So this is my first grow, ever. I recently built a cab inside my closet to house a DWC bucket and all associated goodies. I'm gonna post pictures of my setup and welcome any questions about the hardware, because I have many questions regarding the other side of this venture. So Let's Get Started: I'm not sure how this is going to come out when it's finished, so I'll narrate the pictures as they are presented in this preview: This is the base of my cab, sealed against the wall. Aluminum tape covered Bubble Bucket: This is the whole space: Cab with door frame and roof installed, along with the screen and the one of the side CFL fixtures: Here are two pictures of the DIY carbon scrubber I made along with the 99CFM 120mm fan I have to run it: I used PVC to made an adjustable rail for each pair of CFLs on each side of the box: As you can see it's a pretty tight fit: This is the stuff I used to line the walls: Here is a pic of the light hanging with the screen, bucket, etc: Here is the carbon filter mount and eyebolts for the LED light: -note: I used cam-lock rope carabiners from NiteIze to hold the LED: Top view of the carbon filter exhaust: And here is the cab fully lit up!: I also have a mag-lock on the door to the closet that this is in. Whew, lots of pictures. So how did I do? I have a couple questions: I've been doing some testing to determine what kind of water that I have access to I am going to use. I am thinking about going with Nursery water. It is listed as RO water with minerals like Calcium and Magnesium added for "taste." Will using this over normal RO water or distilled water stop me from having to get Cal-Mag and add it? 2nd Question: I did some tests on the temperature of the cab with everything closed up and all the lights on, and determined that Max cab temp with CFLs on and everything is 88F. I know this is a little high, it roams around 75-80F without the CFLs running and just the LED on. My box is pretty much air and light proof using a generous amount of black caulk around every corner and edge. My question is will the higher temp be okay or should I switch the CFLs off? I'm washing hydroton and preparing to soak my rockwool in PH 5.5 nursery water tomorrow and germinate some "popcorn" bagseeds to get started. I welcome all questions/comments/criticisms. I am new to this but learn VERY quickly. Thanks guys! Edit: I forgot to add that the LED is a ebay MARSHYDRO 300, supposed to be around 175 true watts. and the CFLs are daylight balanced (5600K) (for veg, and 2700K for flower, right?) 4x 26watt
Love the mag, I'd considered the same thing with one of the liftmaster fingerprint ID keypads and the wife stared at me like im retarded lol. As far as the water goes, test it with ppm meter to determine how many ppm in the water total before nutes and know that it is all cal and mag. I would go find some filtered drinking water if its too high. You can always add more, but you cant remove something thats already in your water. 88f is too hot. How could it be 88 degrees... Im having trouble finding all the lost watts? Oh the kind panel duh. When you measured the temp, was your thermometer directly under your light? Or on top of it? If its that hot I would kill some cfl or vent more.
Thanks! I thought about going with the RFID route with the Maglock but I had a bunch of wireless relays I used instead. The Nursery water has a ppm of 020, and pH of 6.8. So I surmised that it probably doesn't have a ton of minerals in it, but it's low enough ppm for me to get an accurate reading when I mix my soup, so I think that's what I'm going to go with, as my next filtered option is random water by the gallon dispenser in front of a store by my house, and it's ppm is 008. As for the temp, the thermometer was sitting on top of the bucket with the LED and CFLs being about a foot above it. I'm thinking once I start running the A/C in my bedroom( where the closet is), it will cool down some, if not I will increase my ventilation system. I live in the South, so residual temperatures are always high, So I'm probably going to have to redesign the exhaust or add a powered intake to the two square cutouts in the base of the cab.
You may actually be ok as far as temp goes, shade the thermometer to get a good ambient temp reading. And yes, the nursery water will work just fine. Where abouts in the south? Im from oklahoma moved to denver about a year ago. I think we may be in the same line of work lol.
I'm currently a stay at home sex doll as my girlfriend says, lol. We actually just got back from Colorado for a cabin trip and I have family in Denver I think hah. Let's just say that the swamp is not far from me at home. To try and help the temp, I've added a 80mm fan to the intake, and am taking readings and adjustments while I'm waiting on the beans. I'll get some more pictures of the babies once I get everything nailed down and take some more temp readings in a couple hours, I'll see where it settles.
My Dad used to install security systems and access control for banks and corporations, and basically all the parts they didn't use they gave him, so I have loads of old school security system stuff!
Hey really cool man love the set up. I would drop that CFL, 88 is too hot. Max for veg is 85, and thats really pushing. But max for flower is 80 (this is with out Co2). Gotta get them temps down. You will cook them, and when blowing hot air over the leaves they will damage them and start to curl on you. If you want control over your water use pure RO, add your own cal/mag. You dont know how much they are adding, and I read a while ago plants have more cal/mag issues under LED. I use LED and RO water, I add my own 5ml a gallon. If you use tap, let it sit for 24 hours that will make it distilled. But if you do go with the RU with the cal/mag you should be ok, just remember to check plant with natural light. Do you have a fan in there? I think I see an exhaust. Also, try to put a fan near the top of your led unit, to push heat see if that maybe helps.
It should also be noted that led lights do not produce much/any UV radiation, which is a major portion of light that burns/heats plants because it isnt refleced away as much. Its also not used for photosynthesis. It is however believed that there is a relationship between UVB light and thc production during flower which may or may not act as a sort of sun screen for the plant. Although this hasn't yet been proven. Basically what I'm saying is that the standard math used for calculating internal plant temperature based on lux, lumens, or anything that isnt an actual measurement of photons within the par spectrum for a given area is based on HID lighting and should be recalculated to be more accurate for LEDs. I also am not that good with math, so I will allow someone else to take the reigns on all that number mumbo jumbo though... Sent from my SM-T210R using Grasscity Forum mobile app
Link me to that please. Less you mean IR, my research shows that uv is good for the ending of a flowering stage to switch the plant from making the bud to protecting its self from the uv. In return it produces more tricks to block the uv. I do think that is true. Much like you hurt the plant it goes into repair mode.Maths sends the plant into shield mode. It also seen that it reduces yield, but you get a more potent smoke. If you have something that disproves this I like to read it, as i do use uv to finish plants. Also to note you won't get uv from his air cooled less you remove the glass. But that's why I so like led with uv bulbs. Removing the glass does increase heat more.
What you said is totally accurate, but I cant find the post where I read this. Sent from my SM-T210R using Grasscity Forum mobile app
Uv is good for ending, but there is believed to be a fine line between "I feel the same" "I feel like captain america" and "Ow! My head on fire!" Sent from my SM-T210R using Grasscity Forum mobile app
Sorry for the late reply, I finally got it dialed on. The manufacturer claims that the IR spectrum is represented; also I modified my exhaust system/ added more fans and now my temp is at 77-82F and thats as good as can be expected where I live. I got beans in A-OK cubes in a dome under a small LED. As for nutrients, I'm using GH 3 part standard nutes, with "Nursery" water from wally world, but I will be adding Rhino Skin to the seedlings to help deal with the temps. For the fan question, I have replaced the 120mm fan in the LED fixture with a 99CFM model, and added another 120mm and a custom exhaust elbow to vent the air into the wall instead of inside the closet where the cab is. And two fans in the space pulling AC air from the room with the door open, because basically thats the only way to keep the temps acceptable. I will post pictures of the babies as soon as they poke up through the cubes. Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum mobile app
So here is a pic of the babies. They've been under CFLs in a separate box while they were coming up from seed. The second picture is the one I belive I'm putting in the big boy box tomorrow, as I think it has long enough roots. I will post pictures tomorrow after I get it put in the bucket. I was thinking I'm going to keep the others around maybe make a tiny DWC tupperware to keep them in, on the chance that the plant I choose turns out to be male. Ah, the adventure of bag-seed! Any thoughts or comments on my plans would be great. Kind of really nervous about murdering these plants, I'm extremely technical, never really tried growing things, but this seem way more like science. hah.
So here are a couple more pics today, got the chosen one moved into the main bucket, and started the air stones and dripper pump. It took more hydroton than I thought, so I ordered some more, and I will be using 1/4 strength nutes in the top off water so gradually build up to ful strength soup.
