Doublestack Rubbermaid Design and Setup

tiyoo

tiyoo

Active Member
Hey dudes and dudets, I am not really new here as much as I am new to growing. I have scratched the PC idea...I am putting a list of supplies together and I am wondering if anyone in here has done this before and if I could get some help/advice.

So far what I have decided is that I want to do 2 x Sterilite 30-Gallon Storage Bins (stacked on top of each other with the top of the bottom one have a hole in it and the bottom of the top one with a hole also). I have so many questions, I dont want to put them all down in here. Really what I am looking for is someone to bounce ideas off of and hopefully get pointed in the right direction. I want to get everything set up in the next month or so.

Dimensions: 32.5" L x 19.75" W x 17.13" H
First of all I would like your opinion on storage bins...for those of you who have done this before would you recommend either of the following or something else?




Measures: 32.5''L x 19.75''W x 18.63''H



I have also wired up two pc fans to cell phone chargers and they seem to work well. I have seen that some people have painted the inside of their tubs white but I am not sure I am going to be doing that. I plan on putting a power strip on the bottom for the fans and then ill probably have a power strip up top for the lights.

I plan on having CFL bulbs and growing with those (unless someone has something different that has worked) I have most of the stuff for that minus the bulbs...im just not sure what I need to look for...a link to home depot or lowes or something would help.

I was thinking something like this (unless you think it would get too hot):



Here is a link to the info: http://www.texashydroponics.com/shop/product.php?productid=2792&cat=286&page=1

Anyways, I hope you guys can help me because I am eager to get started. I will probably be getting my seeds from Attitude Seedbank unless they arent good sending to the US. Like I said though, any help I can get is greatly appreciated.
 
jr22hockey

jr22hockey

Well-Known Member
Hey I'm doing a rubbermaid grow myself and I think you have the right ideas. I think that the one powerful CFL as opposed to a bunch of less powerful ones is good idea too because it can get messy and complicated real fast working with alot of bulbs in that small space. Just make sure one of the fans is at the plant level and that one of them is at the level of the lights to suck the heat out. (cfl's do get surprisingly hot in an enclosed space)
No opinion on the kind of bin. however, I really would recommend painting the inside white. I have the inside of mine covered with mylar but you can still see the light from the outside. Light will definitely shine through if it is not painted which will ruin the stealth PLUS white will reflect your light and make your grow box so bright that it looks like the second coming of Jesus
 
Higher Education

Higher Education

Well-Known Member
Do you have an ideal weight (final yield in grams) you're hoping to achieve? What about a set number of plants that you wish to stay at?

If you are trying to stay really small, then the totes you listed will suffice, but if you would like to produce nine ounces from six plants in two gallon containers I would suggest this tote.

http://doitbest.com/Main.aspx?PageID=64&SKU=649260&utm_source=Froogle&utm_medium=FREECSE&utm_term=649260&utm_content=6790&utm_campaign=DATAFEED

It is also available at Home Depot. I am using one of them right now as an aeroponic system, but I tried putting pots in it just out of curiosity and was able to fit six two gallon pots. With two of these stacked and the height double, you should be able to effectively pull six to ten ounces from six plants depending on veg time, the strain, and you skill. You could also add more plants and have a shorted veg time. With two of this particular tote though, now that I think about it, the top one should actually be flipped upside down, so both opened ends can be screwed or siliconed together. This would give you the greatest volume of growing space.


As far as lights go, I would suggest getting some T5's. A lot of members on here will say they aren't effective as HPS or MH lighting system, but most of those members have never even used them. I've seen high quality, massive yields with T5's, and am in the process of growing some. The key is keeping the T5's extremely close to your foliage. This will induce crazy node growth and short, bushy plants. More nodes equal more buds.

I don't know what your budget is, but I would suggest getting something like this in addition to some cfl's on the side.

http://htgsupply.com/viewproduct.asp?productID=49242

Even if you did want to go ahead and get a super nice HPS or MH light, I doubt you would be able to effectively cool it in such as small space as two totes. So best bet is T5's and cfl's as you stated.

Attitude is great as far as shipping to the US is concerned. I don't think you could go wrong there.

Have you read Plato's Republic? I love your sig. Socrates has some crazy ideas on the likeness and nature of a particular object. The intelligible realm, in particular, is fascinating.
 
tiyoo

tiyoo

Active Member
Higher Education said:
Do you have an ideal weight (final yield in grams) you're hoping to achieve? What about a set number of plants that you wish to stay at?

If you are trying to stay really small, then the totes you listed will suffice, but if you would like to produce nine ounces from six plants in two gallon containers I would suggest this tote.

http://doitbest.com/Main.aspx?PageID=64&SKU=649260&utm_source=Froogle&utm_medium=FREECSE&utm_term=649260&utm_content=6790&utm_campaign=DATAFEED

It is also available at Home Depot. I am using one of them right now as an aeroponic system, but I tried putting pots in it just out of curiosity and was able to fit six two gallon pots. With two of these stacked and the height double, you should be able to effectively pull six to ten ounces from six plants depending on veg time, the strain, and you skill. You could also add more plants and have a shorted veg time. With two of this particular tote though, now that I think about it, the top one should actually be flipped upside down, so both opened ends can be screwed or siliconed together. This would give you the greatest volume of growing space.


As far as lights go, I would suggest getting some T5's. A lot of members on here will say they aren't effective as HPS or MH lighting system, but most of those members have never even used them. I've seen high quality, massive yields with T5's, and am in the process of growing some. The key is keeping the T5's extremely close to your foliage. This will induce crazy node growth and short, bushy plants. More nodes equal more buds.

I don't know what your budget is, but I would suggest getting something like this in addition to some cfl's on the side.

http://htgsupply.com/viewproduct.asp?productID=49242

Even if you did want to go ahead and get a super nice HPS or MH light, I doubt you would be able to effectively cool it in such as small space as two totes. So best bet is T5's and cfl's as you stated.

Attitude is great as far as shipping to the US is concerned. I don't think you could go wrong there.

Have you read Plato's Republic? I love your sig. Socrates has some crazy ideas on the likeness and nature of a particular object. The intelligible realm, in particular, is fascinating.
Click to expand...
Ya man I have read several of Plato's works. I was heavily into philosophy back in the day...still read a little here and there.

I am actually just looking to grow 6 autoflowering plans...I was going to plant two, then wait a month, plant two more, then wait another month...and plant two more. What do you think? I am not looking to give this stuff out or anything, just for personal use for my family and I.

So this light would work with some CFL's on the side? Do you think it would get too hot? I cant really tell what kind of bulb that is...but it looks to be 110 watt or something.
 
Higher Education

Higher Education

Well-Known Member
The T5 light I directed you to is a 130 watt light. There is a small amount of heat, but your two pc fans will work fine at extracting it. If you decide to go to with the 50 gallon tote I showed you, then you could put the T5 to the farthest right or left of the tote. It can be reserved for your oldest four plants. The two youger plants could go in the other end of your tote under some CFL's. All you would have to do after each harvest is slide your four remaining plants all the way to the left or all the way to the right, depending on where you place your T5. Since you're running auto strains, there would be no interference in light cycle either. What strain are you going with out of curiousity?

Also, it's important to mention that T5's are only effective at growing plants to about two to two and a half feet high, depending on strain. Taller than that, and you would also have to add some CFL's around the four plants under your T5.
 
tiyoo

tiyoo

Active Member
Do you guys know where I could find a diagram of such a set up? I am trying to figure out how I would put the lights on the side...the only thing I can think of is either building some kind of rack (which would be ideal so I could move the lights up and down, but I am afraid that my skills dont go beyond putting some kind of power strip on the side some how.
 
P

Potato42

Member
tiyoo said:
Do you guys know where I could find a diagram of such a set up? I am trying to figure out how I would put the lights on the side...the only thing I can think of is either building some kind of rack (which would be ideal so I could move the lights up and down, but I am afraid that my skills dont go beyond putting some kind of power strip on the side some how.
Click to expand...
I'm thinking about building a similar stealth grow box for veg and mother plants. In order to securely attach lights and provide easy access within the enclosure I was thinking of including some stainless shelving like this http://www.amazon.com/Whitmor-6056-344-N-Supreme-Cart-Chrome/dp/B000063SI0/ref=pd_sim_k_1

Just take the wheels off and remove the middle shelf. The size wont fill the box, but should easily fit within the dimensions of those storage boxes you showed. a 2' 2 bulb T5 could easily be attached to the upper shelf.

This would allow the whole thing to be easily broken down and portable. Note that you'd want to attach fans and ventilation to the shelf itself and not the plastic bin so that you could remove it and get at your plants.
 
sven deisel

sven deisel

Well-Known Member
i love the rubber maid flood and drain for many reasons the main1 being if power goes out u can still hand water. if u have the room for it an 8 tub set up is tits 4 in veg 4 in flower room 2 weeks in each tub. first 4 in veg set up at incre ppm and same in flower. depending on the strain u might only want 1 wek each in the veg and as 1 flat finishes send it back to the veg and move everything up a res tub. as far as cfl light go other than for cloning i have never grow out with them i would point u to a 400watt ceramic mh thats just imo
 
S

suleman

New Member
Stackers are the way to go. I JUST built my top half after working with only one for a while and the extra vertical space is awesome!

I'm using 8-26watt CFLs with a bathroom lighting fixture with chains and hooks
2-120mm 90CFM Intake fans (top of first box)
2-120mm 90CFm Exhaust Fans (top of second box)
2-mini oscillating fans, one canopy level and one blowing mid-box
 
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