Total Noob...Appreciate your thoughts

indicat33

indicat33

Well-Known Member
SSS2015 said:
Hi Guys,

Thank you for all your time and effort. We have all been where I am, I would appreciate anything that will help me do this quickly and efficiently as possible, with as much success as possible.

I've just started smoking again after a 2 year hiatus, and I simply can't afford to keep buying it. Also I can't handle relying on someone else for quality that just isn't there.

Quality and cost are important to me.

I live in Australia, so this has to be a stealth indoor grow. I've done some basic research and i'd love to lay it all out for you and ask for you to pick apart what i'm doing, make sure i'm doing it right.

The reason I've decided to list the below products is due to the cost of buying everything separately, if anyone can point me in the directions of a list of items/design of a box I could build, and if I can save money doing it, I will be beyond grateful. I'm trying to balance a budget with future needs, spending money where necessary on quality, so I won't need to upgrade for a while, and have a good chance of success, first time.

I only have a single grow space, so your advice on how i'd grow clones and seeds etc would be great, I will be starting with a cloned plant.

I'm looking at getting a grow tent to put in a shed. I was hoping (still depends on the size of the shed) that if I went for this tent, it would allow me to expand if i need to in the future.

This will be for personal use only, from my basic understanding, I will need to grow a plant, get it to flower by changing lights (12 hours on and off) and nutrient balance. I'm hoping that if I can grow a single bushy plant, harvest a pound, then start the process again, harvesting about the time I run out of the initial harvest.
Here I've linked The packages I am looking at. Would You mind helping me choose the best one I can Get away with? To grow enough consistently for one person?

http://hydroexperts.com.au/hydroponic-grow-kits

Here http://hydroexperts.com.au/hydroponic-grow-kits/ultimate-hydroponic-grow-light-tent-kit

are their ultimate kits.

My budget for the entire project is $1000 Australian.

The above packages include, tent, ventilation fan, ducting, lights, reflector, ballast, carbon filter and hanging tools.

The pot I was thinking of using is a simple self feeding pot, with an attached reservoir, that gravity feeds water and nutrients to the potted plant in a perlite mixture.

I'm worried that the self feeding pot

http://www.h2grohydroponics.com.au/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage-ask.tpl&product_id=845&category_id=117&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=108

will over feed the plant as it grows and mess up the "Nutes"....although from what i gathered from the supplier the plant is supposed to self regulate how much it needs....but if that was the case why are people so fussy with hand watering their plants? there's a reason.

The reason I chose this pot, is for ease of use, I need something that does as much of the process for me as possible.

In terms of humidity control I live in Australia, humidity is always reasonable, so are the temperatures. Does this mean that i can get away with not monitoring humidity and temperature? but instead provide good airflow and exhaust, and concentrate on keeping PH right? I read about a PPM meter. Does this check ph and nutrients?

Anyway I'm so sorry guys. I know you all get hammered by questions, and I bet the answers are all here already. I'm just so overwhelmed.

Ideally I'd like to have a Blooming Cupboard, a Vegetative Cupboard with a tiny cloning shelf as seen on this page: http://www.growingclosets.com/getting-started/65/step-3-setting-up-your-growing-area

But for now I only have the one space to do the lot. I think I have about 2 metres wide x 1.2m deep x 2m tall, space to work in, inside the shed. If I could Design the box myself, I could Create 3 spaces to do the above.

PLEASE LEARN ME GOOD!

Thank you so much in advance.
Click to expand...
Ok, Ill try to be as short and concise as possible. First of all: Get a good HID Lamp (they are great and cheaper than LED's). I use a 400w in a 2x3' area of my closet. Ideally, You want about 60-100w/sq.ft of growing space. Get a book on growing- (important). Chose organic or hydro, or however you want to grow, and research it fully. While you're reading your new book on growing, we will be here to help you along the way. :cool:
 
S

SSS2015

Member
marquezmurder said:
Galvenizes shed, I see why you would build boxes in it. So yes 1 big flower box and 1 small t5 cloner box.
Im now saying 5 or 7 gal smartpots cause your space.
http://www.amazon.com/Smart-Pots-7-Gallon-Soft-Sided-Container/dp/B0055E8RUG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1425394017&sr=8-2&keywords=smartpots
Dont worry your fan filter and hood are no more than a foot off the roof. I leave a bare min of 3 inches between hood and roof. My hoods are on 9" deep, i suggest you get the cool tube fixture.
http://www.amazon.com/Apollo-Horticulture-GLK600CT24E-Digital-Dimmable/dp/B00521B894/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1425394127&sr=8-4&keywords=cool tube
I would veg with mh, and flower with hps.
the reason i said the dual fans and filters is because your going to want even exchange of air. You can also make a passive vent that leeks no light down bottom and just have your evac fan. I would buy a 240cfm inline for 20$ on amazon for your lights exhaust fan.
Click to expand...
Ok so I'm grateful, I get to halve my heating problem with only one HID lamp. With the two boxes - Is it ok to exhaust both of them into a Y ducting connector and then into scrubber and out the shed?

is it ok to connect the two boxes at their bottoms with ducting so they share the air flow? that way I only need one intake for fresh air going through the scrubber into the flowering box, which has air vents into the cloning box providing both with ventilation, both of which are exhausted up into a carbon scrubber then a fan then ducted out of the shed?

SMART POT LINK!! nice one. ok the 5 and 7 gallon pots are the same height, different widths. should I grow more than one plant in my flowering room? if more than one plant I'll buy the smaller pots, but if only one plant I'll get the 7 gallon pot.

With the Ballast and hood you suggested, will they last 5 years? with new bulbsj occasionally? does it matter that i'm in australia? I have a universal plug, maybe I'll buy a couple more?
 
S

SSS2015

Member
marquezmurder said:
You can use a small computer fan for the clone box, i forgot to elaborate. One fan to blow fresh air into the room through crbn filter, one to evac w/filter for obvious reasons. Intake filter is for pests and spores. Like i said though you can just buy one, then a small booster fan for the light since they need different exhaust systems to cut down on heat.

yes the box for clones, if you can make one big enough to fit 1 gallon pots in there with the seedling clone, do it. This way you can get a rooted 1 gallon before transplanting to your 5 or 7. I would veg them under the scrog, weaving n.s.e.w, untill they about touch all walls, then make the flip. Your gonna have 2 weeks of veg growth before they start to for bus sites after the switch, assuming your doing photperiod plants not autos.
the ph test kit for your water
http://www.amazon.com/General-Hydroponics-GH1514-Control-Kit/dp/B000BNKWZY/ref=pd_sim_lg_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=0RCSDE577ZJK4ZYTD119

oh and the poly, right your building a frame inside the shed, cover it with this, its 90% reflective with wrinkles. Mylar is trash once it wrinkles up, unless your dying of hypothermia.
http://www.amazon.com/Black-White-Poly-Film-5-5/dp/B000I2ZXQG/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1425395712&sr=1-1&keywords=plastic white black
Click to expand...
with the computer fan for the clone box, is that to blow air around? weren't we going to use the 220CFM Duct fan to exhaust air out of both boxes? how would I use the computer fan? are they easy to hook up?

if I use foam board do I use the poly to line the foam board? or is that overkill? also how do I build doors out of foam? do I use duct tape for hinges? what can I use as a seal for when I close the doors?

With my plants, Once i've trained them a little, they're touching the sides, I switch to flowering, they'll keep growing for a time. Will the cycle be shorter because my box is shorter? or is that wishful thinking?
 
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S

SSS2015

Member
indicat33 said:
Ok, Ill try to be as short and concise as possible. First of all: Get a good HID Lamp (they are great and cheaper than LED's). I use a 400w in a 2x3' area of my closet. Ideally, You want about 60-100w/sq.ft of growing space. Get a book on growing- (important). Chose organic or hydro, or however you want to grow, and research it fully. While you're reading your new book on growing, we will be here to help you along the way. :cool:
Click to expand...
Thanks Indicat, I hear you. I've got about 20 books, 10 videos, and 3 websites i'm using to gather information. I'm really overwhelemed.

But we are getting there, narrowing down my shopping list, and therefore starting the design of the boxes. I'd appreciate your thoughts on the matter.
 
S

SSS2015

Member
So We have decided on:

1) foam to build boxes

2) dual scrubbers and fans to clean air going in and out

3) Using smart pots (unsure what size yet) with a growing medium, I'll need a reservoir and I'll be hand watering

4) Using 1 x HID and 1 x T5, to cover my cloning, veging and flowering needs

what sort of tools will I need ? will I need a humidity metre? and a nutrient metre? I'll be getting the PH up and down with ph test kit
 
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Chester da Horse

Chester da Horse

Well-Known Member
$0.02: get a roll of aluminium foil tape. its expensive ($25 for 50m) but its strong and reflective and you can tape your foam board joins up so its seamless and airtight.

Hand watering doesn't need a reservoir, unless you are mixing and aerating your water beforehand (this is recommended, get an air pump and some air stones to keep in the reservoir which will boost your dissolved oxygen that gets to the roots = happy plants)

You must monitor your environment so a humidity gauge ($20), and a few thermometers (at least one for your canopy temperature). Do not skimp on this!

another $0.02: For ventilation/odor/heat
If you have space above/behind your box in your shed you can build a false cavity - this will let you get away with one carbon scrubber/exhaust fan.
The exhaust fan (get the biggest one you can afford with a built in variable speed controller) pulls through the carbon scrubber which lives in the false cavity (airtight).
Your vents from veg and flower spaces both empty into this space. Lets you get away with a single exhaust fan/scrubber combo for smell. The negative pressure sucks the air out of the growing space and into the false cavity.
Use a separate exhaust fan hooked up with ducting to your HID light (in a cooltube or sealed hood) and you won't have any heat troubles - the majority of the heat will be sucked out of the light before it heats up ur box. You don't need to filter/scrub this air if your hood's intake is from fresh air in your shed and not from the grow box.
 
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indicat33

indicat33

Well-Known Member
Basically you measure out the dimensions, calculate total sq. footage of your growing area, and chose a proper-wattage HID Lamp. They sell em on Amazon /e-bay all day long. Next, make sure u have an intake and outtake vent in your cab. Depending on wattage, you may need some extra ventilation. Line the walls with a reflective material. I use cheap white shower curtains for my 2x3' space. Anyway, I guess that's about the short-winded answer. Don't feel overwhelmed. While there is a LOT of info, you only need to digest the basics, a little at a time. Cannabis is a hearty plant, and once you do your basic reading, and give the plants the basic care they need, things will be "right as rain" and you will have a thriving garden of our favorite herb! :leaf:
 
tightpockt

tightpockt

Well-Known Member
Pretty good plan so far. If you're gonna have a reservoir might as well put a timer on it. Gonna need a PH meter and an EC meter. They're pretty cheap on amazon. I don't see why you couldn't pull the air out of both chambers with a nice sized fan and maybe some duct regulators, like valves where you can regulate how much air your pulling from said opening. Panda film would be nice..and it's cheap.
A good pair of scissors for the pounds you're gonna be trimming!
 
S

SSS2015

Member
Chester da Horse said:
$0.02: get a roll of aluminium foil tape. its expensive ($25 for 50m) but its strong and reflective and you can tape your foam board joins up so its seamless and airtight.

Hand watering doesn't need a reservoir, unless you are mixing and aerating your water beforehand (this is recommended, get an air pump and some air stones to keep in the reservoir which will boost your dissolved oxygen that gets to the roots = happy plants)

You must monitor your environment so a humidity gauge ($20), and a few thermometers (at least one for your canopy temperature). Do not skimp on this!

another $0.02: For ventilation/odor/heat
If you have space above/behind your box in your shed you can build a false cavity - this will let you get away with one carbon scrubber/exhaust fan.
The exhaust fan (get the biggest one you can afford with a built in variable speed controller) pulls through the carbon scrubber which lives in the false cavity (airtight).
Your vents from veg and flower spaces both empty into this space. Lets you get away with a single exhaust fan/scrubber combo for smell. The negative pressure sucks the air out of the growing space and into the false cavity.
Use a separate exhaust fan hooked up with ducting to your HID light (in a cooltube or sealed hood) and you won't have any heat troubles - the majority of the heat will be sucked out of the light before it heats up ur box. You don't need to filter/scrub this air if your hood's intake is from fresh air in your shed and not from the grow box.
Click to expand...
So I was planning On using a reservoir to mix my nutes, I'm only growing 2 plants at a time, one with the t5 the other with the HID. I was going to use tap water, allow it to sit for a few days, check it for ph, add nutes, and add oxygen, before watering plants. Is this gonna damage my plants? other people are using filtered water etc....I have a brita filter chiller that holds 7 litres, would that be a good reservoir? does a brita filter do the job for filtering? or is this all excessive?

I can get a humidity guage that will probably tell me the temperature too.

I'm worried about the air coming in from the shed containing mould, fungus or bugs. The shed is not air tight. That is why i sorta liked the idea of using two fans and scrubbers, one to clean air coming in (which I might duct in from outside), and another to expel the hot air out of the shed. also if I'm driving a lot of air, I'm going to get
low heat. What's your take on that?

i'm confused mate. are you suggesting I get two fans, one linked directly to the lights just to suck hot air and fresh air in, but then one sucking air out of the boxes, scrubbing it and expelling it out of the shed?
 
Doer

Doer

Well-Known Member
I agree. It is all about watts on the plant. If you had 4 of those, that would be a bit over 1000w.

Maybe this is finally worth investing in. The hype from before seemed to be this 290w was equivalent to 1000w HID.

SSS2015 said:
So I was planning On using a reservoir to mix my nutes, I'm only growing 2 plants at a time, one with the t5 the other with the HID. I was going to use tap water, allow it to sit for a few days, check it for ph, add nutes, and add oxygen, before watering plants. Is this gonna damage my plants? other people are using filtered water etc....I have a brita filter chiller that holds 7 litres, would that be a good reservoir? does a brita filter do the job for filtering? or is this all excessive?

I can get a humidity guage that will probably tell me the temperature too.

I'm worried about the air coming in from the shed containing mould, fungus or bugs. The shed is not air tight. That is why i sorta liked the idea of using two fans and scrubbers, one to clean air coming in (which I might duct in from outside), and another to expel the hot air out of the shed. also if I'm driving a lot of air, I'm going to get
low heat. What's your take on that?

i'm confused mate. are you suggesting I get two fans, one linked directly to the lights just to suck hot air and fresh air in, but then one sucking air out of the boxes, scrubbing it and expelling it out of the shed?
Click to expand...
yes. Think of a grow as a system made up of subsystems. So, you have electrical. You need 20 amps, min. So the electrical is a system of power distribution, with power strips or whatever. So, the light is not part of electrical. Where the lights and pumps and stuff, plug in, is part of electrical.

Also, there is room ventilation, since the plants need a constant supply of fresh CO2. Some fans and some ducts are part of ventilation.

Also, cooling the lights is a sub-system. Some other fans and some other ducts plus the lamp fixtures are part of that. Ventilation and lamp cooling are keep as separate, insulated subsystems.

Humidity control is a sub-system.

If you think about it this way it may make more sense to visualize the space in layers.
This is important for planning and doing the bottom. the drains, subsystem, first. If any...
 
S

SSS2015

Member
how do i control the humidity in such a small space? I'll have a humidity metre, but it seems the only way to control the humidity is to increase or decrease the exhaust fan speed?
 
Doer

Doer

Well-Known Member
Check this out. 900w for

under $350
HydroSTAR 900W LED Grow Light Reflector 5W Chip


Mouse over to Zoom
-
 
S

SSS2015

Member
guys I don't want to commit a grievous error here....

But is there any way we can design this box, so that the grow room, becomes the drying room, when it comes time to harvest and dry buds?
 
tightpockt

tightpockt

Well-Known Member
SSS2015 said:
i'm confused mate. are you suggesting I get two fans, one linked directly to the lights just to suck hot air and fresh air in, but then one sucking air out of the boxes, scrubbing it and expelling it out of the shed?
Click to expand...
You could do that if you get an air sealed hood. It would solve a lot of your heat issues. How quiet does all of this have to be?
 
tightpockt

tightpockt

Well-Known Member
SSS2015 said:
This is $449 australian.

Is it a viable option guys?
Click to expand...
Here's the thing about LED's..they're all different. It all depends on the efficiency of the diode plus how hard their driven combined with their heat output. There's 180 "5w" diodes. In practicality they're only drawing half their highest rated output and usually only converting 30% or so of that into light so in practicality you're drawing not 900w but more like 450w and if it's only 30% or so efficient that means you're generating 315w of heat. Might as well just go with an HPS at that point.
 
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