Hello everyone, I'm new here & getting setup for my first grow. I have questions & need advice!

SoMe_EfFin_MasS_HoLe

Well-Known Member
Hello everyone,
I'm new here & new to growing in general.

I worked for a while at a farm that grew veggies, fruits & flowers. I also grew cannabis in college a few times. I grew in a closet with bagseed, soil from the yard, two t5' & just tap water. I didnt get super high yeilds but could not complain while in college & getting 9 oz' basically for free over 2 grows. Now with all of that being done & said I know nothing. What I have learned, I tossed out the window! I dont want any bad habits that's why I'm not counting any of that!

I've been researching journals, equipment, strains/breeders, fourms, books and anything & everything that pertains to cannabis cultivation for the past 19 months. There is alot of info out there, some good & others crap. I am also afraid of getting ripped off by not so honest companies! .

My budget is 800.00 not including beans. I have set aside 200.00 for gear. I'm also willing to go 900.00 at most on equipment.

It took me almost 18 months to decide on a tent alone! I ended up getting a original 2×4 Gorilla tent with the free hight extension kit a few weeks ago. I've seen it from 300 to 350.00 but ended up paying 214.00 for it. (I think I got a good deal?) I also finally purchased an in line fan the other day. I bought the 6" vortex s line. I've seen that fan go for 200 to 300.00. I got the fan for 119.00. (Thinking I got a deal on the fan too?)

Ive not decided on any other equipment as of yet!
I want to go led but can not afford anything besides an amazon light.
I'm thinking about a 600 watt hid kitt though. I can choose either a cooltube or hood. It also comes with a mh & hps bulb, light ropes & a timer. Regardless of hood or tube the price is 153.00.. now my issue with this is, I've read that cooltubes can be cooled better than a hood. I've also read that they dont offer as much intense light/deep penetration for the plants. I read somewhere that there is a bigger foot print as well as better lighting intensity/deeper penetration with a hood.

My issue with that really is the space. I'm not able to get the tent to 7'11" with the extension kit because of ceiling clearance. So I'm working with 2×4×6'11" I also loose about 2" in width because of support poles. The tube is 25" long & 6" round where as the hood is 19" long 17" wide & 8" tall.
I'm not really sure what to choose, I really want the hood if what I read is true. I'm just afraid of the width of the hood being so close to the front & back of the tent, that it will melt the tent and/or cause a fire. I loose that 2" because of the poles as I said. So if the hood is 17" & the tent is 24" wide that gives me 7" of space which would be 3.1/2" on either side of the hood front and back. Now I loose 2" so that leaves me with 2.1/2" inches of space front & back. Do I have enough space with the hood considering the 2" loss or do I have to worry about the tent melting & possibly burning down the house?

Also, am I crazy for wanting to go with 600watt hid, is it to much for my tent? I could go with a 400 watt, but if I plan on upgrading my space in the future ide like to go with the 600. I know I can get a 600 & dim it but, I would rather have that thing on full blast for yeild. I also live where the winters are cold & summers are hot and muggy.

I'm not worried about the summer heat on top of the heat from the 600 though. If I need another fan for the spring/summer I'll get one. I have central a.c. in my house so I'm not really worried about the heat in the summer! The winter is very cold where I am & I've got hardwood flooring which is extremely cold in the winter. (Old home) I plan on putting some insulation board under the tent to solve that problem. I'm also going to have my plants propped up off the floor of the tent.

So far I've spent 333.00 on my tent and fan. I've got about 470.00 left for equipment if I stay at the 800.00 budget I planned or about 570.00 if I up that to the 900.00 budget. I plan on growing with organic soil in fabric pots, doing sog or scrog due to space & because this is technically my first grow with equipment. I still need a light, filter, soil, testing pens, nutrients, clip on fans scrog net, ducting, fan speed controller, high cmf polls, ph up & down etc.

I'm really just seeking advice on lighting, type of soil, nutrients, speed controller & testing pens. As well as if i should go with the tube or the hood? Due to my space I would need two 600watt quivalent leds. anything that looked remotely decent for cheap leds on amazon are still about 150-200.00 bucks & they only draw about 130 watts from the wall if that. Plus I dont really trust most products from china! If I'm going to go led, I would like to have 600 actual watts power. That way I can give each square foot 75 actual watts. I'm never going to find an led light that for cheap though. That's why I'm thinking the hid route. That's what I can afford for now. plus from reading, there really is not much difference between hid or led just the cost of power & the light itself.

Aside from being cheap from china, i plan on buying the pots, net, clip on fans & what ever else I can skimp on through amazon.
I'm more worried about the light, soil, nutrients ph/edc, ppm pens, carbon filter & speed controller being of quality!

I look forward to hearing back from everyone with their thoughts! Think of this as a, you're buying everything for your self type of thing. if you were to start over. Thank you! I look forward to hearing from you all!
 

My Name is Mike

Well-Known Member
I got through a few sentences and skipped to the bottom. Too much reading for me.

There are a lot of these type threads. A lot of members here go through quite a bit of time sharing this info and typically the OP goes a different route. Here's my suggestion.

19 months is a long time to not have answers to what you're looking for. Typing key words in search will pull tons of threads covering everything you need with live reviews and actual feedback. 3 main criteria you shouldn't go cheap on if you want decent bud and need stealth. Exhaust fan, filter and lights. Everything else is 10 bucks here, 10 bucks there. Continue looking for deals and stop overthinking it. Good luck!
 

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
Does everything have to be from amazon?

The only LED I would buy that I know are available on amazon are quantum boards, you would want 260w or 320w kit.

If not on amazon then this
https://www.omegalight.net/product-page/300wx8

That's about the best value light for your 2x4 for the this type of lighting.
Your right to stay away from cheap ass amazon light, just stay away from blurple all together.
If the above is too expensive then go with HPS/MH , 600w is a bit ott but rather that than 400w.

I like cool tubes in a multi light situation as they connect better without airflow disturbance, but the foot print is reduced, it wouldn't make as much difference in a 2x4 though. But a hood would be better, its not going to get that hot since you will be cooling it constantly with airflow. Just make sure its a good hood. Try and find it available on sale on its own so you can check out reviews.
You want something fit for purpose.

You don't need a fancy PH or EC pen to start with, you can run with a cheap ph drop kit and upgrade down the road. Just don't buy a cheap ph pen. They can work but also can be way off and your better not using one if it gives you poor ph reading.

Soil, I don't know much about, I use coco.
 

EvansInUK

Well-Known Member
Does everything have to be from amazon?

The only LED I would buy that I know are available on amazon are quantum boards, you would want 260w or 320w kit.

Hey Corey are you up on your LED info? I would like some help, I'm not going with cmh or mh for veg now just led.

If not on amazon then this
https://www.omegalight.net/product-page/300wx8

That's about the best value light for your 2x4 for the this type of lighting.
Your right to stay away from cheap ass amazon light, just stay away from blurple all together.
If the above is too expensive then go with HPS/MH , 600w is a bit ott but rather that than 400w.

I like cool tubes in a multi light situation as they connect better without airflow disturbance, but the foot print is reduced, it wouldn't make as much difference in a 2x4 though. But a hood would be better, its not going to get that hot since you will be cooling it constantly with airflow. Just make sure its a good hood. Try and find it available on sale on its own so you can check out reviews.
You want something fit for purpose.

You don't need a fancy PH or EC pen to start with, you can run with a cheap ph drop kit and upgrade down the road. Just don't buy a cheap ph pen. They can work but also can be way off and your better not using one if it gives you poor ph reading.

Soil, I don't know much about, I use coco.
 

SoMe_EfFin_MasS_HoLe

Well-Known Member
I got through a few sentences and skipped to the bottom. Too much reading for me.

There are a lot of these type threads. A lot of members here go through quite a bit of time sharing this info and typically the OP goes a different route. Here's my suggestion.

19 months is a long time to not have answers to what you're looking for. Typing key words in search will pull tons of threads covering everything you need with live reviews and actual feedback. 3 main criteria you shouldn't go cheap on if you want decent bud and need stealth. Exhaust fan, filter and lights. Everything else is 10 bucks here, 10 bucks there. Continue looking for deals and stop overthinking it. Good luck!

Lol I hear ya. It was alot to write nvm read. Thanks for your insight it's much appreciated! I have a tendency to over think things especially if its something new. I agree with you about people giving advice & the op not taking it. I see it alot on many different sites. I'm not the type. If someone gives me advice especially if its something they know alot about, I will definitely follow the advice! 19 months is a long time. I noticed when going through fourms that people bash a specific brand because they are a competitor or a disgruntled buyer. That's why it's taken so long, I'm afraid to get ripped off or spend a bunch of money on a crap product. However like you said, spend the most money on a light, fan & filter & that's what I've done & will do. The other stuff I'm not really worried about!
 

SoMe_EfFin_MasS_HoLe

Well-Known Member
Does everything have to be from amazon?

No, no. Nothing has to be from amazon at all! I'm actually trying to stay clear of that site. I would rather give my money to a reputable site. The only issue with that is, I found fabric pots on one site for 30.00. They are 5 gallon pots in a 5 pack. I found the same pots on amazon for 10.00. The extra 20 wont kill me but I would rather save that extra 20 & put it towards a better light, beans or a filter. That extra 20 bucks adds up especially when it's a savings on multiple products. 30 for pots 30 for this 30 for that. then I go on amazon and those products are 10, 10, 10. I save 60 bucks that I can put towards something else. If that makes sense?

I have been checking out those led light' for over a month now actually. I'm not able to afford them at the moment though. From what I read & correct me if I'm wrong but, you need 32 actual watts of led for every square foot? My tent is 8 foot square so I would need something like 258 actual watts. I would need to go with their 320 watt light I'm assuming? Technically if what I read is true, I could possibly get away with the 260 kit? The thing with that is my tent is not square, it's a rectangle! Which makes it hard to get away with one led light, from what I read anyway. I could be wrong about that. I'm just going by what others have said.

I will definitely follow your advice & just get a cheap ph kit. Is there a specific one you would recommend?

I'm sorry to ask you to repeat yourself. I dont understand what you ment by saying, (a 600w is a bit ott but rather that than 400w.)

Thanks for writing me, especially past 2 a.m.!
 

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
OTT = over the top, a bit excessive! :bigjoint: Due to the nature of HPS and the reflectors they give a more square footprint, a 400w covers about 3x3 and a 600w is a lot in a 3x3 but will cover 4x4, you have a 2x4 so I would rather the extra power to get awesome coverage all across your tent. But tents are very reflective so it makes very little difference.

Yeah you said your tent is 2x4 ft, so those 260w kits or that omega light I linked are perfect for that shape and space. The omega is cheaper($229), I think its built slightly more toward been cost efficient. The dudes company is new, but he's a long time member on here and is well qualified in the electrical field. Quantum boards or at least the v1 boards use the same diodes, but are a bit more efficient, very popular so more expensive. I use the v1 boards, I bought them when they came out and the price was like $285 for the 260w kit back then.

Anyhow, enough of that, im starting to sound like a salesman.

As far as cheap ph kits go, there are various ones, some have a wide range on the colour chart, they might go from like ph4-ph8, they are usable but there are ones which range from 5-7 and are a bit more accurate. That's what I would look for. Should be a few dollars to buy and will last a while.

Oh its was like 8am when I wrote, im in the UK bongsmilie

If you have any other questions feel free to give me a shout.
 

SoMe_EfFin_MasS_HoLe

Well-Known Member
OTT = over the top, a bit excessive! :bigjoint: Due to the nature of HPS and the reflectors they give a more square footprint, a 400w covers about 3x3 and a 600w is a lot in a 3x3 but will cover 4x4, you have a 2x4 so I would rather the extra power to get awesome coverage all across your tent. But tents are very reflective so it makes very little difference.

Yeah you said your tent is 2x4 ft, so those 260w kits or that omega light I linked are perfect for that shape and space. The omega is cheaper($229), I think its built slightly more toward been cost efficient. The dudes company is new, but he's a long time member on here and is well qualified in the electrical field. Quantum boards or at least the v1 boards use the same diodes, but are a bit more efficient, very popular so more expensive. I use the v1 boards, I bought them when they came out and the price was like $285 for the 260w kit back then.

Anyhow, enough of that, im starting to sound like a salesman.

As far as cheap ph kits go, there are various ones, some have a wide range on the colour chart, they might go from like ph4-ph8, they are usable but there are ones which range from 5-7 and are a bit more accurate. That's what I would look for. Should be a few dollars to buy and will last a while.

Oh its was like 8am when I wrote, im in the UK bongsmilie

If you have any other questions feel free to give me a shout.

Those prices are not bad at all, they are still a bit out of my price range at the moment. I'm sure I can figure something out to afford them right off the bat:hump:.. If for whatever reason it does not work out. I think I'll go with the 600 watt ballast kit. I know you said it's a bit much but I plan to upgrade in the future & would hate to have to buy another kit. Unless its led, then I'll just use em both. Although the ballast I was checking out can be dialed down to a 400 or 250 watt.

Yes I saw that the person who makes those led kits is a member here. That's how I found out about them. The other ones I think I found here as well a few months ago, it could have been another site. I'm not sure, I've been through alot of literature over the past 19 months lol.
You didn't come off as a salesman to me! Actually think it's cool you know about him & his product. I would rather support the small dude than a huge store!

Haahaa ott. Dont mind me, I'm one concussion short of being a certain kind of special! Lol thanks for explaining though!

I will definitely go that route with the ph kit. I had an idea of what they like as far as numbers. I did not know that there are kits that tested that low, have not really checked them out. Just those damn pens that are expensive.

Well my brother from across the pond. I appreciate the time & advice you have given me, I will definitely use it! I will probably have more questions & will take you up on your offer for help! Once I get everything set up & start my grow. I'm going to do a journal, would be nice to have your thoughts & criticism there.

Thanks again!
 

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
Those prices are not bad at all, they are still a bit out of my price range at the moment. I'm sure I can figure something out to afford them right off the bat:hump:.. If for whatever reason it does not work out. I think I'll go with the 600 watt ballast kit. I know you said it's a bit much but I plan to upgrade in the future & would hate to have to buy another kit. Unless its led, then I'll just use em both. Although the ballast I was checking out can be dialed down to a 400 or 250 watt.

Yes I saw that the person who makes those led kits is a member here. That's how I found out about them. The other ones I think I found here as well a few months ago, it could have been another site. I'm not sure, I've been through alot of literature over the past 19 months lol.
You didn't come off as a salesman to me! Actually think it's cool you know about him & his product. I would rather support the small dude than a huge store!

Haahaa ott. Dont mind me, I'm one concussion short of being a certain kind of special! Lol thanks for explaining though!

I will definitely go that route with the ph kit. I had an idea of what they like as far as numbers. I did not know that there are kits that tested that low, have not really checked them out. Just those damn pens that are expensive.

Well my brother from across the pond. I appreciate the time & advice you have given me, I will definitely use it! I will probably have more questions & will take you up on your offer for help! Once I get everything set up & start my grow. I'm going to do a journal, would be nice to have your thoughts & criticism there.

Thanks again!
You won't be sorry going with the 600. You would be with a POS blurple come harvest.
 

Michael Huntherz

Well-Known Member
Hello everyone,
I'm new here & new to growing in general.

I worked for a while at a farm that grew veggies, fruits & flowers. I also grew cannabis in college a few times. I grew in a closet with bagseed, soil from the yard, two t5' & just tap water. I didnt get super high yeilds but could not complain while in college & getting 9 oz' basically for free over 2 grows. Now with all of that being done & said I know nothing. What I have learned, I tossed out the window! I dont want any bad habits that's why I'm not counting any of that!

I've been researching journals, equipment, strains/breeders, fourms, books and anything & everything that pertains to cannabis cultivation for the past 19 months. There is alot of info out there, some good & others crap. I am also afraid of getting ripped off by not so honest companies! .

My budget is 800.00 not including beans. I have set aside 200.00 for gear. I'm also willing to go 900.00 at most on equipment.

It took me almost 18 months to decide on a tent alone! I ended up getting a original 2×4 Gorilla tent with the free hight extension kit a few weeks ago. I've seen it from 300 to 350.00 but ended up paying 214.00 for it. (I think I got a good deal?) I also finally purchased an in line fan the other day. I bought the 6" vortex s line. I've seen that fan go for 200 to 300.00. I got the fan for 119.00. (Thinking I got a deal on the fan too?)

Ive not decided on any other equipment as of yet!
I want to go led but can not afford anything besides an amazon light.
I'm thinking about a 600 watt hid kitt though. I can choose either a cooltube or hood. It also comes with a mh & hps bulb, light ropes & a timer. Regardless of hood or tube the price is 153.00.. now my issue with this is, I've read that cooltubes can be cooled better than a hood. I've also read that they dont offer as much intense light/deep penetration for the plants. I read somewhere that there is a bigger foot print as well as better lighting intensity/deeper penetration with a hood.

My issue with that really is the space. I'm not able to get the tent to 7'11" with the extension kit because of ceiling clearance. So I'm working with 2×4×6'11" I also loose about 2" in width because of support poles. The tube is 25" long & 6" round where as the hood is 19" long 17" wide & 8" tall.
I'm not really sure what to choose, I really want the hood if what I read is true. I'm just afraid of the width of the hood being so close to the front & back of the tent, that it will melt the tent and/or cause a fire. I loose that 2" because of the poles as I said. So if the hood is 17" & the tent is 24" wide that gives me 7" of space which would be 3.1/2" on either side of the hood front and back. Now I loose 2" so that leaves me with 2.1/2" inches of space front & back. Do I have enough space with the hood considering the 2" loss or do I have to worry about the tent melting & possibly burning down the house?

Also, am I crazy for wanting to go with 600watt hid, is it to much for my tent? I could go with a 400 watt, but if I plan on upgrading my space in the future ide like to go with the 600. I know I can get a 600 & dim it but, I would rather have that thing on full blast for yeild. I also live where the winters are cold & summers are hot and muggy.

I'm not worried about the summer heat on top of the heat from the 600 though. If I need another fan for the spring/summer I'll get one. I have central a.c. in my house so I'm not really worried about the heat in the summer! The winter is very cold where I am & I've got hardwood flooring which is extremely cold in the winter. (Old home) I plan on putting some insulation board under the tent to solve that problem. I'm also going to have my plants propped up off the floor of the tent.

So far I've spent 333.00 on my tent and fan. I've got about 470.00 left for equipment if I stay at the 800.00 budget I planned or about 570.00 if I up that to the 900.00 budget. I plan on growing with organic soil in fabric pots, doing sog or scrog due to space & because this is technically my first grow with equipment. I still need a light, filter, soil, testing pens, nutrients, clip on fans scrog net, ducting, fan speed controller, high cmf polls, ph up & down etc.

I'm really just seeking advice on lighting, type of soil, nutrients, speed controller & testing pens. As well as if i should go with the tube or the hood? Due to my space I would need two 600watt quivalent leds. anything that looked remotely decent for cheap leds on amazon are still about 150-200.00 bucks & they only draw about 130 watts from the wall if that. Plus I dont really trust most products from china! If I'm going to go led, I would like to have 600 actual watts power. That way I can give each square foot 75 actual watts. I'm never going to find an led light that for cheap though. That's why I'm thinking the hid route. That's what I can afford for now. plus from reading, there really is not much difference between hid or led just the cost of power & the light itself.

Aside from being cheap from china, i plan on buying the pots, net, clip on fans & what ever else I can skimp on through amazon.
I'm more worried about the light, soil, nutrients ph/edc, ppm pens, carbon filter & speed controller being of quality!

I look forward to hearing back from everyone with their thoughts! Think of this as a, you're buying everything for your self type of thing. if you were to start over. Thank you! I look forward to hearing from you all!
Overthinking it. Fuck your budget, get what you need. Better HPS than blurple, if you really need to stick to your budget, HPS is the way to go. The height extension may make it possible to run a 600 in there, if your ventilation is good, with little to no trouble.
 
Last edited:

SoMe_EfFin_MasS_HoLe

Well-Known Member
Overthinking it. Fuck your budget, get what you need. Better HPS than blurple, if you really need to stick to your budget, HPS is the way to go. The height extension may make it possible to run a 600 in there, if your ventilation is good, with little to no trouble.
Fuck it is right! I'm done overthinking it. Fuck the budget too. At this point if the ladie has to eat easy mac for the next 2 months so I can buy what I want, then that's what shes gonna do! If she doesn't like it then she can go find someone new, it will be cheaper for me in the long run any way. She can find someone to feed her lobster tails or she can have easy mac & bud. I'm going with 600w hps & that's that! I should be fine with temps. I got 2 vortex s lines 347 cmf. One for intake & one for exhaust. They are extremely quiet! Thanks for the encouragement!
 

SoMe_EfFin_MasS_HoLe

Well-Known Member
You won't be sorry going with the 600. You would be with a POS blurple come harvest.
Yeah I'm all set with blurple plants. I just ordered a 600w dimable ballast & a cool hood. Its actually a whole kit with mh & hps bulbs. The warranty is 3 years for the ballast and 1 year for both bulbs & hood. While it's not the best there is it's a start and it's under 200.00 bucks.
 

SoMe_EfFin_MasS_HoLe

Well-Known Member
I grow in soil, Fox Farm Ocean Forest is good for a first time grower, I still use it but amend it with down to earth products.
That's what I'm going with. I've also got a 20 gallon compost barrel that I've been running for 2 months now. Is ff the type of soil I can mix with what I've made & run it again? Also, What kind of pots are you in? I would like to do fabric pots as they seem more forgiving. I'm not sure if I should go with 3 gallon or 5 gallon though.
 

SoMe_EfFin_MasS_HoLe

Well-Known Member
Hey guys, there is a new person who's looking for some guidance as well. I told him I would post on here to see if anyone could help him out. He go' by Merica_Mike. He seems to be a bit like my self in regards to growing a few times many years ago but still lacking some knowledge & confidence. If you folks could give him a shout that would be awesome.

I've also ordered just about everything else I need on Friday, except for soil & a few other minor things! I should have everything by mid next week as I had to wait for a few things on back order. I will be finalizing my bean selection by tomorrow & placing an order for said beans then. Anyone have any info on seedbanks they like or have a preference over. I'm going to order a couple things from Gorilla for my self but a friend of mine is looking for something they do not carry. So any help with other banks would be appreciated. I have read a few posts on some banks but the dont seem to deliver to the states. I've also googled some banks but I keep getting the same banks I've already looked over!

My plan once I get everything is to set it up step by step with pictures & post them in a new thread. That way I could possibly help other new people with a visual on step by step instructions. I'm also doing this for my self as a kind of blog.

Hope you all had an awesome weekend!
Thanks in advance for all of your recommendations!
 

SoMe_EfFin_MasS_HoLe

Well-Known Member
Ok, so this is the setup I'm working with. Let me know if its overkill or if there is anything I should add or take away. Or just let me know what you think.

2×4×7'11" Gorilla grow tent.

Six elevated pot saucer' with air holes

2 Vortex sline 6" 347cmf inline fans

600 watt yeild lab dial a watt ballast

Yeild lab cool hood with 6" flanges

Yeild lab HPS & MH bulbs

Six 5 gallon fabric pots

6"×18" carbon filter with reversible flange.

Digital Tds Ec pen

Digital Ph pen

2×4 Gorilla trellis net

2×4 Gorilla high cmf kit

Two 6" clip on fans

Digital cooling thermostat

Hygrometer

Roots organic nutrient' (starter pack)

6"×25' black heavy duty flexi duckting

Soil ph/temperature/light meter


I still need soil, beans, ph up & down, trimming sheers and whatever else you guys recommend!

I hope everyone has been well and as always, I appreciate you guys helping me out!
 
Top