DIY Grow Tent Help

thegerm1117

thegerm1117

Member
This is my first post, and not my last. I have been reading about grow tents and stealth grow shows. I have read a lot of threads online and have looked at the actual grow tents to buy. I am a DIY person, so i naturally wanted to make my own. lol

I have completely built the grow tent with PVC and B&W Polly(pics later if wanted). The dimensions are 2.5'W x 3'L x 5'5"H. With my design i have added movable arms so extra light can be moved up or down. I am trying to do this as cheap as possible. My lighting has come from my g/f's dad(electrician) and he gave me a 175W MH, and i have a ton of CFL's for the movable portion of the tent. As of now i have only spent $60 to make everything(minus the light cuz that was given to me lol).

My only problem is the temp. During tests the room jumps 5 degrees in about 2hrs. The tent as of now is completely leak free of light and i want to keep it that way!

So now i ask you, to help me out hopefully.

How can i make light-proof ventilation, that's quiet and can keep the room between 70-78? It also has to be on the VERY cheap side.

Thanks for any help!

TheGerm :blsmoke:
 
E

elemaoh

Active Member
Hey Id love to see some pics. I have a tent Ive also built w/ PVC and B/W Poly film about the same size. Ill be using a 400w HPS from start to finish and am also stuck on ventilation. Ill be watching this post to see what input you get.

thegerm1117 said:
This is my first post, and not my last. I have been reading about grow tents and stealth grow shows. I have read a lot of threads online and have looked at the actual grow tents to buy. I am a DIY person, so i naturally wanted to make my own. lol

I have completely built the grow tent with PVC and B&W Polly(pics later if wanted). The dimensions are 2.5'W x 3'L x 5'5"H. With my design i have added movable arms so extra light can be moved up or down. I am trying to do this as cheap as possible. My lighting has come from my g/f's dad(electrician) and he gave me a 175W MH, and i have a ton of CFL's for the movable portion of the tent. As of now i have only spent $60 to make everything(minus the light cuz that was given to me lol).

My only problem is the temp. During tests the room jumps 5 degrees in about 2hrs. The tent as of now is completely leak free of light and i want to keep it that way!

So now i ask you, to help me out hopefully.

How can i make light-proof ventilation, that's quiet and can keep the room between 70-78? It also has to be on the VERY cheap side.

Thanks for any help!

TheGerm :blsmoke:
Click to expand...
 
corykindbud

corykindbud

Well-Known Member
hey yo, i just made my own tent when i moved in my new apartment a week or so ago.
my thread in my sig has the pics of it on the last page.
for air you can put a fukn normal oscialting fan , put it so it dont move anymore, then get a box big enough to put that fan inside. then cut holes on the intake and exhaust sides of that box or somthin like that. get creative your only thread is in the DIY section. peace.
 
thegerm1117

thegerm1117

Member
corykindbud - thanks for your reply. I looked at your new grow room setup. I am trying to keep all light in, with little light leaks without the sound of a 12" fan lol. My apt isn't very big, so i dont want to hear it lol.

I like your idea, but i need something a lil more stealth if you what i mean.

I have thought about an 8" fan inside with an intake and cut some light-proof holes toward the top for exhaust. But idk if the pressure would be enough for exhaust.

I am sorry, but no pics. Had a harddrive crash that i had to fix. I will try to take some tonight.
 
thegerm1117

thegerm1117

Member
Alright well instead of putting up pics i made a video. I got a fan from target for $15 it has 3 speeds and it oscillates. i made the light proof vents from a rain gutter filter ($1.50 at home depot) and black screen for screen doors. check the video let me know what you think.

[youtube]Nz7kodJzFx8[/youtube]

Thanks for checking it out!
 
I

imanoob

Well-Known Member
@ thegerm1117

Mate, that is excellent...how much was it all in? Im buying new equipment as I type and this would save me £160 on a tent! What kind of equipment do you plan on using in there and will you hang (lights, carbon filter, fans etc) the shit from the top on chains? Will it hold ok?
 
thegerm1117

thegerm1117

Member
@ mjfriendly

The temps went straight down to 72-74F and hovering perfectly. the temps where rising out of control i had a reading of 98F at one point lol. they are consistent now.

@ imannoob

All-in-all it has cost me around $80 give or take $5. I have a 175W MH light in there now that i got for free (it weights ~10-15lbs) it hangs perfectly! and holds very well! If i had a carbon filter i would make my own and put it on the vents, but i dont have them. As for fans, you see the one i have in the video, works great! Again everything i have holds great!

Thank you both for checking it out!
 
I

imanoob

Well-Known Member
Good to know, i might be able to re-jig things aboutin the roof to make the structure stronger (do you think that is possible?) I want to hang both a 600w + shade and carbon filter (with fan)
 
Jingle

Jingle

Well-Known Member
thegerm1117 said:
Alright well instead of putting up pics i made a video. I got a fan from target for $15 it has 3 speeds and it oscillates. i made the light proof vents from a rain gutter filter ($1.50 at home depot) and black screen for screen doors. check the video let me know what you think.

[youtube]Nz7kodJzFx8[/youtube]

Thanks for checking it out!
Click to expand...
Looks sweet thegerm, are the flaps with the fan enough on the own or should you use some sort of ducking and extractor to shift the air outside
 
Zootime

Zootime

Well-Known Member
Sorry to tell you this, but PVC emits toxins in the air and can kill/damage your plants. That's why most grow tent company's don't use PVC anymore.

Apart from that, it looks very good for a home made tent.
 
thegerm1117

thegerm1117

Member
@Jingle: I didn't have any problems, the temps where perfect and stayed perfect. Your setup may be different, but for mine it worked like planned.

@Zootime: I understand PVC can emit toxins, but not until the PVC hits a certain temp ~100F or so. So, 74-76F will not effect anything. Also, check your sources, PVC will not kill your plants or harm them under these conditions. People kill plants. I also understand companies have moved toward metal frames, which is due to them wanting a more solid framing. So, if your on a budget and your a DIYer PVC will suffice and you not pay $300+ just for a tent. Sorry if i may sound rude, but i am not trying to be. B&W poly is also made out of the same materials as PVC, it actually has PVC in it. Thats what you smell when you open the roll. Please Zootime, do your research. Other than that thanks for the comment!
 
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