Newbie setup

Hi Im new here my name is hendrix.

I am about to start purchasing my equpiment for my first grow.

I have the use of an atic space which is very large but i only want to grow 2-3 plants at the same time.

My plan is to plant 2 seeds in a old repitial tank which has a heat mat placed at the bottom. I will contorl the temp during the veg stage with this. I also have a wall mountable fan for air circulation. Im not using hydropnoics or drip systems as this is my first grow. however i will buy a pump for my tank if this goes well.

I do not have much money so im doing this on a budget. any surgestions of cheaper ways wood be good.

I plan on purchasing these Led lights for the veg period.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/225-LED-Hydroponic-Lamp-Plant-Grow-Light-Free-Post-UK_W0QQitemZ270483037948QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_HomeGarden_Garden_PlantsSeedsBulbs_JN?hash=item3efa0b9efc

I will leave these Leds on 20 hours a day for the first 6-8 weeks.

Once the plant is ready to bud i will add a prussurised sodium lamp to the LEds to increase my yeild which i will leave both the leds and the hps for 8 hours a day. unitl budding is complete and im happy with my crop.
the hps im planning to buy

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/70W-HPS-High-Pressure-Sodium-Grow-Light-Lamp-Bulb-Kit_W0QQitemZ170423663901QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_HomeGarden_Garden_PlantsSeedsBulbs_JN?hash=item27ae0abd1d

Iv read alot of conflicting arguments on LEDs so if im missing anything could you please help.

I do not to worry about ventialition due to the loft only ever being accesssed by me.

My main worry is that the after the veg stage the buding will not pick up has any one else tried using a combination of leds and hps.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and i look forward to any responses.
 
Thank you for all ur replys.
Im going to write up any way maybe this will help someone else in the future.

So i have started the construction in my loft and will upload some photos in a few hours. this grow is for 2 plants. ( dwaf lowriders feminized seeds.

The box
Iv constructed a box about 2ft wide 5ft high and 1ft wide. I siliconed sealed the box to stop the oder exiting

I have tiled and grouted the bottom 1ft of the box. and covered the rest of the box with foil i used watered down PVA glue and a pint brush to stick it. This box will also get a fire blancket stappled over the alround the top section of the box including the roof where the light is surspened from. This is just for safaty.
I will also be taking another safter preaction I will mount a automactic fire extquiser between the box and the electrics. the automatic fire extiquiser is only £25 and realise its payload when the temp goes above 79 degrees.

Growing medium

Im using hydroponic with drip hose with sprayer nozzles that will run into the top of the pots giving max coverage to the whole pot. I placed an air stone at the bottom of an old fish tank. so the roots of the plants can grow straight down into my hydroponic solution.

I have 2 pots i will be turning into hydro pots i will also rap nets around them. Im using clay stones as my growing medium. I will germinate the seed in a small peace of rock wool then i will place this in the pot with the clay stones.

Lighting
I have decided against Leds as the market is flooded with very low watage leds and i cant afford a UFO. so Im going to use GR0/15w floresent growlight. once the plants are a a week or so old and i think they r stong enough i will add a 75w high preasure sodium lamp. and use both this and the florestent for the rest of the plants life.

Cooling.
I will mount and 12v computer fan on the top of the box for excusting it will then be connected to ducting exiting out the my roof so there will be no need for a decarboniser.

Air intake i will mount another fan on the side of the box just above the tiles.
I also have a rat cage fan that i will add to the inside of the box to help air ciruculation. this has a inbulit timer that will make come on every 30 minutes.

all wires will be bundles together wraped in inslating tape covered in foil and exiting through a whole in the back of the box which will then be silicon sealed



need to Buy list

75w sodium light. £50 [URL="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/70W-HPS-High-Pressure-Sodium-Grow-Light-Lamp-Bulb-Kit_W0QQitemZ170423663901QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_HomeGarden_Garden_PlantsSeedsBulbs_JN?hash=item27ae0abd1d"]http://cgi[/URL].ebay.co.uk/70W-HPS-High-Pressure-Sodium-Grow-Light-Lamp-Bulb-Kit_W0QQitemZ170423663901QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_HomeGarden_Garden_PlantsSeedsBulbs_JN?hash=item27ae0abd1d


Airstone. £4 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1x-6-15cm-Aquarium-Air-Stone-Diffuser-airstone_W0QQitemZ180389235377QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Pet_Supplies_Fish?hash=item2a00094ab1

silent Air pump. £7 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/190-LITRE-SUPER-SILENT-AIR-PUMP-FOR-AQUARIUM-N-R_W0QQitemZ310193604610QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Pet_Supplies_Fish?hash=item4838fac802

small silent water pump. £5.5 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Submersible-2-5W-230L-H-Aquarium-Air-Water-Pump-AT-301_W0QQitemZ160379655068QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Pet_Supplies_Fish?hash=item25575f539c

1x 12v computer fan. £3.20 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/120mm-Internal-Desktop-PC-Fan-For-Computer-Case-Cooling_W0QQitemZ310182703145QQcmdZViewItemQQptZComputing_ComputerComponents_Fans_Heatsinks_SR?hash=item4838547029

1meter x 1meter fire blanket £7 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1m-x-1m-Fire-Blanket_W0QQitemZ150398478795QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Fire_Extinguishers?hash=item230472a9cb

air ducting £5 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-4-INCH-100MM-PVC-DUCTING-FOR-EXTRACTOR-FAN-3MTR_W0QQitemZ400068307311QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Home_Garden_Hearing_Cooling_Air?hash=item5d25ede96f

automatic fire extiquiser. £35 http://www.fireprotectioncentre.com/catalogue.asp?CID=17

clayballs £8.50 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CANNA-CLAY-PEBBLES-5-litre-AQUA-PEBBLES-HYDROPONICS_W0QQitemZ160394825728QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_HomeGarden_Garden_PlantsSeedsBulbs_JN?hash=item255846d000

rockwool £2 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/3-inch-Grodan-Grow-Cube-with-Small-Hole-3-Rockwool_W0QQitemZ180402895652QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_HomeGarden_Garden_PlantsSeedsBulbs_JN?hash=item2a00d9bb24

neutrients http://www.growell.co.uk/p/0145/General-Hydroponics-Flora-Nutrients.html Thanks (pokesmot)
humidity and themo £6.58 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LCD-Digital-Thermometer-Hygrometer-Temperature-Gauge-UK_W0QQitemZ280449235172QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_DIY_Material_Electrical_Fittings_MJ?hash=item414c13b8e4



already brought or acquired lol
gro/15w foloresent light and starter.
cable ties
spray nozzles
tubing
hydropots
netting
fishtank
lots of different voltage old phone chargers for the fans
silicon sealent
1 freezer Xtreme Fan & heat sink

The box is nearly built just need some hinges to attach a door

if any 1 can offer any kind of guidence or has any old equpiment that i could use for a reasonable price please dont hesertate to contact me. I dont rele hav any 1 to talk to about this stuff its not the kind fing u can just bring up in passing conversation.
 
I

Illegal Smile

Guest
How hot will it get in that attic before you harvest? Do you really have any way of knowing? probably not unless you monitored it last year. I see that as a potential problem. Attics get hot. Also do you have lots of good circuits for your power up there?
 
How hot will it get in that attic before you harvest? Do you really have any way of knowing? probably not unless you monitored it last year. I see that as a potential problem. Attics get hot. Also do you have lots of good circuits for your power up there?

hey i live in england it never really gets that hot here. i will be exausting the box through the top of the roof. as the heat rises it should be fine.

Im running power up there my self im coming of the boiler there is a little junction box i can wack another wire into. i will be instaling 2 sockets that have 2 entery points for plugs and 1x4 extenstions giving me about 7 sockets.

ill attach a drawing of it.

thanks for ur reply
 

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How hot will it get in that attic before you harvest? Do you really have any way of knowing? probably not unless you monitored it last year. I see that as a potential problem. Attics get hot. Also do you have lots of good circuits for your power up there?
what u sed about the temp has played on my mind. thats some good thinking. so my solution i have an old duct from my old warm air heating system that has been replaced with a combi boiler. so all the air ducts around my house are all conected together but not in use so i will take the air intake from here which should be relitavly cool all year.

thanks for bring this problem to my attention +rep
 
very nice i hate the fuzz. its my old warm air heating system ill be exiting out off im not adding any new vents. so all the other houses on my road are using the warm air heating, so it should look the same as every other house on the road.. im going to have the lights off for 8 hrs at night to avoid dection. ill have them off 8-4 at night. if it comes to it i dont mind being busted probally cood do with the company lol
 
Doors have been attached. and i have put a bolt and a padlock on the door. just need 1 more fan so i can install all the ducting equipement. ill go to the dump 2morrow take apart some microwaves and old computers 2 get my last fan.
 
finished the tank today. I surounded with wood to black it out. added a whole i can top the tank up with. I also added darinage system added so i can evcuate the tank when nessarry. also made a tank level indicator.
still wating for fans lights seeds and medium.
 

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my hps light has arrived. i need to extend the lead on it as it is to short and i want to keep the ballast and ignitor outside the grow area alot of stuff has now been done. iv added a intake fan postioned just above the tank to bring in fresh air for the plants and a 2 fans for the out take at the top of the box. Iv also add my 15w gro floro light. i am able to mount it driectly above the plants using 2 old clamps. or once the plants have grown horizonitly while young and verticly while flowering.

iv added the air stone airpump and the heater to the tank. iv had my clay balls arrive. wont be adding them until im finished setting it up. still waiting on maylar nutients and climate contoller. my
 

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Ive got pretty much the same LED light they work pretty well for veg stage, but dont have a clue what to use for the budding any ideas?
hey man, i changed my mind on using the led alone becuase of others reviews. you can use these leds lights all the way through if u have enough money to get a full spectrum one.
so i decided to go for the 70w hps i got mine here http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170437017964&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

some people have had really good results there is a club for the 70w grows they have pictures of what you can achive.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=133806

i will hopfully get a led full sepctrum light to help the hps and reduce enrgy cost for now i will just use the hps for both vegging and flowering
 
Iv nearly finished. iv covered inside the grow room up to the fire blanket in maylar. Iv installed the hps light above the tank and secured it to the roof of the box. Iv covered the top of the tank in mylar also. iv run ducting from the exust to the roof and from the intake to the pipe feeding air from the house.
I let a smoke bomb off inside the grow box to make sure that its not leaking through gaps and the air is exusted fairly quickly.

I also manged to get a ultrasonic fogger for £5 thought this would be a nice addition insde the tanks when the plants are small. help the roots reach the water.

Im still wating for a slimate controller and a tubular heater for the cab. they are in the post.
so close yet so far.
 

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hey just another update with progress every thing is coming together. I have added the climate controller. I have come into over £1500.00 which has helped this porjected along although im not spending it all on this grow. Iv got a lot of stuff still in the post. i cant wait to get it up and going. I have made a also added a cloning station with a heated propergator. Its also now possible to remove the top pannel of the box and get to the lights.
 

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