DIY GROW TENT w/ pics

So its good for 24hrs now but when roots show through then maybe turn down a notch? Maybe to 15 hrs with air stone always on?

i agree with buying the biggest light you can afford even if you dont need it now you will expand in the future.
my HTG tent is the 39" X 39" X 79
i could easily have used a 400watt or went overkill with a 600watt but i chose to way over do it and bought this 1000 watt kit with HPS and MH conversion and upgraded the hood to a cooltube High Tech Garden Supply
the reason i went with the 1000 watt was because i know i will eventually move the grow from the tent into a bedroom next year when the last child leaves home .... FREE AT LAST ... LOL
so i couldnt justify to myself buying a 600W and upgrading next year.

cronicspade said:

So its good for 24hrs now but when roots show through then maybe turn down a notch? Maybe to 15 hrs with air stone always on?

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I always kept mine on HERBS/BASIL, which is 17 hours on for the water pump...

My light has always been on a separate timer...

When my roots were well established in the water, I actually took the res out of the base... no water pump at all whatsoever... but I have had the air pump and stone going from day one...

All the AG does is water the plants... so if you have the roots in the water... no need to water the right???

Now... when the pump circulates the water, it helps oxygenate it... but that is where the air pump and stone come in...

With nothing, you will run into problems... and the airpump/airstone setup is more effective at giving oxygen to the water than just a water pump...

I hope I am not confusing you...

Go with what you know bro... I don't want to steer you the wrong way...

A great AG grower is Vette.... do a search for HIJACK AG GROW and you will find it..

He is the master of the AG as far as I am concerned...

Cheers...

Phinxter said:

i agree with buying the biggest light you can afford even if you dont need it now you will expand in the future.
my HTG tent is the 39" X 39" X 79
i could easily have used a 400watt or went overkill with a 600watt but i chose to way over do it and bought this 1000 watt kit with HPS and MH conversion and upgraded the hood to a cooltube High Tech Garden Supply
the reason i went with the 1000 watt was because i know i will eventually move the grow from the tent into a bedroom next year when the last child leaves home .... FREE AT LAST ... LOL
so i couldnt justify to myself buying a 600W and upgrading next year.

Click to expand...

Yeah... Perfect explanation on why buy a bigger light than you think you need....

If you stick with growing... you will upgrade... why do it 17.8 times...

the 1/4lb I hope to get out my my tent is way more tan I need at once... I love the ability to actually have smoke while letting most of it cure for months... so I can have some bad ass long cure dank...

But that is why I didn't go with a 1000... I believe this is the top of the line for my purposes...

A 400 is a good personal smoke light... but I went for the super personal smoke light... does that make sense..?

I'll say it over and over... if you over light and over ventilate... you will have a smooth grow, that will make you and your wallet happy...

Yahooo.... Keep on growing...

Cheers...

no your not confusing me and i most definently appreciate the feedback being as you are experienced with the AG - I bought 6 mini-airstones and an air pump to put in the res... Were you able to put the water pump back in the aerogarden??

so if im understanding correctly im going to leave the pump on 24 hrs now, and once roots start to develop a bit better then move to 15hrs a day for the pump, and then once roots are nearly touching water remove water pump and let air stones do the work?? because like you said the roots then would actually be in water so no need for them to be fed directly by aerogarden..

I think i can handle it. I am by no means a newbie, maybe to the forum but not to growing.. This would be my first hydro/aero grow but Im pretty sure i can handle it. I got a PH tester today that stays submerged underwater, is that ok to put stuff in the water? it works for 4-6 weeks reading the ph so i figured i can get a new one every few weeks..

and im very exceited because the germinated seed i put in the aerogarden is starting to emerge! No nutes yet but i plan on ordering ppm tester and some foxfarm hydro nutes so i have everything i need... Im also going to go with the 400w because i dont think i have enough space for the 600w, I only have like 3.5ft of vertical space so the 400w is gonna have to do it im gonna get the cooltube because its the only way i can have that much watts in this little space..

thank you all for viewing, more pics of the grow up soon... i guess this is basically my grow journal now!!

cronicspade said:

no your not confusing me and i most definently appreciate the feedback being as you are experienced with the AG -

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Good, but only I have one grow in the AG.. Vette is experienced...lol...

cronicspade said:

I bought 6 mini-airstones and an air pump to put in the res... Were you able to put the water pump back in the aerogarden??

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Good, but I never removed the pump from the AG... I simply unplugged it when I didn't need it anymore... and after a while I just picked up the whole reservoir out of the base... pump and all...

cronicspade said:

so if im understanding correctly im going to leave the pump on 24 hrs now,

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I used 17 hours for the water pump... 24 hours for the air pump...

cronicspade said:

and once roots start to develop a bit better then move to 15hrs a day for the pump,

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I kept mine at 17 hours for the water pump and 24 hours for the air pump until the roots were in the water...

cronicspade said:

and then once roots are nearly touching water remove water pump and let air stones do the work??

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When the roots are in the water, you simply unplug it... and since your light is on it's own power cord with the timer you added... the light will remain unaffected....

cronicspade said:

because like you said the roots then would actually be in water so no need for them to be fed directly by aerogarden..

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Yeah, but only after the roots are well established in the water, not just almost touching...

cronicspade said:

I think i can handle it. I am by no means a newbie, maybe to the forum but not to growing.. This would be my first hydro/aero grow but Im pretty sure i can handle it.

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yup, you will be fine... just don't overthink it... or follow magik soup mixes that fry your plants... stay with well established brands... no mixing up a bunch of shit... there are a lot of people out there with an eye on your pocket book...

Wait for your seedlings to have a few nodes before you start nuting...

start very light and work their tolerance up... then twds the end, after a peak at about week 5 to 6 , you start weening it down, until you flush with no nutes for at least a week before harvest...

cronicspade said:

I got a PH tester today that stays submerged underwater, is that ok to put stuff in the water? it works for 4-6 weeks reading the ph so i figured i can get a new one every few weeks..

Click to expand...

The ph tester should be fine... what kind is it? sounds like a continuous monitor of some sort...

KNOWING YOUR PH IS CRITICAL... GOOD MOVE...

cronicspade said:

and im very exceited because the germinated seed i put in the aerogarden is starting to emerge!

Click to expand...

Congratulations...now we watch them grow...lol...

cronicspade said:

No nutes yet but i plan on ordering ppm tester and some foxfarm hydro nutes so i have everything i need...

Click to expand...

PPM is a must.. I would look into a continuous ppm/ph tester... digital.. always on... easy maintenance.. long life...

cronicspade said:

Im also going to go with the 400w because i dont think i have enough space for the 600w,

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Go with what you know bro.. I have the 600 10" from my plants... you may get 8" out of the 400... if you have the cash... go big... the cooltube is the same size... you will need the exact same things...

Be a shame for you to realize you might get a bigger setup next year and that you should have gotten the 600...

cronicspade said:

I only have like 3.5ft of vertical space so the 400w is gonna have to do it

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if you can do the 400, you can do the 600... the only deterrent would be financial... and then only for the difference between lights...

If you set up your space correctly, to handle a 400, the same vent sys, will do the job...

cronicspade said:

im gonna get the cooltube because its the only way i can have that much watts in this little space..

Click to expand...

Yup.. I would go with a 170 cfm centrifugal fan (not an in line booster) =, dedicated to the cool tube with the 600 in it..lol....

I would also use one of those fans for your exhaust... with passive intakes... I am going to install a 265 cfm for the exhaust, but my tent is 36x20x60...

cronicspade said:

thank you all for viewing, more pics of the grow up soon...

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Sure man.. it's fun... let's see the pics...

cronicspade said:

i guess this is basically my grow journal now!!

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Congratulations...

I will visit often...

Good Luck... (600)...lol...

Gypsy...

ok thanks for clearing the pump shit up with me! lol, i do believe i was just overthinking...I eventually realized thats prob wat you meant, i thought you meant actually meant remove pump.

I know have 3 air stones in the AG and it has foil covering the top to block light. I also added some vinegar to water to lower ph i think its down to about 5.2 now.. i belive thats about where i need it? in between 5.2-5.9 I may need to add a bit more tap water to bump it back up a bit.. During the process of modifing the AG base, i noticed one of the headband seeds have cracked and the unknown dank seed ***at this point will now be referred to as tootiefrootie because the weed it came from was super sweet and pungent*** is growing by the second it seems. Although seed leaves havent risen above label, i know its coming soon, and the three other head band plants are right behind it. This thing germinated the headband seed fast, i just popped it in there last night and it already sprouted!!

More pics soon as i get a chance, im ready for the REAL action to happen in about 3 weeks!!

once again gypsy i just wana thank you for your feedback on my grow you've been a great help!!

keep on stopping by, hopefully ill pull a few oz of some super killer smoke!

I am much more stoked about the new aeroponics thing, i think after these soil plants finish up, i may just build 6 site hydro set up and just do strictly aero/hydro grows

Yeah Man...

My Ph.. I shoot for 5.8...

there is a nifty ph chart.. let me go look...

found it...

first day and last day of the Mini Aeroponic Garden...

DAMN! they fattened up.. i wonder if i can find any grow journals with aerogarden in combo with 400w....

i found a great priced 400w hps cool tube on eBay from HTG suppy.. only gonna be around 220 after shipping... thats not bad being as it comes ready to go and I can get inline fan from same seller!

I just wish i could fast forward a bit!

cronicspade said:

DAMN! they fattened up.. i wonder if i can find any grow journals with aerogarden in combo with 400w....

i found a great priced 400w hps cool tube on eBay from HTG suppy.. only gonna be around 220 after shipping... thats not bad being as it comes ready to go and I can get inline fan from same seller!

I just wish i could fast forward a bit!

Click to expand...

I was not using the AG hood... I had 275 watts of hid...

2 x 70 HPS
1 x 35 HPS
1 x 100 MH

but I do not know of anyone using a 400 on the AG yet...

and I saved on shipping by calling them on the phone...

HTG rocks.. they have taken really good care of me...

go with the 600, you will not regret it... hahahaha...

HTG is a good choice... you will be happy with your new cool tubed 600..lol...

cheers...

i duno about the 600w.... thats so much power... is the yield gonna be that much of a difference between the 400 and the 600???

but its only like 40 bucks more i might as well get the 600... it would be the only light i needed in there i could have multiple hydro set ups and dirt plants under one light..

dont they say .5g/per watt.. if so then the yield would most definently be increased.. thats just alot of power... i duno if i wanna do that for small closet grow..

lol gypsy your gonna eventually persuade me into 1000w hahaha its ok though i'll thank you in the end when i yield 3 oz a plant!

is the small res from the AG gonna restrict the growth of my plants??? if so, im selling that mutherfucker to another grower and building my own set up..

cronicspade said:

i duno about the 600w.... thats so much power... is the yield gonna be that much of a difference between the 400 and the 600???

Click to expand...

I have not done a side by side grow to compare a 400 to a 600... so I cannot state facts...

But I will say that the 600 watt HPS is the last upgrade in light you will need for the rest of your growing carreer...

cronicspade said:

but its only like 40 bucks more i might as well get the 600... it would be the only light i needed in there i could have multiple hydro set ups and dirt plants under one light..

Click to expand...

Exactly... just because it is a bit big for today's grow, does not mean that next year it won't be the perfect light for that space under the stairs on the new house...lol...

My tent is small... you could fit it in any closet.... and it is 2x as bright as a sunny day in there, with the temps of a cool fall day... just can't beat that....

cronicspade said:

dont they say .5g/per watt.. if so then the yield would most definently be increased.. thats just alot of power... i duno if i wanna do that for small closet grow..

Click to expand...

It's not that much power... Some computers use more... and are on 24/7...

I gotta look to say for sure, but I think I read that a 600 12/12 runs on avg. $60 a month... I gotta go make sure though...

and yeah that is a reasonable goal to set... .5g/w is realistic for someone with a well tuned setup... and yes the yield would increase accordingly, but not with the same number of plants...

Each plant will yield a little more, but you will need more plants to utilize the light and produce some of the "extra bud"...

Just think how much you would be saving by not having to buy a new light next year... or even the next grow...

cronicspade said:

lol gypsy your gonna eventually persuade me into 1000w hahaha its ok though i'll thank you in the end when i yield 3 oz a plant!

Click to expand...

Nah... but I would say get 2 x 600 before I told you to go 1000...lol...

And I cannot make any claims of weight or whatever... I am just saying that the right tools for ANY job, will pay for themselves in no time... with less headaches and unforeseen issues.... and i have always been a heavy duty kind of guy...

Get the motherfucker that will get the job done right, and still have a little duty to spare... hahahaha....

cronicspade said:

is the small res from the AG gonna restrict the growth of my plants??? if so, im selling that mutherfucker to another grower and building my own set up..

Click to expand...

Now we're talking...

YES THE AG IS WAY TOO SMALL...!!!!!!

All the Ag is, is a DWC with a water pump...

Well... if the roots are already IN THE WATER, why do I need a pump watering it???????? It just leads to probs. with stem rot....

Check this out... sorry, it's from another thread...

while I am looking for it... here check this... for odor control...


The BEST DIY EZ walmart carbon filter for MICRO grows Zen style

and that dude's thread... AWESOME MUST READ BACK TO BACK...lol...

Micro ebb/flow (NOW DWC), all CFL ScrOG, perpetual Stealth locker

but here is what gave the info and inspiration to do what I am doing...

Zen's the shit...!!!

Wolfman Zen said:

Just doing my part as an active member of the MICRO REVOLUTION =]

Went down to my local Walmart and picked up a few items..

2 plastic "shoe box" tubs
reflective duct tape
air stone
air pump
Foam letters from the toy section
A hole saw bit for my drill

Drilled out some holes

You can drill up to 8 holes

Wrapped the tub and top with reflective tape... This will keep the light out. Also added the air stone.. the air line goes into the tub by a small hole I drilled near the top of the tub.

I'm using black foam plugs I got from the hydro shop...

...but you can make your own by using any kind of foam product you can easily find at walmart.

Take your clones, secure them in the plugs, and make vertical slits with a razor just cutting past the skin of the stem.

Dip in rooting powder... or gel... or nothing... you can root clones with just ph'ed water.

The clones in place.. and used the 2nd tub as a humidity dome

In less the a week you should start seeing some root action

You may see some yellowing of the lower leaves, but that's ok.. Once they are yellow, simply trim them.. My theory is that the clones use the stored energy in the lower leaves to stay healthy while they make roots.

In less then 2 weeks your clones won't be clones.. they will be plants ready for transplant =]

Hope this helps anybody trying to start there own personal micro grow =]
peace/love
_________________
The BEST DIY EZ walmart carbon filter for MICRO grows Zen style
Micro ebb/flow (NOW DWC), all CFL ScrOG, perpetual Stealth locker

Click to expand...

So with that in mind... and the fact that I want the roots to grow and have room, I choose these tubes for my new tent...

4 plants per tray, 4 trays...

each tub is 9"w x 20"d x 15"h

and if my math is right... they each hold 11 US gal.

Damnit I have no reciept. Ima sell it to a friend that wants to do personal grow I guess? I'm gona use it for now, but there's plent space for dirt plants, aerogarden and another 4-5 site DIY bubbler.. The AG is kinda cool, I had the xtra $ so oh well .. Might as well make good use of the damn thing

That's a bad ass easy setup and WAY cheaper than 200. I'll definently have to do that... I moved things around a bit in there no the fan is hanging from roof.. Much more floor space.

cronicspade said:

Damnit I have no reciept. Ima sell it to a friend that wants to do personal grow I guess? I'm gona use it for now, but there's plent space for dirt plants, aerogarden and another 4-5 site DIY bubbler.. The AG is kinda cool, I had the xtra $ so oh well .. Might as well make good use of the damn thing

Click to expand...

I'm experimenting with the seed starter kit for the AG... it seems like a pretty good cloner... and with 72 sites, I should have no trouble keep a good supply of clones...

cronicspade said:

That's a bad ass easy setup and WAY cheaper than 200. I'll definently have to do that... I moved things around a bit in there no the fan is hanging from roof.. Much more floor space.

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Yup... it is bad ass... Zen's a cool guy...!

I have seen a BANANA TREE set up like this in a half barrel once...freaking 13 feet tall...!!! on water...

Cheers!!!

13ft plant on water is pretty gnarly... im interested to see how the soil and aero grow is going to look side by side --- i guess this will be an experiment to convince not only myself but im sure many other growers to go hydro..

and an update for any one following....

1 tootiefrooti plant already now a full grown sprout in the AG
3 headband sprouts also in the AG coming up reachin for light..

i have 2 tootiefrootie in soil, 2 headband in soil that recently sprouted, and 2 of unknown strain in soil as well

in total i have 4 plants in AG, and 6 in soil.. thts a good start for now.. i plan on taking clones from headband and rooting in DIY hydro setup like the pics you posted gypsy and moving into flowering room right before these little ones are finishing up...

quick question... damnit i forgot? uhhhhhhhh.. lol oh yea can i use pantyhose/stockings or whatever to seperate the roots of each plant in the AG?? Being as they are seed sprouts and non-feminized seeds- there is definently possibility of male plants in the AG and i dont want to kill me ladies! ARRR! (had to add that because my typo was cool and made me sound like a pirate!) haha sorry just a little baked..

thanks for being such a great help gypsy the grow is lookin great! maybe magnesium def. in two of the soil plants.. purple stems indicate mag. def. right? or is that common with seedlings?

cronicspade said:

can i use pantyhose/stockings or whatever to seperate the roots of each plant in the AG??

...maybe magnesium def. in two of the soil plants.. purple stems indicate mag. def. right? or is that common with seedlings?

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I have not tried every brand on the market, but in my experiments, the roots grew right through the pantyhose...

I did figure out that if you remove them from the AG once a week... they don't tangle too bad...

And even then, when I wanted to separate some other plants.... I managed to unravel the root ball without damage to either roots...

gotta be patient... one strand at a time... the longer you let it go the more difficult it will be....

My miniatures remained 100% free from each other the whole grow... I could get each individual plant out with no issues all the way to harvest...

As for deficiencies... I don't go there...

I feed my plants the same thing that has been working... if they get weak and die.. so be it... I do not chase brown spots, yellow leaves or any of that stuff...

You can go crazy and really throw things out of whack...

I feed them... they either thrive or die...

My 2 cents... and I know there's people here that would slap me for saying that... but...

Oh and I have purple stems too.... don't really know or care what causes them... DNA... cold.. deficiency.... like I said... I feed them... from there on, it's up to them ..

Best of Luck...

lol haha i think it is common with seedlings to have purple stems, but if i see its an ongoing issue i will water with a little bit of magnesium sulfate. as far as stockings fuck that idea.. like u said it wasnt problem through harvest so im not worried about it because i will cull males as soon as they show nuts...

thanks for your 2 cents its much appreciated

hey gypsy how you tell difference from males and females?
just joking, mocking the noobs who cant READ haha