Please help me get started

G Bear

G Bear

Well-Known Member
Hey everybody. I was all set to get started but decided I could do better than the grow tent kit I had originally purchased. I never even unboxed it and decided to return it. It was the topogrow 600w LED light with 32”x32”x63” tent. I bought it impulsively without doing enough research.

That said, please help me make an informed decision on what to purchase for tent, lighting, and air circulation/filtration. I would like to grow two plants. Budget is $500.

I am considering the Mars SP250 and a 3x3 tent.

Would that be a good choice? Any suggestions?
 
JSB99

JSB99

Well-Known Member
G Bear said:
Hey everybody. I was all set to get started but decided I could do better than the grow tent kit I had originally purchased. I never even unboxed it and decided to return it. It was the topogrow 600w LED light with 32”x32”x63” tent. I bought it impulsively without doing enough research.

That said, please help me make an informed decision on what to purchase for tent, lighting, and air circulation/filtration. I would like to grow two plants. Budget is $500.

I am considering the Mars SP250 and a 3x3 tent.

Would that be a good choice? Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
What you're going to have to do is learn how to grow weed, from "seed to smoke", because explaining how to grow cannabis cannot be summed up in a thread.

There's tons of documentation and video, all for free, on the internet. I highly recommend starting at the GrowWeedEasy website, which can teach you more than you could imagine about the whole process. Growing weed isn't easy, and the more you know going into it, the better your success will be.

Grow Weed Easy - Learn How to Grow Cannabis with Simple Tutorials

Growing weed can be easy, though some marijuana grow tutorials make it seem like you need a degree in horticulture. Learn how to plant a seed & start growing with as little time and effort as possible, or read our advanced tutorials for monstrous yields!
GrowWeedEasy.com GrowWeedEasy.com
 
CptTripps

CptTripps

Well-Known Member
I spent about what you're looking for...all on Amazon.

Vivosun 3X3 tent - $90
MarsHydro TSW2000 - $269 (I have it dimmed to about 60%)
Vivosun 4" Exhaust fan with Carbon filter - $120
6" fan - $20
5 Gal Fabric Pots - $20
FoxFarms CocoLoco - $20

That got me to $550-ish.

Then, there are a ton of little do-dads that you'll need, so plan on another $150 for that stuff, plus the price of the seeds. (Nutes, PH water pen, watering cans, scissors, temperature monitoring switches for the fan, WiFi temperature gauge...random stuff like that.) Overall, I think I'm under $750...or the cost of 2oz of weed where I live. So that was always my target for the first grow.

Buy better stuff from the get-go and you'll only need to spend the money once. I bought another light that I realized wasn't going to cut it. I like the vivosun tents because they are metal poles with metal corners that snap in. I was weary of the plastic corner kits that were a little cheaper.

Good luck!
 
G Bear

G Bear

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the advice. Best way to learn is by doing. I’ve been reading up like crazy, watching videos, reading posts, etc. Definitely some conflicting opinions on absolutely everything.

I ended up purchasing a 4x2x6 tent and the mars hydro sp250 LED light.

I will be using a mix of happy frog soil mixed with perlite. Bought the fox farm trio and will not start any nutrients until a few weeks into the grow. The grow is probably still a couple weeks away while I continue researching.

I purchased 14 seeds of Dakini Kush.

Grabbed a couple of oscillating clip on fans to move air. Now Im looking into which fan/filter combo to purchase. Not sure whether to go with the 4” or 6”, and also which brand. Right now looking at vivosun and ipower. Seems like the 4” would be good for this small tent...but others say buy larger and just run at lower speeds.

I am also thinking about temps in the tent. It’s going to be set up indoors in a 3 season porch, uninsulated. Outside temps still getting down below freezing. Temps in the room probably down to high 40s F overnight. I can raise that by leaving a door open.

Before starting any seeds, I will get the tent set up and see how the temps are. Excited to get started and trying not to rush into it. I know I will make mistakes, just trying to limit them.
 
JSB99

JSB99

Well-Known Member
G Bear said:
Thanks for the advice. Best way to learn is by doing. I’ve been reading up like crazy, watching videos, reading posts, etc. Definitely some conflicting opinions on absolutely everything.

I ended up purchasing a 4x2x6 tent and the mars hydro sp250 LED light.

I will be using a mix of happy frog soil mixed with perlite. Bought the fox farm trio and will not start any nutrients until a few weeks into the grow. The grow is probably still a couple weeks away while I continue researching.

I purchased 14 seeds of Dakini Kush.

Grabbed a couple of oscillating clip on fans to move air. Now Im looking into which fan/filter combo to purchase. Not sure whether to go with the 4” or 6”, and also which brand. Right now looking at vivosun and ipower. Seems like the 4” would be good for this small tent...but others say buy larger and just run at lower speeds.

I am also thinking about temps in the tent. It’s going to be set up indoors in a 3 season porch, uninsulated. Outside temps still getting down below freezing. Temps in the room probably down to high 40s F overnight. I can raise that by leaving a door open.

Before starting any seeds, I will get the tent set up and see how the temps are. Excited to get started and trying not to rush into it. I know I will make mistakes, just trying to limit them.
Click to expand...
40 degrees is way too cold for them. You don't want anything more than a 15 degree difference between the warmth of day, and the cold of night.

Also, learn how to germinate your seeds before putting them in soil, using something like the "paper towel method".

You should be okay with a 4" fan/filter combo, but you also want to get a fan speed controller (about $20 on Amazon). You don't want your fan running full-on all the time. Just when needed. Yes, a 6" fan can be run more slowly (again, with a fan speed controller). It's up to you.
 
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G Bear

G Bear

Well-Known Member
Also planning to test the pH of my tap water. Im a bit of an aquarium nerd so luckily I already have the test drops to test pH as well as nitrate levels.

I was thinking of using water from my tank’s weekly water changes for my plants. The water will be from a cycled tank, so it will be better than tap and contain low levels of nitrates. I will test the water before trying this and see what Im working with.
 
JSB99

JSB99

Well-Known Member
My post above originally said "terminate", but was supposed to say "germinate". I corrected it, but I wanted you to know, so you knew what I was suggesting you do.
 
G Bear

G Bear

Well-Known Member
beercan said:
Its starts out with a 2x2 then 3x3....4x4.....4x8 then two 4x8's 1 light 2 lights 8 lights, then you step back and say holy shit im addicted!!!!!
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oh i hear you but this will probably be all i need for a while. it’s all for personal consumption between me and my girlfriend. we don’t go through all that much, at least not like i did way back when...

maybe that’ll change.
 
ronintank

ronintank

Well-Known Member
i run a 2x4x6 tent in my basement. keeping them warm was the problem this winter. i run led lights so not a lot of heat there but it is enough. i have my exhaust fan ducted out the upper side hole and pointed down toward the lower side screened window near the bottom and i have this open. this allows some of the tent air to be recirculated back into the tent. i also have moved my filter to the bottom of the tent this removes the most humid air and cooler air from the bottom of the tent. i am running about 80f and 40-50 rh with the lights on. lights out temp is approx. 60f
Oh i added i think a 4 inch fan and filter works well in this size tent. just stay away from fans refered to as duct booster fans. they have no ass.
 

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G Bear

G Bear

Well-Known Member
ronintank said:
i run a 2x4x6 tent in my basement. keeping them warm was the problem this winter. i run led lights so not a lot of heat there but it is enough. i have my exhaust fan ducted out the upper side hole and pointed down toward the lower side screened window near the bottom and i have this open. this allows some of the tent air to be recirculated back into the tent. i also have moved my filter to the bottom of the tent this removes the most humid air and cooler air from the bottom of the tent. i am running about 80f and 40-50 rh with the lights on. lights out temp is approx. 60f
Oh i added i think a 4 inch fan and filter works well in this size tent. just stay away from fans refered to as duct booster fans. they have no ass.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I know about the booster fans. So your outside temps are 60 and you’re at 80 in the tent? I wonder how much of a bump in ambient temps from running my lights. I will test that out before getting started.

I am also thinking of running a fish tank heater from an old 55 gallon tank. I can probably use it to keep a 5 gallon bucket of water in the high 80s. That ought to bump up my temps as well as add some needed humidity (air is still very dry here).
 
nurrgle

nurrgle

Well-Known Member
If your in Colorado you should be able to outfit everything off Craigslist on the cheap.
 
ronintank

ronintank

Well-Known Member
G Bear said:
Yeah, I know about the booster fans. So your outside temps are 60 and you’re at 80 in the tent? I wonder how much of a bump in ambient temps from running my lights. I will test that out before getting started.

I am also thinking of running a fish tank heater from an old 55 gallon tank. I can probably use it to keep a 5 gallon bucket of water in the high 80s. That ought to bump up my temps as well as add some needed humidity (air is still very dry here).
Click to expand...
Yes basement temps 55 to 60 tent temps with led lights on 75 to 80f. I have my exhaust channeled to maybe 50 % re circulate so the tent stays warmer. You could also set your exhaust on a ink bird and the fan could control the temp.
 
G Bear

G Bear

Well-Known Member
i will definitely consider the ink birds, thanks. had to look that up.

I’ve already crossed the $500 mark but it will eventually pay for itself and be enjoyable.

tent and light arrive tomorrow. by the end of the week i plan to set it up and run the lights at 20 hrs on 4 hrs off while monitoring outdoors temps, ambient temps of the room, and temps in the grow space.
 
Gentlemencorpse

Gentlemencorpse

Well-Known Member
I just set up a second tent similar to what your assembling here. I went with the same tent but a SpiderFarmer SF2000 for a light. I'm in a basement (also in MA guy! Wicked sweet right?) where the ambient temps are in the 50s. With the light running full blast the tent has stayed between 67 and 78.

For the fan, personally, I'd worry more about CFMs then the size. I run both my 32"x32" tent and my 2'x4' tent through one 220 CFM 4" fan with a carbon filter in each tent and it has yet to leave the low setting. The 32" tent has a 315CMH in it just fyi.
 
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