Question “if I’m generating CO2, do I need a fresh air intake, or can I seal my grow space and maintain airflow with fans?” I’m currently using a DIY CO2 generator. 5 gallon bucket, sugar, yeast, heat and air pump. This produces and maintains a regular level of 700-900 ppm of CO2 in my grow tent. Organic Super Soil Grow Temp is 78F Humidity 55% RH Lights: 18/6 true 2,000 watts high intensity LED However, I would like to up those levels to 1200-1500 ppm but to do so, I would probably need to close off the fresh air intake or restrict it more. I’m also ventilating with an exhaust fan at low rates. I don’t know if I need fresh air intake if I’m maintaining proper temp, humidity, CO2 levels with air flow. Plants are producing oxygen and consuming CO2, can this be a sealed environment? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You are at the perfect co2 levels. There used to be a thread on ICmag titled co2 myth created by an intelligent member named "spurr". He posted lots of scientific studies showing co2 levels above 1200 would slow growth.
That’s great clarification. So far I only read one study that showed a 25% + yield increase at 700ppm. The study didn’t include any information about levels past 700pm. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Question “if I’m generating CO2, do I need a fresh air intake, or can I seal my grow space and maintain airflow with fans?” ....No This is a very old tech that may cost you lots in time and cash... many other growers have moved off this to easier calmer methods Many growers have bummed out using yeast as much will be required ..lol party games..?
I absolutely agree. I’m going to use a simple ExHale bag. However I’m a first time grower and having recently decided to supplement CO2, I’ve learned it takes about 30-45 day’s before an ExHale bag becomes effective. So I’m using my DIY generator until the bag starts producing. Do you have any recommendation on other methods? Always open to learning. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Dudegrows has good vids on it,,,,imo i wouldnt waste my time unless ur on a big commercial grow Sent from my SM-J727P using Tapatalk
Likely your ppm meter is inaccurate and needa calibrating. You are not producing anywhere near those levels without sealing the area completely and eliminating exhaust. The exhale bags are darn near useless, and a huge waste of cash in the long run. Not that hard to get a c02 bottle and regulator if you want to run c02. In my experience, it helps more with veg than in flower, allowing you to run higher temps without closing stomata, increasing speed of transpiration and nutrient uptake. I cut all c02 off at week 4 or 5 flower. I saw no benefit until i ran 12-1500 ppm levels, and then saw a yield diff of 10% . Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
Well I did my research on the co2 meeter and it is brand now. I’m operating in a 4x4x8 tent and the only fresh air engage is just a 4”x4” opening. I have a TNB Naturals bottle in there and the DIY generator is a 5 gallon bucket, heated and completed sealed. Air is being pumped into the bucket via a bubbler with a line running out of the buck into the tent. I don’t doubt the levels based off the research I did. It’s in no way sustainable or consistent. For example. Is I leave the heater on in the bucket, but the air pump off until night, in the morning, when the pump kicks on, the levels are 1,600 ppm. But they drop throughout the day. I’m most interested in knowing if I can seal my tent? That was part of my original question. What are your thoughts? I have controlled temp, humidity, and automatic ventilation. Could I seal the tent? Also for reference you can see the decline in ppm from this morning. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You'll need to seal the area the tent sits in. It can get expensive doing it too. Once you invest in that manner, no sense in not grabbing a tank and regulator, id say. Refills cost 15 bucks and last 6 weeks or so in a sealed environment. I used all the bottles and bags in the past. Even tried my brewing equipment in there. Nothing showed results like a tank. This is my fifth year running c02, finally dialed everything in. Plants receiving supplemental c02 also need more light, nutrients, and watering. Problems develop rapidly in a sealed system when needs arent met. Recommend running one strain at a time to dial in what the plant needs. With c02 it gets exacerbated in a hurry! Did you calibrate your meter in the outside air at 400 ppm before placing it?. I recalibrate mine every couple months. Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
Okay, maybe I’ll wait till I have severe grows under my belt before doing a sealed environment. Is that the best way to calibrate it? I just left it at factory calibration, but if outside is always 400, I’ll take it outside and test it out. Thanks for the detailed information and insight! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I went from a tent with intake / exhaust and air-cooled hoods to a sealed tent with mini split, adjust a wings, humidifier, dehumidifier, environmental controller, co2 tanks to a sealed room with adjust a wings, mini split, humdifier, dehumidifier, environmental controller, co2 tanks and now in 2 grows I'm goinb back to a tent with intake / exhaust and sealed hoods. Sealed environments are too expensive to run and I realized I can almost get the same exact perimeters without being sealed .
I'm having a bit of trouble keeping co2 down lol. I mixed up a new batch of peat moss mix and the microbial life is making co2 thru the roof. This is why I'm going back to an unsealed environment. My old 10x20 tent with constant intake/exhaust and sealed hoods from 2008. This was the cheapest and easiest environment to run
This is incredible!!!! I can imagine at this scale that the microbes are producing loads of CO2. Do you continue to supplement with CO2 or are the microbes putting off that much? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It's 100% the microbes. I wish they'd slow down. My tank has been disconnected the entire time. I can get the ppm down to 900-1200 with the exhaust and intake on 24/7 that's mixing into and pulling from an empty area . That's why I decided to go back to an unsealed room. We'll see what co2 is like during peak flowering however. If the microbial life can sustain a satisfactory level during high demand than there's absolutely no need for the Environmental controller or co2 or sealed room or mini split. Would have saved a lot of money
I’ll definitely be following along, very interring stuff. Will the plants use an equal among of C02 during flower as vegetation? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
One guy says above 1200 ppm slows things down, another says 1800 is wicked. Exhale bags can bring a small tent to 1300 ppm i have seen it with my eyeballs. But no their useless. Lol. Thats why i stopped using these sites.