HYDRO First time growing DWC, need advice

[nausea]

Hi everyone! I'm diving into growing for the first time, and I've decided to kick things off with DWC (without top feeding) and autoflowering Six Shooter. After the seed sprouted and a tiny taproot appeared, I transferred it into a rapid rooter and placed it into the DWC setup. It's been 8 days since germination, and I'm just starting to see the roots peeking through the net pot. I'm wondering if the size of the seedling matches its age. Does it look too small?


For lighting, I've got the Mars Hydro TS600, hanging about 20-22 inches above the seedling. My tent measures 2.3 by 2.3 by 5.2 feet. I've also set up a 6-inch exhaust fan with a smart controller, providing airflow up to 402 cubic feet per minute. The pH level is sitting around 6.1-6.3. In the last couple of photos, taken on the 9th day, there hasn't been much visible growth yet. I'm noticing plenty of roots poking through the rapid rooter, but they haven't made it down to the reservoir just yet. I'm following TA tripart schedule for feeding, but I've cut it down by about half. Additionally, I've added some voodoo juice into the mix two days ago.

[SoOrbudgal]

I can't help with hydro and all that stuff i've never done it but i will tell you your plant is fine looking for 8days old. Go easy on the nutes for a bit make sure water temps not to high and it's circulatings. Takes time for those roots to signal the growth spurt.

[Allenpro]

Looks good to me, wait until those roots hit the water and step back, the growth is explosive. Personally I top feed by hand until the roots hit water. The great thing about hydro is if you screw up you can recover within a day or 2 in most cases. Drain the res, flush for a day or 2 and the new growth will show its back in the green. I suggest using hydroguard or similar to fend off root rot. Microbe Life Hydroponics Premium Photosynthesis Plus for Hydroponics is great if you simply cant keep the temps down but it stinks like sewer. The one sure fire way to cause a problem in DWC is not leaving an airgap and forgetting to turn the air pump on. I have done that twice and even after noticing it within 12 hours they didnt recover. Enjoy

[nausea]

It's quite a challenge to find Hydroguard where I live. I figured voodoo juice might help prevent root rot. I'll definitely try to track down that Microbe Life Hydroponics Premium Photosynthesis Plus you mentioned. Thanks a lot for the replies, guys.

[Drekthar]

I normally wait until the roots hit the water before I start adding any nutrients. Hydroguard is a savior for sure, ive had good luck buying it on Amazon.