Tried everything and my plants are slowely dieing.

[terrybeaulac]

hello. im new to the forums. i started with 3 plants over 2 months ago. everything was initially going well plants were lush and growing really well. then all of a sudden within a day 1 plant started to wilt and the leaves started turning yellow. my other two plants were fine so i left the one plant alone and thought maybe it was a seed issue. eventually i destroyed the plant because it was so dead. a couple weeks later the second plant started wilting and turning yellow with some leaves even turning a rusty brown color. now this week the 3rd plant has started wilting with yellow leaves and some turning rusty brown.im using an autopot system where all 3 pots are separate from each other.

Things I've tried
ive replaced the water with culigan water. ph 6.0 and ppm of 10
ive tried changing my nutrients. went to a local hydroponic seller and bought his nutrients as he guaranteed me their the best. he initially gave me support but now that im having issues he's not answering my calls.

im really depressed about it the one plant was so huge and healthy it just breaks my heart.

https://imgur.com/a/zwDNwmF

[Toker1]

Hydro or soil?

[terrybeaulac]

it's called an autopot system. it's kinda a mix. the potters have coco on top and clay pebbles in the bottom. they sit in each there own tray which get's gravity refilled from a main reservoir when they go empty

[Toker1]

Yes, you can use them with soil. I was curious how you were using them. Coco and clay pebbles is hydro. So PH is extremely important to your success. Try ph down to 5.5 and then slowly raise it up to 6.5. You really need to swing through the 5.5-6.5 range in order to absorb all the nutrients.

[HighDesertRat]

How do the roots look? They should be nice and white or a very light cream color. If they're discolored, it's likely root rot.
if your roots are healthy, then it's lockout/ deficiency or overfeeding...let the pH float between 5.8-6.2 or so...it has to stay in or very close to that range over time to prevent lockout.
how many ppms of nutes are you running?
The yellow tips, I'd back off on the nutes.
ok, so..
1. Get pH under control.
2. Check roots. Let us know if they're brown, it can be fixed if not too pervasive. If roots are healthy:

3. Cut back on nutes for the time being. Whatever you're giving them, cut by half....
4. Raise your light for the time being. Lower it back down when vigorous new growth appears.

Just covering the basics...if the basics are off, she won't grow...this is a start so you will know exactly what is NOT wrong with them. If they don't perk up, we'll look for other causes.

[HighDesertRat]

Also, I avidly and strongly recommend using hydroguard or something similar if you're not already...

[dilvish]

If the plants were doing fine for 2 months and then just started dying off one by one it's likely something new that has been introduced to the "ecosystem". New water source, new nutes, different lighting etc.
Sounds to me like its a contamination...do you have pets that might pee in your system? Or roommates? Were you handling the plants with unwashed hands? Sounds more like a disease rather than issues with your set up because they were doing fine...

[JDU]

Damn. Well shit if hydro is this complicated then I just became not as interested in trying it... ppm.... pets affect?? I have 2 cats & idk if my weed or their well being is more important.....

[terrybeaulac]

ok i checked the few roots that were showing underneath the potters. the plant in the worst shape has brown roots. the one in better shape had white roots. my ppms with nutes is 541 ppm. i buy purified water in jugs because our local tap water is crazy dirty and has a really high ph. the water im using now is ph 6.0 and 10 ppm. im thinking of doing a flush after the next batch of nutes and water go through just to see if that will help. why does hydroguard do? i live alone and it's only been me handling the plants. i have been doing trimming periodically and thats really about it.

[Toker1]

Hydroguard will populate the root zone with beneficial bacteria. But won’t do anything if your water temps are too hot to hold enough DO to support it.
What have your water temps been like recently?

[terrybeaulac]

water temps have been around 23 degrees celcius

[Toker1]

That’s really pushing it. Especially with no hydroguard, which will allow for slightly higher water temps.
I keep my water temps around 20 C. Beyond 20 C there is a huge drop off with how much DO the water can hold. Pathogens that thrive in low oxygen environments will cause roots to rot.
Also, water temp fluctuations cause PH fluctuations.
I would recommend a water chiller to avoid these potential issues.

[terrybeaulac]

i just took the worse of the 2 plants right out of the potter, cleaned the roots and they actually look pretty good.trimmed the lowest roots with a clean pair of scissors. i transplanted into new coco and the clay pebbles on the bottom. it's a long shot but maybe it'll save the plant. as soon as i can afford the hydroguard i think i'm gonna buy it

[HighDesertRat]

I think toker1 is right on with the water temps...warmer invites root rot.
if you have hydrogen peroxide, you can flush with that to kill off bacteria and get a temporary oxygen boost..but absolutely get the hydroguard...

[terrybeaulac]

is hydroguard considered a water conditioner? im asking because i bought a bottle of water conditioner a while a go and never used it. wondering if it could help?

[HighDesertRat]

Hydroguard promotes the growth of "good" bacteria that replace/kill the bacteria that cause root rot. Those bacteria also thrive in warmer water. That's why I run a chiller as well as using the hydroguard religiously... haven't had root rot since I started using it.

[dilvish]

I'd also say at 8 weeks it may not be worth saving. The pic you posted doesn't show any flowering/bud sites so even if the plant gets saved i don't think it's going to produce anything worthwhile. Additionally you said you bought nutes from a hydroponics guy...what brand, what type and are you using them as recommended? Are there any instructions as to how much to use? if in fact your water is at 23 degrees then the plant is likely absorbing every molecule of the nutes so if you are using too much it will definitely kill the plant

Most growers I know flush their plants every other watering so that there is no build up of unused nutes.

[terrybeaulac]

the 2 brands are herb man, and jakes. he told me to do half of the recommended for one week then increase to full strength in the second week. ive uploaded the feeding chart he gave me. i found it weird it only goes to week 3 in the veg state.thinking the guy might be a sheister. he told me i had his complete support buying his nutes but now that i have issues he doesnt want to deal with me. im planning on doing a flush today. the one i transplanted isnt looking to hot so im thinking it's gonna go in the trash if it doesnt turn around.

[Toker1]

Many people veg for a few weeks. They fill the space with more plants for less veg time. Leads to more yields per year than a longer veg time does.
Use a well established nute company. Not a newer one. Nute companies that have been around for a while, you know people are getting good results with. If it’s a newer nute company, they will not last very long if their products do not produce good results.
The biggest takeaway I see from this schedule is the hydro ph. Try and fluctuate in between those values. And keep your water temps down. You should see improvement after that.