Set Up Basics ..... Needing Help

depends, they both work well. its really preference. ONA buckets can mask the smell in a big room, you may wanna use a carbon scrubber/filter for a little grow. should work well

 

not a problem. start a grow journal the day you plant your seeds bro! lookin forward to seeing it

 

that tent i showed you, plus a 170CFM inline fan, with a crbon filter completely killed all the scent. you could smell it in the room it was in, but that door is always closed with a towel at the bottom of the door, and the rest of my apartment is completely odorless.

 

Grow tent is in a bedroom.
Bed room has 3 windows.
I keep 2 of them slightly open.
The tent is closed at all times unless I'm watering.
Simply put a towel at the bottom of the door to seal up that inch of open space between it and the ground.
I've never smelled, or had anyone tell me they smell it anywhere but the isolated room that its in.
-Note: I live in a fairly small apartment as well.

 

I grow in a closet that is just slightly larger than yours.
Speaking from experience...

Few things to consider for you smell and security problem..

I would not build your own carbon filter unless you have a way to vent the room. Cutting holes is a bad idea if you don't own the place. Check with your landlord before you start damaging their property.

Listen to the others here. The best security that you can get is to invest in a grow tent, or build one yourself. Get something you can put a lock on. Nobody can open personal property but you.

I have seven plants in flower. The smell occasionally will get into the bathroom, but it's not very strong. I do not vent the room. I use a large carbon/plasma filter which stands alone in the closet. And Ona. Ona is awesome, use it. Not only is it cheap but what smell is left can easily be covered with with scented plug-ins or whatever.

Lights -
I would not recommend using CFL's alone.

CFL's give great results for people on a budget. The rule of thumb is 100 true watts for the first plant, then 50 watts for each additional. Keep in mind that CFL's can extend the flowering period by up to two weeks. They have many holes in their light spectrums which makes them a little less than ideal for growing. In a closed room with no ventilation, they will not significantly raise the temperature unless you have them in large numbers.

HID (High intensity discharge) lighting is the leading choice. They are fairly cheap to buy and cost effective. HPS bulbs fall within the peak NM spectrums for flowering, and MH bulbs fall within the peak NM spectrums for vegetation. HID has great light distribution of a large area. However, they produce a large amount of heat which requires ventilation.

LED's are controversial as to their effectiveness, but in my experience, work great. Unfortunately, they are the more expensive choice. The upfront cost is significantly larger than HID or CFL, though they use less energy a month. They can provide for a more targeted spectrum without the gaps of CFLS, while maintaining a concentrated light output which exceeds HID watt for watt at the cost of light distribution.

I like to mix and match.
I use 100 watts of CFL, 360 watts of LED, and 250 watts of HPS. My room requires no ventilation and peaks at around 85 degrees.

Online Purchases..

It would be an extreme waste of resources to track the individual sale of online products. You would need to go out of your way to attract the attention of the police or Feds.

But, if you're worried to walmart and get a pre-paid visa. You can use these online to make purchases without leaving your personal information... other than your address of course.

 

put a lock on the door and don't say anything. people rarely notice things like that w/o trying it, that way u can leave the closet door open w/ a fan to move the air.