hydroponic grow tent startup cost is mind boggling!!

Hello everyone,

First time grower and a long time lurker. My total for a grow tent is coming out to be well above $400.00

Grow Tent
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http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hydroponic-Grow-Room-Cloning-Propagation-Cutting-Small-Tent-50x50x100cm-/390625464345?pt=UK_HomeGarden_Garden_PlantsSeedsBulbs_JN&var=&hash=item5af3179019

19"x19"x39" with two ducts open for ventilation - $62

Lights
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http://www.ebay.com/itm/250w-Dimmable-Ballast-6-Air-Cool-Tube-Reflector-250-Watt-HPS-MH-Grow-Light-Kit-/380648277302?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58a067c536 - $150

* comes with hanger, cooltube reflector, timer

Nutes
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Fox Farm Trio 32oz - $46
Fox Farm Solubles 50g - $22
Fox Farm Kangaroots 1oz - $5
Fox Farm Micro Brew 1oz- $5
Fox Farm Sledgehammer - $5

Buckets
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Bubble Boy single shot 3.5 gallon system - $30
Extra 3.5 gallon bucket - $14

Meters
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HM Digital HydroTester EC/TDS, Temperature, ppm - $40
Hanna HI 99104 Digital pH - $37

Odor Control
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2 x Exo Terra natural lightION CFL 15w - $20 (total: 2x9.95)
Ona pro gel - $20

Misc
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ph Up/Down - $22.75
rockwool 12pk (1" x 1") - $6
1 x whisper fan - $20
1 x power surge - $10
1 x cfl socket - $8
1 x cfl splitter - $4

weeks of saving will begin promptly ... I just got the seeds from Attitude today in some sweet Dank Runnin t-shirt

kami89 said:

My total for a grow tent is coming out to be well above $400.00

Click to expand...

Sounds about right for a small low-budget start, but I'm missing an exhaust or at least some fans - it won't ventilate itself.

How long did it take for your seeds to arrive once ordered?

Sativied said:

Sounds about right for a small low-budget start, but I'm missing an exhaust or at least some fans - it won't ventilate itself.

Click to expand...

On eBay looking for a decent computer fan to blow air quietly from the top and for the bottom one another small fan to bring in fresh air. Hopefully that should do it and keep the temperature between 75-80 inside the tent.

CaptainCAVEMAN said:

How long did it take for your seeds to arrive once ordered?

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I ordered on August 6th with stealth shipping to NY.

Thanks for sharing. Your list looks well thought out, you should do well. Good luck grower. +rep

I got all my parts cheap... Craigslist my dude!!

For the computer fans. Those I get super cheap. Try looking for a electronic recycling biz. Or look around behind company garbages. I used to work for one so I got them free.

My investment passed the $700 mark. Way more than I wanted to spend even though I DIY-ed as much as was possible. I had to rebuy a light set because I failed to get quality shit the 1st time. It doesnt save you $ trying to get cheapo equipment on a shoestring. Its better to wait & save up until you can afford decent quality stuff. I've also learned that many online reviews are bs too. Take the time to find out what the real growers use & save your dough. All this will be worth it soon enough.

kami89 said:

On eBay looking for a decent computer fan to blow air quietly from the top and for the bottom one another small fan to bring in fresh air. Hopefully that should do it and keep the temperature between 75-80 inside the tent.

Click to expand...

Invest in a proper inline fan. A 4 or 6 inch inline will give you what you need...proper air flow.

Actually sounds fairly cheap to me. I know people who invest much more than that just starting out.

Certainly agree that a fan or two or three is necessary. I run a 6inch fan out. 4inch fan in. That's as much air as lots of folks run to their entire rooms I have a small 2ft x 4ft tent and it can still get too hot in there when weather is super hot. Good air circulation will mean you never get certain errors and problems..... ie. powdery mildew, bud rot, heat issues.

Keep the light close, get an oscillating fan to move all the air around...... Your pot system is capable of growing a real tree!

Good luck buddy!

That's it?!



Sorry, I had to.

It is expensive... if I were going to set up a DIY DWC tent for someone I would tell them to expect to spend $1,000 for the upfront investment. You can do it quite a bit cheaper if stealth is not an issue and you are able to just leave the grow room door open during lights on. Also, I don't see air pump on your list unless it's that bubble bucket boy thing or a plan to keep your water below 70*. You are not accounting for about $100 - $200 of small misc shit like duct tape, power strips, extension cords, timers, hangers/rope/chain/bungees, dry wall anchors, screws, washers, panda film (or something for light proofing), etc etc. Don't sweat it too much though and just start growing, cuz not many people have a grand to start up with and you can start with some ghetto shit and pull decent weight.

IMO this sector price gouging is rampant with that being said 400 is cheap def shop around and the hardware store is your best friend for basics.

I remember the days when it was much harder to start out, much more costly, but that was in the old days... oh well, things change, 400$ is a very cheap investment for a grow op that will yield if done right, like 5oz every 2-3 months, not bad... my advice, invest more, you can start with that list, look into what you will need and buy it, an best investment is seeds. if you manage to get big juicy buds, and humidity is high, get a dehumidifier. good luck

kami89 said:

First time grower and a long time lurker. My total for a grow tent is coming out to be well above $400.00

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Nice! do you know where I can get a grow tent using bitcoins?

I recommend you go through my BS LED thread

2 x 4 x 5 tent $100
4 outlet 35 lpm air pump $~30
+ 4 quality air stones ~ $15
oscillating fan ~ $20
2 buckets from Dollar Store- $2.00
Hydroponic-Research VEG+BLOOM @$19.99/pound, which lasts ~ 2 grows

Misc- 2 timers, power strip, net pots, etc ~ $100

That leaves ~ $200 for lights.

I bought 4 x 4ft ~ 20w led tubes @$35 + 2 x 2 bulb (or one 4 or one 6-8 bulb) @ ~ $20= ~ $200. I supplement with ~ $50 worth of led globes

Harvesting in ~ 5 days. Only 2 plants, next grow will have 3 in there. Probably get 1+oz dried @$15/gm= $420. The hardware is virtually paid for after first harvest, and should last many many years

For me $400 covered, the ballast, HPS, and T5.

I also went for quality products that have good reputations as these rooms have the potential to burn down your entire home.

kami89 said:

Hello everyone,

First time grower....
weeks of saving will begin promptly ... I just got the seeds from Attitude today in some sweet Dank Runnin t-shirt

Click to expand...

Do yourself a favor, and resist the temptation of sprouting your seeds before everything is 110% ready. Run your lights/ventilation for 3 days with no plants inside to make sure everything is how it should be. Unfortunately I know this from experience; My loss is your gain.

So far in planning mode for me and its already reaching 1500 bucks for me. I'm also getting things to last long so you get what you pay for.