Getting Equipment for a Grow Rooms and Suggestions

[Lt. Dan]

Hello, new to all this(newbie).

I've been searching the net for as much information as I can find. Luckily, I found this site with years of information.

I'll be hiding it from my family under the guise of growing tomatoes, lettuce, and peppers. So, I need to build a grow cab for my medical herbs.

So far I've ordered,
2' 4 tube T5 high output light fixture and bulbs
Dyna-Gro nutes
(5) 125w CFL veg bulbs

I just got the CFL bulbs in the mail today.... 1 was smashed, 2 had the glass support webbing (between the tubes) broken, and the other 2 looked to be in good shape.
I was going to plug them in to see if they worked BUT,..... I didn't have a light fixture big enough to screw it into. That sucker is HUGE

I'm also looking for a good HID light system (400-600 watt)

I'm going to build a 2 room grow box to go in the garage (1st option) or inside the house (2nd option). Climate in the garage is going to be the problem, single digit temps in the winter and 3 digit temps in the summer.

Any suggestions are welcome, cheers

 

[Lt. Dan]

I'm having a hard time pulling the trigger on a HID light. Too many choices.......... electronic, magnetic, MH/HPS, multiple watt setting, Nextgen, Lumatek, Quantum,....etc

 

[Lt. Dan]

When I started this thread, I was reading a lot of threads and posts and thought I had a good idea of what I was going to do..............LOL!

The more I read, the more things change.
I have decided to buy tents instead of building a grow room. They're portable and can move with me if I have to move.

Equipment so far:
(2) Secret Jardin DR120P (4x4x6.5)
(2) Windtunnel inline fans (200cfm, and 409cfm)
Xtrasun 600hps HID
Hydrofarm 2' 4 tube T5HO
(5)125w CFL's
Dyna-Gro Nutes
Pumps (air, and water)
Temp/hydro, pH, and TDS meters
Tubes, totes, drains, hoses, 360 sprayers, pvc, rockwool, timers, and other misc. pieces.

I'm sure things will change again............lol
Cheers,

 

[tokenjoker78]

I can't give you any advise on hydro because I'm a old school soil guy but just get a cheap 600w digital balast setup off ebay most of them will run a mh and a hps ive been using these lights with no problems. as far as going with a tent or building a grow area I use 2 inch thick insulating Styrofoam panels and gorilla tape and the reason why is i can demolish it within a few min and I don't have hundreds of dollars wrapped up in a tent so its very disposable . If you have never grown before i would go with soil first lot more room for error there.

 

[Lt. Dan]

Hi Token,

I've got 5 babies in rockwool, if they don't make it, maybe I'll try soil. I just don't want to bring dirt inside...........

Think positive............... 5 babies turn into 5 ladies............ yeah, that's it................ Think positive

 

[Snow Crash]

I like tents too.

Your setup sounds alright. 600w for the flowering, T5 for the cloning, and 625w worth of CFLs for the mother plants. I'm not sure where you need the stronger fan... probably with the CFL T5 Tent because you can run ducting on the 600w system and cool the heat source more efficiently.

Are you running a DWC or Aeroponics? Dyna-Gro is pretty easy to use, the directions will be a little strong so just dial it back a touch and you'll be alright.

 

[Lt. Dan]

Howdy Snow,

I am thinking about using the bigger fan on the flower tent with the 600hps light.
I'm thinking (I know I shouldn't do that ) If I mount the fan outside the tent and use a 'Y' connector and 1 duct to the tent exhaust port and 1 duct to the hps light hood.

I have been thinking about 4 different systems (DWC, Bubbleponics, Flood & Drain, and Areoponics). I actually have the components to build all 4 systems except for the PVC for the Areo system.

For this first grow I am going with the Flood & Drain. Once the girls get big enough (if I don't kill them first) I'll take some clones from them and possibly start a aero system. I have been thinking about downsizing a Stinkbud type system for my tents.

If I kept reading this forum........ my plans could change

 

[Boarder86]

I think the flood and drain is the right move for a beginner for sure.

Did you get a pH and EC meter?

 

[Lt. Dan]

Hey Boarder,

I had been following a couple of Flood & Drain grows that just looked SWEET! (homebrewer, and Dadio161)

Yes, I did get a couple of meters (pH, and TDS)

 

[tokenjoker78]

yes i admit if i didn't have ample area to disperse of my old soil I would prob make the switch. I just like to go camping and fishing for days on end to often and hydro kinda scares me with me being gone a lot. but I have friends that run hydro and I got to give it to hydro more efficient and quicker harvests and turn a rounds.

 

[Lt. Dan]

token,
Understood, My friends want me to go with them on some 2 and 4 wheel camping trips, but what if something goes wrong with the timers while I'm gone?

I think I read somewhere on this forum that you have grown some White Widow. How was it? I got 3 WW and 2 LSD seedlings that look like they will live.

 

[Snow Crash]

I've been thinking of going back to soil for the sake of simplicity also.

I mean, if you get the soil mix right you only need to feed it three or four times over the entire life of the plant. Watering can be as infrequent as once a week when young, or every 3 days when older.

Leaving a plant for 5 days... regardless of method, is going to carry some risk. At that point you need to have some kind of assisted watering system to take care of things while you're gone. I hear those little self-watering globes work pretty well, but I'd probably go with a drip on a timer to keep things moist while I was away.

For someone who does do the vacation thing it's important to remove as many moving parts as you can. Anything that can leak is an issue too.

 

[Lt. Dan]

When I started this thread, I was reading a lot of threads and posts and thought I had a good idea of what I was going to do..............LOL!

The more I read, the more things change.
I have decided to buy tents instead of building a grow room. They're portable and can move with me if I have to move.

Equipment so far:
(2) Secret Jardin DR120P (4x4x6.5)
(2) Windtunnel inline fans (200cfm, and 409cfm)
Xtrasun 600hps HID
Hydrofarm 2' 4 tube T5HO
(5)125w CFL's
Dyna-Gro Nutes
Pumps (air, and water)
Temp/hydro, pH, and TDS meters
Tubes, totes, drains, hoses, 360 sprayers, pvc, rockwool, timers, and other misc. pieces.

I'm sure things will change again............lol
Cheers,

More stuff....LOL

2 Air King 6" clip on fans (These small clip-ons don't oscillate)
Xtrasun 6" AC reflector
NextGen 400w/600w ballast
2 Rope Ratchet light hanger

 

[Lt. Dan]

More Stuff...... lol

I got another NextGen 400w/600w Ballast and Xtrasun 6" AC reflector. I also bought a Digilux 600HPS Bulb, a Sylvania 400MH, and a Sylvania 400HPS bulbs.
I may have to send the first NextGen back for a replacement. It has a high pitched hum, I'm not sure if it is an electronic hum or mechanical fan noise. It's just loud enough to drive a guy crazy (it's a short trip, too).

Cheers,

 

[Lt. Dan]

For the first week of my first grow(1 1/2" rockrool cube), when I watered, I top feed until I saw roots on the bottom of the rockwool, I then put the smaller cube into a bigger cube of rockwool and top fed for another three days. I didn't have my flood table built yet, so, for the next couple of weeks, I would place the cubes in a bowl of nutes for 10-15 mins and let them soak up the nutes from the bottom.

I finally got around to building a flood table just in time for the lil' girls to go 12/12.

I copied my plans (ideas) off of a couple RIU members.
Thanks dadio161 and homebrewer for your threads here at RIU

I made a table stand out of PVC pipe and scrap plywood.
I used a couple of Lowes' mortar mixing tubs (1 for the res., and 1 for the flood table)

 

[homebrewer]

That is looking very familiar Great job so far!

 

[Lt. Dan]

That is looking very familiar Great job so far!

Thanks for stopping by, and thanks for taking the time to help others here on this forum with advice and grow threads.

Yeah, I copied ideas from yours and dadio's designs. I took the flood table bench designs from dadio161 and your mortar mixing tub design.

I ended up putting the fill tube at one end and the drain at the other. I drilled some little drain holes in the grooves in the bottom of the tub. I used a 1/8th drill and was just going to let it drip into the lower tub but, I was afraid water would run along the bottom of the tub and rot the table top. I ended up drilling the hole out to 1/4" which is a good snug fit for a air line tube. I then put a little glue on the bottom of the tub and tube to keep the tube from falling out.

What's the best way to drain and fill the res when it's time to change nutes?

Thanks again,

 

[homebrewer]

I have a male drain piece with a tube attached located on the end of the tub at the very bottom. Picture below.

When it's time to drain the tub, i just lower the hose and the water drains out. Simple enough if you have a drain near by.

 

[Lt. Dan]

I mixed up some nutes for the flood N drain table ((Dyna-Gro)5ml grow, 5ml bloom, 4ml Pro-Tekt, 2ml Mag-Pro/per gal.), hooked up the air (dual outlet) and water pumps (250gph).
The 250gph water pump has some power behind it. I turned it on and the water shot out in a powerful stream, hitting the sides of the flood table.

I did not top any of my plants.... I need to read more about it...... On my second grow I'll try my hand at topping
I started 6 seeds 5-6 weeks ago, 3 White Widow(WW) and 3 LSD's, all 3 WW popped (2 r 12" tall and 1 is 24"), 2 of the 3 popped (1 is 13" tall and the other is a mutant and MUST DIE).

 

[homebrewer]

Careful with those feeding levels. That's stronger than I'd feed any of my strains even at the height of flowering.