Grow Tent Kit v.s. Buying Individual Parts

ANC said:

If you have to have a tent, spend your money on the extraction (insulated ducting and properly sized duct fan/s), the light, and maybe climate control in the form of about a 6 gal dehumidifier for the room. Shit likepH pens are not required and even the most expensive ones need their expensive probes replaced regularly enough. I like doing hydro based setups so I don't need to spend money on medium and don't have to deal with that dirt.

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You run hydro without checking ph? How are you pulling that off?

lusidghost said:

You run hydro without checking ph? How are you pulling that off?

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can use drops, but my system I dump all the water every week and make a new res

ANC said:

can use drops, but my system I dump all the water every week and make a new res

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How do you determine the ph when you mix, and do you use Ph stabilizers? I usually have to PH down my res during the mix, them keep it down until the next refill. I've never run a dwc system, but this has always been the case for my coco / rockwool slab grows.

lusidghost said:

How do you determine the ph when you mix, and do you use Ph stabilizers? I usually have to PH down my res during the mix, them keep it down until the next refill. I've never run a dwc system, but this has always been the case for my coco / rockwool slab grows.

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I get a pretty consistent pH with the nutrient line I use... yes it drifts a bit over a week, and yes, you improve plant health and yields by being more anal and doing daily adjustments, but I have been running this system so long, I know the results are OK for me, even when I don;t have that kind of time....

ANC said:

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I get a pretty consistent pH with the nutrient line I use... yes it drifts a bit over a week, and yes, you improve plant health and yields by being more anal and doing daily adjustments, but I have been running this system so long, I know the results are OK for me, even when I don;t have that kind of time....

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Intriguing. If it works it works. What kind of setup is that? Cotton batting in a flood tray?

DrDukePHD said:

Ok so im looking to grow 4 indica plants in a 4x4 tent, what size/brand light would you suggest? I also have 3-4 seasons.. how do i factor that in with equiptment? We talking humidifier/dehumidifier & a control system for it? Thnx!

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U can do 4 plants in a 4x4. Where would your tent be located in your house? If it’s in a climate controlled area within your house like a spare bedroom it’ll make it that much easier to control the climate in the tent.
LED’S are plentiful and as long as it has 301b or 301h Samsung diodes and a meanwell driver with a dimmer that’ll be a good place to start. Look for the most even PAR spread for a 4x4. Most are opting for bar style leds to achieve this. Big drivers put off some heat that may need to managed at some point. Some have drivers that can be remotely mounted outside of your tent if need be.
Ventilation I recommend AC infinity. I heard their tents are nice as well but am new to the tent game myself and just have a cheapo one.
Watch the Deals Thread on here like a hawk. U may luck into some of this equipment for cheap!

LewberDewber852 said:

U can do 4 plants in a 4x4. Where would your tent be located in your house? If it’s in a climate controlled area within your house like a spare bedroom it’ll make it that much easier to control the climate in the tent.
LED’S are plentiful and as long as it has 301b or 301h Samsung diodes and a meanwell driver with a dimmer that’ll be a good place to start. Look for the most even PAR spread for a 4x4. Most are opting for bar style leds to achieve this. Big drivers put off some heat that may need to managed at some point. Some have drivers that can be remotely mounted outside of your tent if need be.
Ventilation I recommend AC infinity. I heard their tents are nice as well but am new to the tent game myself and just have a cheapo one.
Watch the Deals Thread on here like a hawk.

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Thanks, yea I will have it in a spare room all by itself... I do worry about the smell too, are the carbon filters good enough to keep the smell confined, or will the whole house smell like a skunk during flowering?

seperate. amazon has some cheap stuff but you get a few years warrenty if you buy it in a store if i remember right.

DrDukePHD said:

Thanks, yea I will have it in a spare room all by itself... I do worry about the smell too, are the carbon filters good enough to keep the smell confined, or will the whole house smell like a skunk during flowering?

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Carbon filters do a great job. Nobody will think u have Pepé Le Pew living in there.
The spare bedroom as ur lung will be perfecto!
Which type of medium do u plan on using?

ANC said:

If you have to have a tent, spend your money on the extraction (insulated ducting and properly sized duct fan/s), the light, and maybe climate control in the form of about a 6 gal dehumidifier for the room. Shit likepH pens are not required and even the most expensive ones need their expensive probes replaced regularly enough. I like doing hydro based setups so I don't need to spend money on medium and don't have to deal with that dirt.

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Huh

LewberDewber852 said:

Carbon filters do a great job. Nobody will think u have Pepé Le Pew living in there.
The spare bedroom as ur lung will be perfecto!
Which type of medium do u plan on using?

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Soil for sure, I don't have a lot of $ to spend. Any suggestions on that front? Also not sure if i should do feminized seeds, or go with autoflower my first grow. All i know is I want to do it right the first time, so i don't need to buy bigger/better things later to replace my "starter" stuff... thats why im aiming for a 4x4 tent, instead of a 2x2 or 2x4.

But I've got to try to keep everything combined, including genetics under $900.

DrDukePHD said:

Soil for sure, I don't have a lot of $ to spend. Any suggestions on that front? Also not sure if i should do feminized seeds, or go with autoflower my first grow. All i know is I want to do it right the first time, so i don't need to buy bigger/better things later to replace my "starter" stuff... thats why im aiming for a 4x4 tent, instead of a 2x2 or 2x4.

But I've got to try to keep everything combined, including genetics under $900.

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Definitely keep an eye on the deals thread.. Soil if ur on a budget is just dirt. Can be made pretty cheap bc it is just dirt lol
Both types of plant have their advantages. So that’s up to u to decide.
Check different seed banks for deals as well.

DrDukePHD said:

Soil for sure, I don't have a lot of $ to spend. Any suggestions on that front? Also not sure if i should do feminized seeds, or go with autoflower my first grow. All i know is I want to do it right the first time, so i don't need to buy bigger/better things later to replace my "starter" stuff... thats why im aiming for a 4x4 tent, instead of a 2x2 or 2x4.

But I've got to try to keep everything combined, including genetics under $900.

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If got with feminized photo plants for your first go.
That way if something gets always from you. You can veg longer to recover.

LewberDewber852 said:

Check different seed banks for deals as well.

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Any suggestion on where to get seeds?

Craigslist and Facebook market can be pretty awesome for deals on good used equipment. Sometimes you can find barely used stuff at huge discounts over buying new. Alot of times people will be selling full set-ups because their growing career didnt pan out.

Kits might be cheaper but you'll most likely end up swapping alot of stuff out for better quality equipment over time and it will actually cost you more in the long run vs. just spending more up front for better quality stuff that lasts and has the performance you need.

Kits almost always have undersized and underpowered lights for the tent space they're kitted with, and you get a bunch of useless crap that you'd probably not otherwise buy.

DrDukePHD said:

Any suggestion on where to get seeds?

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I used this place last time and had good luck. Use the search function on this site and type in seed banks. Should find one that has good reviews..
If ur in a legal state there may be someplace local to purchase clones or seeds! That would prolly be ideal!!