my grow box

Discussion in 'Grow Room Design/Setup' started by pohsib, Aug 4, 2003.

  1. i have read this forum and feel like i have learned alot. i

    want to tell you about i box i am about to use. it is a plastic

    box that is 25.5x17.5x36.5 (WxLxH). i got a really great

    deal on some fluorescent lights. i am going to use 24 inch

    fluorescents that are 20 watts each. i am going to hang 6

    lights on the back and 3 lights on each side. i have 12 of

    those lights. i have bought industrial strength velcro to hang

    the lights on the side. i can adjust it easy since it is velcro. i

    am going to mix cool with warm between the 12. i have

    looked at maybe using two compact fluorescent lights

    hanging from the top. i have a nice size fan that will

    hopefully get good ventilation (i hope). it is 85 cfm i

    believe. i put a hole in the top of the box for the fan. i cut a

    slightly bigger hole in the bottom for the "passive air

    intake". i have sprayed a couple coats of flat white and

    bought two more bottles of paint to put on also. i know there

    are a million different ways to grow...but with my living

    situation, this will be my best bet for the next year or two. i

    will try to post a few pics of it. i am really proud of it.



    pohsib
     
  2. hey man, welcome to the city:) i would like to see the pics of this. i've never heard of a rubbermaid that big:confused:
     
  3. yeah, i saw it in walmart and knew it was the one. only 30 bucks for the box. will post pics soon. i am looking at using two 42 watt compact bulbs (Cool for Veg and Warm for Bloom) and have 2800 lumens per bulb. do you fluoro growers think this will be good?

    pohsib
     
  4. you might want a few more lights than that;)
     
  5. I think he means hes using the CFL's along with the other lights as well, hopefully lol
    sounds cool man, post a pic,
    Good luck,
    CWL
     
  6. yeah, i have 12 - 20 watt fluorescents and i am going to use 2 compact fluorescents...close to 300 watts in fluorescent light...again, will try to get the pics asap...

    pohsib
     
  7. ok never mind. thats plenty
     
  8. Welcome to the city pohsib!

    To make more use of the floros lay the box on its side so the grow space is 25.5 hight x17.5 wide x36.5 long. It will increase your surface area from 3.1 to 4.4 square feet wich you need with floros because they dont penetrate much. SCROG the plants and they will fit perfectly in the box. Heres how to do the scrog meathod in case you arent familiar.

    http://www.overgrow.com/edge/showthread.php?threadid=16853

    Set the screen at about 9-10"

    Are you doing Hydro or soil? If your doing Hydro make a mini Bubbler setup using a small low 4-5" rubermaid box try to find one or three containers that fills the whole growspace. Have 3 plants in the box in a line so they each have 12.16" x 17.5" area to fill in the SCROG screen.

    If your using soil make a single soil box out of plywood and seal it up, this will allow the roots to grow outwards because of the vertical limit.

    I wouldnt bother with the CFs if your doing tube floros, they will take up more vertical space. Unless if you drill a hole it the top and put the ballast part outside the box but then it looks conspicious. Set up the tubes ofset to fill the ends. Can you get all 12 lights on the top? 24" bulbs that i have are about 1" wide so 12 should fit, unless if you have the fater one wich are aroudn 1.5" so you could only fit 11. The thiner ones penetrate more though because of the small tubes size and the light is more intense, like with compact floros. But for even growth the tubes are better then compact floros.

    You should yeild 2.8-3.5 oz soil and 3-4.5 oz dro depending on how you treat them. Do you have a cloning box or any plans for how you will be cloning?

    Good luck with your grow and have fun. Any questions feeel free to ask!
     
  9. My bad, i just realized its a rubermaid. Ive seen the one your talking about at where i keep my boat i almost creamed my pants when i saw how big it was! You will have to cut a door out on the bottom if its a soil grow to water and test the soils moisture. becasue you cant do that from the top even if you dont do SCROG.

    A bubler would be alot better because you can just have a siphon tube runing from the tank to test TDS and add ferts in, then siphon it back in with the new ferts. To maintain water level just have floats with a toping tank. I bet if you want you could just use the bucket as a resevoir and put threaded rods across the bucket to hold a piece of plywood for holding the netcups.

    Is this a stealth grow? The bubbler will be louder, another more quiet idea is an areoponics setup using 2 spin type humidifyers, with a stainless cage around the wheel to stop roots from jaming it up.
     
  10. i am using a soil mix of perlite, peat moss and top soil. this will be a first grow and i am really excited. i am starting a plant in about a month. i want to get a clone off of it and grow those two into flowering. what do you guys think so far?
     
  11. what i am considering doing after a grow or two with this box is this...

    put all cool fluorescent tubes on all twelve lamps.

    that would be 12 - 24 inch (20 watt) lights = 240 watts

    i am considering using this as a small veg box and buying a 400 watt hps for flowering. any thoughts or ideas on doing that?

    p.s.

    i have been wondering how lights being vertical on the sides would be different than it all coming from above.

    pohsib
     
  12. A 400w will fry the plants from the radient heat and the box temps will be enormous. All you need is a 150w hps from home depot. Your area is only a bit over 2 square feet and having 200 watts per foot2 is overkill the 75 wats per foot with the 150W is a much more optimal power range.

    The cool tube veg idea sounds good but put less lights in because you dont need that many watts for just veg 8 lights for 160 watts total should do fine. Have 2 warm bulbs in with the 6 cool to give the plants a better spectrum. Then when veg is over swich the lighting to the 150w.

    I would say build and grow in the rubermaid then after you have more experience go out and buy a beter light and build another box. For your first grow in this box dont grow just one plant, I would grow around 8-12 then put them into flower and transplant them once sexed if you have alot of females only have a total of 8 plants maximum.

    the side lighting isnt needed for veg its for flowering to increase lower budsited since florso dont penetrate the plant.
     
  13. yeah man, a 400w HPS in a rubbermaid would need some pretty damn good ventilation or it would be a puddle of plastic in 24hrs.:(
     
  14. sorry guys...didn't explain good enough. i am going to (after a few grows) use the box only for vegging and have a hps in a different closet. that way, i can have a plant vegging while i have one flowering. i am looking at some digital cameras...damn, i didn't know they were as expensive as they are. hope to put pics up soon so you guys can see the box...again, thanx for the advice...

    pohsib
     
  15. OK, nm then:) just dont use a big HPS in or next to anything plastic;)
     
  16. Only one plant under a 400w hps? I would say more like 4-8 depending on height if your only growing 1-2 plants then go with a 150w hps.
     
  17. it doesnt depend on plant count, but square footage. a 150w hPS is best for 4sq. feet max.
     
  18. My point it your not going to make a plant fill 3-4 square feet.
     
  19. hey guys.

    i am getting a fat check on 15 of september (remander of pell grant) and i am buying a digital camera. we are moving in our house in a month and i will begin growing then. will put pics up of box around that time. can't wait for you guys to see my box. again, thanx for all of the help.

    pohsib
     
  20. and i cant wait to see this giant rubbermaid:D
     

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