My first grows gonna be over soon and I want to start on my second one. My first was a soil grow with fluros and CFLs, this ones gonna be hydroponic with HIDs. I made a diagram detailing most things I want in the room. It's my closet which is about 6x8x3 (6 ft high, 8 ft wide, 3 ft deep). The fan, powerstrip, and table I have already. Everything else is going to be baught shortly after my first grow is done. I'm thinking about starting on the buckets and fan tomorrow to save time. This grows gotta be done with in about 5 months from today. That includes setup, germination, grow, harvest and curing of the girls. I want it to be perfect as this may be my last chance for several years. It's not my house so no holes and no nails ect. Other than that everythings candy. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Here's the link to the guy who gave me the bubblebucket design- http://forum.grasscity.com/general-...le-bucket-step-step.html?highlight=hydroponic I plan to modify the clear tube with a felt cover or something similar and velcro it to the bucket to help with that algae scare everyones getting.
Looks good. As long as the exhaust fan is smaller than the intake fan. Do you even plan on having an intake fan?
Just one thing to add. If your going Hydro, even soil I'd mount any electric strips or wires to the wall. This is incase there is a spill. You dont want water getting into the electrical outlets. Just a tip.
If growing 8 plants why use 2 250w's when u can just get a 400w unless you plan to go fullspectrum (1 MH, 1 HPS). I find it kinda pointless and expensive to buy two 250w systems when u can buy just one 400w for 20 bucks more than one 250w... Just my .02 cents...
I agree, and even beter get 2 400s for an extra $40. Bonus: use dual port air pumps, 2 stones per bucket. More air = more healthy roots = better fuller growth.
Wonderful tips so far guys! PlanA- Being that it's a closet grow, I was hoping that I could use just one fan. I figured that if I just had an exhaust fan then enough air would be pulled through the gaps in the door to make it not worth the trouble. I could do both or I could make the exaust an intake fan instead. What do you think? DirtyApe- I hadent thought of that before. The 8-outlet powerstrip that I'm using now is made to resist things like dust buildup (water I'm not sure). I'll see if I can get some mounting tape and put it on the wall. Thanks for the idea. jiggerman78- Yeah I'm not so good with lighting. I figured it would be best to break it up and distribute it evenly rather than to try and make a single light spread over less than 6 feet of vertical space. I say less than because the clothes hanging bar is at 6 feet but the light it's self takes up room too. Maybe a little LSTing will do the trick though. chimera- It's great to get your advice man, I've read alot of your posts and I value your information. The reason I was going to go two 250watt rather than something a little higher like you suggest is because I've never used or seen HID lights before so the little worries like heat and burning my plants get to me. If you think that I'll be able to use two 400watts without turning my closet into an oven then I'll definatly go for it, anything to max the yeild. The hydro store (AKA this one guys basement) sells Sun Agro bulbs and digital ballasts with prices that you can haggle over so it's pretty nice. I never got into it before because I wanted the experience of a grow before I spent that kind of money. I hope the combination of LST and my big fan will keep the plants safe. As for the pumps, I didnt even know they sold dual port airpumps. Would that be something I would need to purchase at a hydro store as well or can I just go to PetsMart or something and pick up a couple? I'll definatly use your advice with the two airstones per bucket. Thanks again, for all the help.
I think that it for the changes so far. Made the dual port airpump, 2 per bucket with split hoses. Put the power strip on the wall, is that high enough? Changed the lights, aaannnd I think thats it. Oh yeah I made the exaust fan an intake fan.
I'd also say to raise the ballast and the power strip up off from the ground.......just for safety sake
You mean incase of spills? hmmm, wonder if I can find a brick or something equally fireproof to set them on. Thanks
The reason 2 250's would be a better choice although not as good as 2 400's, is because the 1 400 wouldn't have enough of a footprint. I'd also go a min. of 2 400's. Although...that would be alot of heat for your space so keep that in mind.
Yeah the heat worries me like I said before. I'll go two 400's because you guys recommend it and try to keep the ventilation up as much as possible and keep the plants as far away as I can. So if heat was not an issue you would recommend two 400's minimal? What would be optimum for 8 plants then? I was under the impression that 400-600 watts of HID would be optimal for my growing area.
If you haven't bought the equipment already then i would go with air cooled reflectors for the lights and a high CFM inline fan (i have a 6" fantech and it works great for my 4'x8' room and 1000w hps). I would hook up the reflectors inline with the exhaust (maybe put a carbon filter at the end) and everything would stay pretty cool.
I love the idea, but doing something like that would require a hole of some sort to fit the exhaust tube for air cooled fans and that inline fan you were talking about. I cant use tubes any bigger than what I can fit underneath the door. Air cooled lighting requires ducting, spigots, fans and filters. Things like that I just cant install without altering the room in some way. I love the idea though, I'm gonna keep it with me untill I get the space for something like that.
Maybe I missed it...where is your exhaust fan flowing to? If you needed holes in and out of the space and can have the door removed...staple or tape up bl/wh poly film across the door opening and make a zipper door. Now you can make holes Rez temperature is a big deal. If you think you'll have even a remote chance of not being able to keep it right...consider an ebb/flow. Apparently they are much more tolerant of higher rez temps.
Good idea with the doorway, but again I cant be altering the room. Thanks for the tip on the rez temp, but I can always just put a cooler in the reservoir. Come to think of it now I might do that.a
I'm currently running a 400w in my 4x4x7 grow closet. Being as it was my first time before going into it i had no idea what i was doing. Let me tell you one thing first off not any exhaust fan works i tried using one for the bathroom...nope my room got hotter due to that 85+, now that exhaust fans going to a drying cab. But also when i got my new exhaust fan i simply connected it my batwing reflector and since than i've experienced no problems with heat and my res stays a constant 27-28 celsius. Also u said you cant make any holes, how do u expect to run exhaust. No holes= No ventilation. Oh and ebay is your friend i bought a 495 CFM dayton blower for 60 brand muthafucking new blower. One last thing if your gunna go with two HID's like i said earlier go for the fullspectrum, it should prove worth it in the end...
Thank you for the detailed post jiggerman78. Sounds like your using about the same amount of space I am. You only use one 400w? I wonder if that would be good for my new setup instead of two 400w's. Apparently I havent been taking ventilation and temp in mind as much as I should have been doing. I know two 400w would do better for the plants growth, but due to temp I think it might put me in a little over my head. Also, you asked how I plan on putting in an exhaust. I was thinking that I could rig a computer fan with a wide hose and run it underneath the door like in the diagram. Theirs an inch of room under the door. If you think I would need more for the lights then maybe I could just make something like the intake fan but 2 or even 4 and rig them to the sides of the lights. Maybe my eyes are bigger than my stomach though, what do you think?
Perhaps But give us a reason you can't replace the door with a plastic one. If you can't put any holes in the wall, ceiling or floor of the space...the doorway is your only option. If you think you must retain the original doorway for stealth reasons because someone is likely to enter the space right outside that doorway while you grow in it...it's wake up time Pal. How will you control heat in a 100% closed space? How will you control odor? It is possible...but needs more space and investment.
Your probable right, removing the door will need to be done. Ok ill do that then since I have no choice if I want to do it correctly. Stealth is only needed because of my girlfriend.
Sounds like its time to either have a heart to heart talk with her, dump her or keep her out of the adjoining room. By the way how you dealing with the smell? Cause its going t smell real sweet in there in about 3 months.