♥My first indoor hydro setup♥ (Need experienced/expert advice) ($2500 Budget)

Greetings Grass City inhabitants! I'm a medical marijuana patient from Southern California and i'm a newbie when it comes to indoor hydroponics, I need some advice and expert opinions on setting up an efficient legal, perpetual grow.

I've done some research already over the past 2 months but i'm still feeling a bit uneasy about buying the equipment on my own and thought I'd post here as I've read numerous grow journals and various threads here with plenty of expert replies and knowledge.

I'm not much of a handy woman, as I usually have a friend / boyfriend handy or I hire someone to help me. I will be running my ducting out a window I was thinking of creating a DIY box for the window but any advice is welcomed with open arms (Especially if there's something that I can buy that's already made )

Here is a list of the equipment I plan on using, I have a budget of $2500 for my first grow but I would be happy to increase it if necessary, although it would be ideal if I could even spend less I made the links clickable so you can see the dimensions and a bit more info if needed. I would like the setup to run as quiet as possible so any suggestions and changes are gladly welcome!

I also wasn't sure if this is the correct section for this thread, so please feel free to move it to another section.

I will also be starting from seeds, as well as some good clones from my local dispensary.

Grow Lab GL120

600 HPS Lumenaire 6" w/ 600 watt Lumatek digital ballast & 600 HPS Hortilux Bulb

MaxLume T5 Light System - 4', 6 Bulbs

Can MAX Fan 6" - 334 cfm w/ Speed Contrl

Can-Filter 33 - 13" Carbon Filter

6" can flange

(3x) 4" x 8' - Semi Rigid Aluminum Duct Hose - I heard insulated ducting is quieter? Should I use that instead?

I also need help with setting up intake, and the fans I should run inside the tent.

Someone at the hydro store also recommended I buy the CAP (sp?) greenhouse controller and use c02 but i'm not too sure i'd be comfortable with that without reading a few more articles and doing some more research on it.

Perfect beaker from the container store for measuring nutes

Bag of hydroton

Rockwool cubes

Ph Up & Ph Down

I was thinking of using a premade Ebb and Flow system from "HTGsupply"

Ebb & Flow 6 pot system

Oh, and also I'm only using "BGhydro" as my main reference because they seem to have very competitive pricing and they are in California too so shipping would be good too i'd assume ^^ But if you have any other sources that are better or as good that you'd recommend please give me your input!

I also need some help/suggestions with nutrients (I was thinking of trying "Lucas formula")

Here are some of the supplies I felt comfortable buying and already have: (A little pathetic, I know )

1/8" rope ratchets

1 Hydrofarm Digital Timer

1 Eco Plus Large Display Temperature / Humidity reader

1 Hanna Combo meter (HI98129) I also got ph 4.01 and ph 7.01 and HI98129 calibration fluid

Please feel free to link me to helpful articles that you think I should read, I will read them as soon as possible.

That's all I can think of for now, I know i'm missing some equipment / information thats why I need your help I'll respond as fast as I can (I checked the box for instant email notifications)

- Jamba ♥

Edited by Jamba Juice, 16 April 2012 - 12:46 AM.

Hey Jamba!

You seem to have a pretty good grasp on the direction you are headed; you've clearly done some reading, kudos!

That you want a perpetual setup and have the 600w HPS as well as the T5 setup, I assume you know you'll need two different spaces? Would that be a second tent?

And venting outside...if you're scrubbing the air coming out of the tent, could it not be vented to the room in which the tent sits? Downside - possibly increase cost to cool the home. Upside - stealthier than having any kind of contraption built into your window. I don't know of anything premade for the window, but maybe you could get a replacement piece for a portable a/c window vent and DIY it from there? Insulated ducting will help with noise somewhat, but one 6" can won't be too ridiculously loud, either way.

CO2, appropriately setup, is perfectly safe, but can be added at any point and is not a requirement for getting started.

I presume you know, but just to be sure: The Lucas formula is a way of using 2 of 3 parts of a nutrient line (General Hydroponics Flora series) rather than following the ratios on the bottles--it is not a line of nutrients you would walk into a shop and ask for. I use GH Flora series, all three parts, but will probably give the formula a go sooner than later as I happen to be running low on the Gro portion. I don't have a particular affinity for GH products, it's just what I started with and have had good experiences, so I'm not inclined to fix what is not broken. My thinking 20 years ago when I first purchased GH -- If it's good enough for NASA, it's good enough for me!

Really, I think you're on the right path. If you have any specific questions, I'll keep watching here or you can shoot me a PM. I'm certainly not saying I'm the be all, end all in answering your questions, but I'm finally joining the conversation and helping where or if I can!

Definitely start a journal and let us follow along!

Good luck!

Everything is lookin' good. One thing I noticed:

600 HPS Lumenaire 6" w/ 600 watt Lumatek digital ballast & 600 HPS Hortilux Bulb

Can MAX Fan 6" - 334 cfm w/ Speed Contrl

6" can flange

All 6 inch tubes...but the ducting you chose

(3x) 4" x 8' - Semi Rigid Aluminum Duct Hose

looks to be 4 inch. You would have to use 4 inch -> 6 inch duct adapters everywhere you want to hook that ducting up to.

And on top of that, the tent you chose has five 8 inch ducts for intake/exhaust, and two 4 inch ducts for cords:

Ports:
Intake/Exhaust: (5) - 8" / 203mm (2 ports for air-cooling of reflector plus 3 additional ports; all ports adjust to fit smaller-diameter ducting and equipment as well)
Cord access: (2) - 4" / 101mm

So, if you stay with 4 inch ducting, you will have 4 inch gaps where ever the ducting goes out/into the tent (on top of having the 4 inch -> 6 inch duct adapters everywhere)...even if you went to 6 inch ducting you will still have 2 inch gaps at those intake/exhaust ports.

Those gaps could cause a problem with light leaks and negative pressure (odor control).



Easiest solution would be to switch to 6 inch ducting *and* find a tent with 6 inch intake/exhaust ports.

Hey Casual Observer, thank you so much for your input! I truly appreciate it.

Yes, i'll be purchasing another tent or using the large sliding closet that's in the room next door with the T5 fixture. And instead of exhausting the air outside, I could definitely let it just flow in the same room! I just wasn't sure if it was optimal, I do have central a/c in my house but I was told exhausting it outside or in the attic would be best but if exhausting it in the same room is fine or just as good with my conditions then i'm glad you've enlightened me!

Also i'll have to do a bit more reading on C02 but I think i'll set that up lastly as icing on the cake or i'll incorporate it in my next grow, I just want to get the basics down first

It's very comforting to know I'm on the right track, I will most definitely shoot you a PM if I have some specific questions. And my own grow journal sounds like an awesome idea!

I was also thinking about using Dutch Master One Gold since it's all in one, but i'm not too sure yet.

(I also wasn't aware of that fun little factoid about GH & NASA, Thanks )

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Hey, obsstar!

Thank you so much for pointing out that ducting issue, I have decided to go with 6" ducting with your advice in mind.

I'm still going to stick with the grow lab 120 though because although it has 8" ducting it has these little draw strings to adjust to a smaller ducting size (A neat little perk I played with in my local hydroponic store on the display model)

Although i've also been looking at some secret jardin tents with 6" exhaust ports so i'm not too sure.

If you guys have more feedback, please feel free!


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Hmm, some questions I have right now are:

Could you recommend / link me to a reliable nute feeding schedule

What are your thoughts on feminized seeds as opposed to regular? I've read something about feminized seeds not having the genetics all there or something along those lines, and when stressed they can easily hermie.

How many setups would i need in total if I wanted to pollinate a female and produce seeds in the future?

After starting my little seeds in the propagation room and seedlings have emerged when is the proper time to move them to the 600 watt tent? (When the plant is developed?) (also, could you give me a little info on the process you use with your setup?)

Also with a 55 gallon reservoir in an ebb & flow system, would I have to fill all of it up and change it every 2 weeks? Or just halfway or enough to feed my plants for 2 weeks.

Sorry for the late reply, I've been really bogged down at work!

That's all for now, thank you both once again!

- Jamba

Good eye, obsstar! And additional kudos to Ms. Juice having already put her hands on the tent in question to see that the ports in the tent are adjustable!

And instead of exhausting the air outside, I could definitely let it just flow in the same room! I just wasn't sure if it was optimal, I do have central a/c in my house but I was told exhausting it outside or in the attic would be best but if exhausting it in the same room is fine or just as good with my conditions then i'm glad you've enlightened me!

I don't know that exhausting your hot air into the environment around the tent is "optimal", but I think it definitely would be manageable and not overly taxing on your central a/c! :-) Worst case: it heats up the room, leaving the door open doesn't make a diff/isn't feasible all the time and you do wind up needing to duct elsewhere. No harm, no foul.

Also i'll have to do a bit more reading on C02 but I think i'll set that up lastly as icing on the cake or i'll incorporate it in my next grow, I just want to get the basics down first

Not putting the cart before the horse...good policy.

I was also thinking about using Dutch Master One Gold since it's all in one, but i'm not too sure yet.

Read, read, read! Buy smaller bottles the first time out with whatever you decide and change it up if you don't like how it turns out.

Hmm, some questions I have right now are:

Could you recommend / link me to a reliable nute feeding schedule

What are your thoughts on feminized seeds as opposed to regular? I've read something about feminized seeds not having the genetics all there or something along those lines, and when stressed they can easily hermie.

How many setups would i need in total if I wanted to pollinate a female and produce seeds in the future?

After starting my little seeds in the propagation room and seedlings have emerged when is the proper time to move them to the 600 watt tent? (When the plant is developed?) (also, could you give me a little info on the process you use with your setup?)

Also with a 55 gallon reservoir in an ebb & flow system, would I have to fill all of it up and change it every 2 weeks? Or just halfway or enough to feed my plants for 2 weeks.

Sorry for the late reply, I've been really bogged down at work!

That's all for now, thank you both once again!

- Jamba

Feeding schedule:

I pretty much use the GH recommendation, but I don't change the mix every week! GENERAL HYDROPONICS: Feeding Schedule

Or the aforementioned Lucas Formula: | The Lucas Formula I don't know if this site was put up by the guy Lucas himself, but I found another forum the other day that he participates in and a great breakdown of the formula on yet another forum yesterday. I don't know if it's ok to post those links, so I'll err on the side of caution and simply say that Google is a powerful tool!

Feminized: My personal jury is still out. Feminized and autoflowering plants are quite the novelty to me. I've run some fems in the last year because they came as freebies. I did have a hermie (don't recall the strain), but caught it early enough it wasn't a problem. They may have their place, but I'm a little old school.

Breeding for seeds: If you don't mind your plants not being remarkably consistent, it doesn't take much...just one male plant you can collect pollen from. But true breeding of a single, consistent strain takes a ton of plants, time and know-how that I won't pretend to have. One male and any one female will make hybrid phenotypes with varied characteristics.

Timing for the big light: I think it's generally held that when you've got the second set of three blade leaves, it's safe to start introducing higher intensity light. Or at least, that's what I do. I probably am a little more cautious than most in that I'll put young plants under the big light at that point, but the light is farther away than will really be effective, and over a several day period, move it closer. Surely others can chime in with their own practices.

Changing the reservoir: The link to the ebb & flow system in your OP was broken for me, but if it comes with a 55 gallon rez for six sites, that seems excessive to me. That said, they made the system, I'd defer to their recommendations. I have a 30 gallon rez I'm using with one 3x3 ebb & flow table and used to run two of those tables with the same 30 gals. I think the main issue with using less than the capacity of the drum would be potentially running the pump dry during the flood cycle. That would be bad. You could test that easily before you ever add plants and adjust the amount of water you'll use accordingly. To be totally honest, I'm not nearly as anal with the changing of the rez as I might should be, so as long as the plants are acting happy and I keep topped off with fresh, pH'd water, I don't worry that much about being militant with my rez changes. It would seem to me that 55 gallons and no more than six plants would give you even more wiggle room with timing, but too far beyond two weeks it's probably going to be time for a change in the formula anyway.

Damn I sure get wordy, but I'm having a good time with this! Should've joined the conversation long ago!

Edited by CasualObserver, 16 April 2012 - 12:02 AM.
typo

Good eye, obsstar! And additional kudos to Ms. Juice having already put her hands on the tent in question to see that the ports in the tent are adjustable!


I don't know that exhausting your hot air into the environment around the tent is "optimal", but I think it definitely would be manageable and not overly taxing on your central a/c! :-) Worst case: it heats up the room, leaving the door open doesn't make a diff/isn't feasible all the time and you do wind up needing to duct elsewhere. No harm, no foul.


Not putting the cart before the horse...good policy.


Read, read, read! Buy smaller bottles the first time out with whatever you decide and change it up if you don't like how it turns out.




Feeding schedule:

I pretty much use the GH recommendation, but I don't change the mix every week! GENERAL HYDROPONICS: Feeding Schedule

Or the aforementioned Lucas Formula: | The Lucas Formula I don't know if this site was put up by the guy Lucas himself, but I found another forum the other day that he participates in and a great breakdown of the formula on yet another forum yesterday. I don't know if it's ok to post those links, so I'll err on the side of caution and simply say that Google is a powerful tool!

Feminized: My personal jury is still out. Feminized and autoflowering plants are quite the novelty to me. I've run some fems in the last year because they came as freebies. I did have a hermie (don't recall the strain), but caught it early enough it wasn't a problem. They may have their place, but I'm a little old school.

Breeding for seeds: If you don't mind your plants not being remarkably consistent, it doesn't take much...just one male plant you can collect pollen from. But true breeding of a single, consistent strain takes a ton of plants, time and know-how that I won't pretend to have. One male and any one female will make hybrid phenotypes with varied characteristics.

Timing for the big light: I think it's generally held that when you've got the second set of three blade leaves, it's safe to start introducing higher intensity light. Or at least, that's what I do. I probably am a little more cautious than most in that I'll put young plants under the big light at that point, but the light is farther away than will really be effective, and over a several day period, move it closer. Surely others can chime in with their own practices.

Changing the reservoir: The link to the ebb & flow system in your OP was broken for me, but if it comes with a 55 gallon rez for six sites, that seems excessive to me. That said, they made the system, I'd defer to their recommendations. I have a 30 gallon rez I'm using with one 3x3 ebb & flow table and used to run two of those tables with the same 30 gals. I think the main issue with using less than the capacity of the drum would be potentially running the pump dry during the flood cycle. That would be bad. You could test that easily before you ever add plants and adjust the amount of water you'll use accordingly. To be totally honest, I'm not nearly as anal with the changing of the rez as I might should be, so as long as the plants are acting happy and I keep topped off with fresh, pH'd water, I don't worry that much about being militant with my rez changes. It would seem to me that 55 gallons and no more than six plants would give you even more wiggle room with timing, but too far beyond two weeks it's probably going to be time for a change in the formula anyway.

Damn I sure get wordy, but I'm having a good time with this! Should've joined the conversation long ago!

Thank you so much Casual!

I'm so sorry I haven't replied in a super long time. I would've loved to keep the discussion going but I've been very very busy... On the bright side, I purchased EVERYTHING I need including a bunch of really nice genetics (Kens GDP / Chocolope/ Cindy 99 / Cannalope / Vortex / and a whole bunch more plus the freebies and 420 promo

I'm going with a 2 x 2 x 5'4 tent and a T5 for my little seeds until they are ready to go under a 600 watt (or 400 watt, I bought the lumatek 600 watt dimmable ballast) with an aircooled 6" hood inside a 4 x 4 x 7 tent outfitted with 2 air king 6" fans on each side of the tent and a damper that closes during the night phase and opens when my lights turn on. I also did more reading on c02 and went ahead and bought a 20 lb c02 tank and a nice regulator! I'll be using the CAP ebb and gro system with an air stone in the 55 gallon reservoir with the hanna grochek continuous pH/TDS/EC/Temp meter. I think i'll be putting 6 pots in the tent for now (it came with 12 pots) I also went to my local hydro store and they recommended Veg + Bloom since it's all in one and I don't have to do much measuring (Although I did buy the perfect beaker in case I do need to do that in the future) I also bought einstein's neem oil on their recommendation. Also got a trim bin and everything I need for harvest including bubble bags for my trimmings

I did have some questions I wanted to ask you but i'll send them in a PM.

- Jamba ♥

Nice! You've got some time before the seeds arrive to get everything setup and running for a couple days. If there are any surprises with your setup, hopefully they'll rear their ugly little heads before you've got plants counting on your rig!

I didn't see a CO2 controller on your list, not to worry, there's always math! This Grow Room CO2 Setup article has the formula and goes on to talk a little about timing your injection. Be mindful that your regulator is rated in Cubic Feet per Hour or Cubic Feet per Minute ....it makes a big difference in your figures!