Οκ guys, first of all i am going to tell you the equipment i have right now: Growtents 1)Secret Jardin dr-90(3x3x6) 2)Homebox XS(2x2x4) Lights 1)HPS 400w Sylvania GroLux(+cooltube) 2)CFL 250w PowerPlant 6700K(blue spectrum) Ventilation 1)2 RVK 125mm Inline fans 2)CAN Carbon Filter I am looking for some ways to maximize the efficiency of the equipment i have right now and i was thinking of some things to buy. I have about 700$ to spend over a period of 3 months for equipment. Currently i am using only the Secret Jardin for growing 4 babies(they are not doing very well, here is my journal if you want to check,http://forum.grasscity.com/indoor-grow-journals/973830-noob-grower-trying-do-better-second-time.html and i have both the HPS and the CFL in the tent. I definitely want to put another CFL250w of red spectrum in my tent to provide lighting from both sides of the tent and from above with the HPS. I also want to use the Homebox XS in about one month and 20 days(when the babies i am growing right now will be at around 1 month of flowering). I hope i will be growing the new babies(still looking for strains)in the Homebox while the older ones will be flowering in the Secret Jardin.I wish i could do some cloning(i would have two mothers in the Homebox and i would flower the clones in the bigger tent, but my inexperience as a grower and legal issues prevent me from doing it). I am planning on growing until the first half of July, so i still have about 5 1/2 months left. I hope to end my current grow at about 15-30 April(depends on whether i overcome the problems i am facing right now quickly). On the first days of March i am thinking of putting the new strains(those i haven' bought yet) in the Homebox. I will try to end my second grow at about 15 July. Ideally,from the time i put my new batch of strains for flowering in 15-30 April, i believe i could start a parallel smaller grow in the Homebox XS(autoflowering strains maybe, to be able to finish with this grow too at July?). So ideally i will have 3 harvests until mid-July: 1st harvest at April 2nd and 3rd harvest at July I am still missing some things and this is what i intend to buy: Lights CFL 250w 2700K(~70$)(i intend to use this in the bigger tent) 250w MH/HPS kit(~160$)(i intend to use this in the Homebox XS) Cooltube for the MH/HPS(~50$)(for use with Homebox XS) Ventilation 1 125mm RVK inline Fan(~100$)(for use with the Homebox XS) 1 Carbon filter(~70$)(for use with the Homebox XS) Misc TDS meter(~50$)(i am a soil grower, but i think it will provide me with much better accuracy regarding the stuff i put in my soil) Seeds(~100$) (absolutely nescessary) 2 timers for the lights(~50$) Soil, hangers and other stuff(~60) All in all, i hope i will have grown successfully 10 plants by the time mid-July comes(4 growing now and 6 more in the following months). So, how do you find my plan? You could tell that the way i put it is very ambitious or i could make it? I would really like to know any suggestions you have to provide me with on better ways to spend this 700$(it pisses me off that everything here is so expensive concerning growing stuff, and i will have to be really tight over these months financially).I am planning on spending from ~70$-120$ every week to buy all the nescessary equipment on time. I am gonna start tommorow with buying the TDS meter and a timer. I have made a plan with what i am planning on buying every week but i have already written so much and i am sure many of you will be bored to read the whole text regarding my plans. Happy growing to all of you,i appreciate all the answers(and i will +rep for sure)!!
I wouldn't waste your money on a CFL. If you're going to spend that kind of cash, you can find a good 150 Metal halide to take care of vegging. They work more efficiently. I don't find myself using TDS very much, but I use PH all of the time. Following nutrient dosages works pretty well, then change it if there are problems.
Hey, thanks a lot for the input dude!A 150w MH would do for 4 plants in veg in the Homebox? I wanted to use a 250w MH for the smaller tent.I want to use the CFL for side lighting in my bigger tent, i can't think of another way to be more efficient. I also thought about upgrading my 400w HPS to 600w HPS but then i would have to buy another cooltube, another RVK fan and so on. I am really puzzled on how to spend the money
Another thing that crossed my mind now would be to buy a second HPS 400w for the bigger tent with a cooltube and not use the cfl as side lighting. I could use the CFL i currently have solely in the homebox for veg and later buy a red CFL if i want small scale parallel grow in the smaller tent.At a case like that, where i would have to cool 2 400w HPS does anyone know what fan i should buy?