First Grow - Rubbermaid CFL with Nirvanas Aurora

Hey Everybody! This is my first post after being a long time reader. So please be gentle! Without further adieu here are the specs

Grow Box: Rubbermaids!
About 1.5'W X 3'H X 2.5L
6 CFL 23W 4-6500k and 2-2700k

I am using Fox Farms Ocean, which as you can see has caused a little bit of nute burn, but very negligable. The seeds are from Nirvana and are the Aurora Indicas. It popped after about 4 days and sprouted two days later. These picture are about 7 days above soil. I plan on LST to keep the height down as low as possible. I will be getting a thermometer/hygrometer within the next few days. I also have a PH tester for run off water, but I am waiting on the calibration kit. I am watering it with tap that has sat out for about 72 hours. Here are some pictures. I hope for the best in the future. Feel free to leave an suggestions or maybe just encouraging words

You could always pre-attach a screen on the top of the bottom tote and be scrog friendly. I just looked at your boxes and though I bet with a hobby knife and time and duct tape you could build 1 heck of a grow box...lol

The only problem I see with that wcrazy78, is that it will be hard to get to the bottom of the plant once it grows in. Like to trim and water. I was thinking of doing a screen that attached to the pot itself so I can take it out as one unit. Thank you for the feedback! I love the community here. Much better than some of the other forums ha.

Sorry about the long delay in a new update. I will be getting picture updates later this afternoon. I finally upgraded to one of those new fangled "smart" phones. I guess it can take pictures and such...now I will have no excuse not to post pictures! Thanks for all the views guys. Keep an eye for pictures later today. She has gotten nice and bushy!

Ok so here are the pictures! This is approx 14 days since it sprouted. I am going to start LST very soon. I am thinking I can keep it in the 8in pot which would be awesome. I have approximently 2 feet to the lights from the top of the pot, so height is the battle obviously. I am going to switch is to 12/12 also because of this.

Feel free to give advice or feedback. This is my first marry go round. It's been smooth so far thanks to RIU and all it's creative people ha. Enjoy!


P.S. - I am on my way out now to get a replacement lol, going to be slowly adding 42w bulbs. Grab one for the empty socket and one to replace on the opposite side diagonal.

Amendment - The second picture is today aprox 14 days, the picture before was from 2 days prior.

Ok so heres an update! I know it had been about a week. So I went on vacation for three days and left my grow to my lovely girlfriend. Well, I had just put in two new 42w cfls. Turns out the heat went buckwild all the way up to 106. Unfortunately, because of her schedule, there was nothing she could do about it for two days. They got some major heat stress and shriveled quite a bit. After a couple days without the bulbs and plenty of water they are on their way back to normal. At this point I have started LST. You can see in pictures some of the tips are still burnt though it's back to growing at full speed.

I have a more powerful fan on it's way that should be here today so that will help with the heat. I am also thinking about cutting the entire top of the box off and have the lights on a DIY ballast that can be raised and lowered. Heat has seemingly become an issue out of nowhere. I have been using frozen water bottles to keep the heat down as a temporary though. Well anyway, back to the board!
Burn one down.

UPDATE! Veg Day 23
Ok so my girl is doing quite well since the unforunate burning. I do have a question to anyone viewing. Do I need to induce any stretch from what you can tell in the pictures? I am starting flower in less than a week, so I know that it will stretch then too. Anyway enough of my blabber here are the updated pictured.

Feel free to post any thoughts or comments. I would love to hear from feedback!!! One Love.

Dense tight little bush, I don't see any stretchin'.

Btw how many cfm's is your exhaust fan? working on upgrading one of my old micro setups, and wondering of a 105cfm fan will do if it's inline with a carbon filter. Because as you are obviously learning heat builds QUICK in a micro grow. You may wish to consider a ghetto flow hood, and a temperature controller. The latter being more helpful, set it if the box hit's 90' shut off 3/4's of the lighting and keep the exhaust on until temps regulate. Third if your PLASTIC grow box can hit 106' degree's I really really really really really gotta recommend... http://www.greenerhydroponics.com/Flame-Defender-Extinguisher-2kg_p_78537.html Please dude don't burn your house down in the name of good herb... just sayin' be careful no disrespect I just am a bit of a safety advocate. $45 bucks for a 2KG which is more than enough for a closet sized area at most grow stores. Add another $30 for a GOOD smoke alarm that won't be affected by any errant humidity, make sure the floors and walls are lined properly to minimize damage from expelled flame deterrent liquid, bearing in mind if the fire got going pretty good it could have eliminated this lining but not always so it's always good to try. If you can see if your lining is fire grade 3 or better, it should melt but it in itself is inflammable at those grades and above if I remember correctly.

Well I just installed a 124cfm computer type fan by AC Infinity from amazon and it has pretty much solved the heat issue. I appreciate the feedback. I actually need to get a fire extinguisher for my apartment, but I don't know of the process to get one here in NYC. CFLs make way more heat that I thought they would. I would like to go to LEDs for my next go around, but it's running as smooth as it gets right now. They have a little calcium deficiency so I added pulverized eggshell to the soil. I will update pictures tonight for you. Hippy do you have pictured of your set-up? I'd love to see it.

124Cfm's does the trick huh? Good doesn't surprise me, my last micro grow I had to use a 150CFM fan but I had it rigged to push instead of pull so it had to work HARD.

I don't have any pic's at this moment, I am currently upgrading the ghettotastic-ness. (Haven't grown in years... back to my old setup.) I have a pair of hollowed out speaker boxes that are about 3 feet high and a old laundry hamper, I've used the speaker boxes for growing before but not with any flair this time I'll need to cover the smell to an absolute extent. And I am looking to get the most harvest I can, but I am on a severe budget so still debating a few things. I'll link a thread when I am done though! And by the way if ya find an old laundry hamper and some panda poly you can make a very nice grow box, on a similar budget to your current grow.

Which fan did ya get? debating how I want to do my setup and if your happy with yours would love a referal to the product link. Is it pretty loud? Noise isn't a big issue but is nice to know what I am getting into.

Wal-mart, K-mart and most auto convenience stores sell appropriate fire extinguishers. http://www.amazon.com/Kidde-FA110-Purpose-Extinguisher-1A10BC/dp/B00002ND64/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362482092&sr=8-1&keywords=class+b+and+c+fire+extinguisher If you buy one locally and it is not graded "all purpose" make sure it is valid for class C fires.

I would love to go led but they are just so bloomin' expensive and I am apprehensive of making my own panel...

Edit: Just incase you couldn't see the picture

nice looking plant, how tall and wide is it?

Update! - New lights are in tomorrow. Hopefully they stay unbroken in transit.

Thank you mfajen! The plant is about 4-5 inches tall from the top of the pot and just over a foot wide. I would say 13.5 -14 inches. If I undid all the LST it would probably stand around 1.5 foot tall. Thanks for the feedback!

Peace

UPDATE - Ok so take at look at these pictures. What's going on with them? I read alittle bit and from what I gathered it's either overwatering, underwatering or a nute lock up. It started a little bit yesterday after a feeding. Please help I don't need this plant to die out on me. It was literally healthy two days ago and growing great. Now...well you can see it. Thank you guys for any help!

When was the last time you watered? My plant all of a sudden looked super droopy and it was just because it needed watering. I didn't realize the temps got to 84 and the plant soaked up all the water in the soil in like a day instead of 2-3 days. Droopy is usually under or over watering.

Update - Flowering..week 2? - So my plants recovered. I think I over fed and over watered and they ended up with nute lock. I trimmed all the leaves with heavy necrosis. I am seeing more and more bud sites everytime I look at her. Here's some pictures. Sorry about the late response Mfajen. With everything that's happened so far this grow I am hoping to bang at least 1/2 oz off of her...but maybe with all the stress it will compensate with really dank bud..who knows haha.

Oh and on the two largest stems I am seeing small buds forming!!! YAY!

It's looking really good, nice even and wide canopy. I know this plant isn't supposed to be tall at all and from what I've read, it produces some good yields with potent buds. Also heard its pretty stinky in flower. I hope you get more than 1/2 oz. I will keep following this thread.