Hey, im a new member but long time lurker I recently got a small settlement for a car accident I was in, and have about 700-800 extra to invest in a grow-op. I have about a 12x12 space to work in, its in an apartment so I need to worry somewhat about smell, ect. I really want to go with a DWC or ebb & flow hydro setup, they seem very straight forward and easy to build...I really just want ideas for overall best setup in my budget and suggestions for a good beginner strain with a fast and high yield, not as concerned with quality as I am with the final dry weight and crop times. Thanks so much for any ideas or suggestions! -Nick
In that much space I'd suggest an Ebb and Flow as the DWC tubs will wind up costing you more. They are way easy to manage and you can buy a complete kit ready to go for about $300. You're going to need a lot of lighting for that space though, at least four 600w lamps and maybe even more. In a 12x12 you could grow 100 plants in a sea of green, or you could grow 10 plants to extreme size. Kinda depends on your preferences. I suggest you watch Jorge Cervates Growing Marijuana video (torrent it) and watch him build a grow room from scratch. Oh, and for that sized space you're going to need more skrilla to fill it all up. Maybe you'd be better just putting a smaller tent in that large area to begin with and then working up from there as time passes and funds increase.
With that money you can get a nice little setup off of ebay. 400 Watt HPS MH Hydroponics Grow Light System 400w Kit - eBay (item 220507718066 end time Nov-15-09 13:56:50 PST) 3x2x5 Foot Hydroponics Grow Tent 3x2x5 ft Grow Cabinet - eBay (item 220507717876 end time Nov-15-09 13:56:20 PST) Then all you need is a few fans and some good soil and you're ready to go