After lurking for a couple months I am starting the grow. We will be using individual bubble buckets, Fox Farm nutrients and a 2x4 tent with a 600w HID and auto plants. The interesting part is not that this is my first time growing or my first time with hydro. The interesting part is that my daughters who are smokers are the ones that asked me to grow for them because I am a Master Gardner so they think I will be great at it. I also work out of town for several weeks at a time so I will get them started and then they will send pics daily and follow my directions exactly while I am gone and hopefully not kill them until I get back . I don’t smoke but of course it is a matter of pride to have the best stuff so here we go.
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Welcome and good luck. I’m starting my first hydro run today.
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It should be fun and very interesting. I am really looking forward to seeing how it all works out. I am already a bit freaked out about the germination. I did 2 blueberry seeds and they opened so I pit them in rockwool yesterday . I am impatiently waiting for them to pop out the top!! Then I started 2 amnesia ? The day before yesterday in the water they look like they are doing nothing!! It is awful…the waiting! I have never fussed over a plant …I usually put it in a hole and give it the catholic cross…just in case it doesn’t make it !! Lol…but I am like a mother hen with these checking temps and making sire the light timer is gonna be just right in the tent! Heck I set the tent up 2 weeks ahead to dial it all in !!
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I have not put the seedlings into the net pots yet but I moved the might down to 1 foot above the buckets yesterday to see the difference in temps. I had been holding at a solid 77.5 with the light at the top but it is now up in the 90’s at the top of the buckets. I covered the buckets with reflect blanket and added a fan…still to 
hot. Do I move the light higher because then it won’t be the recommended 13 to 15 inches above the plant or do I keep working on a solution to cool ?
If your concern is the temperature of the buckets it seems that 12 in off them will be way too close once the plants are in there ! Move the light up put the plants in give them some time to grow a little then lower your light , that said I don’t think I ever put my 600w any closer than 18 inches in a air cooled hood
Ok thanks maybe I am trying to keep the light to close to the top of the bucket. I put my thermometer at the level of the top of the bucket to measure the temps and that is when it was to hot. The actual temp of the tent is not as warm just the area directly under the light at the top of the buckets. Moving the light up seems like the best and easiest first step then as you say put in the plant and give it a little time and maybe move the light back down a little…if the girls are happy. Thanks again I will try this!
disaster struck my seedlings died !! I am starting over today with rapid rooters and advice from the group. I am getting a little frustrated I have killed 2 seedlings and 4 seeds so I am changing up everything I am doing. Why can’t I grow weed? I can grow anything !! Uggg😭