" (too small?). I then put them outside the cupboard under a 430 watt HPS in six 5 gallon buckets with DNF grow for the first two weeks then once the flowers appear I change every two weeks with DNF Bloom, and some powdered "bud booster". I flower this for 8 weeks changing them 4 times and finishing the last week with plain water and for the last two and a half years this has produced some really good smoke for me and some friends and family.

The last 3 crops have been going steadily downhill with lower yields and yellowing leaves with this one being particularly sad as you can see from the pictures. They are 4 weeks under the 12/12 and the yellowing started pretty quickly after I took them form the vegging cupboard and moved them under the flowering light.
I have also noticed a very limited root system and previous crops would be well into the water with the pump by now and bright white yet as you see these are light brown and stunted. I know this crop is pretty much lost so I have thought of some things that I will list later that I'm going to try for the current clones that are now one week old and should be ready to flower in 3 or 4 weeks. I hope for some help on helping me identify what is going on.
I don't believe I am doing anything different except this seemed to have started around the same time I went from using cloning gel and rock wool cubes (2-3 weeks) to my home made aero cloner (the pics i included are off 1 week old clones with plain water). I don't see the relationship as the cloner works freaking amazing and clones are ready in less then two weeks but is it possible maybe I wasn't giving them more time under the 18/6 and getting a better root system in place before I flower them?
I thought it also was a magnesium deficiency and tried foliar feeding with some "Epsom salts" with little effect. I read the "indoor bible" and some of the causes can be,
-PH (pretty good)
-Nutrient problem (unless the last batch of DNF was messed up its all I have used)
-Root system not large enough to supply sufficient nutrient (my roots are stunted!)
I just came up from double checking the Ph and it varied between low 5's to high 6's. My Ph pen died so I am down to using drops and I brought them all to the 5.8-6.0 (yellow zone) so I don't think Ph is the problem. My lights are just now a year old and I guess its time to buy new ones but that is not the problem since this has been going on for awhile.

This is what I am planning on doing be for the next crop is brought out,
-replace baskets and expanded clay with new.
-throw out remaining DNF bloom and replace with new batch (any other recommendations/brands?).
-new 430 watt sono-gro bulb (250 is under a year old and vegging is not a problem)
-Gotta get a Ph pen.............
-clean all buckets with bleach solution and rinse well including all tubes.
-Make sure new clones have a really good root system before moving them under 12/12 (crop them if necessary so they don't get too tall).
-anything I missed?

I have included some pictures to help in diognosing the problem and with all your help I hope to get through this and figure out what is going on.

Thanks

kz1000r Reviewed by kz1000r on 10-13-2010. Help, I have gone off the rails somehow. Hi I have a small closet grow with a 250 watt MH cupboard (20"w x 48"t x 48"l) inside containing 1 mother in a basket of expanded clay being dripped on from a 5 gallon bucket half filled with Ph 5.6-6.0 water and DNF Grow (Dutch Nutrient Formula). I also have a home made areo cloner with 8 spots in the this grow cupboard that generally takes about two weeks until the roots are a couple inches long. The 6 best clones then get put into a rubber maid tote with 6 spots for the 5" baskets of Rating: 5

[kz1000r]

Here are the pics

[kz1000r]

more pics

[martyrprojekt]

PH problem. Your course of action is going to solve the problem quickly...Ima noticing some strains lately are very PH finicky. Correct the PH, solve the problem.

[tinytoon]

Instead of bleach try and get your hands on food grade H2O2 and clean with that.

[kz1000r]

I agree Ph is a big part of it and I ordered a Ph pen off ebay last night and I will have it for when I flower the next 6. I think I have gotten a little complacent and a whole bunch off little things have changed (old ex clay, older light, ph, not vegging long enough, etc) so I hope a good cleaning and new medium will fix it. I was hoping someone would leave some feedback on DNF, good or bad. Thanks

[CovertCarpenter]

but be careful, as 35% Food-grade Hydrogen Peroxide can actually burn your skin. If you're worried (or can't find the Hprox/rubber gloves), try 0xy-Cle4n, and scrub the shite outta the tubs and whatnot.

You might want to replace your airstones, if you use 'em, or try adding airstones to your resevoir(s) and a whack o' air to help prevent scum/algae. And try replacing your hydroton with new stuff, or black aquarium gravel (have a friend who is using it with much success).

Just a thot

[leftreartire]

i feel you need a new bulb. it is no where the intesity it was when you started growing. and the fact that you were able to grow a few times using the same process i dont think ph is going to be your problem. if i were you i would do my best to get the plant into its perminate growing medium from the begining. you are causing some of the problem with stress by moving as i have seen 3 times. each moves leaves to the problem of stress. with that you could also be introduces anything like nicotine if you smoke. germs of any kind and such that could be harmful to your plants.
if you plant on moving to a new nute. i highly recommend using cutting edge solutions. it is a great company that only make 1 line of products. there is no guess work to what other kinds of addivitves to use they aonly make 3. micro grow and bloom. and they also offer the icing on the cake with plant amp,cal mag and uncle josh's. these 3 additives are not necessary buut like i said icing on the cake. ebay has a great deal at 160 bucks delievered. it contains 1 gallon of micro,grow,bloom and quarts of uncle josh,plant amp,cal mag. they contain a ph buffer and make there no need to adjust your ph. they take the guess work out for you. one less thing to go wrong.
but i would deffinatly change you bulbs in your grow area as they are well past their expected life spand

[kz1000r]

I went and bought, new baskets, new medium, new DNF bloom, a new 250 bulb as well as a Hortilux HPS 430 watt bulb. Wish I could save this crop but I think its done but I have high hopes for this new set of clones. I also got some stuff called green up for the clones to feed on.

[kz1000r]

Does it ever get better, now my clones have these little tiny black bugs crawling on them, maybe a dozen or so per plant, now what do I do tear everything out and really start fresh?