Hey guys, I am new here and also new to all of this. But, due to certain people not doing what they used to do anymore, I am forced to try to make my own somehow. I have been reading the forum pretty much all day and have learned quite a bit. I am going to try to make a build that I will be able to use in an apartment that has to be inconspicuous as well as odor free. here is what I have come with so far. here is the design that I'm thinking of going with Its a 2'h x 1'w x 1'w box that I will make very air tight by putting silicone all the seams and corners. For air flow in and out of the box, I will have 3-4 120mm computer case fans, 2 blowing air in, and 1 or 2 blowing air out through a carbon filter, which will hopefully mask any odors. Will this be enough air movement? will this type of DIY carbon air filter work (YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. I realize that this is a very small space to grow in, but I read this thread (http://forum.grasscity.com/absolute-beginners/122936-how-lst-low-stress-training.html) on LST, and it looks like its possible to grow the plant in a relatively small space. will this be possible in the dimensions I have provided? For lighting I have a 150 watt metal halide pendant that I just upgraded from my fish tank (here is a link:Coralife AquaLight Pro Metal Halide HQI Clamp-On Pendant - 1 x 150W). I found an MH lighting chart and as long as it is under hung 10-11 inches from the plant, the chart says it would be fine. However, I have a 14k temp bulb in there which is great for growing coral, but im pretty sure that wont work for this application. What bulb should i look for to replace the one thats currently in there? a link to a specific bulb would be awesome. Also, I have read the beginner start up threads and they all say that most people use the MH for the vegitation period, but then move to HPS lighting when its time for the flowers. Unfortunately, money is a factor and i dont think that I'll be able to buy a whole HPS setup. Will the MH be enough for the whole grow out of the plant? Should I maybe buy a second, lower color temp, bulb for the flowering period? or should I just scrap the MH and try to do it all with CFL? this is the first set of many more questions. Thank you for your help.
My suggestions would be to scrap the MH bulb and put the money towards CFL bulbs and to use just one intake fan. Your carbon filter idea I think will be okay, but it's nearly as big as your growing area, and if you're going for stealth I assure you that a box humming with fans and with a big carbon filter hanging from it will not be as stealth as you want. If you could find a way to increase the size of the box and get the filter inside, with the fan sucking air rather than blowing it, that might work better. But, all in all, you can follow your plans with some mixed success. Education and experience is important and just think of this as more of an experiment and hobby rather than your means to the ends. Once you get a few grows under your belt and you understand how the plants really grow you'll get the bug and find yourself with a respectable setup.
Thank you very much for your reply. stealth is not a major issue. At 1'L x 1'w x 2' tall, this box will be very small and manageable. Im sure i would be able to incorporate the carbon filter into the inside, but the main reason of the box is to remove odor. I want to to be completely air tight with only 1 fan blowing in and one blowing out through the carbon filter, which should also help with temperature regulation. As far as lights, the metal halide is considerably better with lumen output and from what i have read that directly correlates to bud size and quality. In order to get the same light output of the metal halide, I would need something like 8 CFL bulbs. I will have to do more research and see if there is anyone running strictly metal halide only and see what results they are having. Another downside of the metal halide is heat, and im not 100% sure that the fan will be able to displace all of it. Any other comments or advice would be awesome
I assure you, I have a firm grasp on how lighting works, you've gotten some mixed information. If you were going for pure lumens then you want HPS and not MH. Most growers choose HPS for their entire grow rather than MH. MH has only slightly more lumens per watt than CFL, but lumens are not the only factor, wavelength is also important and MH bulbs miss out on a big part of the spectrum that plants use. Also, you need to look up the inverse square law and how it applies to lighting. I can think of a lot of reasons to choose CFLs. Spectrum and proximity to the plant canopy are the main reasons though. The MH bulb will need at least 6" of space from the top of the canopy to prevent burning, which reduces the size your plant could get to inside your box by about 33%. I just don't get the mentality right now. It's like you want this tiny little box to grow a tiny little plant and yet you want big fatty nugs from a nice high powered light. If you're going to do such a small grow then IMO you should get CFL. If you could manage a larger grow, in a closet or something, then I would suggest getting an HID bulb. One plant probably doesn't need its own carbon scrubber. You'd be alright with an Ona gel or timed sprayer.