Welcome to the tree farm..

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
@patrickkawi37 has a pretty good handle on what kind of AC it's going to take to cool your space.

My own experience with water cooling leads me to believe it would be more efficient, but only if you can run at least two spaces on a flip style schedule.

The reason this matters is load balancing; a smaller load 24/7 is much easier to deal with than a big one for only 12 at a time.
 

ODanksta

Well-Known Member
I don't have a link to my raised bed garden it was too horrible to post lol. I always use sunshine mix#4. The roots didn't have a decent way to breathe it just didn't work for me, and a lot of wasted dirt compared to pots. Do what you do. I pull 3 pounds a light in 5 gallon pots. I said that a 3 ton isn't enough to do the room your trying to do. You will need TWO 2 ton air conditioners. I'm letting you know this ahead of time because I already spent 3 grand for a 3 ton and it was not enough for my 20x18, 9k watt garden. If you don't believe me than go ahead and make the same mistake. A three ton will barely do 8k air cooled. Once you add burners and dehus, your going to overload the AC and it won't cool. You can buy two of the 2 tons for damn near the 3 ton price anyways. I am not hating bro I am trying to help you.

How long have you been growing? A word of advise .. Find a strain that works well for you, dial it in,THEN upgrade. Your past grows have been less than mediocre ( in the nicest way possible) . You should really try to work on your yields and quality before you go pouring money into something that isn't going to give you a return. I am also a grower who from the start bit off more than he could chew.. I hate to see someone else go through that pain, cause some of us don't make it through the rough times and end up like the rest, selling there gear on Craigslist.
Sorry i missed understood you when you said 2 two ton AC's, that makes perfect sense. And i didn't think you were hating at all. Actually im extremely grateful, that's the whole reason i use this website. And I've been growing for about 15 years, the first 7 years were strictly outdoors. But in the past i kinda did things half ass. Ive been on RIU for about 6 years my old user name was masterofgenetics. I started the Coco growers unite thread that is a sticky and also started the Texas growers unite thread too. I was banned for giving out free seeds, and i begged them to let me back and they did. But patrick you always have great advice and thank you
 
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patrickkawi37

Well-Known Member
Sorry i missed understood you when you said 2 two ton AC's, that makes perfect sense. And i didn't think you were hating at all. Actually im extremely grateful, that's the whole reason i use this website. And I've been growing for about 15 years, the first 7 years were strictly outdoors. But in the past i kinda did things half ass. Ive been on RIU for about 6 years my old user name was masterofgenetics. I started the Coco growers unite thread that is a sticky and also started the Texas growers unite thread too. I was banned for giving out free seeds, and i begged them to let me back and they did. But patrick you always have great advice and thank you
I hear you on the half ass thing. I get burnt out a lot after never getting a day off. Then I end up getting lazy. I'm looking forward to seeing your 8 lighter! I know you said you have hardwood and you don't want to mess it up. You could put down a layer of poly film on the floor and then do pots with trays. Or you could do 4x8 trays on pallets. You can get the super cheapy trays to save money, and spray them with the texture shit to make them stronger. Keep one side a tiny bit higher and all the water goes to one side and you can drain to waste. Some simple ideas, I hope you figure it out! Do you have an idea which mini split company your going to go with? I went with the aura systems, they seem to work really well.
 

ODanksta

Well-Known Member
I hear you on the half ass thing. I get burnt out a lot after never getting a day off. Then I end up getting lazy. I'm looking forward to seeing your 8 lighter! I know you said you have hardwood and you don't want to mess it up. You could put down a layer of poly film on the floor and then do pots with trays. Or you could do 4x8 trays on pallets. You can get the super cheapy trays to save money, and spray them with the texture shit to make them stronger. Keep one side a tiny bit higher and all the water goes to one side and you can drain to waste. Some simple ideas, I hope you figure it out! Do you have an idea which mini split company your going to go with? I went with the aura systems, they seem to work really well.
Well winter is coming up and even though i live in tx i some how manage. I think i can do 4k with only my portable and central ac but of course thats without co2. Im kinda unsure if co2 is even worth it. I mean i grow perfect buds without it, so why even bother. And my yields have been alright. I have seven hoods. Four 1k ballast and three 600s. Maybe i can just buy a flip box and roll with what i got. I love designing rooms. Its like stupidly expensive lego set:cool:
 

patrickkawi37

Well-Known Member
Well winter is coming up and even though i live in tx i some how manage. I think i can do 4k with only my portable and central ac but of course thats without co2. Im kinda unsure if co2 is even worth it. I mean i grow perfect buds without it, so why even bother. And my yields have been alright. I have seven hoods. Four 1k ballast and three 600s. Maybe i can just buy a flip box and roll with what i got. I love designing rooms. Its like stupidly expensive lego set:cool:
Oh ok. Living in Texas your elextric is like a third of what mine is here in Cali.. And you guys get like 3x the ticket lol. You livin the good life out there! I did 4 thousands and 2 600s before and I did really well with that setup. I would love to do a flip box it just sucks having to buy two of everything! I only grew without co2 for 2 runs. I couldn't get more than 1.5 per light without it . Once you go co2 you never want to go back. But if your using a central AC it will be dropping your ppms. Exchanging air with co2 causes problems alot of times because it's hard to keep your ppm steady. I always tell my buddies if they want to use co2 than completely sealed with a mini split is the only way to go.. You will see the best increase in yield this way. Plus.. No air exchange means no bugs, molds or anything unless you bring it in yourself.
 

ODanksta

Well-Known Member
Damn i made some dank ass chocolates tonight. I used 10 dark chocolate giant Hershey bars and a handful of Starbucks breakfast blend coffee beans. When i was making the oil, i used ground coffee then strained then put beans in the chocolate.. this shit is so good! My Damn roomie is dieting and doesnt swallow sweets, he just chews them then spits it out. This fucker killed like 20 Bars
 

ODanksta

Well-Known Member
Oh ok. Living in Texas your elextric is like a third of what mine is here in Cali.. And you guys get like 3x the ticket lol. You livin the good life out there! I did 4 thousands and 2 600s before and I did really well with that setup. I would love to do a flip box it just sucks having to buy two of everything! I only grew without co2 for 2 runs. I couldn't get more than 1.5 per light without it . Once you go co2 you never want to go back. But if your using a central AC it will be dropping your ppms. Exchanging air with co2 causes problems alot of times because it's hard to keep your ppm steady. I always tell my buddies if they want to use co2 than completely sealed with a mini split is the only way to go.. You will see the best increase in yield this way. Plus.. No air exchange means no bugs, molds or anything unless you bring it in yourself.
Fucking RIU keeps going offline on me. Ive wrote three fucking long ass comments and right before im done its says website offline then some cloud BS. This is my last attempt lol. Fuck ive just wasted like 4 hours of my life trying to post some shit...
 

ODanksta

Well-Known Member
Lol. There is no exhaust or intake fans...i just burn two lights one day then burn the other two the next day.. it works as of now. I dont know how the rooms are staying so cold but i can live with it..
 

ODanksta

Well-Known Member
Dont laugh at my ballast stacked on top of each other this shit is temporary as can be.. and those smaller plants are like 6ft away from the lights.. lol this is what happens when your stoned 24/7 thank God for vyvanse.
 

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
Well winter is coming up and even though i live in tx i some how manage. I think i can do 4k with only my portable and central ac but of course thats without co2. Im kinda unsure if co2 is even worth it. I mean i grow perfect buds without it, so why even bother. And my yields have been alright. I have seven hoods. Four 1k ballast and three 600s. Maybe i can just buy a flip box and roll with what i got. I love designing rooms. Its like stupidly expensive lego set:cool:
Designing rooms with stupid spendy parts in them is my favorite thing to do.

Unfortunately, I've been cost cutting, so very little of what I put in a room is expensive anymore;

Vertical bare socket n cordset is only $30, and I need 1/4 as many as a flatland grower needs hoods. Tuffboxes and mesh fencing is cheap. Not buying an air pump, airstones and lines is a real money saver!

Water chiller for primary cooling means you're done buying compressors; the one unit can cool, dehuey and chill the RDWC water.

Now, let's talk operating expenses; almost everything I use is reusable, even the hydroton is rinsed and reused. The chiller operates with 30% better efficiency than AC, just because it's water. I get even more out of the system with various tweaks that let me use 1/3 of the usual tonnage to cool my ops, which saves both operating costs and up front investment in expensive equipment.

If you get cold in the winter, just haul the chiller inside; it will heat your home for free without making it stink like weed.
 

patrickkawi37

Well-Known Member
Lol. There is no exhaust or intake fans...i just burn two lights one day then burn the other two the next day.. it works as of now. I dont know how the rooms are staying so cold but i can live with it..
So if you don't have a fresh air exchange and your not running co2 how do the plants breathe? What is the ppms in the air?
 

ODanksta

Well-Known Member
So if you don't have a fresh air exchange and your not running co2 how do the plants breathe? What is the ppms in the air?
Well im using a portable and central AC i assume the portable is bringing in fresh air from outside in. The only reason im not using vents is because i just finished patching this room up from the last grow and had a emergency move. This house is extremely nice and we are working on getting the other room setup so we are leaving this room alone.
Lol oxygen is overrated..J/k.. yeah im slacking in the get-r-done department.
 

ODanksta

Well-Known Member
Designing rooms with stupid spendy parts in them is my favorite thing to do.

Unfortunately, I've been cost cutting, so very little of what I put in a room is expensive anymore;

Vertical bare socket n cordset is only $30, and I need 1/4 as many as a flatland grower needs hoods. Tuffboxes and mesh fencing is cheap. Not buying an air pump, airstones and lines is a real money saver!

Water chiller for primary cooling means you're done buying compressors; the one unit can cool, dehuey and chill the RDWC water.

Now, let's talk operating expenses; almost everything I use is reusable, even the hydroton is rinsed and reused. The chiller operates with 30% better efficiency than AC, just because it's water. I get even more out of the system with various tweaks that let me use 1/3 of the usual tonnage to cool my ops, which saves both operating costs and up front investment in expensive equipment.

If you get cold in the winter, just haul the chiller inside; it will heat your home for free without making it stink like weed.
What nutes have you been using? I use nectar for the gods, which I like. The only thing is they are expensive and I use a lot. I spent almost 400 on them. I'm going to try supersoil next, maybe.

On my last DWC grow i used botanicare kind series, which i liked a lot too. I think i paid like 120 for gallons of the 3 part and another 60 to 70 for supplements like hydroplex and silica.
 
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