Waterfarm 5x5 SCROG Grow - Looking for Tips, Tricks, and Advice

Hi there everyone! HCC here, new to the site, and new to the scene. Pretty excited to get this new indoor setup up and running. Since I joined to start a journal for this grow, and I'm constantly hitting the forums for tips and tricks, I figured i might as well start a thread of my own to get some input on what others here think, and if I'm headed in the right direction. I'm looking for any advice on my setup, as well as things i may be missing, or anything of the sort. Don't be shy, feel free to chime in. I realize different things work for different people, and everyone's different.

I'll give a list of all the equipment I have now.

Tent:
5ft x 5ft x 7-9ft Gorilla Grow Tent

Lamps/Ballast:
1x Dimmable MH/HPS 400w
1x Electronic 400w MH/HPS
1x Magnetic 600 HPS

Bulbs:
1x 600w EYE Hortilux Super HPS
1x 400w EYE Hortilux HPS
1x 400w (Unknown Brand) Super HPS
1x 600w Xtrasun MH Conversion

Exhaust/Odor/Temp:
2x Suncourt 6in Booster (250CFM)
1x Can-fan RO6 (269CFM I think)
1x Suncourt Ductstat Temp Switch
(Hopefully soon) 1x G-Leaf (530CFM) 6in Inline w/ Carbon Filter Scrubber

Growing System:
2x Complete GH Waterfarms
1x 4in Air Stone in each farm
(Plan on using the Lucas Formula)


Now ultimately, and obviously, I want to maximize the use of everything I have to get the best quality and best yield I can for the genetics I use. The strain is currently undecided, but you all will be the first to hear it I promise!

As the title says, this is going to be a waterfarm scrog grow, which for me, and many, is always exciting to watch. I'll be using a 5x5 tent. I've yet to construct my screen for this tent however, but this is because I wasn't sure if I wanted to scrog out the whole tent. Would it be stupid to waste the footprint space and only make a 5x3 Screen inside the tent with the two waterfarms? This idea came to mind when I was taking odor control into consideration. I live in an apartment. Its a rather nice community, quite pricey to live here, but I've never had any issues with neighbors complaining of smoke smell. I've been here almost two years, and blow down joints all damn day, but never any smell complaints. I only use my back door, so the front door to the hallway serves as a nice smell barrier to the other units, haha. Or so I think, why else aren't they bitching about the smell? Regardless, I ain't complaining. But back to the question. Do you think the smell would be that much stronger when the tent is open? Would it be worth it to have room to work in my tent, so that I can keep the smell down. Or should I just scrog that bad boy all the way, and let her fill up? Of course it depends on the strain, but how long would you veg for to fill a 5x5 up in a waterfarm? Any idea?

I have many other questions, but I figure this is enough info to get people started. Hope to hear some input on where I should go from here. How would you have your lighting set up with this equipment? Any input on the Lucus Formala? Other nute/supplements? Waterfarm tips and tricks?

Hope to here from you all soon!

Roll it up,
HCC.

bump

I can't see any reason why you wouldn't use the whole 5x5 versus a 5x3 due to odor control. You're still going to be exhausting the same amount of air regardless.

TitSprinksMcGee said:

I can't see any reason why you wouldn't use the whole 5x5 versus a 5x3 due to odor control. You're still going to be exhausting the same amount of air regardless.

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Thanks for the input, TitSprinks! I was just heading out the door to head to the hardware store to pick up some pvc for the scrog before I decided to see if anyone had any ideas. My thought was having the tent closed while I'm in there (trimming, tucking, and changing the res, giving my babies some fresh CO2, etc) will keep the odor inside the tent, and leaving the carbon filter to do its work. I also figured having the tent closed while I'm in there working will keep my humidity and temperature as static as possible. Lets say I do go with a 5x5 screen in the tent. That's going to leave some work for my two waterfarms to fill that out. I've got faith in them, no doubt. I've seen many success with waterfarm scrog grows, but I'm curious on the veg time for a 5x5 with two plants under 1000w. Think I could get away with, and come close to filling the screen, in 5 weeks veg?

I got some tip's for using a water farm as i have used one for about 3 years now, first tip is put your water farm on something so you can drain the rez without having to lift the bucket, just turn the plastic tube and drain, secondly stick an air stone down in the rez, much more oxygen. Happy waterfarming

Yodaweed said:

I got some tip's for using a water farm as i have used one for about 3 years now, first tip is put your water farm on something so you can drain the rez without having to lift the bucket, just turn the plastic tube and drain, secondly stick an air stone down in the rez, much more oxygen. Happy waterfarming

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Thanks for the advice, Yodaweed! I got a 4" Saucer stones I'll be tossing in each rez. You think that will suffice? And good input, I've been thinking of ideas high and low without using a submersible pump (just more shit to buy) to drain the Rez. Are you able to completely drain it with the tube on the side, or do you have to remove the roots from the bucket to get her nice and clean? Did you find yourself doing a full rez swap/cleaning often throughout the grow? I hear a lot of people just top it off. Any stance?

top off with water , change rez once a week

The main problem will be getting access to the back of the SCROG to adjust branches. I had mine on wheels and so it could roll it in and out for maintenance.

Jaybodankly said:

The main problem will be getting access to the back of the SCROG to adjust branches. I had mine on wheels and so it could roll it in and out for maintenance.

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Great thing about my tent is that I have a front and back access door. I'm hoping that helps me spread it out as best as possible. That is a great idea though. I may have to incorporate wheels into my scrog design. Certainly wouldn't hurt!

I like to run a tight scrog. I use coated 1" chicken wire stretched on a wood frame. I aim to get one growing node/per hole. I keep poking them back under till the stretch is done. I used a rolling cart with four posts. The frame sat on that held with four screws. I could take it on and off till the end of stretch. Once it starts growing thru the net it is there till the end.

My Waterfarms came in today, and looking at my lights and fans, I need to do a new exhaust plan. I'll be running two air cooled lamps, which in this 5x5 tent presents quite the issue of space. There is really no way around minimizing the right angles and turns in my ducting due to the ports I have on the tent for ventilation. The best thought I've had was having the duct work run from outside of the tent, through both lights, out through the top of the tent. With this I would have the canfan RS6 at the beginning of the duct work pushing the air through the lights, then I would have the (250CFM) booster fan on the top of the tent to help pulls the heat through the lights and out of the tent. Sound sufficient enough?

Update:
All the duct work is complete. I went with something like what I mentioned above. I'll post some pictures of the tent soon. Would love to hear what ya'll think/suggestions/etc.