Check out my setup Any tips? [pics]

Discussion in 'First Time Marijuana Growers' started by FirstEverGrow, Feb 25, 2015.

  1. #1 FirstEverGrow, Feb 25, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 25, 2015
    So I set up my closet for my first grow today  :yay: !  All of these CFLs are 40w (150w eq) and I have 3 more to add somewhere.  There is no soil in the 2.5 gallon pots yet but I'm going to be using a CoCo/Perlite mix.  The little fan in the corner isn't all that powerful (i'm not sure what the RPM is) but I have a much bigger fan that I included in the pictures below.  Should I swap out the little fan for the big one (I can fit in flush against the wall behind the pots)?  I plan on adding home-made reflectors to the exposed bulbs, is this worth it?  I also have a temp/humidity monitor that isn't pictured!  Everything here is connected to a heavy-duty timer and since im growing North Lights Autos, I'm going to be using an 18/6 schedule throughout the whole grow, is this a good idea? What do you guys think of my setup?  How can i improve it?  All tips welcome!  :gc_rocks:
     
    NOTE: Should I run this setup w/ the closet doors open or closed?  It's important to note that I can drastically decrease the temperature  in the room by opening the window if need be (it's about 15 degrees F out here haha).

     

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  2. 18/6 or 20/4... most autos I have ran are recommended by the breeders to go on 20/4 but I have seen some breeders recommend 18/6 too. Not a bad little set up for starting a closet grow. That closet looks like it would be perfect for a 4 lamp 4' T5HO fixture if you ever want to upgrade lighting.
     
    I would recommend some sort of hood for your lights to direct the light downwards
    I would also recommend putting something reflective up on the inside of the door panels to deirect more light onto the plants instead of letting it leak out the cracks.
     
    No need to worry about completely lightproofing since you are doing autos but a lot of light is being lost there that could be directed at the plants. Good luck!!
     
  3. #3 FirstEverGrow, Feb 25, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 25, 2015
    Thanks for the tips man! I totally forgot, I have 12 mylar blankets that I'm going to be cutting up and pasting along the walls and door.  Do you think I should also line the floor of the closet?  Also I just searched on Amazon and found a nice 4 lamp T5 fixture and 4  54W bulbs for total around $130.  Do you think this would greatly increase yield?  Also what do you think of the little fan, is it nice enough?
     
    EDIT;
    Links to the lights: 
    Fixture: http://www.amazon.com/4-lamp-Fluorescent-Lighting-Fixture-120-277V/dp/B00GWAJGW0
    Bulbs: http://www.amazon.com/F54T5-865-54-Watt-Daylight-Bulbs/dp/B005OLL5IG/ref=pd_sim_hi_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1GTT65RS5C08EQMV1B4F
     
  4. my opinion is if your going to spend a hundred dollars or more on lights go with an led I got a 300watt on aliexpress.com.... Its a mars hydro I did the same thing as u even got CFLs and t5s like 7 t5 bulbs then realized a fixture is a hundred dollars too and you get a full spectrum of light with the LEDs too but I'm also new and that's just my opinion I also have 2 northern lights autos that just started flowering u can check out my grow journal if u want to it might help its called my first grow journal... Not sure how you find it though Lol good luck!!
     
  5. #5 jonny.blaze/420, Feb 25, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 25, 2015
    If you do a little more searching you can find a little cheaper price on one with bulbs included but that is the right idea. Those lights are a huge upgrade over a regular CFL. You can grow some really nice plants in that closet with a light like that for damn sure. I would line the floor with some plastic like you put down when you paint but dont worry about reflective stuff down there. TBH as white as it is in there you probably don't need to hang mylar on the inside walls either just on those door panels.
     
    The lights you have now would get you through the vegetative stage but if you want any kind of yield on your flowers you will want that T5HO
     
    The LED isn't a bad idea either but you would need about $300 to adequately light that space using 2 Mars II 400W lights. I have a Reflector II from them in my flower tent and it is great but not quite big enough for a 2x4 space.
     
  6. Oh n I used the mylar blankets as well...they work great for walls but the floor was a pain in the ass cause it got all ripped up from walking on it n didn't stay taped down
     
  7. My recommendation is if you can afford $200 get yourself 1 600w hps bulb and see at least 5x the yields if not wayyyyy more than messing around with cfl's, those will work great for babies or lighting on lower branches otherwise your going to put all this time and effort into a tiny yield with disappointing results. Just trying to give a helpful tip.
     
  8. I've even this suggested but idk how to vent a light like that inside my closet. Won't it get really hot?


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  9. How's your living situation are you in your own home a apartment/condo, are you on the main floor or top floor,
    couple variables are at hand here. Tell me your situation and floor plan and see if we can come up with a good venting idea


    G
     
  10. So here's the deal. I live on the second floor of a three story condo. I have people directly above and beside me. I live by myself but my mother comes randomly (almost always during the summer/winter months for vacation). I've timed this grow so it should be over by mid May (when school lets out and she's most likely to come by). Cutting holes in walls/ceilings is out of the question as is exposed ventilation material. I can't have long exposed vents because my father comes by every several weeks to check on me (he barely comes in my room). Any tips? Btw smell shouldn't be too much of a problem because this grow is deep within my house and I'll be usin ONA gels, is this good enough to contain smell to the closet?


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  11. Ok well if you stick with cfl's like I said before yield will be lower but so will your smell, not as much bud not as much stink and that also depends on the strain I had a tiny plant smell 3x stronger than a huge plant I had. Personally if I don't run my filter my whole house wreaks like good herb 2200 sqft house and my plants are upstairs in a room in the walk in closet. So I see a couple options you can stick with what you have and hope air freshers do the trick but be sure to put foil or Mylar or panda film,
    Something on the inside of that closet to block light in and out and work on perfecting your grow being your a new comer, or invest more money things needed would be 600w hps light, grow tent and at least a 6" inline fan with carbon filter. You could set that tent up in your room have filter hanging inside the tent with fan sucking the stink out and giving you fresh smelling air. I know it's hard to fork over cash up front to start up but all that can be made back plus profit with 1 grow.


    G
     
  12. #12 FirstEverGrow, Feb 25, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 25, 2015
    Thanks for a these tips bro! Do you think I can pull 1oz/plant with this setup? If not do you think I can do that if I focus all this light on just two plants?

    And in going to be using Mylar to line the walls and the doors to maximize light intensity.
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  13. What strains are you planning on growing


    G
     
  14. Growing some Northern Lights Autos from Nirvana seedbank. I'm just waiting for them in the mail to get started.


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  15. I was just doing research and looking through other people's threads see some people who were getting between 2-2 1/2 oz's but were using 1-150 cfl bulb and one plant another guy with your similar setup said he got 36 grams total from 3 plants. Another thought for you too is if you had a few extra $ you could invest in a led as where it won't put off as much heat as a hps then use your cfl's for additional lighting. If you had some carpentry skills you could get
    Another replacement closet door just one, cut two vents in it one at the top and one at the bottom buy some wall registers like for your house heat or cold air return the ones you can open and close and mount those on the outside of the door where you cut your holes. There you have a fresh air intake and a exhaust.


    G
     
  16. Looks good. Yes, you should make the reflectors for the cfl's, definitely worth it. All you need it a couple tall beer cans and some zip ties. Once the plants get bigger, you will probably want 4 of those bulbs for each plant. (Maybe consider buying the lower spectrum bulbs so you can also use them in flower; a mixture of spectrum is good for both veg and flower, ideally using a higher ratio of high spectrum during veg and vice versa for flower).
     
    Your clip on fan might be a bit weak for your needs, but I'm thinking that box fan might be too much. Try it and see how it does.
     
  17. #17 FirstEverGrow, Feb 25, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 25, 2015
    I'd love to try something like that but it's raise questions with my dads bi weekly checkups haha. Do you think leaving a window slightly ajar and a crack in the closet door will make for good ventilation? I'd die if I got 36g from three plants lmao. I just put an order in for two 105w (true) cfls. They cost $24 for the pair on Amazon!


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  18. Yea I've got a decent mix (3 6500k and a total of 6 2700k). I just ordered two 105 true watt 6500k but they had shitty reviews so I doubt they'll last long.


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  19. #19 killset, Feb 26, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 26, 2015
    If you got people coming over and you don't want them smelling it, you might want to get yourself an inline fan, speed controller and carbon filter. Plus it will help with fresh air and getting rid of stale hot air
     
  20. Any tips as to how I can get one of those going with this setup?  I have no idea how to set it up or what to connect it to =/
     

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