My Homemade Aero 600W CFL Grow

Hi,

I'm new here and this is my first grow.

SETUP:

Homemade Aeroponics setup with 375GPH pump approx 25gal tub, 5 360 degree sprayers, 6watt air pump with 2 8 inch air stones, 6 pots and 3 plants (bagseed). Might plant some Papaver Somniferum later in the remaining 3 pots (Persian White Seed)

LIGHTING: 20 2000 lumen CFL 30 watt 8 6400K and 12 2700K total of 600 watts. I will be getting 20 more to fill in the remaining space in my homemade hood.

NUTES: Dutch Master 2 part can't remember the exact specs EtOH is fuckin with my memory right now.

I'm running a 20/4 on/off schedule on the lighting and the nute spray right now. Also I've got a fan on the plants.

I had a little Nute burn at first from the nutes slashing directly on the lower leaves through the potting medium (gravel - thanks for the idea KP).

I'm a little bit worried about the light on the roots bit temps aren't too high (75F) and I have a good amount of bubbling going on so hopefully anaerobic bacteria won't be a problem... I'm planning on spraying the tub probably white so it reflects a good bit of the light and stays cooler. Also I will spray the hood with the most reflective paint I can find when I find the time.

I really need to get a good PH meter... Maybe borrow one from the chem lab that I work at

Anyway let me know what y'all experts think... I'd love to what your thoughts are on my setup. I need to get this grow finished before 8/27 cuz of school starting (maybe I'm the first EE major to grow on this forum lol)... I soubt i'll get nice fat buds by then but whatever... Sorry if the pix are a little crappy....I'm using my 1.3mp phone cam....


Later

hopefully it all works out the first few grows are always the hardest but a great learning experience good luck with it all

how did you start your seeds. im doing a hydro grow and it my first. Nice pics

it looks like light is getting to your roots.
if so this is not a good idea can cause problems and the water will likely form algae. Even with the bubbles.
Paint the tub or put a black bag inside.
Everything else looks ok though

Let the root rot begin. Clear is bad, nice little deal with the cfl's though. Should paint that reflector white, or put some mylar in it.

yea the rez tub needs to be light proof...or rooot rot

Yup few issues here.Tub needs to be blacked out as lights to roots is a killer.Also allows alage and bacteria to grow which will be bad quick.Not sure why your wasting so much money on those cfls.If your dead set on useing cfls and dont want that giant fire hazard you have there go buy an actual 250 watt cfl which if made for growing company like vitalumne sells them in 125 actual watt or 250 watt.Ebay has the 250 watt with reflectors for about $89.Its correct spectrum has correct reflector and is spectrum enhanced and about half the price of those little cfls your using which real really are a waste of time and electricy,You also have the lights way to far from the plants.At this stage youd be better off buying 2 sets of 4 foot T8 shop lights which would be 4 four foot tubes I got mine for about $8 bucks each at home depot so $16 bucks.The results would be 100 times better then those dinky no light giving things.Good idea just wasnt quit done right.Keep on learning good luck and hope to see you up dat

not a bad set up for the first time. just a lot of watts for little lumens.

another thing, you say finish buy 8/27......no way (sorry). plants take 8-10 weeks to flower.

if you want you can send them to me when you go to school....and ill finish them under a 600hps...lol

I've got some updated pix...

I definitely will be painting the rez black as soon as I get a chance...I am a painter so you'd think I would be able to get that done.

Also I will paint the hood flat white as soon as I can.

Filthy...

As far as the CFLs go your assumption that I paid to much for them is a bad one. The setup you suggest would give me 500w for $178, and I would only be able to cover 1 or 2 plants. This setup covers the whole six plant growing area. By the way I only have $80 in those 20 bulbs. Thats 40000 Lumens for $80. A 1000W HPS would give me 107000 Lumens for at least $300 (I didn't price them but I know the probably more expensive than that). I can get 107000 Lumens from these CFLs for about $200. And I don't have the added cost of cooling the lights. The only downside is they consume more watts. The bulbs that I have are the correct spectrum too. Also the lights are as close to the plants as is possible without burning them...about an inch away from the two larger ones. Check out that pic again maybe it was the angle I took it at.

Lenny...

I started them in a moist paper towel, then planted them in potting soil for about a week cuz my setup wasn't ready yet.

Bigmike...

Yeah I wish I could finish that quick. I don't know what I'm gonna do when I leave for school. I'm only about 1.5 hours away from school so maybe I'll be able to check up on them every few days. Anyway if you can tell me what kind of phone I took the pictures with I'll give 'em to you.

I can't believe how much their growing now since I have the lights on them. Hope you like the pics

I'm using my 1.3mp phone cam....? anws. - MOTOROLA -

Sorry I really did want to give them to you...

It's a LG VX8000... Practically a dinosaur

well, i guess like 100 newbs will finally see what happens if they really did put 20 cfls on a plant. Not making fun, it looks like you have better handyman skills than me, but I know your bullshitting about not needing ventilation. Those cfls all together like that are easily 110 degrees underneath pretty quick if not vented. And at that point get the 400 watt HPS which is $120 by the way and your good cause your already venting im sure.

Hmmm $80 bucks for 20 little ineffective cfls and your gonna buy 20 more so $180 for light that doesnt truely come close to an hps lamp intensitiy.Guess you should shop[ around for $170 you can get a brand new 600 watt swithcable ballast with new reflector a high output enhanced spectrum bulb that outputs 95000 enhanced lumnes that will cover a 6 by 6 area which is big enough for 20 plus plants.Guess you just didnt do the homework to know though.Cfls like those suck for growing as the lumnes dont really fit right for tight bud growth or quick growing.You add weeks to the grow using them.If you want a real ballast you can get the digital air cooled ones for $119 at Maryland Hydroponics the bulbs are on ebay for $20 and sunleaves sells the lightwave reflector for $29.99. Any grower cant argue a 600 watt enhanced spectrum setup vs a 40 bulb cfl setup not even close.Also the 600 watt digital will also cut down the power consumtion heat and fire hazard.Good luck though

Also keep the res water temps at 65-68 warmer will stunt growth nute intake and cause rot

you can buy a 400 watt MPS / MH (both lamps included) with ballast and reflector from htgsupply.com for $170.. not a bad idea for flowering.. i think theyre HPS alone is abour $130 with ballast

Whatever Filthy...I'm really worried about what you say about my lights when you give me numbers that aren't even right. Come on man 80+80=160. No doubt a HPS would be better for flowering, but I'm seeing excellent results from these puny ineffective CFLs in the vegetative stage of growth. I have done quite a bit of browsing this forum doing my "Homework" and have found some excellent grows from CFLs. Anyway I do think my rez temp is a little bit high. Around 78F with lights on. I suppose I've been lucky so far as my root growth looks excellent, and the roots are nice and white and very thick.

bearo...I do have a small window fan blowing across the plants, and it probably pulls some of the hot air out of the hood. You can see the temp in the top of the hood in the pictures is 99F.

Some new pics...Enjoy

There was four days between the plant pics.

Just a few more pictures...They have been in flower for 3 days now. Also I found quite interesting how much the one that I planted out in the woods grew in comparison. It was germed at the same time!!! Notice how the two larger plants look different. One is a bit spiky and the other has fatter rounded leaves. Do you think that could have something to do with male/female. I did paint the hood inside flat white. I also have a 25 liters of wort fermenting for making into grain right under the plants. I'm using turbo yeast that ferments to 14% in 48 hours so it is definitely putting off some CO2. And btw the smells from growing and fermenting do not mix very well. Its quite nasty. I may get around to buying a HPS, but I really don't want to get to much $ in this if I can't keep it going when I leave.

damn dude your roots are huge, is that a clone, has to be right???

dude you need to cover up that tub with black tape, use gorrilla tape since you cannot remove your plant and spray the tub down with black paint. It needs to be lightproof