First Timer Here... Gathering Supplies

I'd grow 4 in a 3x3, kinda tight but w/e
 
Carbon filter is necessary if you don't want your neighbors smelling it. Granted, some guys here live in the boonies and have no need for such luxuries, but I'd expect to smell your grow from the front door without one. I couldn't afford a filter when I started out, forced-air heat spread the smell all over the house, if the wrong person knocked on my door I'd have been fucked.

 

If you are legal you dont need filters, I dont have filters. Harvest is when the house reeks like crazy. Not the growing so much.
 
Consider hydro DWC its nothing more then rocks over a tub of water with an air pump making it bubble. Super simple and grows way faster.
 
Grow a 1/4 pound in less than 90 days. The starter kits are cheap and work great.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-SITE-HYDROPONIC-GROW-BOX-SYSTEM-KIT-5-GALLON-COMPLETE-W-NUTRIENTS-pH-TEST-/151394168967?pt=US_Hydroponics&hash=item233fcbb087

 

 
 hydro will give you 125% -150% , less work, less bugs, plants grow faster. Its even less cost.
 
I wish i started hydro a decade ago, I want to throw dirt clods at people who say its difficult.

 

When I'm indoors I just mix peat/perlite at 60/40 and throw in dolomite lime for pH. You can use whatever nutes you want with that mix. You'll use far less nutes with proper watering than a true hydro setup and if you figure a bale of peat is $12, a huge bag of perlite is $12-15, and a few pounds of lime is <$10 (all local, suburb USD prices) you can't get much cheaper in the long run. That small investment will net you enough supplies to grow in your small space for a very long time. Its a sterile soilless media so no bugs unless you bring them in. I've had great results using that setup. Get some pH drops at the very least.

If you go with a soil grow you get a good quality soil for $10-15 and a bag or 2 will fill up your space. But you are almost guaranteed gnats indoors with soil (more a nuisance than anything). Just water through veg and then nutes (veg & bloom nutes or an all purpose nute) in flower. You also get that soil buffer that gives you some wiggle room for mistakes. Get some pH drops just in case.

If you go hydro go with a DWC setup as its the most worry free. Your only concerns are maintaining your solution and making sure that air pump is pumping. With a hydro setup you really have to invest in quality testing equipment...or just keep reinvesting in cheap equipment.

For quality of the final product, my personal recommendation is true organics (feeding microbes, which in turn feed the ladies). But that's not always practical indoors and I only use it outdoors myself (which is most of my growing these days).

This is all simple beginner advice that you can obviously build upon as you gain experience/confidence.

 

I have two thc bombs under a 600w hortilux hps in 6.23 gallon pots and 1 clone in a 1 gallon pot . in my closet that's 4ftx2ftx8ft. And mine are loving it. I don't know much about mars lighting but 400w seems more like 2 plants would be better

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I use pro mix soil and perlite .. My tap water comes out at 7 and I use flora micro and flora bloom using the Lucas formula and My soil ph is about 6.7 and My run off is about 6.3. I agree a good soil mix is the best

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I've always wanted to try bubble buckets but don't really have the time to learn about them . in get great results using soil

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My only critique would be more perlite in that size container with just peat/perlite. Peat is notorious for two things: compaction and being difficult to saturate once dry. Combine those 2 problems and you're going to have a very hard time with watering. If you keep the medium moist then you can avoid those problems. But then you run the risk of suffocating your roots if you keep it too wet. Another option is to increase the amount of perlite or add another source of aeration. You really can't over do the perlite with liquid nutes. Yes you'll have more frequent waterings, but you also virtually eliminate the chances of over-watering.

Also, peat is pretty acidic. So take that into account.

EDIT: and don't forget ventilation AND air circulation. Didn't see those in your list.