Darkmatter 2.0

[Darkmatter]

Grrr.

 

The brown algae returns once again. It is on my pumps and hoses in the reservoir. I added 5ml (to my 85 gallons of water) of Bleach to add some chlorine to the water maybe this will help. I am going to go through the 3 things that cause it once again and see what I can do to prevent this.

 

1. Light

The reservoir is light proofed so nothing gets in there. So is my R/O reservoir.

Maybe light is getting in through the tops of the containers? I doubt it is in flower, but maybe in the veg tent. I will make Panda Film covers for each site now just to be sure.

 

2. Temperature

My room temps are a minimum of 65 degrees, and a maximum of 79 degrees daily. My water temperature is about 72 degrees.

This seems fine.

 

3 Air

I get a decent amount of bubbles but I could get more. I will look into getting a stronger air pump. I am going to do this ASAP. I just did the math and I am not getting enough air. My pump puts out 5500 CFM or 90 LPM, I run 16 air stones total. This gives me 5.6 LPM on each site, I want closer to 7 LPM.

 

I saw Nix's solution regarding organic tea, I don;t think I can use this as I can not mess with my nutrient formula. I depend on the Lucas method a lot as I run both veg and flower off of one reservoir.

 

My plants and roots look fine despite all of this so I wont let it bother me. I will, however get this fixed before problems arise from it rather than waiting until they do. It's all part of tuning in this wonderful system!

 

If anyone that uses R/O water is reading I would love to hear some advice on this! My mentor has never used it and neither has anyone else I know. I really hate it so far. I wish my source water was better.

Edited February 28, 2012 by Darkmatter

[jayt]

Are you adding back calcium and magnesium to your r/o water? Or just relying on the nutes to add enough? If I'm not mistaken I believe that they both will help keep algae growth down. What's wrong with your tap water?

[Dman]

My question would be where is the location of the air pump in conjunction with the Ozone Generator? If it's in the same room or near move it quick.

[tooldini]

I was thinking of getting some type of ozone generator also,, glad to hear they work that well. Plants are looking awesome.

[Darkmatter]

Whoa baby!

 

I knocked a lower side branch off of the Pre-98 Bubba as I was walking by her today. She is at about 57 days now one more week to go on her, but just look at this! She reeks of a true pre-98 and is FROSTY! I am so proud! I will post garden pics up, and answer questions when I get home, I was just so exited I thought I would share!

 

 

I can't wait to post some peak harvest, top-bud pics of this lady! Just stunning! I am so lucky to be growing with such fantastic genetics.

[Darkmatter]

Kandy Kush @57 days: Man she is sticky-sweet, and frosty.Her bud sites are small, but they are everywhere. I will harvest a full caregivers weight limit off of this plant alone, but only because she vegged way too long, and has almost an entire 1000 watts to herself.

 

 

Master Kush @57 days: She still has about 2 weeks to go from the looks of her. Her pistols are still mostly white and her trichomes are still milking up. She is a heavy duty yielder so I want to let her go as long as possible, as my patients are going to have a lot of her, I need her to be top quality. She kind of smells like my buddies Aurora Indica, like lime juicy-fruit. She has some big azz buds so I will have to watch her for mold very closely, though my humidity levels rarely rise above 60%.

 

 

Iranian G-13 @57 days: This plant got swallowed by her sisters, she is amazing though! Even with hardly any light at all she will yield decent for me. The next round with her will be awesome! She smells like burning rubber and skunk azz! I love this strain too!

 

Strawberry Diesel at 17 days: She is cramped in there right now, but her sisters are coming out of there soon! I love this plant, it's to this day the only Strawberry strain that I have encountered that really tastes like Strawberry!

Edited March 7, 2012 by Darkmatter

[Darkmatter]

Are you adding back calcium and magnesium to your r/o water? Or just relying on the nutes to add enough? If I'm not mistaken I believe that they both will help keep algae growth down. What's wrong with your tap water?

I am relying on my nutes for Calcium and Magnesium I use Dyna Gro Mag Pro, which already has a lot in it. The source water is hard well water, about 350ppm TDS, and 8.1 PH, lets put it this way: The sprinklers in the neighborhood leave a rust color on the street. That can't be good. I just don't trust that.

 

 

My question would be where is the location of the air pump in conjunction with the Ozone Generator? If it's in the same room or near move it quick.

 

The air pump is on the other side of the room, and behind the tent. I have noticed a couple of ozone damage spots on the leaves closest to the unit, but it really is quite negligible. Though I have it cranked up at the moment too. I am going to add a carbon filter when money permits me to.

[jayt]

The reason I asked was that even though magpro contains calcium and magnesium the city tap water also contains them. So those who you know who run tap water with the same modified lucas formula have more cal mag than you do since there is already some in the water. After you ro your well water you could try to match what the local tap water has in it. There are also other chemicals in the tap water that you would be lacking like fluoride for example. I'm not sure if Detroit has changed from chlorine to chloramine I haven't tested my tap water in a couple years now. Chloramine doesn't evaporate like chlorine does. Not that I would expect you to add fluoride or chloramine I was only bringing it up for conversation purposes.

 

I wouldn't run that well water either. I thought for some reason you moved in to the city or maybe you posted that you were looking to. Either way doesn't change your problem.

[Darkmatter]

The reason I asked was that even though magpro contains calcium and magnesium the city tap water also contains them. So those who you know who run tap water with the same modified lucas formula have more cal mag than you do since there is already some in the water. After you ro your well water you could try to match what the local tap water has in it. There are also other chemicals in the tap water that you would be lacking like fluoride for example. I'm not sure if Detroit has changed from chlorine to chloramine I haven't tested my tap water in a couple years now. Chloramine doesn't evaporate like chlorine does. Not that I would expect you to add fluoride or chloramine I was only bringing it up for conversation purposes.

 

I wouldn't run that well water either. I thought for some reason you moved in to the city or maybe you posted that you were looking to. Either way doesn't change your problem.

 

That's not a bad idea man. I am going to try a couple of things on pay day this week. That will be on the list. However, in the name of science I must make changes one at a time so that I have conclusive results.

 

Yeah I did move, but my grow still remains many miles from where I live for now. The electricity where I live suuuucks.

 

I have heard Chloramine is death to Cannabis plants. Is that not just basically Ammonia? I am moving for a final time soon, and you had better believe that I will be calling the water company for an analysis. Do they charge for that?

[jayt]

The city sends out a yearly water quality report, at least the DWD does. I've paid to have it tested in the past just because I wasn't sure I trusted them. Turned out their report was pretty close to the one I paid for. For Detroit they mail out a report and you can view it on their website. As of 2010 they were still using chlorine.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chloramine

Chloramines are derivatives of ammonia by substitution of one, two or three hydrogen atoms with chlorine atoms.[1] Monochloramine is an inorganic compound with the formula NH2Cl. It is an unstable colourless liquid at its melting point of -66° temperature, but it is usually handled as a dilute aqueous solution where it is used as a disinfectant. The term chloramine also refers to a family of organic compounds with the formulas R2NCl and RNCl2 (R is an organic group). Dichloramine, NHCl2, and nitrogen trichloride, NCl3, are also well known.

[Darkmatter]

Thank god. I have read a journal from Australia where Chloramine destroyed this poor mans crop. I won't post pics of that in this thread as I don't want my girls too see that (and I don't want people to think they are my plants

 

https://www.greenpassion.org/index.php?/topic/25978-medi-useas-lair-and-lab/page__pid__441783__st__350#entry441783

 

That poor guy. Seeing plants like that just kills me.

[doobie dave]

Hey bro that kandy is looking awesome good job I got 2 in twelve now myself they're @ 3 wks just finishing up their stretch very potent meds I'm @ day 59 for my pre98 bubba kush and bubba kush(got both grew the bubba from seed and was lucky to get the clone of pre98)big frosty deep purple golfball size nugs gonna let them go another week I run a perpetual grow two flower rooms one is a 8x14 with two 1000w and three 600w and I have a 4x8 tent with two 600w just filled it with 4 bubba and 5 pre98 10 days in twelve that's gonna be an awesome round I'll post pics as soon as I figure out how got a green thum but I'm a computer dummy

[Darkmatter]

Hey bro that kandy is looking awesome good job I got 2 in twelve now myself they're @ 3 wks just finishing up their stretch very potent meds I'm @ day 59 for my pre98 bubba kush and bubba kush(got both grew the bubba from seed and was lucky to get the clone of pre98)big frosty deep purple golfball size nugs gonna let them go another week I run a perpetual grow two flower rooms one is a 8x14 with two 1000w and three 600w and I have a 4x8 tent with two 600w just filled it with 4 bubba and 5 pre98 10 days in twelve that's gonna be an awesome round I'll post pics as soon as I figure out how got a green thum but I'm a computer dummy

Thanks man! I am playing the waiting game right now. I am in the last week for many plants in there. I just want to let some more trichomes amber up! That Kandy Kush rocks man, thank you for her. I will only grow one of her at a time for now though, because darn she is a pain in the arse! A very invasive plant stretchy as hell, and grows like a weed. I will post pics of the newly vegged KK that will go in after her later.

Edited March 12, 2012 by Darkmatter

[roofratMI]

Bet your getting anxious about now! Congrats the KK is killer!

[Darkmatter]

BAAAAANANA!

 

Lower Branches of Kandy Kush.

 

Kandy Kush hermied on today. She did it last time as well juuust before she was ready.There are dozens of such flowers, a couple on every branch.

She is about 75% milky 25% clear trichomes. Some people would call that good. I have been taught otherwise, and prefer to have pain relief meds. More mature trichomes will give me this.

 

So... I have a dilemma here I can either harvest her now about 1 week early, Or I can let it go, and risk pollinating my younger, 2-4 week plants. I gotta tell you guys...I got Lumberjack Fever here, the axe is in my hand so to speak. I don't want to mess up the next round.

 

 

 

I think my pre-98 is ready, so i'm bringing a branh in for inspection tomorrow, to let older hands take a look.

 

Final garden,and top nug pics soon. Everything lust smells and looks fantastic. I'm very happy with this round!

Edited March 13, 2012 by Darkmatter

[Darkmatter]

A final veg tent pic. I will have better light and ventilation in here soon. I am not thrilled with things in the tent. But it will do for now! When the garden reaches it's final home I will have this all partitioned out. No more tent!

 

Your Kandy Kush is on the left Dave, and one is falling out of that black cloner!

[Estimated Prophet]

Chop Chop!

Might save you a major headache later with the other girls in the room.

Whats worse, not enough amber trichs or seeded meds?

You know that even a week early that KK will still blow minds.

[mibrains]

Chop Chop!

Might save you a major headache later with the other girls in the room.

Whats worse, not enough amber trichs or seeded meds?

You know that even a week early that KK will still blow minds.

 

man..

funny you would say this...even though it isnt where i expected to find my answer..i have a nanner showing in my strawberry cough plant again....and i left her last night thinkin i wanted to get a few more days...but when u think about the possibility of seeds in the whole room, then it is a no-brainer (pardon the pun to myself LOL)....

get her out...

and get her out of there now.....

thanks for the inspiration EP....

[Darkmatter]

Chop Chop!

Might save you a major headache later with the other girls in the room.

Whats worse, not enough amber trichs or seeded meds?

You know that even a week early that KK will still blow minds.

 

 

man..

funny you would say this...even though it isnt where i expected to find my answer..i have a nanner showing in my strawberry cough plant again....and i left her last night thinkin i wanted to get a few more days...but when u think about the possibility of seeds in the whole room, then it is a no-brainer (pardon the pun to myself LOL)....

get her out...

and get her out of there now.....

thanks for the inspiration EP....

 

Done, and done!

 

It sure was a good haul too! She even passed inspection! Here she is Kandy Kush at 9 weeks!

 

What a huge friggin' plant, and yes that was all just the one plant! The buds are small, but wow are they dense and tightly spaced together! She did fox-tail on me quite a bit though, but I guess that's not a bad thing.

[Darkmatter]

Now THAT'S what I call a root ball!

[MightyMightyMezz]

Hey one thing I wanted to mention before I forget is ozone is toxic in high enough concentration. Make sure you have enough square footage for your unit.

[Dman]

Nice JOB MAN! /clap

[Dman]

PS. Can't wait to get back to those style root balls! <--- I said Balls!

[Darkmatter]

Hey one thing I wanted to mention before I forget is ozone is toxic in high enough concentration. Make sure you have enough square footage for your unit.

 

 

Nice JOB MAN! /clap

 

Thanks fellas!

 

Yeah I am spotting some ozone damage for sure now. It took about 4 weeks to build up but after some research there is no mistake about it. It's ozone damage. I am going to build a box for it and use it to treat exhaust air, since the smell inside is really not an issue. I should have it done by the weekend, but until then it has to stay on. I dialed it back some, but now the smell is getting outside again. No big deal though. Should be an easy fix, and it's not like it is killing my plants. Not at all. But I don't like the damage they are showing. I like my ladies to look perfect!

[MightyMightyMezz]

I mean toxic to humans and animals!

 

 

Safety regulations

Due to the strongly oxidizing properties of ozone, ozone is a primary irritant, affecting especially the eyes and respiratory systems and can be hazardous at even low concentrations. The Canadian Center for Occupation Safety and Health reports that:

 

"Even very low concentrations of ozone can be harmful to the upper respiratory tract and the lungs. The severity of injury depends on both by the concentration of ozone and the duration of exposure. Severe and permanent lung injury or death could result from even a very short-term exposure to relatively low concentrations."

^[42]

 

To protect workers potentially exposed to ozone, U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has established a permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 0.1 μmol/mol (29 CFR 1910.1000 table Z-1), calculated as an 8 hour time weighted average. Higher concentrations are especially hazardous and NIOSH has established an Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health Limit (IDLH) of 5 μmol/mol.^[43] Work environments where ozone is used or where it is likely to be produced should have adequate ventilation and it is prudent to have a monitor for ozone that will alarm if the concentration exceeds the OSHA PEL. Continuous monitors for ozone are available from several suppliers.

 

 

Edited March 16, 2012 by MightyMightyMezz