Setting Up My New Grow Tent (NEED HELP!!!)

Kandy2Timez

Member
Setting Up My New Grow Tent (NEED HELP!!!)
So Far This Is What I Have For My First Grow...(Everything Ordered From Amazon)

Grow Tent 32"x32"x60" Hydroponics Grow Tent 2.75'X2.75'X5' 100% Reflective Mylar

SE Electronic Stepless Speed Controller

iPower GLSETX600DHMAC6 600-Watt Light Digital Dimmable System for Plants - Air Cooled Hood Set

4" x 12" Hydroponics Inline Duct Fan & Scrubber Carbon Air Filter Combo Kit

What Am I Missing???
 

PersonalJesus

Active Member
not too shabby... Personally, I'd say grab a 6 inch clip on fan for one of the tent poles, just to make sure the air in the tent is constantly moving.
 

AliCakes

Well-Known Member
Long zip ties, soil and amendments, or nutes and hydro media, pots, seeds, a jewelers magnifying glass or microscope of some type, something to measure ph, a million little things. As you start your first set up, you will be back and forth to the store often. But it's fun. :D
 

Figong

Well-Known Member
agreed with Ali, something to measure pH as a bare minimum, based on the rest of your setup.. you may need a pH/EC/TDS combo meter
 

bseeds

Well-Known Member
i agree with most of it first you need good container you can buy cheap any wheres good soil and seeds then then a timer if go on 18/6 light cycle if not would not need right away, same with ocalating fan when plants are 4-6 inches tall you need not right away if got good soil will not need nutes till almost flowering time and for the others its nice but on a budget you can use any thing laying around to tie things up with if have the money no by all means get it now because you will need them shortly i just put the bare essents you need to get started in case your on a tight budget
 

Figong

Well-Known Member
i agree with most of it first you need good container you can buy cheap any wheres good soil and seeds then then a timer if go on 18/6 light cycle if not would not need right away, same with ocalating fan when plants are 4-6 inches tall you need not right away if got good soil will not need nutes till almost flowering time and for the others its nice but on a budget you can use any thing laying around to tie things up with if have the money no by all means get it now because you will need them shortly i just put the bare essents you need to get started in case your on a tight budget
NO NO NO.. do not just use 'any' soil you may have laying around. If you're new to horticulture/growing in general, and/or have never grown cannabis before.. you will have a harsh learning curve that may very well result in emergency transplant. Miracle Grow + cannabis growing for those who have never tried it, or know how to fix some of the related issues can quickly result in burn/death. Am not saying Miracle Grow can't be used, just that it's nowhere near a preferred medium to start learning to grow cannabis in.
 

viper2020cobra

Active Member
ph meter, (its nice to have a ppm meter in case of hydro) , good soil/medium, a timer , surge protectors , extension cords, nutrients, pots to plant it (beer cups work good for seeds) , the rest is nickle and dime crap but it adds up figure atleast another 200$
 

Figong

Well-Known Member
ph meter, (its nice to have a ppm meter in case of hydro) , good soil/medium, a timer , surge protectors , extension cords, nutrients, pots to plant it (beer cups work good for seeds) , the rest is nickle and dime crap but it adds up figure atleast another 200$
You bring up a good point.. depending on the location of the grow room.. I would also -highly recommend- you have the outlets GFCI - it can literally mean the difference between life and death, via electrocution and/or fire.
 

AliCakes

Well-Known Member
BTW, I use long zip ties on the set up - not the plant. Zip ties are way easier to use than dryer vent clamps when putting your venting together. They are great for securing your ballast, surge protector, and other things out of the way. Especially in a small tent, things get knocked around and it is great to have added protection on anything that needs to stay in place.

Although not 100% necessary I would recommend a set of these as well : http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-Compact-Rope-Ratchet-2-Pack/dp/B003LZB9VK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1362164409&sr=8-5&keywords=light+hanging+system

For 10-15 dollars, you can get a set of pulleys for any light. So much easier than chain, looking back I can hardly believe that I was lifting and lowering my plants instead of the light on my first grow. :)

And don't use Miracle Grow! If you take the time to use soil inside, go organic. The taste profile makes the extra work worth it. If you are going to use liquid nutes in soil, you might as well just use coco coir. Most liquid nutes are full of so many salts, they kill your soil's colonies anyways.
 

Kandy2Timez

Member
UPDATE:

First & Foremost Thank You All For Your Opinion & Suggestions!!!!

Added To My Inventory:

(5) 5 Gallon Buckets
Auto Flower Seeds From Herbies

Currently Waiting For:
Digital pH Meter Tester

Hydrofarm ACF16 16-Inch Active Air Wall Mount Fan

Fox Farm Ocean Forest Potting Soil 1.50 Cu.Ft.

Fox Farm FX14049 Liquid Nutrient Trio Soil Formula: Big Bloom, Grow Big, Tiger Bloom (Pack of 3 - 32 oz. bottles)

General Hydroponics GH1514 Ph Control Kit

Opinions?????


Also I Will Continue To Update Yall With My Progress...Wish Me Luck!!!
 

Kandy2Timez

Member
UPDATE:
So I Set Up My Tent Today I Chose My Basement...Kinda Cold But Hopefully My Light Fix That...

I Had Trouble Setting Up My Carbon Filter, IDK If It Was Because This Is My First Time...Tent Size...Oh Wait Yea This Product Didn't Come With Instructions So I Watched YouTube And Tried The Best I Could....Lots Of Pics So Please Look And Give Me Your Opinion!!!!
ALSO*** Are There Any Suggestions On How I Could Set Up My Tent Without It Being A Hassle Or Puzzle?

I Think I Wanna Get A Smaller Vent Tube, The One In The Picture Is 6" What Do Y'all Think?
 

Attachments

Figong

Well-Known Member
Good start, will take a bit to completely refine how it works and make it 'optimal' so you're not fighting with temp flux and other headaches that can affect the grow - independent of genetics/nutes/watering/etc.
 

Figong

Well-Known Member
Yea I definitely plan to learn a lot from this experience....thank you for your input
Oh you will, and definitely run a 24 hr period of checking every few hours re: room temps before you put plants in.. until you plan to add a thermometer/humidity setup that plots high/lows so you can tinker/plan accordingly, and not accidentally throw 80% humidity into the tent.
 

prosperian

Well-Known Member
UPDATE:
So I Set Up My Tent Today I Chose My Basement...Kinda Cold But Hopefully My Light Fix That...

I Had Trouble Setting Up My Carbon Filter, IDK If It Was Because This Is My First Time...Tent Size...Oh Wait Yea This Product Didn't Come With Instructions So I Watched YouTube And Tried The Best I Could....Lots Of Pics So Please Look And Give Me Your Opinion!!!!
ALSO*** Are There Any Suggestions On How I Could Set Up My Tent Without It Being A Hassle Or Puzzle?

I Think I Wanna Get A Smaller Vent Tube, The One In The Picture Is 6" What Do Y'all Think?
Hey nice job so far. I know it's a lot to get together and it is trial and error.

Did the carbon scrubber come with a sock? It's a prefilter to keep dust and junk from getting into the exhaust. Really won't need the scrubber on there until flowering unless your nutes or soil is stinky. Wrap it in a plastic bag sealed up tight until you need it. That will extend the life when not in use.

Pre-filter looks like this:

 

Kandy2Timez

Member
Last Night I Added My 600 Watt Light Along With My Electric Step less Speed Controller I Added That To My Carbon Filter Fan Setup So I Control The Fan Speed? Lol Is That What It's For? It Was Recommended To Me So I Got One... So Far Everything Works...I've Also Added Some Pics & A Video So Y'all Can Get A Better Understanding Umm Please Comment With Questions And Concerns And Suggestions...Thanks!


Also I Added A Plug In Timer And Its Set 18/6....
(6am-10pm)
For My Lights

http://youtu.be/EbJ-lpUeIsw?sc
 

Attachments

Kandy2Timez

Member
Kinda Confused On Your Pic (Prosperian) Guess I'm Tryna To Figure How You Wpuld Have It Set Up In Your Grow Tent....Also Yea I Took That Wrap Of My Filter Then Dropped It Quickly Learning Why I Should've Kept It On Lol....
 

prosperian

Well-Known Member
Don't use my pic for setup. It's a different config from yours. In my setup the scrubber is on the end of the exhaust yours is at the front. Keep it the way you have it.

I posted the pic so you could see the white pre-filter that goes on top of the shiny carbon scrubber to keep dirt from entering.
 

prosperian

Well-Known Member
.... Electric Step less Speed Controller I Added That To My Carbon Filter Fan Setup So I Control The Fan Speed? Lol Is That What It's For?
Also I Added A Plug In Timer And Its Set 18/6....
Good, you need that fan controller to dial in the speed and air exchange in your room. For example, my speed controller is set at 50%. In my setup, this provides enough air flow to keep my temps down, supply fresh oxygen to the room, reduce noise and electricity consumption.

Every room and setup is different, so you will have to play with the speed controller to find the best setting. Start at 100% on and work down until you find the sweet spot, ooooo, that sounded dirty.

The 24-hour timer is a good add-on for the money. The plants will get just the right amount of light and you never have remember to turn it on or off!

One more thing... the exhaust fan stays on 24-7. Don't turn it off while plants are in the room.

You are getting there!
 
Top