Bubblebucket Ph Problem

[Letterhead954]

I've had my second bb, a once lovely MK Ultra, in flower for about 3 1/2 weeks. About a week and a half ago I noticed curling and canoing of some of the leaves. I checked the ph and it was down to 5.1. I changed the solution, which I always ph to 5.8/5.9. The leaves continued to curl so I checked again. This time it was 6.5. I added enough acid to get it down to 5.9. The next day it was back to 6.4. Same thing today, and the plant is suffering for it. A few leaves are showing what looks like a cal/mag deficiency and many are severly curled and canoed.

I use GH Flora Nova series nutes. The solution temp is around 71, sometimes a little lower. I occasionally use a fungicide to keep root rot away. Room temp is 75-77 lights on and around 67-69 lights off. I add about a gallon of solution a day.

Anyone have any idea of what is going on and what I can do about it? This was a gorgeous plant before this problem started. Thanks!

[Highlander]

Sounds like the MK just hit the point in flower where she needs lots of food/water. I'd try to get the pH and nute solution more stable. Low pH is probably due to the nutes being too high when the plants drinks water faster than it uses the nutes. It sounds like you are not recirculating your buckets? It is exceedingly difficult to keep things stable in 2-3 gallons of water especially with a mature plant. If you can't loop buckets together and recirculate at least set up a 20-50 gallon container and mix larger batches and recirculate between the bucket and the larger reservoir. Much easier to keep a larger reservoir stable than a bucket.

Edited February 26, 2013 by Highlander

[Letterhead954]

I'm still learning to grow in soil, and don't really know too much about hydro. I didn't realize that there would be this kind of problem. Since this is only my second bb, and I do it just for the fun of it, I don't plan on investing in a more extensive system. Is there anything else I can do, or is it just a matter of constantly adjusting the ph?

The low ph came during its growth spurt in flower. Then came the high ph's. How do you explain that? Also, could low humidity be making this worse buy causing the plant to use more water?

[Highlander]

Yes low humidity will definitely increase water consumption. That brings an increase in ppm and decrease in pH.

 

Not sure why the increase in pH though. Bb will be a constant struggle the way you're going about. If I were you I'd mix about 30 gal at a time. Keep an air stone in it and adjust pH as needed. Then, probably daily, dump the nutes and add fresh. Not the most efficient process but you kinda have to go all in with DWC to see the real benefit. I don't see DWC or BBs as an efficient way to grow just a few plants. Think of it like using a paint sprayer to do a small area. You spend a lot of time in setup and maintenance etc.

 

If I were you I'd look at hempy buckets...5 gal pail filled with perlite...water/feed daily. Sometimes twice per day.

[LongHairBri]

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ WHAT HE SAID /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

[Highlander]

You could put those BB plants in perlite or some other medium today even. This will reduce your headaches.

[Wild Bill]

Whenever I have any nute or ph problems I've found your best bet is to run straight water for a few days and then start fresh with minimum nutes until things stabilize again.

[phaquetoo]

Yes low humidity will definitely increase water consumption. That brings an increase in ppm and decrease in pH.

 

Not sure why the increase in pH though. Bb will be a constant struggle the way you're going about. If I were you I'd mix about 30 gal at a time. Keep an air stone in it and adjust pH as needed. Then, probably daily, dump the nutes and add fresh. Not the most efficient process but you kinda have to go all in with DWC to see the real benefit. I don't see DWC or BBs as an efficient way to grow just a few plants. Think of it like using a paint sprayer to do a small area. You spend a lot of time in setup and maintenance etc.

 

If I were you I'd look at hempy buckets...5 gal pail filled with perlite...water/feed daily. Sometimes twice per day.

 

I can vouche for that ^^^^, im sorry i dont mean to laugh, but i lost mine always after about 2 1/2 to 3 wks into bud in dwc! mine would do the same thing, and I didnt want to spend any more on the dwc, people that do it bless ya you have more pts than I!

 

I got a 30 gall plastic garbage can and I mixed the nutes and ph that for at least 5 days before i used it, my ph and ppm's jumped all over the place the first week, now im just doing it in dirt, but I still mix my 30 gallon can up and i have 3 bubblers in it, I check it every day for the ph, it jumps all over, are you sure 5.8 is a good place for you ph, Im at 6.5 and they are doing better than ever,, I used to ph em a lil lower but had nothing but problems, most of the grow bibles say 7 ph, Im always around 6 or 6.5, and after around 5 days it stops jumping around!

 

Best of luck to ya!

 

Peace

Jim

[Highlander]

Jim you are in soil right? Your pH should be fine where you have it. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

 

Another good soil option is rainwater. Unless you're in Canada getting our acid rain, it should be pH perfect right outta the sky.

[phaquetoo]

What about the nuclear rain from japan we are getting,,,,oh man I laughed my butt off just writing that!

 

Yea im in dirt, and I do need to get it from the rain, that would be nice, im gonna do it, Im putting gutters on my house just for that lol!

 

I been getting my water from my old mans house 2 countys over, and its made a world of difference for me also. I have always thought it was my water, Im able to get it before the water softner, but it isnt good, you want to talk about hard water? so i was getting distilled from the local store for a while, than this fall I grabbed 20 gallons of my dads water it had `157 ppm's and 6.5 ph, when I mix my nutes I only use about 1/3 to half strenght, and than I add or adjust as needed. and the ph is rite around 6 to 6.5 even after i put my nutes in, I kinda curious to see what i get on this lil crop, I have 3 itty bitty ones in there, ones ready any day now, than its about 2 wk more for next and than one more, than im tearing my plastic wall down, cleaning my 2 tents thoroughly packing them up and putin some wood and paint and 3 nice size rooms with in a room, I need more room and to hard to keep them tents kewl with 600 wats lol

 

oh yea im picking up an ro system also, and bigger and better times a coming! I know the rain water worked well from my free hill billy grow lol so Im gonna have a drum out there getttin me some of that also, maybe one day I will try some dwc again, but for now im good

 

Peace

Jim

[Letterhead954]

If I were to grow in bb's regularly, I'd do it right like you guys suggest. I have a small flower room and only one light, so ideally I could get only one, possibly two plants under my light at one time. I like to grow a variety of strains, and bb's would make that impossible with my current set-up. The first time I tried this the plant didn't show any signs of nute lockout, and I didn't know that fluctuating ph would be a problem. Now I know and will keep a close eye on it. I am thinking of trying a Northernberry in a bb to see how big it grows. The ones I've grown in soil are so tiny.

Jim, I remember you talking about giving up on bb's, cuz your plants all died. Now I know why!

Thanks everyone!

[Highlander]

RDWC is actually awesome for multiple strains. The plants take what they need so you can more or less run the same nutes in veg and flower and for all strains. Some strains will show less tolerance for pH drift, Ca or Mg deficiencies, etc. But if you keep your nute solution right on, you can run buckets through the same res. I currently have nine strains running and they are all happy.

 

But to invest in the chiller, pumps, etc. etc. etc. for a small grow wouldn't be worth it. RDWC saves time but only if you put the time and money in up front. There is a poster on a cannabis website named stinky attic who said something to the effect of the long-term fussing around with your grow being inversely proportional to the time and money put into the initial setup. That is so true. If you don't do RWDC correctly right from the start, it will be a nightmare.

[El Tiberon]

When Ph changes that fast in hydro it is because you have bacteria growing in your buckets.

[28_grams]

When Ph changes that fast in hydro it is because you have bacteria growing in your buckets.

DING DING DING we have a winner! The small buckets, room temp, and the water temp of 71 is a definite yes to the bacteria growing!

[tony1960]

Time to do treatment with plain water and H2O2.

[Dlo]

I thought PH dropped from bacteria, but I guess I can go up also.

[rustyjams]

I've had my second bb, a once lovely MK Ultra, in flower for about 3 1/2 weeks. About a week and a half ago I noticed curling and canoing of some of the leaves. I checked the ph and it was down to 5.1. I changed the solution, which I always ph to 5.8/5.9. The leaves continued to curl so I checked again. This time it was 6.5. I added enough acid to get it down to 5.9. The next day it was back to 6.4. Same thing today, and the plant is suffering for it. A few leaves are showing what looks like a cal/mag deficiency and many are severly curled and canoed.

I use GH Flora Nova series nutes. The solution temp is around 71, sometimes a little lower. I occasionally use a fungicide to keep root rot away. Room temp is 75-77 lights on and around 67-69 lights off. I add about a gallon of solution a day.

Anyone have any idea of what is going on and what I can do about it? This was a gorgeous plant before this problem started. Thanks!

I know this is an old post but your conditions sounds about the same as mine, temps and everything. It was my first DWC grow and I had big time ph issues especially the day after changing out water. And about the time I got it somewhat stabilized It was dang near time to change water again. Anyway's I said f*** it and continued to monitor ph 3 times a day. Anyway's I'm almost 4 weeks into flower and the temps are starting to get a little warm, so just as a preventative, I started to introduce SM-90. Don't ask me why but for some reason I have very stable ph now. Maybe I had an underlying problem that I didn't notice? Whatever the case, now I can leave for day's at a time with very little ph variations. Don't ask me why because I don't have a clue. Someone on the board in another post had said something about a coating on the roots causing ph issues?(can't find the topic) Algae maybe? I dunno, but whatever the case, SM-90 fixed it.