New Year, New Grow, Jack Herer DWC

[RagWeedDWC]

Little bit of bud porn before I finish up.
Jack Herer (AKA tumble weed). Was really surprised at the yield, but not sure about auto's.

[alltatup]

Just lovely, RW!! Happy fishing!!! ;-}

[RagWeedDWC]

Headed out for a week or more fishing (More if there biting)
Little bit of bud porn before I go, I did harvest a lot of the smaller bottom guys, they really like the burple light, or they just started failing that way.
Will harvest after a couple of days of flushing, right after the holidays.

[RagWeedDWC]

Now that gives me a new perspective, from the harvest tips, it should be ready to flush... Have to check them close today and decide.

[alltatup]

Well she is a stunner, RagWeed. I grew a Sativa once that never turned amber, and I think I let her go a little too long. Some Sats never do turn amber. Go down almost to the bottom to Harvest Tips:

https://www.growweedeasy.com/guide-to-growing-sativa-strains-indoors

[RagWeedDWC]

Same here alltatup, once I see amber start, I start flushing for a couple of days and then break out the hatcchet. This is such a Sativa pheno that it does have me on pins and needles, I am harvesting some of the lower buds now, just so I can have the dates to harvest for future grows.

[alltatup]

RagWeedDWC If you're seeing lots of white pistils, keep your eyes peeled; you don't want to let them get too over-ripe...??? Or that's me: when I see lots of white and the tiniest amt. of amber, I harvest. I'm not looking for the couch lock.

[RagWeedDWC]

Its getting really close, no amber and lots of white pistols, two weeks at the max.

[alltatup]

Time to pull them down???

[RagWeedDWC]

My first fox tails starting...

[RagWeedDWC]

The least expensive aquarium top off I could find was approx. $100, these depended on small float style sensors or optics that were in the grow tub or mounted on the outside and sensed through the tub.
Having saltwater tanks in the past, neither solution was fool proof and in the air bubble, nutrient, algae growing environment like a grow tub I could not see it working.
Having used something in the past that kept drain traps filled with water to prevent smells coming back I modified the circuits boards intended target usage.
Liquid Water Level Detection Sensor Module, Maluokasa 12VDC/AC Relay Controller Switch Automation Detection Pump Tank Water Level
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is a 12v detector and relay combination, will switch 12v without a problem and is (at least has been) reliable, the KEY to this sensor is that requires only three wires.
The detector will also switch 115, but will need 12v to operate the “Sensor” wires. I have a lot of spare parts, so sticking with 12v for both eh detector/sensor and the motor was a no brainer. It would be simple to wire a 115v pump into this, but 115v and water tend to find each other.
I used this for the power, I can run up to three systems on his power brick.

12V 6A 72W AC DC Power Supply Adapter (Input 110V-220V, Output 12 Volt 6 Amp 72 Watt) for CCTV Security Camera DVR, ZUEXT DC Converter LED...
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I used a solar hot water pump, they are rugged, submergible, 12v and cheap
DC 12V Solar Hot Water Heater Circulation Pump Low Noise 3M Discharge Head 2.1GPM
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Once you have power run to both the motor and the board, connect the telephone line (Only need three of the four). It was hit or miss for me on determine how to adjust the length of the sensor wire that ends up in the tub. You end up with a common, high wire (Stops pump) and low wire (Starts pump)


I heated the hose and attached it to the pump, mounted the pump on a piece of nylon board and used a ½ threaded pvc elbow to get the very bottom of the tank.


Used schedule 40 ½ pvc to contain both the end of the hose and the “Sensor”, you need to drill a small hole in the 3/8 pvc line to prevent it from syphoning back after the pump stops.

I had most of the connectors and wire, adapted and overcame on a couple of things. It works exactly how I wanted it to. Working on the correct mixture of nutrients for a top off but should work with a 1/4 solution.

Its portable, just drill a hole in the top of your container, and plug in the hose/sensor combo. As long as the depth of the tub is the same, and I'm not positive that is critical.
Fluids are kept at a 1.5 inch ban, you can adjust by adjusting the distance between the three sensors.

******Note****** I only use a auto top off system when there is no other choice, in this case my fishing partner is also my growing partner. There is no way (That I know of) you can premix nutrients that will adjust PPM correctly for the plant. At best, I'm using a safe bet in about a 1/3 mixture.

[RagWeedDWC]

I will put some pictures and links sometime tonight, but basically I need to come up with a system that would work inside my grow tubs, a float would not work because of all the air bouncing around. I looked at aquarium top off systems, but again the floats would not work, and I did not trust the sensors not to have algae or nutrients interfere. Long story short, cobbled some parts together and the now the system will replenish from a premixed reservoir for up to 9 days.

[s62]

Looking really, really nice! Can you give us some more detail about your auto top-off system?

[RagWeedDWC]

I'm guessing about two weeks, may start flushing the week of Christmas. I appreciate all the feed back.

[SoOrbudgal]

Tis the fishing season fast and furious while you can. From my recall on the out door Jack I grew that dang plant would keep throwing hairs so from the looks of that one she could go for at least 2more wks I think? She is a stunner, i'm gonna take her on again this next summer she's just a crazy plant great strain.