I'm considering whether it's worth the money to invest in a (Fuzzy Logic) Co2 Controller/Regulator/Tank setup for my indoor grow. I just want to know from someone more experienced if they think it's worth the initial costs of about $500 to get this system going. To me it seems like lot upfront, thats why I want to know if it makes a substantial difference vs. regular growing. Does the Co2 increase potency, yield or both? And should it be used through the vegitative stage or just during flowering? As far as tank sizes go, the room is going to be roughly 8x8 and will have around 25 plants. Under ideal conditions of 1500 PPM, about how long would a 20lb Co2 tank last? Because I definitely don't want to be in and out of the welder's supply store every week! I'd appreciate any good advice! Thanks Guys-
Yea well the Co2 Controller I want to buy has a digital PPM display and basically you just set the desired level and it "senses" when to make adjustments. So as long as I keep it below 1500 everything should be fine right?
I think co2 is a wasted effort. 1 cause your grow isn't air tight, so it will just leak out. Either by your vents, cracks, or door jam. 2 you could just buy a cheap refillible paintball gun co2 cannister one were you can slowly release it on the plants. I use one like those with a release valve. 3 it cost too much. The refillibles are a must vs high cost of that system. 4 stealth is another reason to go refillibles. To refill that system would involve you to call for a pick up or take it somewere, plus a much higher cost. The refillibles are cheap to refill and it makes it look like u play paintball not grow pot. Also refillibles have many sizes to choose from. But in the end the choice is yours to make.
Not sure what the guy above me is talking about. I pay $13.00 (it was $12.00) to fill my 20 pound tanks at a welding supply store. Paintball stuff is not big enough and cost 10X more then welding or homebrew supply. I was asked what I use it for, I told them it was for SCUBA diving . I did tell them (after they stopped laughing) that it's a propellant for a field marking cart (chalking football fields). A million other uses like making your own beer or filling paintball tanks. Smaller then 20 pound tanks will just be a waste of time. I need between one and three tanks to complete a grow. Three tanks in the summer, due to room venting. You need to cool your lamp with an outside source source of air, or you will just suck out all your CO2. A cool-tube piped to the outside works well. You can also run a sealed room with AC, but it will cost a bit more to run. I have found no "ghetto" way to control CO2. You have to buy the real deal or stick with what mother nature gives you. Cracking a tank and letting it bleed is foolish. I have gone through two controllers. Don't buy the Control Wizard. It will only last a few years before falling apart. This is the one I am using now: CHHC-1 with remote sensor. I mounted the main unit in the attic and ran the remote into the grow. This unit will control humidity with your main fan as well as temp and CO2. It cycles your fan if your humidity goes above your set point. You can plug it into your PC and get all scientific and shit. My old CO2 system is worn out. It was a Control Wizard. The unit is falling apart from light exposer. Now I can dump my Thermostat as well (will hold on to it). Best deal on this system is at hydroponics.net Best of luck, R.
Yea thanks for the solid advice man, I defintely agree with you that paintball Co2 cartridges are about fucking retarted to use for a professional operation. I don't even have a clue how someone who uses them would properly regulate Co2 levels as it would be like taking a complete stab in the dark. Not to mention wouldn't you just let all of the Co2 back out when you opened the door to leave?!! I'd rather throw money in a urinal and pee on it, hahah. To me it seems a lot easier to dress up real dirty and goto the Welders supply store and tell them u have some shit to weld.... I've read that in a Co2 rich environment, the maximum allowable temerature rises from 75F - 95F degrees, so under these conditions would one still need a cooling unit? If so, I planned on building a A/C window unit into the wall and just running it through this controller: http://www.thegrowlight.com/c.a.p.-ppm-2a-co2-controller-with-fuzzy-logic-ppm-sensor.html I guess I'm still not sure whether it's worth all of the trouble or if you get comparable results from our regular atmosphere. Basically if Co2 turns 1 lb plants into 2 or 3 lb monster plants then i'm all for it. However if all it does is speed up the harvest time a week or 2, and without significantly increasing the yield it seems like a lot of money/trouble/risk.... Basically my question still remains: Will I see a significant return on my plants by keeping Co2 levels above 1000 PPM?
CO2 enriched environment will allow you to grow weed in spite of high temps. But high temps are not helpful in an enriched environment. Keep your grow in the 70's if at all possible. AC in a sealed room is the way to go (if you can do it). I cut my veg time from 30 days to 10 days. My yeild increase is significant, but I can't give you numbers (I have no scale). Best of luck, R.
I am only growing up to 2 plants. would any extra co2 be good co2? I have made a way of releasing about 4 - 6L a day of co2 from baking soda. I called it my Hindenburg Experiment for the similar way of regulating gas distribution with water. I don't know what ppm it relates to, but the grow chamber is only 8c/ft. The basic design and experiment is at the end and beginning of pg. 1 - 2 respectively.
Rumpleforeskin is 100% correct. Co2 is the single most important factor to growing big healthy plants that we have control over. If you have a very hot grow-op, using Co2 will allow you to still grow healthy plants. I have been using Co2 for around 5 yrs. now, & I can say that my veg & flowering time has been cut down, my plants are stronger & healthier, with more vigor, & my overall yield has increased 35%. The entire Co2 set-up may be pricey to begin with, but it pays for itself the very first harvest. I only pay $19.00 to have my 25 lb. tank filled. Don't even consider the paintball tanks.....it isn't even feasible.
My 2 cents on CO2: CO2 will increase yield no matter what. The question you need to ask yourself though, is my setup in need of more CO2? In my opinion CO2 is only needed in massive commercial grow operations where there are 200 plants in a small room. In small areas saturated with plants, CO2 is needed or the plants will not thrive and end up in wasted efforts. Now if you are working on a small grow for personal use; there is enough CO2 in the natural air to supply a few plants with just an open window nearby and an oscilating fan. You were asking when do the plants use CO2... only when the lights are on do they need it. So pumping CO2 in your grow room when the lights are off is a waste of CO2/$$. Oh and Rumple is right about high temps and CO2... you can grow bud monsters with high temps and CO2, but they will still be stringy and fluffy from the stretching. I also forgot to mention one thing... it never hurts to talk to your plants when they are dancing under the light; don't forget that you exhale CO2 and the plant exhales oxygen... you can be good to eachother...lol
CO2 is awesome, but you've got to put it to use. Just choking your plants with extra CO2 isn't gonna do squat if you've got them sitting under a couple CFLs or something. Plants use CO2 and light to create sugars (photosynthesis), so you've got to be cranking some serious (HID) light to really make use of the extra CO2. And don't forget, if you're going this route you're effectively multiplying the plant's metabolism, so you're going to have to feed more too. Like everything else, it's a matter of doing it right. You do it right you see results. Do it half-assed... probably won't notice any difference.