Grow Mediums I want to try hydro, you want to do hydro with me?

[Gauge Steel]

Seems interesting. I am curious what does make it the best in your opinion? Is there some property to this that elevates it above the others?

Thank you, Thats a great explanation. Need to look into that.



I've used AN's Rhino Skin too. I loved that it doesn't change the pH of the solution once you add it. Typically potassium silicate products are very alkaline and tend to raise pH quite a bit once added. I love it that Rhino Skin uses combination of Potassium Silicate and Silicon Dioxide so there are variability to the source of silica all in one bottle. Only thing I don't like in it that it costs so much. I will get some more of that one day when I get a change to again (hard to get in my location due to limited selection) but I have tons of regular silicone product (Hydrogarden Essentials Silicon+)



Silica in its bioavailable form is readily used by the plant. It is present always in soil and in hydroponics they are starting consider it as almost essential. It provides building blocks for the plant to create thicker and more robust stems that can support the plant better and make it stronger overall. There are positive studies proving that it also helps in photosynthesis, i guess this is through various ways but one that I have understood is overall boost in volume of chlorophyll. In top of that there are also studies that show that plants can use silica in order to fight against some certain bacteria and fungi

There's some science reading to support the latter claim:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1016/j.femsle.2005.06.034/pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5418358/
https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/agrocol/article/view/17395/37400

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

Rambo:
Don't worry they won't be runts - LOL They look good.

I have never used AN Rhino Hide or any other AN products. I have used Pro-Tekt. When I first used it I did a side by side and the difference was so obvious that I used it in every DWC since then. The whole plant was so much stronger. Yes Pro-Tekt will raise the PH in fact I have used it to do so intentionally. I have grown some really good crops using the entire Dyna-Gro line. It is the least expensive Hydro nutrient line available. I would be using it now if I had not been given free H&G. The H&G rep assures me that my crop will taste better with H&G over Dyna-Gro. I will have my first sample to smoke test in about 3 weeks. I don't smoke but I have friends that do. The flavor profile needs to be better because the plant growth performance really did not exceed Dyna-Gro. The thing is with this new method of drip irrigation of the rockwool cubes I am using only about 1/3 of the nutrients compared to doing DWC. That makes the price of the H&G about the same as using DG in a DWC. I am doing another HUGO grow right now after which I will decide what method I will be continuing with in the future. I may pencil out the cost of doing AN with the drip and maybe give them a shot. Remember my Mom used to call me a cheapskate. I like to pinch a nickle until the buffalo shits.

 

[Journey Man]

Okey @Mañ'O'Green. I will try not to worry. But runts in DWC, especially with the space they are given, is less then 250-300 grams each :smoking:. I know the size of my soil-girls.... I know how I did in coco... so DWC should be bigger, or else it's an fail, for me.
Haha, do you see what I write. Do you see what goals im putting up? I aim for the stars every time, whatever I put my mind to... its alot of times I miss the target and want to sleep under a rock. Then im on it again and aiming for the stars... until I get what I want. Headache, I tell you.

Thank you for the response on the silica.
You are sold on the Pro-tekt! Explained perfectly, and your grows speak for themself. I'm glad you are open for give the AN a try, alot of people diss them because of the price of their nutrients. But, I will probably give pro-tekt a try when i feel that I can grow and want to be better/get better results, atleast see if there is any difference. You have to try to find out wich one is best. I feel so fresh when it comes to growing, as there is so much to learn, im still unsure what does what when it comes to nutrints. The additives is a hit or miss for me.
I hope this grow turns out good, then I will feel little more secure on how things work.

Thank you guys for the answers on the silica.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

Genetics and PPFD or light watts is going to determine your yield. I don't remember what kind off lights you are running?

 

[Journey Man]

Im running 600W hps lights. In the room ive got 4 of them with adjust-a-wing reflectors. The girls are basicly under 2 of them, but that light will also light up a bigger are... difficult to say how much light they will receive. Can't share the room here, in pm I can.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

Ok, I have not used that light but I know it has always been 1gpw as a target for many experienced growers. You don't have them packed in so go to en.seedfinder.eu and look up the strain they have pretty go info on many many strains. Then you can set a reasonable expectation on yield.

 

[Journey Man]

Ok, I have not used that light but I know it has always been 1gpw as a target for many experienced growers. You don't have them packed in so go to en.seedfinder.eu and look up the strain they have pretty go info on many many strains. Then you can set a reasonable expectation on yield.

I have got 2gpw + from soil but that was a high yielding strain. I have just grown northern light in soil, and i think they were around 200gr each. A very solid strain that delivered even though i missed waterings and the temps were to high. So i just have to wait and see, i hope they veg longer as they are in hydro.

 

[Journey Man]

I bet my money on this girl. She is stabile, can handle stress and heat.

She hasnt sexed yet so plenty of growth to do

I think i have run my water at 1,5 inch under the baskets.... i raised the level yesterday to just under the pot and it looks like the girls drank alot more after that, as more roots have direct access to the water. I aslo added another air-pump, so my system on 120 liter has 90Lpm of air now. I got some airstones aswell.

and 4 of each...

The hailea was the better choice, they gave smaller bubbles then the golfballs. I also read that if the girls have more oxygen, they need less nutrients. I saw N-tox on 1 of the girls today, so im not sure if its the extra air or that im raised the water-level yesterday, or a mix of both. But they sure have grown in the last 24 hours.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

Rambo: No need to get carried away with so many airstones in the reservoir; two airstones per bucket is plenty - smallest bubbles possible. If you want to go crazy do it in the recirculating tank. The dissolved oxygen in the water is what you are working toward. Not roughing up your roots with too much agitation. The surface of the bubble in contact with the water is where the exchange of gas takes place. Here is a little chart I found that demonstrates the huge difference bubble size can make.

The volume of air is the same but the surface area increase is huge.

I need to see the scientific data to back up that statement about needing less nutrients.

 

[Journey Man]

Rambo: No need to get carried away with so many airstones in the reservoir; two airstones per bucket is plenty - smallest bubbles possible. If you want to go crazy do it in the recirculating tank. The dissolved oxygen in the water is what you are working toward. Not roughing up your roots with too much agitation. The surface of the bubble in contact with the water is where the exchange of gas takes place. Here is a little chart I found that demonstrates the huge difference bubble size can make.
View attachment 803395

The volume of air is the same but the surface area increase is huge.

I need to see the scientific data to back up that statement about needing less nutrients.

Thank you for that.
Im having 2 airstones in each pot, i choosed the flat haileas and the ones i had as when i connected the golf-balls the movement/force was to high from the bubbles. The balls are now put aside.
I show you a video to back it up...



I was looking at those o2-emitters but those were to pricey! But it looks like they do a fantastic job.

I googled about the nutrient uptake, so i cant show you scientific papers about it. But it was a nutrient chart that said if used more air, then the uptake would be better so they adviced to have less nutrients. True or false, i dont know. But my girls responded either to the extra air or that i raised the water-level. I think i will lower the ppms to 380 tomorrow morning to see, as i do 4 girls and all of them has to be happy.