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Opinions/advice needed!! 1st grow

Discussion in 'Micro Grows' started by FrostytheNugGrl, May 13, 2011.

  1. I'm just about ready to start my 1st grow yay! :hello:

    Orginally, i was planing to make a DIY grow box but that isn't feasible for me right now...going with this:

    BIG BOY GROW BOX 3 FOOTER DELUXE - Detailed item view - Grow Box, Automatic Grow Boxes, Lowryder Grow Box


    I want to maximize the space so I'm gonna do a scrog. How many full sized plants can I have without over crowding? The description says it holds nine in the hydro system, but I'm going to do a soil grow...

    Also, can anyone recommend some easy to grow, yet potent strains? From my studies on GC, I know my first grow should probably be bag seed but growing low quality swag would be a waste.

    Thanks!!
     
  2. #2 Hank Alvarez, May 13, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: May 13, 2011
    FrostytheNugGrl: Thank you. I was looking for, and seriously considering, a grow tent to house my three Aerogardens and get my better half off my back about the smell and light interference related to growing inside. Most of the tents are really too big but something like this may well fit better into the space I have. I'd never seen these before and now I'm thinking this might be the answer. Do me a favor and keep me posted on: how soon you get it, what condition it arrived in, how quiet it is when it's operating, how light tight it is and how well they contain and filter the stink . If it works out, my local hydro store will probably be very disappointed but you may have just given me a better solution to my problem. Thanks again, Hank
     
  3. Hi Hank

    I'll def keep you posted...plan on ordering this in the next month or so.
     
  4. It's not the swag thats shitty. It's the method it was grown in, it's the conditions it's was packed, transported and lack of love and care that didn't go into it.

    I guarantee you, grow a seed from the shittiest weed you ever had, treat that seed right and a potent beast will come from it. Ofcourse all strains have a ceiling of potential but people who row/grown bagseed in a controlled setup always are surprised by how well it works.
     
  5. Maybe I missed something, but I don't see the depth. 3 feet tall & 2 feet wide. It appears to be about half as deep as it is wide so maybe we could guess 1 foot deep. If you do a scrog, one plant would be best, but if not you could probably squeeze 2 plants in there if you flower them early. My box is 14 x 15 inches and I grow one plant at a time, and the leaves always press up against the walls. (even though I usually prune it down to 6 colas .)

    In this box, the lights are fixed on top, so you'll have to start the plant(s) high up and lower them as they grow. That would be tricky with a scrog, but do-able if you attach the screen to the pot. I'd be most concerned about the heat. The fan in there doesn't look too powerful. Is there another fan and intake at light level? What ambient temperature do they recommend to keep the plants at at 75 - 80F? It seems like a lot of money for not a lot of information. Have you looked into small grow tents? For the same money you could probably rig up a system with a 150W HPS and some decent fans to cool it, and a carbon filter.

    One thing that bugs me is that they give you a 9 pot system, and I really don't think you could fit 9 plants in there even in a sog set-up, flowering from seed. So it's misleading.
     
  6. #6 Hank Alvarez, May 24, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: May 24, 2011
    FrostytheNuGirl: After further research I'm afraid I have to agree with Vashigopal. I saw what you get for the $500 to $900 in the grow boxes that are on the market about 3' tall and 18" deep by 3' wide. I started looking around and you can put together the same thing, or better, in a much bigger box or a tent for about the same price or even less.

    I've boiled it down to either: a 4' X 4' tent or a steel cabinet 4' wide, 2' deep and 6' tall. The cabinet is $246 from Sam'sClub.com. The only hitch is they say they have it online but when you go to order it they don't. So what's new? The clowns that work there couldn't find their ass with both hands. Now I'm stuck waiting for them to get their feces together. Their cabinet is actually my first choice as far as something that should last a long time. They're supposed to get back to me in the next two days.

    Actually the tent would give me twice the growing room but I'm afraid of the damned zipper. By the time I'm done either or will cost me about the same.

    There's a third option that I haven't ruled out yet: it's a 24" deep by 3' wide by 6' tall 'plastic' cabinet from Globalindustrial.com. It's made out of double wall, recycled plastic which will be easier to modify than heavy gauge steel cabinet, but going from 4' wide to 3' wide is a hell of a drop in available growing space. You may well get your first crop in before I have my new facility up and running but I'd appreciate all of your opinions on this venture. Hank
     
  7. #7 FrostytheNugGrl, May 26, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: May 26, 2011
    Thanks all..I def appreciate the input. The main reason I was looking to get a pre made system is for stealth purposes...I have a roommate and I live in an apartment. I thought it's be best to get something thats inconspicuous...made to look like an end table or mini fridge.

    I don't wanna waste my money on something thats poorly built, tho.

    Lets say I do go with a homemade tent set up...my problem then would be the ducting...I have nowhere to vent the hot air coming from the tent. Again, stealth is my friend here so it has to stay in my closet....


    Edit: ok so, I went to the website of a hydro store local to me and found this HTG Supply - HTG 400w Grow Tent Kit thoughts?
     
  8. FrostytheNuGrl: I see we share a lot of the same concerns. I too want to grow stealthy because of security reasons and to keep my better half happy. I love my Aeorgardens and one possibly two would fit in the bare grow boxes I've seen. But for about the same amount of money I think you can have a larger cabinet with a lot more options to choose from.

    My real concerns are stink and light leakage as a disturbance to sleep. Mine will be sitting about fifteen feet from our bed in a little alcove. Here's what I'm doing. Please tell me what you think.

    I purchased a heavy duty steel cabinet from Sam's Club for $268.48, (including tax). It's 6' 6" tall by 4' wide by 2' deep. That's 52 cubic feet of grow space. There's one that's cheaper that's only about $188 but it's only #' wide and 18" deep so I opted for the bigger one. Both lock.

    A four inch hole saw to vent it with from The Home Depot will cost me $20. An inline fan should cost between $25 and $45, depending on which one I decide to buy. The jury is still out on the carbon filter but I'm assuming that I may have to cough up as much as another $150. The stink is a big issue with my honey.

    I considered a tent and a 4' by 4' would have given me twice the grow space but I'm old and clumsy and I'm afraid of the zipper. Any guy that ever got it caught in a zipper will understand.

    If you grow with T-5 florescent fixtures most of the heat problem is moot. You might want a little fan to exchange the air every five minutes or so but that's not a major item. You would need an activated carbon filter on the exhaust or it's like frying bacon in the morning; everyone knows what you're doing.

    As much as I love my Aerogardens you may well hear of me going to something else if this works out because in my state I can legally have 12 juvenile or 6 flowering plants. It takes all three Aerogardens working full time to do that now. I'm figuring on a budget of $500 to get this project rolling with my Aerogardens inside. If I decide to go with another system, (and I've been researching them), I'll have something to say when my wife asks, "Honey what do you want for father's Day?"

    I'd say if you're not in a big hurry I should have mine up and running by next week and hopefully I might have some intel for you. God know our friends here have given me a lot of great information in the past so I owe you guys. Please let me know what you think. Hank
     
  9. HTG is very popular amongst growers here. Very reliable company. If you are lucky enough to be nearby, why not go there and check it out? I would make some upgrades to that kit. First, I would get a hood that can be air-cooled. Next, you'll need a carbon filter, and a better fan for it than the duct fan that comes in the kit. If you air cool your light you can use the duct fan on the light and a stronger fan for the filter. But those fans can be noisy so check it out at the store. If you can keep your closet door ajar I think you can vent into the closet. But that's another question for them. Be sure you can fit this in your closet. You may want to start out with a smaller tent. Everything in the kit can be bought separately from them -- not sure if the kit is a discount or not. Another thing you might want to consider is a digital ballast if you're going with 400W. They are more efficient and emit a lot less heat.

    But this is a much better deal (like 100x better) than the metal CFL cabinet. That thing is a rip off. This tent is the real deal, capable of growing a good crop, though you will need a few extras (especially the filter if you need stealth.)
     
  10. Vashigopal: different strokes for different folks friend. That's why we aren't all driving Volvos. Some of us have different tastes. But you gave her some good points. For what you get for your money in those little cabinets I think they're over priced. HSA
     
  11. Hey I'm not sure what your trying to do with you meds or what ypur trying to get put of your girls but I have a small cabinet 3x3x1.5 I use cfl's for light so heat and $ on the bill isn't a issue, it costmeno more than 100$ to build a fully running box with clones and all. I'd be stoked if you wanna check out my thread my links in my signature for me half the battle is getting m box just the way I like it I just built it about a month ago but I'm still making lil changes here and there....I havea blue dream about 2 weeks from chop chop I'll prob only get about a quad but it was a lil bonzi type thing and the first plant of the box there's a space queen in there I expect at least an oz off of,, Well good luck I'm sure you'll find something suited to your needs!!
     
  12. Himpanzee: three by three is about what I've been working with, but out in the open. I'm back to square one this afternoon. Sam's Club delivered half of my big cabinet and the clown at customer service, what a joke, admitted they've had three or four other problems with that vendor today with the same issue. She said they probably wouldn't be able to do anything for me until next Wednesday. So I'm either back to their smaller, made in China, cabinet or a tent. A three by four tent would fit perfectly in the space I have but I haven't found a source that makes them in that size. I think a cabinet would be much more secure. But tomorrow is another day. Thanks, Hank
     
  13. Hank, Did I offend you? I certainly didn't mean to. Your set-up sounds great. The metal cabinet that the OP linked to didn't even give the number of watts of CFLs that it comes with! I'm not dissing metal cabinets in general. I'd definitely consider one if I weren't lame at cutting metal (afraid of it!) About the tent, I was just giving my 2cents on the one OP linked to.
     
  14. #14 Hank Alvarez, May 28, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: May 28, 2011
    Vashigopal: Relax, no offense taken. I should probably apologize to you because I've had a couple of really crappy days. I've researched this cabinet for my next grow project for a couple of months now. I ordered Sam's Club.com's 2'D x 4'w x 6'6"h heavy duty steel storage cabinet because I wanted to get on to my next grow. But Sam's Club.com really hung me out to dry.

    They said they'd deliver it on Thursday or Friday and it arrived Thursday afternoon. So far so good. I had a friend all set up to help me assemble what I knew was going to be a major project when you're 69 years old and you're all gimped up. Guess what the assholes at Sam's Club.com delivered? Half a cabinet! Three walls, two doors, (complete with dents), but no top, no bottom, no assembly instructions, no hardware and no locking mechanism. It was made in the USA alright for $60 more and it's no better than the Chinese one I already have in the garage. The new one I ordered would be 6" deeper.

    When I called customer service, (what a joke those people are), all I got from the bimbo was, "Sorry about that." She explained that because it came from one of their outside vendors they couldn't do anything about it until probably next Wednesday! By now I'd have the damned thing up, modified, (as the metal work is no problem for me), and running with my next grow. And the sugar bowl is getting low so the clock is ticking. As a result, for the last two days everything has looked to me like a turd. My attitude really turned to shit. I'm sorry if it showed.

    So kindly let me explain. Meaning different strokes for different folks; a tent may be just what the doctor ordered for some people, and it would certainly give me more grow space than even the biggest affordable grow cabinet on the market, but I don't think it's for me. Admittedly I'm clumsy. My wife pointed out that if I lost my balance, which I frequently do, (and that's when I'm not medicated), I'd be likely to do serious damage to a tent or even take the whole thing down.

    Also, I'm concerned about the zipper. I don't know what style of growing you guys are involved in but my Aerogardens require a lot of attention, (at least once a day). I'm not sold on the fact that a zipper compared to a lock assembly, (and a lock would be a whole lot easier to replace), a zipper probably wouldn't last long enough for me to be practical.

    Being back to square one now, I spent some time with Greners yesterday afternoon researching tents again. Their rep pointed out that they sell about a half dozen different brands, all designed to fit what you want and what you can afford. He took me to their comparison charts and evaluation reviews and it was a real education. No body really seems to have perfected a better mouse trap. One, (secret Jardin), has the best zipper, but it's not as light tight. Another one has more models in different sizes, with better access, but nobody has really solved all the issues. Light proof, as it's going to be ten feet from where we sleep fitfully with bad allergies is a major issue. A lot of them fall short on that.

    I have a grow space 41 inches deep to work with. A tent 36" deep would gain me nothing over what I have, it's too shallow. A tent 48" deep is too big, it won't fit, it'll interfere with the door. That damned 2' x 4' cabinet would have been perfect.

    Now let's look at the budget. $268.48 for Sam's Club.com's cabinet is no bargain, you can buy a small tent for that, but you get 52 cubic feet of grow space compared to the 18 cubic feet you get with most of the little boxes for $500 to $1,000. The bigger Sam's Club.com's cabinet would fit pretty well in most rooms and apartments, and with the filter and fan inside it'll still look pretty clean. For a quiet fan, vent covers and a carbon filter, (all mounted inside), I'm figuring on maybe another $200. That takes me up to the minimum price of most of the little boxes with almost three times the grow space. Ouch!

    For $500 to $1,000, ($500 more), they're going to give you a DWC hydroponics system, a light socket and an aquarium air pump. Whopee! Two five gallon buckets at The Home
    Depot are $14, (I checked), and the pump at Wal-Mart is $7.00.

    Now here's the clincher. The lady who started this thread, if she knows how to use her feminine wiles will probably have to do very little of the real work. If she knows how to heat up pizza and pour beer there are always guys who will be willing to help her. I just didn't see the little boxes as a worth while investment compared to what you can do.

    Now if you consider all those factors with the cost and likely useful life expectancy of a tent I think a cabinet comes out ahead. At least I sure as hell hope it does because that's what I'm still going to do. But with a cabinet I think you're trading space for sturdiness.

    Now lets look at the little grow cabinets on the market. They've smaller than my beer refrigerator in my hangar. (In fact I thought of gutting it and using that). But most of the little grow cabinets on the market range in price from $500 to $1,000. I honestly think for what you get, that's an awful lot of money. Hank
     

  15. id grow dank bagseeds just so you have a end goal. also you should look for a 4 foot tent and invest in a 250w hps because those boxes are priced because they want more for their labor;)
     
  16. FrostyGirl: I haven't given up on sam'sclub'com's cabinet because it has potentially 52 cubic feet of grow space. I figure I can grow my legal limit of six of almost any variety. If they can get their act together I should have it next week. I got the fan and the filter this week and I think I can mount it either near the ceiling or on the roof, preferably on the on the inside.

    We're all doing it differently and it doesn't mean that anyone is doing it wrong. Go with what looks good for you personally. Just remember that it probably needs to be light tight and stink free to be stealthy. Hank
     
  17. i found a old wooden enclosed end table with nice storage area to grow in for $5 at a thrift shop

    look around before spending big money on something new
     
  18. Ok this thread has alot going on so I didnt read it all but I can tell ya I just returned my box from the link at the top. It was poorly built and NOT worth the money, u cam get a higher quality box w/ a 150w HPS included at growrelentless.com and it's way cheaper and made of good quality wood for about 200$ less then that one, it has a real latch lock on it aswell where the other is complete crap, the light fixture can be HPS or a few different versions of cfl (diff wattage and box size) and the light is able to be lowered. The only thing this box doesn't have is the dwc and let me say mist dwc are cheap and inefficient, jst go coco it has the same accelerated grow times as traditional hydro systems and u treat it (nutrient wise) as a hydro system... Dwc is a BAD choice!!! ( my opinion and many others)
    Seriously guys check that site out and don't get screwed by the other!
    I hope this helps some of u guys out so u can stop bickering... No one here wants to see that

    Happy Growing---
     
  19. Hey guys: I agree with you on a lot ofthings but here are a few other words of warning I'd like to add: if it's a wood cabinet I think it has to have a real good finish on the inside and be very well ventilated to prevent warping and mold from forming. I had a very bad experience with one that wasn't well finished.

    As far as lighting is concerned: I don't like the Edison company and I can't afford the $14,000 to go solar so I'm staying with colored T-5's. They've worked for me in the past and frankly I only grow my personal meds so the higher wattage lamps may be a lot more efficient but CFL's and T-5's are good for me.

    As far as growing methods are concerned, I have to agree with Freshnootbudz. The more I learn about hydro, timed flooding of coco mats or rock wool seems to be the way to go. I still use my little Aerogardens but when I do change over I'm pretty sure it will be to a small flood and drain table with either coco or rock cubes. I don't agree that DWC is a bad choice, it's just inefficient in comparison to other methods. Here we have some interesting choices to make that generally depend a lot on: experience, ability, interest, personal taste and the size of your pocket book. Hank
     
  20. Definitely.... When choosing a hydro system it is all about what you feel you can handle. If your new to growing I very much think that coco is the best option, there are a few main reasons why I feel this way... When in coco there is alot of room to get your tequnique down because it is a very forgiving media unlike most other hydro systems where if you do something wrong your gunna know. Coco is just plain new grower friendly. In my opinion the reason why these pre-fabbed boxed come with a dwc is they usually cost under 20$ to build and when a new grower hears that there's a hydro set up with their box they feel like thr getting a good deal and for most new growers (this means me too when I started) they see hydro and instantly think it's gunna make them a better grower some how.
    Really I just want people to really research what their doing before they just go out and do it.
    In my opinion most new growers get fucked up harvests because they tamper with their plants too much, always playing around w/ different nutes and tequniques. It's best to just let them do what their gunna do and don't try to be their master, a grower is more of a helper to the plant.
    Happy Growing---
     

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