getting started

hey could any one help me , im a first time grower and i wanted to try hydroponic growing. i will use a small 3x3 tent and i still need help with picking my lighting as well as a strains that will produce well for the space i have. can anyone help guide me i have a 500$ budget

600 watt HPS for that tent. Air cool it. Put carbon filter inside tent. Attach fan suckin through carbon filter through your hood and push the air out of room somehow.

What Vostok says...

Are you dead stuck on hydro for your 1st run? I have been at it for about 5 years in soil and still don't have the balls to make the change. hOwever I prefer hand watering (most of the time.). My advice would be start with soil and learn some basics...and READ as much as you can to LEARN as much as you can...good luck.

I would also suggest a 400w for that size tent...

grow in soil for sure. taste better, much less to fuck up! 500$ is more than enough to get going. hood/ballast 400 or 600 Watt HPS/MH combo is best. that way you can just flip a bulb when you swtich to flowering cycle.
oscolating fan + fan to cool hood/pull hot air from your tent.
good soil/ containers(lots of holes) soil should have good drainage and i like to use extra perlite in everything.
I would recomment getting everything built, running lights for a day or two to track temps and humidity. that way you can correct problems which would arrise later on it cycle before you start.

REad lots on watering and ph for soil grows.

I run a 600w with a 3x3, I would get a 600 just incase you ever want to upgrade to a 4x4 or something...I don't think it's much more.

*EDIT* I forgot to mention, I run two 175 LPM inline fans with another little desktop fan. It manages the heat well, in summers it's helpful to have some form of AC, depends on where ya live.