Grow cab with 400W HPS Too Much

hello everyone....this is my first post and I'm in need of advice...im looking to buy the Aeroponics Stealth Grow Closet from pcgrowcase.com.... I'm looking to get a 400w HPS and MH Bulbs with 400w Ballast...Im looking to grow 4-6 plants at a time....This will be my first grow and plants will be grown aeroponically...The unit itself is 36"Hx18"Dx26"W. My questions I want to ask is do you believe I will have enough room to grow 4-6 plants at a time...also is the 400w lighting setup a bit over kill? My next grow I will look to grow 8 plants but on the first go around I'm looking to do 4-6. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
It CAN be done...Mine is 18x36x72. The 400 watt'r takes up the lower area (18x36x50) while the upper has a T5 setup. An inline 170 cfm takes care of the exhausting duties. Unit is designed as mainly utilizing passive intakes. The lower cab has a Baby Bloomer Ebb & Flow which fits perfect. I did recently do some major overhauling with how the air moves through the cabinet. I do use a 1/15 hp chiller for the reservoir cooling duties, and enables me to keep an nice, even 68 deg in the reservoir. Without it, by the end of an 18 hr day the reservoir would be in excess of 84 deg. Something to think about. bongsmilie

 

10jed

Active Member
I was looking to work my way up to grow many plants at once but for my first go round I wanted to grow about 4-6 plants...I am highly interested in having a perpetual cycle...cause this being my first grow I'm excited so I'm going to be checking daily anyway (really every constant few hours lol :) ) But I also read plants grown hydroponically taste better and are more potent, idk how much truth is in that. My real thing is with the constant clones and vegg'n I'm going to have two different plant setups in one box basically? And I'm looking to grow some sativas but I'm going to go heavy on the autoflower strains. I am going to be using the electricity from my house so I want to be as inconspicuous as possible...I want to be stealthy but I want a tall enough unit that I can harvest a nice quality crop.

I haven't compared personally but most of what I read says that the best tasting and most potent weed is organic. Hydroponics are known to produce bigger yields and a little quicker turnover. I don't know that I would ever tell the difference other than visually the stems are smaller based on what I have had and known to be da dro.

As for autoflowers, I would read up on them. There really isn't any need to do an autoflower plant indoors. they aren't better in any way. Outdoors, to pull extra crops per year or to harvest before typical harvest dates and avoid detection/frost, it makes sense but indoors no. You can't clone them so only from seed and the quality and growth charactoristics will vary. The ruderalis plant (the genectical cross that makes them autoflower) is impotent hemp so you aren't getting top quality, and it is super easy to keep a normal plant very low. My one experience with AF's was a friend who grew one. He harvested a whopping 2 grams off that plant! He found out later that the height of the plant is proportional to the depth of the pot. I am no expert on them, but do some research... I have no interest so I've only looked a bit.

If you are looking for a test run you could always do a rubbermade growbox. They aren't overly stealthy but if you could stick it in a closet and hide it it may suit your needs. Plenty of people pulling quality our of simple rubbermade setups.

Doing a full op in a box with clones, moms, veg, and flower is a little tricky. You have to keep the flower area light proofed from the outside of the box as well as the other chambers. You also have to vent the chambers independently or use a system of dampers to adjust flow from different areas. Certainly doable though, and fairly common. I don't see any like that on ebay!

A propper built box costs some dough. I am in the process of designing one for a friend and for a 4.5' x 3' x 1.5' box that is set up for a 220w PL-L scrog, a drying area, a 27w mom/clone area, and an 80w veg area, my cost to build it out of plywood that he already has is about $500. If I was going to build something like that to sell, it would be 2-3x that. When I see the boxes on ebay for $1500, I'm not surprised and that seems like pretty good value to me if they actually work and are stealth. The ones I see available are not perpetual but set up to veg and flower in the same box. If you pull a fatty plant out at the end though, that is all good except for the 4 months you wait on the first crop! If you are looking to produce enough for more than yourself, skip the boxes and do a room. Boxes are mostly for personal use grows. Well... I'm sure it's done.

Jed
 
4 - 6 plants in a pc grow case!?!? I wouldn't even consider more than 2. As far as the light goes, I would go with a 175w hps/mh. 250w MAX. Those things are designed for CFL grows. You better have some killer exhaust.
 

10jed

Active Member
It CAN be done...Mine is 18x36x72. The 400 watt'r takes up the lower area (18x36x50) while the upper has a T5 setup. An inline 170 cfm takes care of the exhausting duties. Unit is designed as mainly utilizing passive intakes. The lower cab has a Baby Bloomer Ebb & Flow which fits perfect. I did recently do some major overhauling with how the air moves through the cabinet. I do use a 1/15 hp chiller for the reservoir cooling duties, and enables me to keep an nice, even 68 deg in the reservoir. Without it, by the end of an 18 hr day the reservoir would be in excess of 84 deg. Something to think about. bongsmilie

Nice setup Mr. P! What all are we looking at here? 170 cfm on the hood? Is that a water cooled hood wrap thingy or is that just to keep the heat from escaping into the cab? Whats with the little pc fan on the back? does that go to a carbon filter. how big is the chiller (size of the unit) and does it just chill the res? I assume that is external. Does a chilled res cool the interior of the cabinet? What does the chiller cost? What is a typical pull from that setup?

Jed
 

420 swede

Active Member
in my opinion:
Go with soil, good vented 250w setup @ cooltube.
Construct the perfect sized growbox that can fit in the space u got, u will easily land under 70$ and thats with all the wood, paint, screws and mylar included. The u can allso design exactly where and how big u want your vent holes, when u are done just seal the entire thing, paint in a descreat color and stick mylar to the inside walls and its done. Allso use the LST method on the plants to save space. This is what im gonna do atleast. Good luck!
 
in my opinion:
Go with soil, good vented 250w setup @ cooltube.
Construct the perfect sized growbox that can fit in the space u got, u will easily land under 70$ and thats with all the wood, paint, screws and mylar included. The u can allso design exactly where and how big u want your vent holes, when u are done just seal the entire thing, paint in a descreat color and stick mylar to the inside walls and its done. Allso use the LST method on the plants to save space. This is what im gonna do atleast. Good luck!
I agree. Those pc stealth boxes are mad expensive. LST grows are perfect for small spaces, I've seen people pull well over an ounce off a less than 2 ft plant.
 
Nice setup Mr. P! What all are we looking at here? 170 cfm on the hood? Is that a water cooled hood wrap thingy or is that just to keep the heat from escaping into the cab? Whats with the little pc fan on the back? does that go to a carbon filter. how big is the chiller (size of the unit) and does it just chill the res? I assume that is external. Does a chilled res cool the interior of the cabinet? What does the chiller cost? What is a typical pull from that setup?

Jed
Thanks for the kind words! Here is a link to the latest mod.

https://www.rollitup.org/members/misterpeabody-224232/albums/album-has-pics-my-most-recent-cabinet-upgrade-11373/

The hood is a Super Sun ll air cooled w/glass and blanket. The unit would be considered a downflow. The PC Fan in the back simply draws outside air in, directly over the plant canopy. Air is drawn from the bottom of the cab. Carbon filter and vortec fan located in crawlspace. The cool stuff you cant see, is in how air is distributed throughout the cab. It's taken 2 grows to figure this problem child out, and it does indeed work. It was so bad, i had considered LED. We'll see how this one goes. Just started #3. The chiller is located next to cab, also under lock and key. It is a 1/15hp and they are maybe 350-400 bucks. Peace!:eyesmoke:
 

10jed

Active Member
Thanks for the kind words! Here is a link to the latest mod.

https://www.rollitup.org/members/misterpeabody-224232/albums/album-has-pics-my-most-recent-cabinet-upgrade-11373/

The hood is a Super Sun ll air cooled w/glass and blanket. The unit would be considered a downflow. The PC Fan in the back simply draws outside air in, directly over the plant canopy. Air is drawn from the bottom of the cab. Carbon filter and vortec fan located in crawlspace. The cool stuff you cant see, is in how air is distributed throughout the cab. It's taken 2 grows to figure this problem child out, and it does indeed work. It was so bad, i had considered LED. We'll see how this one goes. Just started #3. The chiller is located next to cab, also under lock and key. It is a 1/15hp and they are maybe 350-400 bucks. Peace!:eyesmoke:
Dude your nuts! That is one crazy set up! I never even seen a chiller. Cool little gizmo. I like how you anotated the pics so people can understand. What was the dry weight from the previous run and what is your goal?

Jed
 
Dude your nuts! That is one crazy set up! I never even seen a chiller. Cool little gizmo. I like how you anotated the pics so people can understand. What was the dry weight from the previous run and what is your goal?

Jed
The last grow netted me a little over 1/4 lb dry bud followed by a sack of water leave. I made cannabutter (2 lbs) with the excess leaves. This time, I'll make hash. I'm hoping this time to push the envelope and get 1/2 lb this run. This time, I shouldn't be fighting the heat stress related problems of the last two grows. :clap::weed:
 

10jed

Active Member
The last grow netted me a little over 1/4 lb dry bud followed by a sack of water leave. I made cannabutter (2 lbs) with the excess leaves. This time, I'll make hash. I'm hoping this time to push the envelope and get 1/2 lb this run. This time, I shouldn't be fighting the heat stress related problems of the last two grows. :clap::weed:
Good job Mr. P. thats a respectable pull!

jed
 

Datakeova420

Active Member
I appreciate the kind words...It seems like I am going to have to shell out alit of cash...any suggestion for good perpetual boxes?
 

Datakeova420

Active Member
It CAN be done...Mine is 18x36x72. The 400 watt'r takes up the lower area (18x36x50) while the upper has a T5 setup. An inline 170 cfm takes care of the exhausting duties. Unit is designed as mainly utilizing passive intakes. The lower cab has a Baby Bloomer Ebb & Flow which fits perfect. I did recently do some major overhauling with how the air moves through the cabinet. I do use a 1/15 hp chiller for the reservoir cooling duties, and enables me to keep an nice, even 68 deg in the reservoir. Without it, by the end of an 18 hr day the reservoir would be in excess of 84 deg. Something to think about. bongsmilie

 
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