Day 33: (12/24/20) 5.8 pH
New Grower 1st Autopot/Autoflower Run: 2 Toof Decay by Mephisto Genetics!
- Thread starter Saven
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Day 34: (12/25/20) Found out what was wrong with my Autopots.
Day 34: (12/25/20) Found out what was wrong with my Autopots.
My autopot trays weren't draining completely and I noticed that but was too dumb to realize that the trays would only drain to 50% and just stay there, never going higher or lower. This is why my plants are "droopy". I need to figure out how to fix it. Below is a troubleshooting guide that I'm using by @Olderfart . They deserve all the credit. Gonna try to figure it out.
If your tray does not completely empty before re-filling: This is usually caused by failure of the air valve to seal. This allows air into the cover, causing the water level inside to drop and opening the flood valve prematurely. This will result in cycling between a full tray and something like half empty rather than between full and empty. This will prevent the bottom of the flood zone from aerating completely with each cycle, potentially causing overwatering or problems with roots.
If the air valve is plugged, or stuck closed, or if the twin floats are full of water, air will be prevented from leaving the cover as water rises, potentially preventing proper closing of the flood valve.
All the specific issues and cures listed above for the flood valve apply to the air valve. One difference between the air valve and the flood valve is how each is disassembled - the air valve float is removed by sliding sideways, not by snapping it out of its hinge points, a critical point made by the video above.
One other potential cause of cycling before the tray empties is a cracked flood valve cover that allows air to get inside even when the air valve is sealed. Unlikely, but possible, and potentially curable with some epoxy or caulking.
If you are not sure your valve is behaving properly, find out by doing this: It can be tough during a grow to know whether your valve is behaving. The water level changes slowly, and if you don't happen to catch it when the tray is nearly empty, you may not know if it ever gets there. Valve operation is easily tested by manually removing water from the tray until it starts to re-fill. A turkey baster works. As the water level gets close to the floor of the tray, remove water slowly, and you will see and hear when air finally gets sucked into the float valve cover beneath its lower edge, and the water in there gushes out, opening the flood valve. This will not happen before the nute mix is almost at the lower edge of the cover if the air valve is operating properly. lf the re-fill starts when there is still ~~10 or so mm of water level in the tray, the air valve is leaking, or the cover is cracked. Watch the refill until filling stops. If the flood valve is operating properly, the water level will stop somewhere around 25mm or so deep. The exact level varies a bit between valves, but not by a lot. If valve function is not correct, turn off the water, pull the valve out, disassemble it completely and clean everything. Re-assemble carefully making certain that silicone pads are fully seated, and re-install. If there is junk in the valve area of the tray, clean it out before re-installing the valve - a shop vac works a treat for this. If you do not have spare silicones, do not do this in a sink - silicones have a habit of finding drains.
My autopot trays weren't draining completely and I noticed that but was too dumb to realize that the trays would only drain to 50% and just stay there, never going higher or lower. This is why my plants are "droopy". I need to figure out how to fix it. Below is a troubleshooting guide that I'm using by @Olderfart . They deserve all the credit. Gonna try to figure it out.
If your tray does not completely empty before re-filling: This is usually caused by failure of the air valve to seal. This allows air into the cover, causing the water level inside to drop and opening the flood valve prematurely. This will result in cycling between a full tray and something like half empty rather than between full and empty. This will prevent the bottom of the flood zone from aerating completely with each cycle, potentially causing overwatering or problems with roots.
If the air valve is plugged, or stuck closed, or if the twin floats are full of water, air will be prevented from leaving the cover as water rises, potentially preventing proper closing of the flood valve.
All the specific issues and cures listed above for the flood valve apply to the air valve. One difference between the air valve and the flood valve is how each is disassembled - the air valve float is removed by sliding sideways, not by snapping it out of its hinge points, a critical point made by the video above.
One other potential cause of cycling before the tray empties is a cracked flood valve cover that allows air to get inside even when the air valve is sealed. Unlikely, but possible, and potentially curable with some epoxy or caulking.
If you are not sure your valve is behaving properly, find out by doing this: It can be tough during a grow to know whether your valve is behaving. The water level changes slowly, and if you don't happen to catch it when the tray is nearly empty, you may not know if it ever gets there. Valve operation is easily tested by manually removing water from the tray until it starts to re-fill. A turkey baster works. As the water level gets close to the floor of the tray, remove water slowly, and you will see and hear when air finally gets sucked into the float valve cover beneath its lower edge, and the water in there gushes out, opening the flood valve. This will not happen before the nute mix is almost at the lower edge of the cover if the air valve is operating properly. lf the re-fill starts when there is still ~~10 or so mm of water level in the tray, the air valve is leaking, or the cover is cracked. Watch the refill until filling stops. If the flood valve is operating properly, the water level will stop somewhere around 25mm or so deep. The exact level varies a bit between valves, but not by a lot. If valve function is not correct, turn off the water, pull the valve out, disassemble it completely and clean everything. Re-assemble carefully making certain that silicone pads are fully seated, and re-install. If there is junk in the valve area of the tray, clean it out before re-installing the valve - a shop vac works a treat for this. If you do not have spare silicones, do not do this in a sink - silicones have a habit of finding drains.
I think so! The silicone pads weren't completely flat so I think air kept getting in and it didn't allow the autopots to drain as much as they should. I took out water with a syringe to check and the water level gets reallllllly low now before it fills up with water again, so I think we should be good going forward! I'll post a pic too of what the silicone pads look like from the Autopot troubleshooting thread.
Day 35: (12/26/20): Flushed plant on right with Recharge. Change Res to .7 EC
Day 35: (12/26/20): Flushed plant on right with Recharge. Change Res to .7 EC
Also defoliated a couple leaves because they were blocking budsites because why not, I'm already stressing my plant to the extreme.
Just gonna see what happens. They might just die off.
Also defoliated a couple leaves because they were blocking budsites because why not, I'm already stressing my plant to the extreme.
Just gonna see what happens. They might just die off.
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They will survive they have all of this long. You just need some stretch. How high is the light?Day 35: (12/26/20): Flushed plant on right with Recharge. Change Res to .7 EC
Also defoliated a couple leaves because they were blocking budsites because why not, I'm already stressing my plant to the extreme.
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Just gonna see what happens. They might just die off.
Right now it's 28 inches above the topmost leaf. I have the QB at like 90-95% power.
Day 36: (12/27/20): Change light schedule to 20/4
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They look taller.
They do! I'm happy about that. :smoking:
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