Gavita 1000's with 8 foot ceilings...

[patrickkawi37]

As Gavitas or a different brand? The 6/750 Gavitas are only like 30 dollars cheaper than the 1000w from the source I am looking at...not that it matters, what works is what matters, but curious as to which 6/750's you reccomend.

And for good reason. It doesn't seem like anyone is able to convince you but I will say.. The 6/750 is smashing my 1k raptors with 8 foot ceiling. I have 1k gavitas in a 9 foot room and for my growing style they don't work . Too close to the canopy . Less yield than raptor 1ks

 

[wesley90]

And for good reason. It doesn't seem like anyone is able to convince you but I will say.. The 6/750 is smashing my 1k raptors with 8 foot ceiling. I have 1k gavitas in a 9 foot room and for my growing style they don't work . Too close to the canopy . Less yield than raptor 1ks

No, I am convinced! I dont like to get married to ideas when I don't have much experience =)

 

[wesley90]

In this situation, you would need a low profile reservoir. A 50gal botanicare rez should last you about, oh i dunno, about 4-5 days? Depends on how thirsty the plants are.
Read that post i posted earlier if you would. I'm talking about running drain tubing directly out the growroom/building. Collecting runoff and then pumping it out works no problem in other setups, but that extra height would fuck what you are trying to achieve here

Yeah I saw that, unfortunately runoff to the lawn isn't something I am comfortable with. I do have a sink that I could pump to though!

A couple questions if you don't mind:

1. Now for the table itself, do you have it higher from the ground on one end and the drain on the lower end of the table to help drain the water out? Is there any other effective way of draining the table without slanting it?

2. I am designing the table right now, and I think I can get away with a table that sits about 16" high. I would like to use drips lines for each pot like you do. So for 16 plants, 2 drips in each pot, a total of 32 outlets...What pump are you using? Seems like I would need to get a couple Y connectors to split up all those drips...
Also, how wide are the drip lines that are actually at the plants?

3. When it comes to feeding, I know the amount all depends on the size of the plants/age etc...but approximatly how often are you feeding and for how long in each dose?

Sorry for the multiple questions, I just want to make sure I have every aspect planned out so I don't hit a wall...I like doing things right the first time around!

Thanks man!

 

[Carolina Dream'n]

I have done it for a while now. Just like @Aeroknow i do DTW flood tables a few inches off the ground. 55 gallon Rez with a watering system persisting of hydro halos. 6 in rockwool on coco mats. My Rez has a float valve and a nutrient/ph doser. I can put the plants in flower and not worry about them. my equipment does 95% of the work for me.

 

[Aeroknow]

Yeah I saw that, unfortunately runoff to the lawn isn't something I am comfortable with. I do have a sink that I could pump to though!

A couple questions if you don't mind:

1. Now for the table itself, do you have it higher from the ground on one end and the drain on the lower end of the table to help drain the water out? Is there any other effective way of draining the table without slanting it?

2. I am designing the table right now, and I think I can get away with a table that sits about 16" high. I would like to use drips lines for each pot like you do. So for 16 plants, 2 drips in each pot, a total of 32 outlets...What pump are you using? Seems like I would need to get a couple Y connectors to split up all those drips...
Also, how wide are the drip lines that are actually at the plants?

3. When it comes to feeding, I know the amount all depends on the size of the plants/age etc...but approximatly how often are you feeding and for how long in each dose?

Sorry for the multiple questions, I just want to make sure I have every aspect planned out so I don't hit a wall...I like doing things right the first time around!

Thanks man!

I don't think a pump to evacuate run off is going to work in this situation. The feeds are automated. So, unless you were to automate the drain pump also, it wouldn't be a good idea.
1. Yes. Slope is needed to drain completely. 1/2" is plenty for a 4x4.
2. See pic below: that would do a 4x4 with 16 plants(but only one drip stake per plant).
But in you case, i would put two elbows on the ends and connect both manifolds with a piece of tubing. It would make for even better/even distribution.
1/4" tubing for drip stakes, 1/2" for the rest.
You wouldn't need a pump larger than 500gph(overkill), for 16 drip lines(1 per plant). If two lines per, you'd need more. I don't do two, because i live dangerously
3. At first they get watered when needed. Then it gradually gets ramped up to 3X's per light cycle. Feed times depend on the pump action. I time it until it achieves runoff, then round up to the next minute. So, if it takes 40 seconds to achieve runoff, i'll set the timer for 1min. If it takes 90 seconds, I'll set it to 2min. You could totally dial the feed times in better with a cycle timer, but i'm old school, and dangerous

 

[wesley90]

Hey, thanks for the quick reply! Your being too good to me =)

"But in you case, i would put two elbows on the ends and connect both manifolds with a piece of tubing. It would make for even better/even distribution."

I am trying to envision this but having trouble doing so...do you mean at the very ends where your caps are and connecting the 2 ends?

Do you have a link for that dripper your using there? The type of manifold I was looking at was different, didn't allow the flexibility like you have on the one in that picture.

Also, with the Botonicare tray, did you just drill 1 hole for drainage at the end or more than 1? I was thinking about drilling 3 in a row width wise so that the water on the edges doesn't puddle.

 

[wesley90]

http://www.sprinklerwarehouse.com/Rain-Bird-Drip-Irrigation-Emitter-p/xbd-80.htm

That is what I was looking at but I like your setup much more!

 

[Aeroknow]

Hey, thanks for the quick reply! Your being too good to me =)

"But in you case, i would put two elbows on the ends and connect both manifolds with a piece of tubing. It would make for even better/even distribution."

I am trying to envision this but having trouble doing so...do you mean at the very ends where your caps are and connecting the 2 ends?

Do you have a link for that dripper your using there? The type of manifold I was looking at was different, didn't allow the flexibility like you have on the one in that picture.

Also, with the Botonicare tray, did you just drill 1 hole for drainage at the end or more than 1? I was thinking about drilling 3 in a row width wise so that the water on the edges doesn't puddle.

Yeah you got it, instead of those end caps, connect both lenghts together. The one in the pic is from a 4x8 table. I do it a little different in 4x8's.
Flexible 1/2" tubing:

Basket dripper stake:

Just one drain in the tray is enough

Are you buying a flood tray, or building one?

All the 1/2" tee's and elbows are available at hardware stores(black and green), same with the 1/4" barbed fittings

 

[Aeroknow]

http://www.sprinklerwarehouse.com/Rain-Bird-Drip-Irrigation-Emitter-p/xbd-80.htm

That is what I was looking at but I like your setup much more!

Those have been out for quite a while, and I've never even considered using them. I can just see them getting clogged up, and killing allot of plants.
Hardware stores usually sell 1/2" inline filters(no pic today, they are in use at different location)
If you have the inline filter installed, don't have too crazy of hard water, and you don't use organics or semi-organics(i like maxibloom), clogs are very rare

Question for you:
Do you already grow? If so, in what medium?

 

[wesley90]

Those have been out for quite a while, and I've never even considered using them. I can just see them getting clogged up, and killing allot of plants.
Hardware stores usually sell 1/2" inline filters(no pic today, they are in use at different location)
If you have the inline filter installed, don't have too crazy of hard water, and you don't use organics or semi-organics(i like maxibloom), clogs are very rare

Question for you:
Do you already grow? If so, in what medium?

I actually would use RO water, I use RO water anyways for my drinking water.
I have done 2 grows...one about 15 years ago and one about 2 years ago...the one 15 years ago was when OG was still around and it was a DWC and the most recent one was a soil. Honestly both were half-assed...I had too much going on in my life to mess with them. Now I have much more space and time to work on this type of project =)

With that 1/2" line you have there, I am assuming you drill the holes/install the grommets for the 1/4" lines?

Thanks bro.

 

[Aeroknow]

Get urself one of these:

 

[wesley90]

Get urself one of these:
View attachment 3535615

Yeah, I was being lazy when I asked the previous question, found the answer with a simple search

You know, since I haven't grown in a while I think it may be best for me to start off smaller than my original plan for the first run...I would hate to buy/do all that work just to face a bunch of issues due to inexperience.

I think it would be best for me to start out with soil...any suggestions on the following are much appreciated!

750 watt HPS (I am guessing this would need to be air cooled as well?)
3x4 or 4x4 tent
Fox farm soil
Seperate shelf/tent for seedlings/clones
Exhaust system
pH meter
Temp/RH meter

I know the above doesn't include strain/veg time/flower time but I just want to give a basic run down of the environment. I do need to see if additional ferts will be needed as well as if I should add other items, such as perlite, to the base media. Any other suggestions?

Thanks again bro, really appreciate it!

 

[Aeroknow]

Yeah, I was being lazy when I asked the previous question, found the answer with a simple search

You know, since I haven't grown in a while I think it may be best for me to start off smaller than my original plan for the first run...I would hate to buy/do all that work just to face a bunch of issues due to inexperience.

I think it would be best for me to start out with soil...any suggestions on the following are much appreciated!

750 watt HPS (I am guessing this would need to be air cooled as well?)
3x4 or 4x4 tent
Fox farm soil
Seperate shelf/tent for seedlings/clones
Exhaust system
pH meter
Temp/RH meter

I know the above doesn't include strain/veg time/flower time but I just want to give a basic run down of the environment. I do need to see if additional ferts will be needed as well as if I should add other items, such as perlite, to the base media. Any other suggestions?

Thanks again bro, really appreciate it!

Fax farm OF soil will only last you so long. Usually about three weeks, until you need to start feeding. Transplanting into new soil gives the plants a little more time before needing fed, but you can only up-pot so many times. So I say go rite to a soiless like promix hp. It's ready rite out the bale(needs broken up a little bit but no biggie)no extra perlite needed, nothin. But plants in promix need fed right away. I like an easy 1-part like GH's maxi or their floranova. If your starting water is decent, no extra nutrient or additive is needed to grow the biggest and best bud the genetics you have allow. Don't play the additive game!
It's really easy, if you keep it simple.

 

[wesley90]

Fax farm OF soil will only last you so long. Usually about three weeks, until you need to start feeding. Transplanting into new soil gives the plants a little more time before needing fed, but you can only up-pot so many times. So I say go rite to a soiless like promix hp. It's ready rite out the bale(needs broken up a little bit but no biggie)no extra perlite needed, nothin. But plants in promix need fed right away. I like an easy 1-part like GH's maxi or their floranova. If your starting water is decent, no extra nutrient or additive is needed to grow the biggest and best bud the genetics you have allow. Don't play the additive game!
It's really easy, if you keep it simple.

Well there is another reason too...significant other doesn't want ANY hydro, only soil...actually that's the main reason. Shes doesn't understand and refuses to even learn about hydro. I just didn't want to cop to it earlier =)

 

[Frazer]

Yes, a run-to-waste sog setup
The tray/s would only need to be about 6" off the ground, basically just high enough to accommodate drain fitting and an elbow. This is assuming you can pipe the drainage out of the growroom this way.
Couple that with the DE setup i'm talking about, it's doable. I do it at one of my setups
16 plants per 4'x4' tray. A basket drip stake per plant(2 is safer though). I prefer 1 gal mesh bottom pots with coco. But have done it with other media many times.

If you can mount the hood(without ballast, or that nanolux) directly to eye bolts in the ceiling: between the fixture and the 3' space needed, that's a little less than 4'. Leaves you a little more than 4' for tray and plants

There's a DE out now that does a solid 4'x4' footprint. It doesn't throw the light out light regular hoods. It's a deep hood. It's supposed to keep the footprint tighter. It's 120v too! Nanolux makes them.

 

[stonius]

I am planning a flood and drain setup and have read multiple threads about how people aren't able to get enough space between their plants and the Gravitas...My concern is with the height of the drain table that there may not be enough space...Anyone know the distance required between the plants and the light?

I have been running phantom 1000 de under 8 foot ceilings for 3 years now and now bought a gavita 1000 de To get enough space I have 2 lowboy 40 gallon resiviors under my 4x4 tables My 4x4 tables sit 13.5 inches off the floor my phantoms with good air circulation you could put lights 2 feet over canopy but I still would go 3 feet which will allow 30 to 36 inch plants Switching from air cooled hoods and regular hps a pound per table was the norm but with my phantom de 1000 my yield went up to 1.5 pounds a table . With my gavita 1000 de they recommend 40 inches between light and canopy I expect 2 pound tables with gavita i will update when i have proof

 

[Renfro]

The way those gavitas or most DE's really shine is in a building with really tall ceilings. You hang them all way up high and let them all blend together. The plants get hit from all directions. Yes the inverse square law says the light from a single source will get weaker as it goes further, but thats only because it is spreading out. The light isnt lost. So when all the lights blend together you get the PPFD and the plants love it because it's more like outdoors. One factor is the room should be as large as possible because walls are the enemy. That means you don't want to bust a large facility up into several smaller flowering rooms. That can have it's own downsides that should be considered. With the tall ceilings all the heat goes up and you don't have to worry about it as much if you leave that hot air layer undisturbed and vent it through roof vents.

 

[IIReignManII]

Is there an LED option that is as good or better yield than Gavitas?

 

[Apalchen]

Is there an LED option that is as good or better yield than Gavitas?

I don't believe so, many would prob disagree. It also depends on your setup and goals. Gavita's new led and Spyder fixtures are the only ones I see coming even close to a de hps and I still don't believe that your going to pull the same yield per sq ft. Doesn't mean you can't pull the same yield you just need more floor space to do it, so if you had a big room but didn't have the electrical capacity to use all de 1k fixtures you could use led to light up more space with the same watts resulting in lower yield per sq ft but more sq ft of canopy allowing for good yield. Hopefully this makes sense and it's just my opinion some of the led guys will swear it's possible to get same yield per sq ft but I've yet to see any credible results that show that to be true.

 

[Renfro]

it's just my opinion some of the led guys will swear it's possible to get same yield per sq ft but I've yet to see any credible results that show that to be true.

Well my tent run I pulled 15.5 zipz out of a 2x4 with 3 runts in an 8 plant run. I think if those runts had been bigger it would have been at least 3 zips more so. That impressed me so much with quality and yield that I decided to build 6 lights to replace my DE's in the daytime flowering room to help with heat. So we shall see but I used to think just like you on the LED.