I'm in the middle of building a box right now for my small grow but I'm missing some things and need help filling in the blanks please. I've already started on the actual box so I don't really want to change any of that now but my dimensions for the box are 2ft x 2ft x 5ft tall. I've got a 400 watt Hps light and 2 120 watt florescent bulbs. And I can't find any freaking mylar anywhere, so I figured I'd use those emergency hypothermia blankets to cover the interior instead. or just spray paint it white. anyway WHAT ELSE DO I NEED??? How many plants should I attempt to grow in that size box in relation to the amount of lighting I have. Do I have enough lighting? Any and all help is greatly appreciated. Also I need to box to NOT emit any smells so help on that would also be nice.
Stuck need help
- Thread starter jhadleyh
- Start date
Metasynth
Well-Known Member
Flat white paint, not emergency blankets...You'll definately need fans to exchange the air in there and cool the 400w...Also, for a 2x2 footprint, 400w HPS is fine, no need for the fluorescents. If you're gonna seal your box and make sure it doesn't smell, you'll need an inline fan that has enough power to pull air through a carbon filter.
Alright. where would I find these types of fans, where would I purchase a carbon filter? Are these items things I can go to home depot and get? I need this to not come close to smelling. I don't want to sacrifice any quality though. I have plenty to spend.
Metasynth
Well-Known Member
Starting out, soil is easy. When I started indoors, I ran one crop in soil, one crop split between soil and hydro, and now I'm 100% hydro indoors for the past couple years, soil for outdoors. Just sayin...lol...But yeah, for the fan/filter combo, I'd go with a 6 inch inline fan, carbon filter, and speed controller for the fan. Here's an idea of what you need, but can probably be found cheaper...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-CARBON-FILTER-FAN-SPEED-CONTROLLER-COMBO-ODOR-SCRUBBER-inline-hydroponic-/400267682172?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d31d0217c
As for soil, there are lots of mixes to use, just don't use one with time release fertilizer in it. People swear by FoxFarm, but I use this shit called Kelloggs Patio Plus, it's 6 bucks for 3 cu. feet at home depot, and has some good shit in it, similar ingredients to foxfarm ocean forest.
Light schedule would be up to you really, but 18/6 and 20/4 seem to be the most popular for veg, and obviously 12/12 for flower. Nutrients too are up to you, there is a lot of different shit out there, and different people have different opinions.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-CARBON-FILTER-FAN-SPEED-CONTROLLER-COMBO-ODOR-SCRUBBER-inline-hydroponic-/400267682172?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d31d0217c
As for soil, there are lots of mixes to use, just don't use one with time release fertilizer in it. People swear by FoxFarm, but I use this shit called Kelloggs Patio Plus, it's 6 bucks for 3 cu. feet at home depot, and has some good shit in it, similar ingredients to foxfarm ocean forest.
Light schedule would be up to you really, but 18/6 and 20/4 seem to be the most popular for veg, and obviously 12/12 for flower. Nutrients too are up to you, there is a lot of different shit out there, and different people have different opinions.
Cannikid
Active Member
You really need to do some reading. For ventilation I would use computer fans for both intake and exhaust. Two uptop across from each other and one at the bottom. As for smell I would use the DIY carbon filter (there are a lot of threads about this on riu. Because your space is so small one plant would do. Look up vscrog. Hydroponics or soil? If you are asking you should go with soil because it has an easier learning curve. Light cycles are 18/6 or 24/0 for veg and 12/12 for flower. Post pics looking forward to seeing the end product.
Metasynth
Well-Known Member
Haha, you're not for real, are you? Cooling a 400w hps in a 2x2x5 tent with no smell using computer fans? If you can pull this one off, you better patent that shit. My buddy has one of those carbon filter/pc fan combinations...Just a pricey paperweight. No, if you're worried about smell issues, get a big boy fan and filter, or you'll be regretting it.
where do I get this "big boy fan and filter" haha?
Metasynth
Well-Known Member
Order it on the internet, or visit your local hydro store. Did you visit that eBay link? check amazon too, and price shop. The hydro stores charge a lot more for this stuff usually.
Cannikid
Active Member
But for 20cubic feet? The 120v axial fans I'm thinking about blow over 100cfm. But I get what you're saying a 400w in that space is going to be hard to get by with. Especially if it needs to be stealth. I have seen people seppererate the top chamber with the light in it with a pane of glass and they evacuate that while exchanging air in the grow chamber
Metasynth
Well-Known Member
Not necessarily stealth, but smell free...so show me an axial fan that can pull air through a carbon filter big enough to remove the scent from flowering cannabis plants. I'm telling you, they don't deal well with pressure and resistance.
ok ok so I looked at that link and yeah im just going to get that tomorrow and what about this light? should I get this? would this be better? I'll take the one I have back and get this instead if its better for me. what about fans for cooling? that carbon fan combo thing is just for sucking air out right?
EDIT i was referring to this light http://www.ebay.com/itm/Digital-600-watt-HPS-MH-GROW-LIGHT-600w-w-COOL-TUBE-/120470378991?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c0c9819ef#ht_11840wt_1234
Metasynth
Well-Known Member
I suppose if you had an air cooled reflector just pulling in fresh air and exhausting the hot air from the bulb, you might be able to get away with using duct booster fans for cooling. But what about the smell in the rest of the tent? Gotta keep negative pressure in the tent to prevent the smell from leaking, and if you're removing air from the tent/chamber, it's gotta be scrubbed by carbon to remove the odor. For this, you need a fan that can retain circulation power with resistance.
Cannikid
Active Member
http://www.ecogrow.com/fans-ventilation-ac-axial-fans-c-33_230.html?zenid=nan6va6qdcc7rnbva4tf7s98k6
Metasynth, did you even read my post before commenting on it? Agreed with you and gave a solution that might work. Link to axial fans I was thinking about
Metasynth, did you even read my post before commenting on it? Agreed with you and gave a solution that might work. Link to axial fans I was thinking about
Metasynth
Well-Known Member
The carbon filter fan combo will exchange the air in your tent, you'll need to open some vents towards the bottom of the tent to allow fresh air in. As long as the ambient temp in the room you draw air from is a reasonable temp, your tent should stay only a few degrees above ambient. If you're worried about keeping it light tight, you might need to throw together a light trap or attach ducting to the vent to prevent light leaking in during flower. Yeah, you'll need a circulation fan, just an oscillating desk fan from walmart should do it for a tent that size. I can't see if you posted pics or links for lights, so can't answer ya there.
Metasynth
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I commented in my next post about air cooling just the lights. Sorry. And yeah, that 6 inch axial is 60 bucks, for like 10 more dollars you could just buy a legit 6" inline fan on ebay that you can hook right up to ducting and a filter, no DIY tinkering required.