New Care giver trying to invest about 400-600$ on grow room set up. suggestions plz

ambedexteras

ambedexteras

Well-Known Member
hey guys,

just signing up to be my caregiver so im about to order all my gear. i have a decent amount of stuff in mind just want to lay it out for the pros and see what kinda feed back i get. i am an experienced outdoor grower however this will be my first grow indoors. i hope to grow about 8-12 plants in the tent with a 600W HPS @ 75% output for veg and 100% output for flower. im hoping to do 4 Strawberry cough, 4 blue dream, and 4 apple jack (jack herrer and white widow mix) so i really dont wanna waste the seeds by having the wrong set up so ive attached photos of the gear im buying. also for soil i plan to buy just some cheap walmart soil, mix with about 20%perlite and some cal , mag stuff maybe bone meal and tea or whatever and then obv add nutrients to the water 3-4 weeks in. any suggestions on specific nutes for these strains? any help much appreciated guys and once i get going will def do pics and whatnot. thanks

The first picture is the tent 6ftx6ftx6ft8in, next lil picture is the lighting kit might be too small of a pic so a little list of what it includes is

*coupon codes are not applicable to packages
Included in your complete lighting package:
(1) Quantum 600 Ballast
(1) CoolTube Reflector, 6”
(1) digilux 600 Watt HPS Bulb(to upgrade bulb, please choose from dropdown menu) ANYONE HAVE BAD REVIEWS ABOUT DIGILUX VS HORTILUX OR GENISIS cuz genisis is cheapest
(1) Pair Rope Ratchets

and third is the pots i want to use cuz they seem awesome but if anyone has any complaints plz let me know. 10x the 3 gallon version of
[h=1]Geopot Fabric Pots w/Handles, 3-10 gallons[/h]
 

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Ou8aCracker2

Ou8aCracker2

Well-Known Member
600w won't be anywhere near enough light in a 6x6 tent.

400w HID max area coverage = 3x3
600w HID max coverage is 4x4

In a 5x5 I'd use 2x 600w HID's.

6x6=36 square feet.

600/36=16w per square foot.You want 50w per square foot minimum.

I'd go with either 3x 600w HID's or 2x 1000w HID's to properly light a 6x6 area.But that'll be way over budget.

I say get a 3x3 tent with a 400w or 600w HPS or a 4x4 tent with a 600w or 1000w HPS.
 
HeartlandHank

HeartlandHank

Well-Known Member
^ Room to work is always nice too though...

My favorite tent setup was a 5x9 tent with 3 600s. the extra 9 inches of room on each side of the 3.5 x 9 garden is the minimum space I like to work with..

Even with my extra 1.5 x 9 ft.. mounting a circ fan is a pita.
 
ambedexteras

ambedexteras

Well-Known Member
Ou8aCracker2 said:
600w won't be anywhere near enough light in a 6x6 tent.

400w HID max area coverage = 3x3
600w HID max coverage is 4x4

In a 5x5 I'd use 2x 600w HID's.

6x6=36 square feet.

600/36=16w per square foot.You want 50w per square foot minimum.

I'd go with either 3x 600w HID's or 2x 1000w HID's to properly light a 6x6 area.But that'll be way over budget.

I say get a 3x3 tent with a 400w or 600w HPS or a 4x4 tent with a 600w or 1000w HPS.
Click to expand...

damn thats not good news i really want that tent its perfect for the space i have. maybe ill start off buying the tent and the 600HPS,
and then after first harvest ill get more lights on it, and like heart andhank said while i only have one light i guess ill only be doing 4-6 plants
and have some walking around room. thanks for the wattage breakdown tho, ive never heard that. maybe ill go a lil over budget and start
with two 600W HPS that way i can still do like 10 plants, and thatll cover 24ft and ill have 12 ft empty for now. can one ballast control the
wattage output of two bulbs or would i need two ballasts?
 
K

Kervork

Well-Known Member
6x6 will need about 1600 watts to fully light up. I don't see where you listed an inline fan, carbon filter, or drip tray for the pots.

Sorry, you're gonna have to spend $1000. Don't worry though, you will get that $1000 back the first grow and then some.
 
ambedexteras

ambedexteras

Well-Known Member
Kervork said:
6x6 will need about 1600 watts to fully light up. I don't see where you listed an inline fan, carbon filter, or drip tray for the pots.

Sorry, you're gonna have to spend $1000. Don't worry though, you will get that $1000 back the first grow and then some.
Click to expand...
ya the drip trays are assumed man, im not gonna be dripping all over my tent lol, and ya i was already spending 1k when u include the seeds and nutes and soil with the above equip, but ya man i agree i cant be cheap about it , i need what i need to produce the goods lol. so ill prolly start with a 1000W HPS and then later down the line get another 600WHPS. and hopefully i can do 8-10 plants with the 1000W to start. and then with the first harvest i will perfect the layout. and by inline fan u just mean a couple clip on fans? cuz ya ill have those, however for the carbon filter i didnt plan on that? can u tell me pros and cons my good man?
 
fir3dragon

fir3dragon

Well-Known Member
ambedexteras said:
ya the drip trays are assumed man, im not gonna be dripping all over my tent lol, and ya i was already spending 1k when u include the seeds and nutes and soil with the above equip, but ya man i agree i cant be cheap about it , i need what i need to produce the goods lol. so ill prolly start with a 1000W HPS and then later down the line get another 600WHPS. and hopefully i can do 8-10 plants with the 1000W to start. and then with the first harvest i will perfect the layout. and by inline fan u just mean a couple clip on fans? cuz ya ill have those, however for the carbon filter i didnt plan on that? can u tell me pros and cons my good man?
Click to expand...
Carbon filter inline fan and cooltubes are all needed for temperature control. If not, expect through the roof temps
 
T

thinn

Well-Known Member
If you arent worried about getting ripped while your not home because the place reeks like bud and the outside of your house, then a carbon filter would not be needed. If you do not use one though, you will be pretty much advertising to the neighborhood that you have a bud factory going. My plug for my exhaust fan and carbon filter slipped out of the socket it was in about 2 weeks ago. I was outside playing with my kids and got a whiff of some killer shit! I said to myself, man, somebodies got some dank! When I went inside my house to use the bathroom, i said holy shit! Went upstairs to find out that the (outlet was well worn and things need help staying in place) plig fell out and my whole house and the outside was smelling like funk. Needless to say i replaced the outlet and make sure i am filtering all the time....
 
Medical Grade

Medical Grade

Well-Known Member
ambedexteras said:
well it is 100% legal so i truly dont mind if its saving me money.after first harvest ill get it but if unneccesary for first grow im gonna skip out
Click to expand...
Legal or not you are growing a cash crop. If you grow a dank medicinal grade bud your whole block will know and that becomes a security concern.
 
ambedexteras

ambedexteras

Well-Known Member
Medical Grade said:
Legal or not you are growing a cash crop. If you grow a dank medicinal grade bud your whole block will know and that becomes a security concern.
Click to expand...
appreciate it guys, i guess your right i will have to grab one, any recommondations on a good cheap one? and you bet your ass its gonna be some dank, if shit goes to plan lol. ordered the tent today, got out bid on the 6x6 sadly so i got a
5x5x84inches, im torn between doing 600WMH for veg and 600HPS for flower, or i might run 6-8 plants under each and run em both havent decided. or might do 1000WMH for 10-12 plants and then 1000WHPS for flower. cant decided any thoughts? butgonna start with some awesome strains, very potent and super expensive seeds so i hope i can master cloning pretty quick lol. but i should be planting in like 4-6 weeks and will def have a grow journal with pics and stuff.
 
doniboy

doniboy

Well-Known Member
You're going to need soil. If you're growing approx 10 plants in 3 gallon containers, you'll need about 4-5 bags of soil. The most popular is FoxFarm Ocean Forrest. Either way, plan on dropping close to $100 or more on good soil alone and about $50-$60+ on nutes which run about $20 per bottle. A PH tester, PH up, and PH down is a must and will run about $15-$25 dollars for a chemical kit. A PPM tester is also needed especially if you plan on using tap water which will run you about $15-$20 or you'll have to shell out like $100+ or more for a Reverse osmosis (RO) system or buy a hell of alot of distilled water. If you're going to go the more expensive RO or distilled route, you'll going to have to spend about $20 for a bottle of CalMag. You might even still need CalMag with the tap water. You'll going to have to buy ducting and clamps for about $20. You're going to have to spend anywhere from at the very least $50 for a couple of cheap fans for air movement. You're going to have to spend at least $10 or more for 10 saucers. You're going to need a measuring cup and spoons to measure your nutes. You're going to need a thermometer/hygrometer for another $15 or so. You're going to need a timer and a power strip for about another $20. Possibly a 3 prong extension cord(s) for about $20+ each unless you already have 1. Where are you going to root your clones and what lighting are you going to use for the clones and the mother plant? That's going to be another cost. Most people use T5's, and that'll run you about another $100+. You're going to need a humidity dome for the clones to and rooting gel. etc, etc, etc. lol... I could keep going... Like I'd bet you'll have heat or humidity issues and you're going to need to shell out more $$$ for a dehumidifier or AC unit. Might need a spray bottle, razor blade, trimmers, zip ties, 16-18 oz cups, rockwool, heat pad, etc... How are you going to dry and cure you bud? You'll need to shell out more money for that... Youre going to have to exchange the air in the tent else you'll have heat and CO2 problems, so inline fan at $89-$200 if a must. For a cheap one, search eBay for "fan carbon filter combo" which is the cheapest wrought to go...

An indoor grow start up ain't cheap man, so plan on spending $300-$500+ on the small shit most don't think about but adds up quick. I also HIGHLY recommend not dropping $100+ on designer seed while skimping of supplies and equipment and not having that much experience growing indoors yet. Most everyone on the board has fucked up a germination or a plant or two while starting off...
 
ambedexteras

ambedexteras

Well-Known Member
wow that was detailed lol. ya i planned on the saucers, planned on PH tester, planned on soil and nutes but was undershooting a tad. the clones i have a 400W MH that will start those and then maybe throw em under 600 W MH once theyre old enough and ill buy the lil mini Clone dome when my plants are tall enough to clone. and i agree with the seed thing but i want auto fem... dont wanna waste time and resources with males... and the "cheap" designer seeds is like 5for 45$ and expensive is like 5 for $60 so not big difference for big quality. i will prolly just germ in the soil, i dont like water in cup or paper towel method. u have any recommandations for cheap gaurantedd fem seeds for good qualtiy strain? im a Caregiver i cant be producing shit. and i have grow expierence just out doors so this will be my first official indoor grow.
 
ambedexteras

ambedexteras

Well-Known Member
and i certainly wouldnt say im skimping i mean i got the 5x5x 84 inch tent. gonna do 1000W MH for veg, 1000W HPS for flower and ballast for watt output control.
2 clip on or stationary fans. 10x 3 gallon fabric pots 10x saucers obviously gonna buy soil and nutes and carbon air filter and i have an AC unit but id like to use that for my house so ill prolly by a dehumidifier will that work for both heat and humidity? and will 2 clip on fans pointed @ 1000W HPS in a hood be enough to cool it down?
will have a stationary fan to circulate and strengthen stalks on the plant. i already got the extension cord and power strip and just bought the acuright temp/humid reader today. and i will buy measuring tools for nutes when im buying nutes in store. and what does the PPM do cuz i certainly dont wanna be using distilled water to water 10x 3 gal pots once every 3-4 days lol
 
doniboy

doniboy

Well-Known Member
ambedexteras said:
and i certainly wouldnt say im skimping i mean i got the 5x5x 84 inch tent. gonna do 1000W MH for veg, 1000W HPS for flower and ballast for watt output control.
2 clip on or stationary fans. 10x 3 gallon fabric pots 10x saucers obviously gonna buy soil and nutes and carbon air filter and i have an AC unit but id like to use that for my house so ill prolly by a dehumidifier will that work for both heat and humidity? and will 2 clip on fans pointed @ 1000W HPS in a hood be enough to cool it down?
will have a stationary fan to circulate and strengthen stalks on the plant. i already got the extension cord and power strip and just bought the acuright temp/humid reader today. and i will buy measuring tools for nutes when im buying nutes in store. and what does the PPM do cuz i certainly dont wanna be using distilled water to water 10x 3 gal pots once every 3-4 days lol
Click to expand...
An air conditioner will work for both heat and humidity. A dehumidifier will work for humidity, but will put out heat. You can kill 2 birds with one stone by buying a window AC unit. Walmart sells 5000 btu unit for $100 that's good for a 10x10 (1000 sq ft) room with your 1 1000w HID. You'll probably need to search and google for a better understanding of "Parts per million" (PPM) in reference to water quality because I probably won't explain it very well. It was recently brought to my attention, and I just finished researching to get an understanding of it myself... PPM is the measurement of other articles mixed into pure water. Pure water would have a PPM measurement of 0. Basically RO water, rain water, and distilled water will have a low PPM measurement, which is best for growing. Tap water has other crap added to it like Chloramine or Chlorine, Fluoride, crap from the water pipes, etc.. Most cities post their Water Quality Report online in a PDF document (google search for it). A base PPM measure that's too high (I think 500PPM is the max legal level in drinking water) wouldn't be drinkable or suitable for growing with. FYI, if your city has Chlorine in it's water, you can get rid of it by letting the water sit out for a day or two, so the Chlorine can evaporate; however, if your water has Chloramine instead, you're just S.O.L. It's still usable, and 99% of people say they see no difference in using chlorinated water, but it's just not ideal I guess... I seen pro very experienced growers using it with no problems too...

Adding nutes will raise the PPM of your water. A Lot of growers like to have their plant's nutrient mixture at a certain PPM level per the sage of growth; for example, Seedlings = 500PPM, veg = 800PPM, flower= 1300PPM, and flush might be 500PPM. For example, for vegetative growth, a grower might want their nute mixture to have a PPM level of 800 PPM. If the base PPM level of their tap water was 150 PPM, they would then add nutes to the water until they reached a PPM level of 950 (you do not count the base level). If any burning or nute deficiencies occur, they may then drop or raise the PPM level of their nute mixture accordingly on their next feeding. You'll need a PPM meter both to see if your tap water is suitable for growing and if you want to be more scientific about your feedings... Plus the PPM level of your tap may change from months to months, so you'll have to check it every so often. Oh and the suggested PPM levels for soils might differ for hydro grows, so make sure any charts or post that you're looking at is for a soil grow...

I believe I got that correct. Hopefully others might chime in.
 
ambedexteras

ambedexteras

Well-Known Member
doniboy said:
An air conditioner will work for both heat and humidity. A dehumidifier will work for humidity, but will put out heat. You can kill 2 birds with one stone by buying a window AC unit. Walmart sells 5000 btu unit for $100 that's good for a 10x10 (1000 sq ft) room with your 1 1000w HID. You'll probably need to search and google for a better understanding of "Parts per million" (PPM) in reference to water quality because I probably won't explain it very well. It was recently brought to my attention, and I just finished researching to get an understanding of it myself... PPM is the measurement of other articles mixed into pure water. Pure water would have a PPM measurement of 0. Basically RO water, rain water, and distilled water will have a low PPM measurement, which is best for growing. Tap water has other crap added to it like Chloramine or Chlorine, Fluoride, crap from the water pipes, etc.. Most cities post their Water Quality Report online in a PDF document (google search for it). A base PPM measure that's too high (I think 500PPM is the max legal level in drinking water) wouldn't be drinkable or suitable for growing with. FYI, if your city has Chlorine in it's water, you can get rid of it by letting the water sit out for a day or two, so the Chlorine can evaporate; however, if your water has Chloramine instead, you're just S.O.L. It's still usable, and 99% of people say they see no difference in using chlorinated water, but it's just not ideal I guess... I seen pro very experienced growers using it with no problems too...

Adding nutes will raise the PPM of your water. A Lot of growers like to have their plant's nutrient mixture at a certain PPM level per the sage of growth; for example, Seedlings = 500PPM, veg = 800PPM, flower= 1300PPM, and flush might be 500PPM. For example, for vegetative growth, a grower might want their nute mixture to have a PPM level of 800 PPM. If the base PPM level of their tap water was 150 PPM, they would then add nutes to the water until they reached a PPM level of 950 (you do not count the base level). If any burning or nute deficiencies occur, they may then drop or raise the PPM level of their nute mixture accordingly on their next feeding. You'll need a PPM meter both to see if your tap water is suitable for growing and if you want to be more scientific about your feedings... Plus the PPM level of your tap may change from months to months, so you'll have to check it every so often. Oh and the suggested PPM levels for soils might differ for hydro grows, so make sure any charts or post that you're looking at is for a soil grow...

I believe I got that correct. Hopefully others might chime in.
Click to expand...
ok ill get the ac unit, and then just have a duct from it into the hood? or how do i connect it to the tent?
 
doniboy

doniboy

Well-Known Member
ambedexteras said:
ok ill get the ac unit, and then just have a duct from it into the hood? or how do i connect it to the tent?
Click to expand...
You don't connect it to the tent. Your tent should have vents located at the bottom in which you leave open. You then cool the room. The Inline Fan that sucks the hot air from the top of your tent to preferably outside of the grow room, and in turn cooler C02 rich air is sucked from the room into the tent. Called Passive Air Conditioning.
 
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