Help Me Design My First Grow

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bluestars

Member
I have yet to buy anything, thought I have a couple things in mind. I want to grow 4-6 plants. I plan to use Ocean Forest for my first grow in 5gal pots. I have a 2x4 closet I could use as a room. If I use the closet how could I set up venting? Cut holes into the wall or the door?

Or I could build a tent. I would need some input on how to build one if so. How would I go about it? Anyone have a guide? What dimensions would be best for 4-6 plants? Also 400 or 600 watt hps?

Should I also get this http://htgsupply.com/Product-GrowBright-4in-Inline-Fan-&-Carbon-Filter-Combo.asp?

Right now I am looking at this light http://htgsupply.com/Product-HTGSupply-400-watt-Metal-Halide-Grow-Light.asp with the cooltube 6.
 
B

bluestars

Member
I think I have decided to go with a Secret Jardin Dark Room, and a 400 watt HPS/MH. Here's my list

$210 Grow Tent- http://www.greners.com/grow-tents/secret-jardin/dark-room-ii-pro/secret-jardin-dark-room-pro-dr120-ii.html#

$229- 400 watt HPS/MH- http://htgsupply.com/Product-AgroStar-Ultimate-400-Watt-HPS-&-MH-System.asp

$195 Fan and Filter- http://htgsupply.com/Product-GrowBright-6in-Inline-Fan-&-Carbon-Filter-Combo.asp

$50 foxfarm nutes- http://htgsupply.com/Product-FoxFarm---FoxFarm-Liquid-Soil-Formula.asp

$20 Ocean Forest- http://htgsupply.com/Product-FoxFarm's-Ocean-Forest-Potting-Mix-1.5-Cubic-Feet.asp

What do you think?
Would a 400 do well in that size area? I don't want to go with a 600 unless it will make a big difference. Quality is what I'm aiming for.
Also would that fan and filter be good? I plan on just putting the fan/filter together in the side extracting air. Would that be enough or would I need a cooltube/cooling over the light? Would I need a fan for intake as well?
I have no attic so i plan to just vent out into my living room..

Thanks for help :blsmoke:
 
Luther

Luther

Active Member
I've got the dr 120, but I use the Lumatek 600 watter over the 400. And I'm glad i did. The cost to upgrade is minimal and you won't regret it.

You'll need an intake fan to go with your exhaust fan. You'll need about 160 cfm's to bring in fresh air into your tent so you can offset the 400 cfm's of exiting exhaust air. Your tent sides will collapse like a cheap lawn chair. I used an EcoPlus...ran a little flex ducting and all is good.

Buy those long plastic zip ties from home depot. I used those to strap my carbon filter to the rear of the tent wall/ceiling area. Works great and looks great. I used two cable ties to suspend the exhaust fan below the tent's roof vent. I stuck a "muffler" that slide down through the roof's tent sleeve and onto the top of the fan. BAM...perfect fit, sound suppression, and it keeps shit out of the growing part of your tent.

If you vent into another room you'll definitely want the carbon filter to do its job. I got a filter one size larger to make it work easier, last longer. It will cut bud stink down past 95% or so...but I've got a relative that can detect shit down to 1%, so I cut them from my life. Had to be done. :D

Here is a picture of mine. As you can see, air is pulled into the carbon filter and pulled through the ducting into the air cooled reflector. Air goes across the hood with glass into more ducting, then into the fan and out into the muffler, through the roof's vent and out. There you go.

http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv108/luther7449/DSCN0068.jpg
 
dynamitejack

dynamitejack

Well-Known Member
bluestars said:
I think I have decided to go with a Secret Jardin Dark Room, and a 400 watt HPS/MH. Here's my list

$210 Grow Tent- http://www.greners.com/grow-tents/secret-jardin/dark-room-ii-pro/secret-jardin-dark-room-pro-dr120-ii.html#

$229- 400 watt HPS/MH- http://htgsupply.com/Product-AgroStar-Ultimate-400-Watt-HPS-&-MH-System.asp

$195 Fan and Filter- http://htgsupply.com/Product-GrowBright-6in-Inline-Fan-&-Carbon-Filter-Combo.asp

$50 foxfarm nutes- http://htgsupply.com/Product-FoxFarm---FoxFarm-Liquid-Soil-Formula.asp

$20 Ocean Forest- http://htgsupply.com/Product-FoxFarm's-Ocean-Forest-Potting-Mix-1.5-Cubic-Feet.asp

What do you think?
Would a 400 do well in that size area? I don't want to go with a 600 unless it will make a big difference. Quality is what I'm aiming for.
Also would that fan and filter be good? I plan on just putting the fan/filter together in the side extracting air. Would that be enough or would I need a cooltube/cooling over the light? Would I need a fan for intake as well?
I have no attic so i plan to just vent out into my living room..

Thanks for help :blsmoke:
Click to expand...
HTG sells knock off products, if quality is your goal don't skimp on your equipment.

To properly set up a tent will cost you $1000-$1500, don't fool your self into thinking you can save money. Trust me, from expierence if you don't do it right the first time you will constantly be upgrading your grow and word form the wise: Your first expense is your cheapest.

I work at a hydro store so tents are very common set ups. The best way to do it is like this:

Grow Tent- http://www.greners.com/grow-tents/se...dr120-ii.html#

Odor control: Uvonair 1000 http://www.hydrofarm.com/pb_detail.php?itemid=7226

Light hood: http://www.sunlightsupply.com/p-11801-blockbuster-reflector-6-air-cooled.aspx

Bulb: 600w http://www.eyehortilux.com/superhps.html

Ballast: 600w http://www.sunlightsupply.com/p-13910-harvest-pro-ballasts.aspx

Fan to cool your light: http://www.canfilters.com/max_fan_6.html

Nutrients: General Organics (Fox Farms is nice but their soluable trio is essential!)

Container: Smart Pots http://www.smartpots.com/hydroponic-gardening

More light is more better.

The Max Fan will pull cold air from outside of the tent through ducting, over the bulb and exit into a different room. Living room is fine, you can't have hot air coming out of your light and warm up the cool air that is supposed to go in.

The Uvonair 1000 is awesome for tents, 0 smell 0 noise and it costs about the same as a carbon filter set up.

I've used Fox Farms nutes before, there are more to nutrients than those 3 bottles. General organics is a complete line of nutrients and if you email General Hydroponics, they should send you samples.
 
B

bluestars

Member
Awesome. Thanks for the info. I will take your advice, and go for the better quality equipment. I think I want to stay with the DR90 with the 400 watt however. Mainly because I don't have a lot of room where I live and the tent will basically be in my living room.

Would I be losing a ton of quality by going 400 instead of 600?

How exactly would I use the Uvonair 1000?

I'm pretty confused about the nutes, and what I will need to feed them. The foxfarm soluable trio, and everything else is optional? or? I plan to go soil for my first time, and then maybe jump up to hydro.

I have no money, but a job...looks like I will have to go without smoking for a while, and save up, ha!

Thanks again!
 
Green Inferno

Green Inferno

Active Member
I'd go bigger than a 400 watt for that size tent. It's a 4 x 4 right? With a 400 watt, you're only getting 25 watts/3450 lumens per square foot.
A 1000 watt HPS would be good for that size tent. At least a 600 watt.

The Uvonair is an ozone generator. I have one (not Uvonair), I run it on a timer, 10 minutes on, 60 minutes off. I don't use it in the grow cabs though.
 
Buddy Ganga

Buddy Ganga

Active Member
I just did a set up for a guy that's almost exactly what you're talking about.

I used a 600 watt set up with a fan and scrubber.
The only thing you might think about is the size of your pots.
Unless you are talking about 5 gal buckets v.s. 5 gal post you won't be able to get 6 plants in the tent.
At least not enough room for air flow and light penetration..

Right now he is flowering 6 plants at a time with no extra space in 3 gal pots.

Check out the Lumitek 600 watt dimmable ballasts. 300/400/600/super lumins settings all with the same ballast.
You can veg with a 400 w bulb and then flip a switch and flower under 600wats with only changing the bulb.


And Kudos to the people who said to save money and pay a little more for quality.
 
Green Inferno

Green Inferno

Active Member
bluestars said:
Oh I see what I did. I posted the wrong tent in my list. The one I plan to get is http://www.greners.com/grow-tents/secret-jardin/secret-jardin-dark-room-pro-dr90-ii.html
Approximate size: 3' x 3' x 6'
Click to expand...
Then 400 watts should be good. 600 watts would be better. It's almost double the lumens, 55000 vs. 95000 lumens.

This place probably has the cheapest tents I have seen anywhere:
http://www.thelashop.com/grow-tent/

Ozone is a great way to get rid of smell. I have some stinky plants, and all I can smell is ozone. I used to use Ona blocks,
but I don't like the way they smell. Gotta be careful with Ozone though, too much can mess you up. I use this one here:

http://www.bghydro.com/BGH/itemdesc.asp?ic=AOCCOZN1
 
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