Shopping tips for getting started

[Le_Champ]

Hi everyone, I am new to cultivation and reading online I am getting quite confused. What I want to do is to buy a grow box to grow two autoflowerings and I would like some advice:

1. Minimum size of the grow box
2. What kind of light to use and with how much power
3. In general, all the components needed to start growing
4. Does an activated carbon filter mask the odor even inside the room where the growbox is?

Thanks to anyone who will answer me!!!

 

[Creeperpark]

Hi everyone, I am new to cultivation and reading online I am getting quite confused. What I want to do is to buy a grow box to grow two autoflowerings and I would like some advice:

1. Minimum size of the grow box
2. What kind of light to use and with how much power
3. In general, all the components needed to start growing
4. Does an activated carbon filter mask the odor even inside the room where the growbox is?

Thanks to anyone who will answer me!!!

Welcome friend. You have a lot of good questions. You can go to our Vendors' forums and ask some of the Vendors. They are experts that can give you good recommendations. Don't worry about odors until you master your growing skills first. In the meantime, our experienced members will be along to help you after seeing this post.

 

[Asentrouw]

Hi everyone, I am new to cultivation and reading online I am getting quite confused. What I want to do is to buy a grow box to grow two autoflowerings and I would like some advice:

1. Minimum size of the grow box
2. What kind of light to use and with how much power
3. In general, all the components needed to start growing
4. Does an activated carbon filter mask the odor even inside the room where the growbox is?

Thanks to anyone who will answer me!!!

1. For 2-4 auto's a small tent 60x60cm (23x23 inch) is enough.

2. A 100 watts LED light should be sufficient for that size. A cheap full spectrum LED will do. More watts is bigger yield, so probably better (not for the electricity bill though).

3. You need a small fan for aircirculation, a carbon filter plus tubes, a ventilator suited for your tentsize, socket box and a timerswitch (if you also want to grow photo's). Pots, soil, etc.

4. That depends. Mostly a carbon filter reduces the smell to a absolute minimum. But loud strains in late flowering can overpower it. So that's something to take into consideration (for instance: grow low odor strains).

Such a setup should cost a few hundred bucks at most.

 

[Le_Champ]

1. For 2-4 auto's a small tent 60x60cm (23x23 inch) is enough.

2. A 100 watts LED light should be sufficient for that size. A cheap full spectrum LED will do. More watts is bigger yield, so probably better (not for the electricity bill though).

3. You need a small fan for aircirculation, a carbon filter plus tubes, a ventilator suited for your tentsize, socket box and a timerswitch (if you also want to grow photo's). Pots, soil, etc.

4. That depends. Mostly a carbon filter reduces the smell to a absolute minimum. But loud strains in late flowering can overpower it. So that's something to take into consideration (for instance: grow low odor strains).

Such a setup should cost a few hundred bucks at most.

Thank you for your reply. Do you recommend buying everything separately or maybe there is some ready-made kit?

I'm asking since you seem to be prepared, then anyway I'll also follow @Creeperpark 's advice and ask on the vendors forum

 

[Dhhshdhdhshshdh]

interesting thread up

 

[Le_Champ]

Welcome friend. You have a lot of good questions. You can go to our Vendors' forums and ask some of the Vendors. They are experts that can give you good recommendations. Don't worry about odors until you master your growing skills first. In the meantime, our experienced members will be along to help you after seeing this post.

Unfortunately, the odour problem is one I cannot overlook.

However, I did not understand where to open the thread to ask vendors. I can't find a section on the vendors' forum that seems to suit my needs.

 

[Asentrouw]

Thank you for your reply. Do you recommend buying everything separately or maybe there is some ready-made kit?

I'm asking since you seem to be prepared, then anyway I'll also follow @Creeperpark 's advice and ask on the vendors forum

Doesn't really matter. I would just look for some quality stuff for fair prices and combine those together myself. Just make sure you buy a ventilator that disposes enough m2 air for your tent, a quality filter and a good light.

The advantage of buying a complete set is that everything is already fitted for the tent you buy. However, the cheap sets usually provide shitty lights. So I would recommend buying that seperate.

In the end it's also a matter of budget. If you have a thousand bucks to throw into a complete growbox of nice brand I would go for it.

If you are a poor beggar like me, you are better off buying cheap, but quality stuff and put it together yourself.

You can even have succes with a selfbuild cupboard painted white, a cheap Chinese burple light, filter and vents, not even worth a hundred bucks.

But it's better to invest a bit more and do it right straight away, as this hobby will always grow out of hand.

A 60x60 tent with 4 plants under 100 watt LED can give you a ounce each 3 months. Should be enough for personal use.

 

[Creeperpark]

Unfortunately, the odour problem is one I cannot overlook.

However, I did not understand where to open the thread to ask vendors. I can't find a section on the vendors' forum that seems to suit my needs.

We have a Vendors section halfway down the page, to see our 13 Vendors click on it to open it up. Look at the Mars Hydro, Vivosun forum or if you are in Australia check out the Grow Light Australia forum. Feel free to ask them questions for the best suggestions. In the beginning, It's unlikely two small autos will have enough odor to cause a stink. You can always add a carbon filter if and when needed.

 

[Asentrouw]

Unfortunately, the odour problem is one I cannot overlook.

However, I did not understand where to open the thread to ask vendors. I can't find a section on the vendors' forum that seems to suit my needs.

A good scrubbber will take care of all low odor and most medium odor strains. Just stay away from the real stinkers.

Another thing to take into account is humidity (not to high) and underpressure (light vacuum in the tent), as both have influence on how the carbon filter performs. Also make sure you change it after a few runs as it gets saturated. Sounds complicated, but basically only a matter of good ventilation.

 

[Dhhshdhdhshshdh]

Another thing to take into account is humidity (not to high) and underpressure (light vacuum in the tent), as both have influence on how the carbon filter performs. Also make sure you change it after a few runs as it gets saturated. Sounds complicated, but basically only a matter of good ventilation.

can you explain better how humidity and underpressure influeces filter performance? A bit of underpressure will increase odor cancellation? How humidity is correlated?

 

[Asentrouw]

can you explain better how humidity and underpressure influeces filter performance? A bit of underpressure will increase odor cancellation? How humidity is correlated?

By no means I'm an expert on these matters, so no.

The seller of the carbon filter states itself that too high humidity makes the filter less efficient. I don't know the exact specs.

From my own experience I noticed some odor can escape or leak out, if the ventilator does not run strong enough. Hence I don't mind a little underpressure.

So that might be something to take into consideration if you just start and don't want to stink the place up. Been there, done that and it can make you quite paranoid.

 

[WHIPEDMEAT]

Growroom Designs & Equipment

Micro Grows

Talk about your small grow space.

www.icmag.com

 

[foomar]

Unless you are very restricted on space would suggest a 2 x 4 as a good choice allowing more future options.

You probably wont stop at two autos . . .

 

[crimsonecho]

can you explain better how humidity and underpressure influeces filter performance? A bit of underpressure will increase odor cancellation? How humidity is correlated?

carbon also adsorbs water in the air so the available surface area to adsorb odors is reduced. even when storing carbon filters i use heavy duty trashbags and silica packets inside.

op i think you should go with a 120x60 tent, a 250-300m3/hr fan with 20% higher capacity carbon filter, 250w led lights and 2 oscilating monkey fans (something like ac infinity cloudray). these are the basic things needed to grow.

also medium and pots or hydro setup depending on your choice.

carbon will not mask the odor it will adsorb it and hold it so if you are recirculating air in your room it will also scrub the air in the room and get rid of the smell and with negative pressure inside the tent you will not get smell leaks from the tent anyway.

 

[Hasch]

Hey ya

I would also suggest to get something like a 2 x 4 or 3 x 3 grow tent.
Much easier to set up and take care of the ladies with some space to work with.

Imo it never hurts to have some "spare" room, maybe the plants will grow larger than expected.

And I strongly recommend to get a high tent. As in headroom not as in flyin high. Less stress with stretchy ladies...