Optimal setup for closet grow

[Ryknow]

Note: this is a personal grow. So im not concerned with a SoG.. I dont need quite that much pot on my hands.

So heres the deal... im currently growing my first plant in my closet and its going quite well. The one plant growing is about 3 weeks into bloom and looks amazing.. a little over 2 feet tall at the moment. Clones have been taken and are rooting in my DIY bubble cloner.

Now heres my question.. I have a walk in closet with 64H x 58w x 30 deep.. a nice big rectangle. I am currently growing out of a single 5 gallon lowes bucket that has a net pot in it.. the bucket is the res and grow chamber. Very very small setup. However, we (me and my roomie) are looking to expand. We have a 400w HPS/MH ballast (Sunleaves Pulsar) that is a all in one thing.. ballast, reflector, etc is all one big thing.

The walls are already painted flat white, so I dont feel the need to change that at the moment since I dont really have a lot of cash laying around.

Im considering using a 30 gallon rubbermaid tub as my res and 4 or 5 buckets to grow the plants in. My current air pump and water pump I dont think will support more than what I have going at the moment.. but im willing to spring for larger pumps when the time is needed and ill just move the old pumps to a new cloner.

Any ideas on how to make what I have and want to fit into this area would be awesome.

Shitty paint image attached is a rough idea of what my idea is... but I think I would have an issue with the middle plant getting all the light and the other 2 not really getting enough light.

Comments? Thought? Any help is appreciated!

 

[Ryknow]

...so I forgot to attach the image. Im totally baked.. so yea.

Also, this is a hydro grow using hydroton medium if that matters.

 

[smoote1987]

...so I forgot to attach the image. Im totally baked.. so yea.

Also, this is a hydro grow using hydroton medium if that matters.

Man this question is so tempting to give a detailed response to, but i feel like i would put my foot in my mouth some how if i were to tell you what to do. I'd say you have a pretty versatile space there and could do pretty much whatever you want to it.

Start by thinking about and making a detailed list of everything you want in the grow, how you want it to function, how the maintenance will go down, you know cover your bases, and do a lot of research looking at different peoples grows using the methods you described. This should give you a really good starting point and you will be able to ask much more specific questions that are easier to answer.

GL

 

[Ryknow]

Man this question is so tempting to give a detailed response to, but i feel like i would put my foot in my mouth some how if i were to tell you what to do. I'd say you have a pretty versatile space there and could do pretty much whatever you want to it.

Start by thinking about and making a detailed list of everything you want in the grow, how you want it to function, how the maintenance will go down, you know cover your bases, and do a lot of research looking at different peoples grows using the methods you described. This should give you a really good starting point and you will be able to ask much more specific questions that are easier to answer.

GL

Haha I hear you. Ill get some more specific questions for later.

One important one though... 400w can support 4-5 plants easily though correct?

 

[smoote1987]

Haha I hear you. Ill get some more specific questions for later.

One important one though... 400w can support 4-5 plants easily though correct?

I'm sorry i cannot comment on that exactly, as i haven't ever used anything higher than my 150w hps. However i have read through a bunch of journals and have seen people use it for just 1 plant to more than 10. I do not know the general recommendations for a 400w hid light though, a quick search of something like "how many plants under a 400w" or something in this forum or in google should give you some results.

GL

side note: i had 4 plants under my 150 at one point sooo...

 

[Ryknow]

Ok, I did some thinking about this last night and ive determined what I think im going to do. Ive got some spare 6.5 gallon buckets in my room that I am going to use as a res instead of the giant rubbermaid tub. Im going to turn 2 or 3 rubbermaid tubs into grow chambers instead and try to get 6 to 8 plants going.

I was also informed last night that a birthday present order was placed for me and I have a 5 blackberry, 5 feminized AK48, and 10 afghani kush seeds coming to me.

So 2 30 gallon rubbermaids will be grow chambers, probably with 3 to 4 plants in each.

Im going to put some more pics up as soon as I determine what im going to do... and once I get my digi cam back.

Till then.. keep on smokin

 

[smoote1987]

Ok, I did some thinking about this last night and ive determined what I think im going to do. Ive got some spare 6.5 gallon buckets in my room that I am going to use as a res instead of the giant rubbermaid tub. Im going to turn 2 or 3 rubbermaid tubs into grow chambers instead and try to get 6 to 8 plants going.

I was also informed last night that a birthday present order was placed for me and I have a 5 blackberry, 5 feminized AK48, and 10 afghani kush seeds coming to me.

So 2 30 gallon rubbermaids will be grow chambers, probably with 3 to 4 plants in each.

Im going to put some more pics up as soon as I determine what im going to do... and once I get my digi cam back.

Till then.. keep on smokin

Sounds good i look forward to seeing what you come up with. If you need some inspiration on the rubbermaid tub grow chambers check out KillHit's threads. He's got a pretty sweet rubbermaid set up that he just started.

GL

 

[Ryknow]

checking into his threads now.

 

[kryptakrOnic]

Generally around 8 to 10 plants can't be sufficently lit by a 400 watt

 

[Ryknow]

So then 6 I think is my magical number. Ill work some plans out tomorow either using one giant rubbermaid or 2 medium size ones.. and illl try to get some pics up.

 

[smoote1987]

So then 6 I think is my magical number. Ill work some plans out tomorow either using one giant rubbermaid or 2 medium size ones.. and illl try to get some pics up.

Looks like you're moving along nicely in the design process. I feel like a proud father or something. Nice work man i like your initiative. I will be glad to help on the rubbermaid tub grow as i've made one before. Though i don't have a lot of experience i can most definitely help you work through building the things. I bet KillHit will have some nice insight as well after just building his and putting it to use. The place where i sent KillHit to to help him set up his box and learn how to run it was JethroTull's rubbermaid tub journals.

GL

 

[Ryknow]

Ok, I think I have finally got my design all wound out. 18 Gallon rubbermaid grow chamber with 4 grow sites. Larger size than that and I think Ill have difficulty moving it around, changing water, nutes, etc. So.. 18 gallon DWC is what im looking at.

I have a baby version 1 gallon DWC for my cloner I made a few days ago.. which is basically my guide. Heres my question though, what size air pump am I going to need for this? Something this size http://www.wormsway.com/detail.asp?sku=SDA530
Or could I go with like http://www.wormsway.com/detail.asp?sku=SDA520

I tried to look up what size air pump I would need but no luck.. I found everything I needed to know other than what size water pump

 

[iloveit]

Im thinking of growing 9-16 plants in a flood & drain system with a 400W HPS (in a cool tube), Ill be lollipoping them. Can this be done? What are the advantages/disadvantages?

 

[Ryknow]

I wouldnt put that many plants under a 400w but thats just me. From what ive read if you want even lighting over your plants, I wouldnt go with more than 8. Other than that I cant help you... I dont use flood and drain and I have zero idea what lollipopping is.

You might consider starting your own thread to ask those questions... seeing how this one is mostly based around DWC.

 

[Ryknow]

Ok.. new issue. My plant is getting to close to my light and I cant go any higher with the light or lower with the plant... any idea?

 

[Ryknow]

Light issue fixed... I just assaulted my closet with a screwdriver and hammer... light now has lots of clearance.

But I still gotta figure out what size air pump I need.