RIP: Sludge Bubble Bucket (RDWC)

This is a DIY Bubbleponics Seedling area that i've been using for starts. I've decided to try some things out, being a new grower, so I thought while I grow my, current, autoflower soil grow in the other side of the tent-why not setup a couple non auto since this tent is currently always in an 18/6 light cycle. Currently i'm gathering materials/designs for a larger/full-size RDWC for this tent. That will require my current autoflower to be done (so why rush right?). I'm a bit of a tech nerd and also in to 3d printing/diy-so this is also right up my alley. Strains: - Silver Surfer (1 week old 4/28/2018) - Brand is... a found seed from a local rec strain (will be keeping a sharp eye on this one to ensure i don't have a male and ruin my autoflower as well). - Sour Diesel (fem) - Purchased from ILoveGrowingMarijuana.com (Not Pictured, currently germinating seeds) Does anyone know why this seed shop isn't listed? Wonder if i should start buying somewhere else... - Basil (3 weeks old 4/28/2018) - Testing/Researching Companion Growing and one that was mentioned was Basil. Now i'm not quite sure which-so i actually have a few types. My daughter, wife, and I, have a love for gardening so all our window sills are covered with grow lights and such for quickly getting some good things to transplant to our small patch of outdoor garden. This particular plant was an outlying seed that missed the rapid rooter in my daughters little herb pot. After 2 weeks it grew and we were gonna pick it out so i rescued it gently from the soil (using my Fox Farms Ocean Forest ;) she's so spoiled) before gently rinsing roots, coating with AZOS, splitting a rapid rooter in half, and gently laying out the small roots and stem of the basil. The combo of the bubbling/humid DWC underneath and decent temps/light have really made this one jump. It was almost immediate that it was responsive to the growing conditions-that made me pretty proud of myself... i'm usually not that lucky. SETUP: This setup, again custom-and I could be off on a LOT of these things, is a Recirculating Deep Water Culture (bubbleponics) system. - 4W 300L/hr water pump - (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078XQ3FCL/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) The pump has a 1/2" line piped to a 6 port chrome manifold. To ensure that there is circulation at all times I have a line that loops up then back down and ziptied loosely to the main up pipe. It's always on. One is a little longer that I use for gathering water for my stat checks. The others are for wherever i need it. Currently none really in use until i start seeing some actual roots emerge from the rapid rooter. - 6W 15L/min air pump - (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JPEVMC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) Air pump is currently set to highest, in tent (maybe i should put it outside? does it matter?), and connected to a T very close to, and equally split apart, 2x4" air stones. I have some SERIOUS air going through this thing. From what i've read i was under the impression that, for a 5 gallon bucket you'd way a minimum of 5L/min through an airstone for proper aeration. I am way over this-so i'm, again, assuming i'm safe. - 100W fish tank heater set to 70F. Again, going on recommendation to keep between ~68-72F so i shot for the middle. My daily checks show that i'm almost dead on that. - Many 3d printed parts and such. Overall i'm using 1.5 gal cleaning on a weekly cycle. I do daily checks on reservoir and am only adjusting if pH goes out of the range 5.8-6.3 (Does this sound about right)? Obviously i'd also want to adjust if my EC/PPM go out of whack but plants this big i'm not assuming i'll run in to this situation. My nutrient list is basically the FoxFarms basic hydro although i'm not using the Grow Big Hydro since i bought the stuff for soil. I'm using ~3/4 because of this. Also, i'm cutting everything recommended by FoxFarms down to 1/4 strength just to heed advice of others that know waaaay more that i do. Anyway-gardening has really become a fun thing for me to unwind during the day so I hope you guys enjoy reading while i try and get a bit more experienced.

Been a busy week for me, moving home offices, going to be moving my tent and adding another, for flowering, soon. I have not been slouching on my schedule or care of the girls, however, so I'll get things rolling here from my phone and fill in the rest later. Cheers and hope you guys enjoy! 5/2/2018 - This morning i checked the girls and the Sour Diesel (Sahara) has broken the surface! 5/2/2018 - seed covering gently removed from Sahara (Sour Diesel (fem)). Also, finally found the perfect name for my Silver Surfer-Norrin Radd! The one who will become the Silver Surfer! 5/4/2018 - This is the end of week 2 for this bucket, and i'm no expert but it seems to be going well. Sahara has just popped out and has not reached the bottom of her netcup yet-but that is to be expected. Good growth though otherwise. The Basil and Norrin Radd are growing like crazy-with numerous long roots, each, within the bubbly zone, and a couple hitting water directly. Norrin Radd seems to be unstable/unsteady in her/his footing (remember this is a found seed-so...) but i'm not quite sure why. I'm currently propping it up by a few strategically placed, and shaped, clay pellets. I really want to know why the sudden loss of footing....

WEEK 3 (Still Seedling... why doesn't grow diaries show seedling?) (5/5/2018 - 5/11/2018) This week I have two goals-both of which I think are achievable. I'd like to even out, height wise, Norrin Radd (Silver Surfer) and Sahara (Sour Diesel (fem))-they pretty much are, but this week Sahara will be filling out a bit and i'd love to know whether there is a way to sort of slow down Norrin? Second I would like to learn/ask about how, during this seedling stage, hydro plants are to stay upright. What i find interesting about this, although maybe this is a bit of ignorance, is that these hydro plants seem to dive deeper quicker than in soil, right? Why is this? I, originally, had thought that it would proportionally grow outward as well as downward, giving it a bit more of a spread-out footing. It doesn't seem to be doing this lol. I definitely want to figure out how to make these gals a little more sturdy. As usual, a 7 day reservoir change, today was the day to start a new cycle. I think the same nute proportions have been treating me well so going with them again, for seeling stage. 5/8/2018 - Well I've gotten in to my new office, and the tent has been moved there. I'm still being plagued by heat-but not as bad as before-i think i'm going to nix the 4" tubing and 6" reducer and just try and run 6" duct from the extractor to boost flow. I thought, even, adding a 100cfm HVAC booster to the other end of the ~6-7ft-total length of duct, would help-but if it is it is minor. I'm basically able to keep it no hotter than about 82 at certain parts of the day. The issue i'm seeing is that it's going to be getting substantially hotter during the days when summer actually hits-and i'm already lights-on at night :( My room is 10x10 and i have a very decent standing AC unit that i may just keep in that room, shut the door, pipe it through my window (next to my extractor exhaust) and keep the room at like 68 degrees. 5/10/2018 - I dropped my phone on my Basil! ugh... well I'm noticing that Norrin has recovered and was growing her root system. she has turned a bit woody in her stem. after I saw root growth I pulled the circulating water. after I did this I noticed that the droop they both seemed to get, went away. I'm wondering if once those roots hit the airy bubble zone/water zone it was a detriment. I'm going to try without the circulation next time.

5/12/2018 - [Norrin-VEG_1, Sahara-SEED, BASIL-SEED] Been a busy week-but after the tent/my-office move i had a whole new slew of temperature issues. I think i finally have everything working good now-as i've added a standing AC unit piped out the window and keep my office a nice 72 which leaves the tent between 77-79 pretty constantly. I also decided to take action on Sahara (Sour Diesel (fem)) since Norrin Radd (Silver Surfer) was moving along nicely. Sahara's roots look stained, light, brown which should be fine. They are individual, no slime, no sludge, tank is clear (well, a little amber from the organic nutes). The root portions within the water and newly grown are stark white-so again, i think we are good. I am thinking a humidity/temperature issue may have happened at just an inopportune time for her and she is still try to recover. I decided to move the recovering Basil and Sahara to my newly built propagation chamber (ebb and flow). As for Norrin, she'll be upgraded to her final container and starting under the veg light. I'll keep the diary on these strains, however i'm not going to track the nutes for the ebb and flow (since it will start to get confusing-i'm just sticking with 1/2 recommended FoxFarms Hydro schedule. The nutes listed have and will be accurate for Norrin Radd (Silver Surfer) within the 5 gal DWC. please excuse the sudden move of homes for them :( Filling out some of the info above-i'm curious, i'm running 3 gallons in the 5 gal bucket. Is pot size 5 and water per/24 3 gal? 5/17/2018 - Norrin is doing well this morning, added pictures. So, being my first photoperiod (i'm assuming, she was found) i'm wondering if she looks like she is growing properly-i don't remember so much internode leaf development until later :( Sahara has new photos up-she is looking healthier in the stem for sure-i'll keep her in this chamber until she can go under the veg light with Norrin.

Website hasn't been super helpful but i had a request for an update. Pics are fresh-the other data here is whatever it preloaded for me.