# DIY GROW TENT w/ pics



## cronicspade (Oct 16, 2008)

After seeing the high prices of grow tents i decided to go with a cost effective DIY-but-not-ghetto-rigged tomato?box..
Check out my album!

I purchased a polyurethane plastic on a roll, various pvc pieces and pvc pipe, duct tape(blk), duct fan(i bought aluminum but it SUCKS i needed insulated DUH! on my part), I also bought timer, light and etc etc. etc. 

bascially i constructed a basic frame and 'wrapped' with polythane its durable to it supprts aluminum duct that has bathroom extract. of course top face of box has middle pvc support for light hanging - 

I think its gonna be one hellofa tomato growing box 








This is the box before it was fully wrapped








I wrapped the box completely then cut out a big hole and then made like a cover that is secured at the bottom and the edges are folded so they fit nicely over the edge of the box and all around the cover is velcro that secures the removable door/cover thing that I made... Pretty nifty , it is 100% light proof not a lick of light shows.. 







The vent system wrapped with bedfoam stuff? lol
Everything is ducted taped severly and securely. I have PLENTY of space this thing is like damn 5.5 ft tall and 3 ft wide 2ft deep... i designed it for closet grow but my subconscious mind somehow made it bigger??? lol in other words i miscalculated because of the pvc fittings adding extra length  oh well

if you find this post informative give me some rep or kudos w/e lol

and build one yourself!! it beats spending 200 on tent

i spent in whole including dimmer, fan, duct, tape, plastic, pvc, = $120

and thats not bad for something that is able to be designed to fit your space needs

this post is getting redicuously long time to end my friends


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## cronicspade (Oct 16, 2008)

correction its more like 5ftx3ftx3ft... sorry 

hope this helps someone in the future!


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## burbsking (Oct 16, 2008)

thats awesome man

i need a temporary grow cab/tent for an small 4 foot high underground cellar i am 
currently veggin some plants in to put outside for summer

the problem was it has a very small door and anything i put in there to grow had to
be made in pieces to get through it

i already have the plastic film and some pipe, just need some connectors!!!

great idea!

cheers


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## NeoAnarchist (Oct 16, 2008)

thats pretty tight man, ive almost built somethin like that, but i didnt wanna use just any plastic to wrap is so i sided against it cuz the heat issues. do you know what kinda temps u get in there?


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## cronicspade (Oct 16, 2008)

I ran with the light on at differnt fan speeds with no other fan just exhaust and it topped at with lowest sppeed 80.F .. I only have 70w hps but I will get 250 and I will run fan at max speed and I will have computer fans in box for general air movementTemp aint a issue


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## Heyoka (Oct 16, 2008)

Big Kudos!!!!!

Any way of getting to the end cheaper and with less exposure to the grow industry is a good thing. 

It seems that if a source for a durable IR and light blocking material could be found cheaply then this type of thing might appeal to more folks.


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## cronicspade (Oct 17, 2008)

thanks for kudos! im putting aluminum foil on walls now cuz cant find no damn mylar and where the sam hell is 'mergency blankets??  - foil is straight now

i caulked exhaust and intake holes where aluminum ducts are - the whole thing needs another roll a duct tape to be honest because when you do side for side you tighten it up and eventually the first side you did gets pulled loose a bit - so just take note of that..

im about to start a headband grow journal seeds have not yet been germinated tho, i got some cronic bagseed of unknown strain its super dense but yet sativa look?, i dunno i seen plant right after harvest...maybe a 50/50 hybrid? as you can see i have plenty of space  and i have the fan on dimmer but its not even loud without dim so i'll prob leave on high speed unless i need it to hush lol

Thank you all for viewing my thread and taking interest, i figured it would become of some good use.. saving money is definently important, and like you said Heyoka less exposure to grow industry


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## stoverdro (Oct 17, 2008)

NOOOOOO...
dont use foil it creates hot spots and is literally the worse thing you can use for reflective material and emergency blankets are jsut as bad man. just to let oyu know.
but other than that that is awesome i think you inspired me to build one of my own but i will be going for a 6ftx6ftx6ft bow.....nice man thats pretty sweet!


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## crazy7605150 (Oct 17, 2008)

yeah man that is pretty sweet... if i was able to find some panda film or some other plastic for a cheap price..then yeah i would build this... its giving me ideas tho.. and those emergency blankets prob in camping section at walmart.. or hardware store, or military store....i got mine at osh tho..... 

+rep


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## cronicspade (Oct 17, 2008)

just check out flooring section for polyurethane plastic; they will prob have clear and black, they may have white too, i need to get some white or mylar- aluminum foil is crap i think.... i bought a roll for 12 bucks of the black plastic and its 100& lightproof - i only wrapped with one layer...

it was more than enough to cover the 5x3x4 box or w/e it is and plus some!


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## crazy7605150 (Oct 18, 2008)

thats not to bad a price...


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## cronicspade (Oct 20, 2008)

i just took it apart im rebuilding because i kinda did make it too big.. haha

if you guys decide to build it make sure you take note of the length of the connectors, they may throw you off a bit.. lol 

so im rebuilding and i plan on making step by step guide for whomever interested - it shall be fun! its perfect for closet growers! my new design will be about...5ft long,3.5ft tall and exactly 22 inch wide. so it can fit in my closet - i need to go stealth mode. why not so it can be there and no one see it :O

it shall be posted soon amigos


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## skitzo (Oct 20, 2008)

where did you buy the poly plastic?


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## smokeyloki (Oct 21, 2008)

How about using panda film? Sure it costs a little more, but one side is white white would eliminate the need for mylar. It is does not allow any light to escape.

Also I would suggest these if you are looking to make a door: Discount Hydroponics - Tarp Zip-Up

They work great. You do need to put a piece over the zipper otherwise the white glows when the lights are on. 

I also suggest vinyl tape for all of your seams.


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## cronicspade (Oct 22, 2008)

i bought at lowes... only 12 for a roll of it .... i shoulda went with panda film because i just bought flat white paint today to paint inside what a bitch lol... id really rather not use the credit card anyway


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## GypsyBush (Oct 22, 2008)

Nice... Good post...

I am just about finished with my home made 600 watt tent...

Tell me what you think...

Cheers...

Gypsy...





​


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## cronicspade (Oct 22, 2008)

oh yea that thing is bad ass haha

mines heading toward that, i have much more work to do though as far as mounting lights and things..

how did you construct your frame? did you use anything other than plastic for faces of box? 

It looks much more sturdier than mine.... I need to mount some shoplights horizontally and i dont know how?.. by the way i made a new box i will post pics soon - I tore the other one apart and salvaged some things because it was way too big, my ol lady was like "are you serious?" lol so now i got it fit inside of closet... its still a big damn box though

kudos for that bad ass grow box no doubt!


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## GypsyBush (Oct 22, 2008)

cronicspade said:


> oh yea that thing is bad ass haha


Thanks... I tried to build something that will keep me happy for years to come...



cronicspade said:


> how did you construct your frame?


The frame is from a $25 "rubbrmaid wardrobe", purchased at wal mart...

Hope this helps...













































​


cronicspade said:


> did you use anything other than plastic for faces of box?


Frame and 6 MIL B&W Panda film... wooden shelf at the bottom... *very* lightweight plastic shelf on top... oh and lots of tape... nothing else... soft sides...



cronicspade said:


> It looks much more sturdier than mine....


I haven't seen yours, but these frames are built to bear the weight of a bunch of coats... it's sturdy enough by far... 



cronicspade said:


> I need to mount some shoplights horizontally and i dont know how?..


I would copy what I have going for lights...

A cooltube allows me to have a 600 HPS 10 inches from my plants... and the temp is 70F to 74F max...

Best investment of my grow... by far... 



cronicspade said:


> kudos for that bad ass grow box no doubt!


Thanks.... let me know if you have any other questions...

Best of Luck..

Gypsy...


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## crazy7605150 (Oct 22, 2008)

i wish i could find a store that had panda film or maylar... where did u get that polyfilm????


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## GypsyBush (Oct 22, 2008)

crazy7605150 said:


> i wish i could find a store that had panda film or maylar... where did u get that polyfilm????


hydro shop... I paid $110 for a 10' x 100' roll... 1000 sq ft...

If I buy more frames, I can make 10 tents for under $500...

Works good too...

Good Luck...


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## cronicspade (Oct 23, 2008)

Heres the outside viewof the newly constructed tent, I dont have very good camera so the pics arent very good. I didnt take many pics of contruction it was fairly basic. the top face of the tent has a piece of plywood the exact same size of it. this supports light hangings and the box has support so it is actually pretty sturdy, it just needed a bit more work. I used 1/16th drill bit to secure 1/8in eye hooks (i guess>) and used them to mount lights and i have outlet inside of box and outside. plenty of opportunity for more timers for the different fans. I dont wanna run the bathroom fan for very long maybe every 2 hours for 1 hour? I dont know, im kinda unsure about the things catching fire. I do have a nice one though, its 60 CFM and 3.0 sones. Im not using it now the 80w of floruos aint heatin the tent much but the fan inside is definently on. i may just order some nice cimouter fans they are much more quiet..


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## cronicspade (Oct 23, 2008)

<br>


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## GrowTech (Oct 23, 2008)

lol did you say you bought white paint to spray inside of your plastic tent?


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## JonnyBtreed (Oct 23, 2008)

stoverdro said:


> NOOOOOO...
> dont use foil it creates hot spots and is literally the worse thing you can use for reflective material and emergency blankets are jsut as bad man. just to let oyu know.
> but other than that that is awesome i think you inspired me to build one of my own but i will be going for a 6ftx6ftx6ft bow.....nice man thats pretty sweet!


Emergency blankets are made out of mylar....


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## cronicspade (Oct 23, 2008)

lol honestly i did buy spray paint at first but found at VERY quickly that is NOT a good idea inside hahahaha .... 

i used flat white paint... it actually did help the reflectiveness of the walls but i still need mylar..


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## GypsyBush (Oct 23, 2008)

I'll be following... holler if ya need anything...

Gypsy...


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## GypsyBush (Oct 23, 2008)

I'll be following... holler if ya need anything...

Gypsy...

EDIT: SORRY FOR THE DOUBLE POST>>>>


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## cronicspade (Oct 24, 2008)

and it gets even BETTER!!!

my newest addition to the cab... im doing dirt AND aero

with the most hated AEROGARDEN!


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## cronicspade (Oct 24, 2008)

i have a germinated dank seed of unkown strain in the aero gardner , 3 head band seeds that havent sprouted in the aero gardner also. I currently have 3 head bands in soil that havent sprouted,and 4 plants from dank seeds on unknown strain that are in dirt (mushroomcompost/peatmoss) that are about 1.5 weeks old. They are looking pretty healthy too! Temps are at maximum 82F but mostly 77F, they seem to be loving the new environment. Im not even going to use the hood of the aerogardner, maybe for side lighting?... im going with hps OF COURSE, most likely 250w. and i know, i know 400w is better but i dont know about 400w ... 250w with 160w of shoplights should be PLENTY for such little space (5ftx2ftx3.5ft)

im going to get emergency blankets for sides of tent - i need more timers.. i definently need more nutes and an airstone as well.. 

thanks for taking interest gypsybush.. ill def keep you all posted!


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## GypsyBush (Oct 24, 2008)

Cool!

I love my AG!!!!


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## GypsyBush (Oct 24, 2008)

the light from a 400 "hits" much harder... there is a big difference...

That is why I choose the 600, more bang for my watts...

If you can keep it cool, go big, over ventilate and you will not regret it...

Just my opinion though...lol

Cheers...

Gypsy...


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## Phinxter (Oct 24, 2008)

sorry to somewhat hijack here to give a bit af kudos and advice for Gypsy's tent.
first off thats way killer for the price. i have a store bought tent the same size as yours and you already know i paid alot more than you did and got the same thing.
yours rocks.
my 1 suggestion is your cooltube. the reflectors in them suck ass. remove the inside and outside reflector completely and make a batwing for it you will be glad you did.
i got about double the light onto my plants using the batwing.
you can check AL B. Fucts light out to see exactly what im talking about as his is modified exactly like i did mine


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## GypsyBush (Oct 24, 2008)

Phinxter said:


> sorry to somewhat hijack here to give a bit af kudos and advice for Gypsy's tent.
> first off thats way killer for the price. i have a store bought tent the same size as yours and you already know i paid alot more than you did and got the same thing.
> yours rocks.
> my 1 suggestion is your cooltube. the reflectors in them suck ass. remove the inside and outside reflector completely and make a batwing for it you will be glad you did.
> ...


Thanks you so much for your kind words...

a batwing Al B. Fuct style is in the works already...lol....

Funny... thanks... good looking out... 

hard to believe I can get more light on these plants though...lol...

I have the 600 watt HPS 10 inches from the plants... it's freaking bright in there..lol...

Did you get the fancy adjustable bat wing or did you make one? if so, did you paint it white?

Cheers...

Gypsy...


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## Phinxter (Oct 24, 2008)

the batwing AL B. uses was way to spendy for me so i went with a DIY and used a sheet of aluminum from the local hardware that was polished enough that i thout it would reflect better if i didnt paint it white. so no i didnt paint mine
and i used some very thin cable like for hanging flourescent fixtures for the adjustment 
they did have some aluminum sheets that were very dull that i would most certainly have painted had i not found sheets as shiny as i did


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## cronicspade (Oct 24, 2008)

no need for apology! glad you've stopped by to drop a line!

im going to be making a reflector for my 70w hps also, until i order my new one MAYBE it will be 400w... i guess i mite as well go big, fatter buds equals a happy grower


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## GypsyBush (Oct 24, 2008)

more grams per watt also equal a happier wallet...lol...

over light it... over ventilate it... you'll be happy with the results...


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## cronicspade (Oct 24, 2008)

haha ill take that into consideration..

i was just looking at your aerogarden grow gypsy you really pulled some fire nugs out of that thing - that definently gives me some inspiration for using this thing. im going to buy airstone now..

and quick question that has been asked a hundred times im sure.. but is the aerogarden pump suppose to turn off, is it on timer? I thought if i set it to herbs then it would always run.. its off now and i was just wondering???

my dank seed is slowly coming up as a sprout in the AG, im interested in how fast they will grow in the AG compared to some organic soil..

More updates coming soon!!


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## cronicspade (Oct 24, 2008)

nevermind i got it on super grow now so pumps running 24/7


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## GypsyBush (Oct 24, 2008)

Thanks... not bad for a nightstand grow is it?...lol....

watch out for stem rot from over watering...

there is a schedule in their website... it's also posted somewhere on my thread... I'll look for it...

I would choose the least amount of water, as their media holds quite a bit of water...

Over watering by the AG killed 2 of my clones and rotted parts of 3 stems...

Once the roots reach the water, you can save your stems from the stress by just having the airstone on... no water pump...

But you can only do that when the roots have reached the water....

just my 2 cents....

Good luck..


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## GypsyBush (Oct 24, 2008)

here you go... hope this helps... it's from the AG website...


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## cronicspade (Oct 24, 2008)

So its good for 24hrs now but when roots show through then maybe turn down a notch? Maybe to 15 hrs with air stone always on?


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## Phinxter (Oct 24, 2008)

i agree with buying the biggest light you can afford even if you dont need it now you will expand in the future.
my HTG tent is the 39" X 39" X 79 
i could easily have used a 400watt or went overkill with a 600watt but i chose to way over do it and bought this 1000 watt kit with HPS and MH conversion and upgraded the hood to a cooltube High Tech Garden Supply
the reason i went with the 1000 watt was because i know i will eventually move the grow from the tent into a bedroom next year when the last child leaves home .... FREE AT LAST ... LOL
so i couldnt justify to myself buying a 600W and upgrading next year.


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## GypsyBush (Oct 24, 2008)

cronicspade said:


> So its good for 24hrs now but when roots show through then maybe turn down a notch? Maybe to 15 hrs with air stone always on?


I always kept mine on HERBS/BASIL, which is 17 hours on for the water pump... 

My light has always been on a separate timer...

When my roots were well established in the water, I actually took the res out of the base... no water pump at all whatsoever... but I have had the air pump and stone going from day one...

All the AG does is water the plants... so if you have the roots in the water... no need to water the right???

Now... when the pump circulates the water, it helps oxygenate it... but that is where the air pump and stone come in...

With nothing, you will run into problems... and the airpump/airstone setup is more effective at giving oxygen to the water than just a water pump...

I hope I am not confusing you...

Go with what you know bro... I don't want to steer you the wrong way...

A great AG grower is Vette.... do a search for HIJACK AG GROW and you will find it..

He is the master of the AG as far as I am concerned...

Cheers...



Phinxter said:


> i agree with buying the biggest light you can afford even if you dont need it now you will expand in the future.
> my HTG tent is the 39" X 39" X 79
> i could easily have used a 400watt or went overkill with a 600watt but i chose to way over do it and bought this 1000 watt kit with HPS and MH conversion and upgraded the hood to a cooltube High Tech Garden Supply
> the reason i went with the 1000 watt was because i know i will eventually move the grow from the tent into a bedroom next year when the last child leaves home .... FREE AT LAST ... LOL
> so i couldnt justify to myself buying a 600W and upgrading next year.


Yeah... Perfect explanation on why buy a bigger light than you think you need....

If you stick with growing... you will upgrade... why do it 17.8 times...

the 1/4lb I hope to get out my my tent is way more tan I need at once... I love the ability to actually have smoke while letting most of it cure for months... so I can have some bad ass long cure dank...

But that is why I didn't go with a 1000... I believe this is the top of the line for my purposes... 

A 400 is a good personal smoke light... but I went for the super personal smoke light... does that make sense..?

I'll say it over and over... if you over light and over ventilate... you will have a smooth grow, that will make you and your wallet happy...

Yahooo.... Keep on growing...

Cheers...

***Hemp 4 Victory...Free Our Nation**

*[youtube]yASY3kidLpg[/youtube]​


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## cronicspade (Oct 24, 2008)

no your not confusing me and i most definently appreciate the feedback being as you are experienced with the AG - I bought 6 mini-airstones and an air pump to put in the res... Were you able to put the water pump back in the aerogarden??

so if im understanding correctly im going to leave the pump on 24 hrs now, and once roots start to develop a bit better then move to 15hrs a day for the pump, and then once roots are nearly touching water remove water pump and let air stones do the work?? because like you said the roots then would actually be in water so no need for them to be fed directly by aerogarden.. 

I think i can handle it. I am by no means a newbie, maybe to the forum but not to growing.. This would be my first hydro/aero grow but Im pretty sure i can handle it. I got a PH tester today that stays submerged underwater, is that ok to put stuff in the water? it works for 4-6 weeks reading the ph so i figured i can get a new one every few weeks.. 

and im very exceited because the germinated seed i put in the aerogarden is starting to emerge! No nutes yet but i plan on ordering ppm tester and some foxfarm hydro nutes so i have everything i need... Im also going to go with the 400w because i dont think i have enough space for the 600w, I only have like 3.5ft of vertical space so the 400w is gonna have to do it im gonna get the cooltube because its the only way i can have that much watts in this little space..

thank you all for viewing, more pics of the grow up soon... i guess this is basically my grow journal now!!


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## GypsyBush (Oct 25, 2008)

cronicspade said:


> no your not confusing me and i most definently appreciate the feedback being as you are experienced with the AG -


Good, but only I have one grow in the AG.. Vette is experienced...lol...



cronicspade said:


> I bought 6 mini-airstones and an air pump to put in the res... Were you able to put the water pump back in the aerogarden??


Good, but I never removed the pump from the AG... I simply unplugged it when I didn't need it anymore... and after a while I just picked up the whole reservoir out of the base... pump and all...



cronicspade said:


> so if im understanding correctly im going to leave the pump on 24 hrs now,


I used 17 hours for the water pump... 24 hours for the air pump...



cronicspade said:


> and once roots start to develop a bit better then move to 15hrs a day for the pump,


I kept mine at 17 hours for the water pump and 24 hours for the air pump until the roots were in the water...



cronicspade said:


> and then once roots are nearly touching water remove water pump and let air stones do the work??


When the roots are *in* the water, you simply unplug it... and since your light is on it's own power cord with the timer you added... the light will remain unaffected....



cronicspade said:


> because like you said the roots then would actually be in water so no need for them to be fed directly by aerogarden..


Yeah, but only after the roots are well established in the water, not just almost touching...



cronicspade said:


> I think i can handle it. I am by no means a newbie, maybe to the forum but not to growing.. This would be my first hydro/aero grow but Im pretty sure i can handle it.


yup, you will be fine... just don't overthink it... or follow magik soup mixes that fry your plants... stay with well established brands... no mixing up a bunch of shit... there are a lot of people out there with an eye on your pocket book...

Wait for your seedlings to have a few nodes before you start nuting...

start very light and work their tolerance up... then twds the end, after a peak at about week 5 to 6 , you start weening it down, until you flush with no nutes for at least a week before harvest...



cronicspade said:


> I got a PH tester today that stays submerged underwater, is that ok to put stuff in the water? it works for 4-6 weeks reading the ph so i figured i can get a new one every few weeks..


The ph tester should be fine... what kind is it? sounds like a continuous monitor of some sort...

KNOWING YOUR PH IS CRITICAL... GOOD MOVE...



cronicspade said:


> and im very exceited because the germinated seed i put in the aerogarden is starting to emerge!


Congratulations...now we watch them grow...lol...



cronicspade said:


> No nutes yet but i plan on ordering ppm tester and some foxfarm hydro nutes so i have everything i need...


PPM is a must.. I would look into a continuous ppm/ph tester... digital.. always on... easy maintenance.. long life...



cronicspade said:


> Im also going to go with the 400w because i dont think i have enough space for the 600w,


Go with what you know bro.. I have the 600 10" from my plants... you may get 8" out of the 400... if you have the cash... go big... the cooltube is the same size... you will need the exact same things... 

Be a shame for you to realize you might get a bigger setup next year and that you should have gotten the 600...



cronicspade said:


> I only have like 3.5ft of vertical space so the 400w is gonna have to do it


if you can do the 400, you can do the 600... the only deterrent would be financial... and then only for the difference between lights...

If you set up your space correctly, to handle a 400, the same vent sys, will do the job...



cronicspade said:


> im gonna get the cooltube because its the only way i can have that much watts in this little space..


Yup.. I would go with a 170 cfm centrifugal fan (not an in line booster) =, dedicated to the cool tube with the 600 in it..lol....

I would also use one of those fans for your exhaust... with passive intakes... I am going to install a 265 cfm for the exhaust, but my tent is 36x20x60...



cronicspade said:


> thank you all for viewing, more pics of the grow up soon...


Sure man.. it's fun... let's see the pics...



cronicspade said:


> i guess this is basically my grow journal now!!


Congratulations...

I will visit often...

Good Luck... (600)...lol...

Gypsy...


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## cronicspade (Oct 25, 2008)

ok thanks for clearing the pump shit up with me! lol, i do believe i was just overthinking...I eventually realized thats prob wat you meant, i thought you meant actually meant remove pump.

I know have 3 air stones in the AG and it has foil covering the top to block light. I also added some vinegar to water to lower ph i think its down to about 5.2 now.. i belive thats about where i need it? in between 5.2-5.9 I may need to add a bit more tap water to bump it back up a bit.. During the process of modifing the AG base, i noticed one of the headband seeds have cracked and the unknown dank seed ***at this point will now be referred to as tootiefrootie because the weed it came from was super sweet and pungent*** is growing by the second it seems. Although seed leaves havent risen above label, i know its coming soon, and the three other head band plants are right behind it. This thing germinated the headband seed fast, i just popped it in there last night and it already sprouted!! 

More pics soon as i get a chance, im ready for the REAL action to happen in about 3 weeks!!

once again gypsy i just wana thank you for your feedback on my grow you've been a great help!!

keep on stopping by, hopefully ill pull a few oz of some super killer smoke!

I am much more stoked about the new aeroponics thing, i think after these soil plants finish up, i may just build 6 site hydro set up and just do strictly aero/hydro grows


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## GypsyBush (Oct 25, 2008)

Yeah Man...

My Ph.. I shoot for 5.8...

there is a nifty ph chart.. let me go look...


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## GypsyBush (Oct 25, 2008)

found it...


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## GypsyBush (Oct 25, 2008)

first day and last day of the Mini Aeroponic Garden...





​


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## cronicspade (Oct 25, 2008)

DAMN! they fattened up.. i wonder if i can find any grow journals with aerogarden in combo with 400w.... 

i found a great priced 400w hps cool tube on eBay from HTG suppy.. only gonna be around 220 after shipping... thats not bad being as it comes ready to go and I can get inline fan from same seller!

I just wish i could fast forward a bit!


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## GypsyBush (Oct 25, 2008)

cronicspade said:


> DAMN! they fattened up.. i wonder if i can find any grow journals with aerogarden in combo with 400w....
> 
> i found a great priced 400w hps cool tube on eBay from HTG suppy.. only gonna be around 220 after shipping... thats not bad being as it comes ready to go and I can get inline fan from same seller!
> 
> I just wish i could fast forward a bit!


I was not using the AG hood... I had 275 watts of hid...

2 x 70 HPS
1 x 35 HPS 
1 x 100 MH

but I do not know of anyone using a 400 on the AG yet...

and I saved on shipping by calling them on the phone...

HTG rocks.. they have taken really good care of me... 

go with the 600, you will not regret it... hahahaha...

HTG is a good choice... you will be happy with your new cool tubed 600..lol...

cheers...


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## cronicspade (Oct 25, 2008)

i duno about the 600w.... thats so much power... is the yield gonna be that much of a difference between the 400 and the 600???

but its only like 40 bucks more i might as well get the 600... it would be the only light i needed in there i could have multiple hydro set ups and dirt plants under one light..

dont they say .5g/per watt.. if so then the yield would most definently be increased.. thats just alot of power... i duno if i wanna do that for small closet grow..

lol gypsy your gonna eventually persuade me into 1000w hahaha its ok though i'll thank you in the end when i yield 3 oz a plant!

is the small res from the AG gonna restrict the growth of my plants??? if so, im selling that mutherfucker to another grower and building my own set up..


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## GypsyBush (Oct 25, 2008)

cronicspade said:


> i duno about the 600w.... thats so much power... is the yield gonna be that much of a difference between the 400 and the 600???


I have not done a side by side grow to compare a 400 to a 600... so I cannot state facts...

But I will say that the 600 watt HPS is the last upgrade in light you will need for the rest of your growing carreer...



cronicspade said:


> but its only like 40 bucks more i might as well get the 600... it would be the only light i needed in there i could have multiple hydro set ups and dirt plants under one light..


Exactly... just because it is a bit big for today's grow, does not mean that next year it won't be the perfect light for that space under the stairs on the new house...lol... 

My tent is small... you could fit it in any closet.... and it is 2x as bright as a sunny day in there, with the temps of a cool fall day... just can't beat that....



cronicspade said:


> dont they say .5g/per watt.. if so then the yield would most definently be increased.. thats just alot of power... i duno if i wanna do that for small closet grow..


It's not that much power... Some computers use more... and are on 24/7...

I gotta look to say for sure, but I think I read that a 600 12/12 runs on avg. $60 a month... I gotta go make sure though...

and yeah that is a reasonable goal to set... .5g/w is realistic for someone with a well tuned setup... and yes the yield would increase accordingly, but not with the same number of plants...

Each plant will yield a little more, but you will need more plants to utilize the light and produce some of the "extra bud"...

Just think how much you would be saving by not having to buy a new light next year... or even the next grow...



cronicspade said:


> lol gypsy your gonna eventually persuade me into 1000w hahaha its ok though i'll thank you in the end when i yield 3 oz a plant!


Nah... but I would say get 2 x 600 before I told you to go 1000...lol...

And I cannot make any claims of weight or whatever... I am just saying that the right tools for ANY job, will pay for themselves in no time... with less headaches and unforeseen issues.... and i have always been a heavy duty kind of guy...

Get the motherfucker that will get the job done right, and still have a little duty to spare... hahahaha....



cronicspade said:


> is the small res from the AG gonna restrict the growth of my plants??? if so, im selling that mutherfucker to another grower and building my own set up..


Now we're talking...

YES THE AG IS WAY TOO SMALL...!!!!!!

All the Ag is, is a DWC with a water pump...

Well... if the roots are already IN THE WATER, why do I need a pump watering it???????? It just leads to probs. with stem rot....

Check this out... sorry, it's from another thread...

while I am looking for it... here check this... for odor control...


The BEST DIY EZ walmart carbon filter for MICRO grows Zen style

and that dude's thread... AWESOME MUST READ BACK TO BACK...lol...

Micro ebb/flow (NOW DWC), all CFL ScrOG, perpetual Stealth locker

but here is what gave the info and inspiration to do what I am doing...

Zen's the shit...!!!



Wolfman Zen said:


> Just doing my part as an active member of the MICRO REVOLUTION =]
> 
> Went down to my local Walmart and picked up a few items..
> 
> ...


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## GypsyBush (Oct 25, 2008)

So with that in mind... and the fact that I want the roots to grow and have room, I choose these tubes for my new tent...

4 plants per tray, 4 trays... 

each tub is 9"w x 20"d x 15"h

and if my math is right... they each hold 11 US gal.


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## cronicspade (Oct 25, 2008)

Damnit I have no reciept. Ima sell it to a friend that wants to do personal grow I guess? I'm gona use it for now, but there's plent space for dirt plants, aerogarden and another 4-5 site DIY bubbler.. The AG is kinda cool, I had the xtra $ so oh well  .. Might as well make good use of the damn thing


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## cronicspade (Oct 25, 2008)

That's a bad ass easy setup and WAY cheaper than 200. I'll definently have to do that... I moved things around a bit in there no the fan is hanging from roof.. Much more floor space.


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## GypsyBush (Oct 26, 2008)

cronicspade said:


> Damnit I have no reciept. Ima sell it to a friend that wants to do personal grow I guess? I'm gona use it for now, but there's plent space for dirt plants, aerogarden and another 4-5 site DIY bubbler.. The AG is kinda cool, I had the xtra $ so oh well  .. Might as well make good use of the damn thing


I'm experimenting with the seed starter kit for the AG... it seems like a pretty good cloner... and with 72 sites, I should have no trouble keep a good supply of clones...



cronicspade said:


> That's a bad ass easy setup and WAY cheaper than 200. I'll definently have to do that... I moved things around a bit in there no the fan is hanging from roof.. Much more floor space.


Yup... it is bad ass... Zen's a cool guy...!

I have seen a BANANA TREE set up like this in a half barrel once...freaking 13 feet tall...!!! on water...

Cheers!!!


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## cronicspade (Oct 27, 2008)

13ft plant on water is pretty gnarly... im interested to see how the soil and aero grow is going to look side by side --- i guess this will be an experiment to convince not only myself but im sure many other growers to go hydro..

and an update for any one following....

1 tootiefrooti plant already now a full grown sprout in the AG
3 headband sprouts also in the AG coming up reachin for light..

i have 2 tootiefrootie in soil, 2 headband in soil that recently sprouted, and 2 of unknown strain in soil as well

in total i have 4 plants in AG, and 6 in soil.. thts a good start for now.. i plan on taking clones from headband and rooting in DIY hydro setup like the pics you posted gypsy and moving into flowering room right before these little ones are finishing up...

quick question... damnit i forgot? uhhhhhhhh.. lol oh yea can i use pantyhose/stockings or whatever to seperate the roots of each plant in the AG?? Being as they are seed sprouts and non-feminized seeds- there is definently possibility of male plants in the AG and i dont want to kill me ladies! ARRR! (had to add that because my typo was cool and made me sound like a pirate!) haha sorry just a little baked..

thanks for being such a great help gypsy the grow is lookin great! maybe magnesium def. in two of the soil plants.. purple stems indicate mag. def. right? or is that common with seedlings?


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## GypsyBush (Oct 27, 2008)

cronicspade said:


> can i use pantyhose/stockings or whatever to seperate the roots of each plant in the AG??
> 
> ...maybe magnesium def. in two of the soil plants.. purple stems indicate mag. def. right? or is that common with seedlings?


I have not tried every brand on the market, but in my experiments, the roots grew right through the pantyhose...

I did figure out that if you remove them from the AG once a week... they don't tangle too bad...

And even then, when I wanted to separate some other plants.... I managed to unravel the root ball without damage to either roots...

gotta be patient... one strand at a time... the longer you let it go the more difficult it will be....

My miniatures remained 100% free from each other the whole grow... I could get each individual plant out with no issues all the way to harvest...

As for deficiencies... I don't go there...

I feed my plants the same thing that has been working... if they get weak and die.. so be it... I do not chase brown spots, yellow leaves or any of that stuff...

You can go crazy and really throw things out of whack...

I feed them... they either thrive or die...

My 2 cents... and I know there's people here that would slap me for saying that... but... 

Oh and I have purple stems too.... don't really know or care what causes them... DNA... cold.. deficiency.... like I said... I feed them... from there on, it's up to them ..

Best of Luck...


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## cronicspade (Oct 27, 2008)

lol haha i think it is common with seedlings to have purple stems, but if i see its an ongoing issue i will water with a little bit of magnesium sulfate. as far as stockings fuck that idea.. like u said it wasnt problem through harvest so im not worried about it because i will cull males as soon as they show nuts...

thanks for your 2 cents its much appreciated

hey gypsy how you tell difference from males and females? 
just joking, mocking the noobs who cant READ haha


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## GypsyBush (Oct 27, 2008)

cronicspade said:


> hey gypsy how you tell difference from males and females?


I have an fail proof way of telling if you have males in your garden...

Wait until harvest... if you have seeds in your buds... then you know for sure you had some males in there...lol...


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## cronicspade (Oct 27, 2008)

Haha, good one! I'd agree that method is fool proof! Hahaha....Or maybe I should just water with birth control?


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## Ghost420 (Oct 27, 2008)

great thread i am gonna keep watching. you guys are giving me some great ideas


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## cronicspade (Oct 28, 2008)

well thanks for stopping by ghost! if you got any questions about my setup feel free to ask! 

glad to see some folks interested in my work of art... 

I was thinking of maybe putting a veg chamber built from same materials on top of the grow tent now(the top face of current tent is 1/4in plywood)... 

and i was thinking about running the exhaust fan sucking air from both tents... would this work with only a 60CFM fan? I guess I need to read further into the subject of ventilation, I would like to keep the temps a little lower than they are now, and hopefully i can hook the 60cfm fan up to two tents(veg/flower). Im sure it wouldnt be an issue as long as I added some computer fans, those 3.5 in fans move a shit load of air!

just been thinking haha.... i cant stop thinking about these damn things, i havent grown in a few years but its just like it used to be, growing is just as enjoyable as smoking 

a perceptual harvest is what im going for, i would like to move them in & out of flower room on regular basis.. but not large scale by any means... and this officially will be my LAST dirt grow indoors.. hydro is so much more EXCITING  And besides dank is called 'dro' because 'hydro' is KILLER SMOKE... right? haha

somehow i end up rambling on and on in these posts.. im going to go now you all keep coming back ill have new pics up soon!


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## boricuaboi (Oct 28, 2008)

hey i want one now no fair!!!!!


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## GypsyBush (Oct 28, 2008)

cronicspade said:


> Haha, good one! I'd agree that method is fool proof! Hahaha....Or maybe I should just water with birth control?


I wonder if that is what gives me roots like these....

Just found out she is a girl today... and she was ready to give me 12 cuttings...

What do you think about that????


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## cronicspade (Oct 28, 2008)

no fucking way! :: jaw drops ::

that is so wierd!!!!! the plant is like itty bitty and the roots are straight hulk-i-fied ... that is awesome!! that damn birth control, that damn shit works i tell ya! 

that seed starter top for the AG looks pretty nifty, i may need to get one once this AG leaves the flower room for good.

12 clones is prettttty sweet.. i cant wait to get some clones of my headband females!! that definently eliminates the SLOOOWWEST part of this whole cycle..
______________________________________________________________________

and for anyone just now jumping on and didnt read where i tore apart the first tent and rebuilt another due to space issues and mad fiance haha - so now i have a tent that fits in the closet! which is much more convienient incase relatives vist etc. etc. -






thats whats going on.. that may be able to help you picture my idea with the veg chamber on top a bit better...


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## cronicspade (Nov 5, 2008)

ok ladies and gentlemen, heres the update.. 11/5/08

first and foremost, DEMOCRATS HAVE WON AND VICTORY IS SWEET!!!! hahaha
And also Michigan the 13th state to legalize marijuana!!! Change is coming.. I seen video comment of Barack Obama stating that we are losing the war on drugs and marijuana laws need to be changed!!!! YAY!!!!! Bout time someone with some damn SENSE gets elected...

(if you disagree with the election and are not an Obama supporter <b>DO NOT</b> post any neg. comments about him or the election THANK YOU!)
 -  - 

now to the pictures of mi familia.... They are all doing great, all plants on nutrient soultions. Plants in soil got dosed up with fishemulsion and 10-10-10 fert.

plants in AG got dosed up with 10-10-10 fert.. I am kinda unsure if its working? I am using Vigoro 10-10-10(im sure its alot similar to MG just different name) I guess its for soil but it doesnt really say specifically... Will Vigoro 10-10-10 fertilizer work in hydro????

The Soil plants are looking good, the runt of the bunch has been through hell and my dumbass transplanted it because I thought it was rootbound and it wasnt even rootbound so now that plants screwed up pretty much, once I transplant AGAIN its probably gonna go hermie on me.. Im certainly not going to cut it down until i see balls though, unfortunately my dumbass forgot that transplanting more than one time is a NONO... Also the tootiefrooties all seemed to be having nute def. After i fertilized with 1/2 rec. dose of 10-10-10 they jumped right back up and stopped yellowing...

Either way, my HeadBands are HIGHLY PRIZED... They are definently indica dominant and I like that because it stays low and bushy and the high is better for pain. I have a total of 5 HB's... 2 in soil/3 in AG and hopefully I can get 10-15 cuts from the females... 

The headbands in soil are beautiful as you can see.....
<br>





<br>


Nice little family picture of the Dirt's<br>
<br>






And the hydroponik plants...
<br>





<Br>


Unfortunately my TootieFrootie plant was nearly murdered by me(OH NO!) because upon removing the AG hood I dropped the hood and it landed on all the plants LUCKILY only the tootiefrootie was hurt, which dont bother me too much because it seems to be fine. It lost one of its first serrated leaves but hey its got the other one lol

so far so good, I'll be switching to 12/12 in a few weeks. 

Im going to take cuts of all plants and mark clones and mother/father plants, and then flower so I dont have to take clones during flower... So that should work out nicely and I am also building a Veg Cab above the flower chamber for maintaining seedlings/mothers/clones that will keep everything running smoooooooth....

thats all folks!


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## giantart (Nov 5, 2008)

Where da pics Cronic?


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## GypsyBush (Nov 5, 2008)

not fair...

I refuse to make a comment until I see the bloody pictures..LOL...


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## cronicspade (Nov 5, 2008)

what do you mean no pics??? i see them.. 

OOOOO because its private album ahahahahaha

damn im so sorry guys thanks for coming and check out the update man my bad ill get it fixed right away hahahahahah im such an idiot...


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## cronicspade (Nov 5, 2008)

ok now it is public.. lol sorry im just paranoid i figured that members could see it only hahaha i must be fucking retarded damn...

i can see them though lol, so damn pics looked fine to me haha

now i gotta wait for my damn answer on the vigoro ferts! 

which brings me basically to this question...

is there a difference in hydro nutes and standard chemical nutes for soil???

thats basically what i meant by asking is the vigoro nutrients cool for hydro...


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## cronicspade (Nov 6, 2008)

all dirt plants






headband soil plants








hydro 3 head bands 1 tootiefrootie


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## cronicspade (Nov 6, 2008)

soil plants are days ahead of the hydro so they are actually starting to take off and be ready to top soon. one hydro plant is already topped lol because i dropped the AGhood on it.. oh well it will just be two headed from the getgo


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## cronicspade (Nov 10, 2008)

update::: hydro plants boomin now roots showin strong on two and barely showin on the other two.. im gonna buy some gh nutes soon and ppm/oh tester so i know wat im doing .. im just estimatin shit now with vinegar and h202 to keep the ph down .. one was big enough to top so i snipped it at 3 nodes 4 nodes if you count still intact seed leaves....

planning on going 12/12 on 1st of da month


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## boricuaboi (Nov 10, 2008)

lookin good bro


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