Ideas for a big tent setup appreciated

[SeamusBronkajs]

Hello everybody, I have been growing marjuana inside for a couple of years in setups ranging from 100-1000W, I have been doing so with both soil ad hydro, HID and CFL.

Anyway I have been thinking of upgrading to a larger setup consisting of a (2X2X2)4 square meter tent. My plan is to have 3 600W lamps in there(I know 4 would seem more appropriate but i cant afford using that much electricity, Regarding both money and securty.

I was thinking of having a big reservoir in one corner(A big plastic barrel intended for collectng rain) and then have a drip system feed my plants 2 or 3 times a day-the plants will be in a Perlite rich medium consisting of either soil or coco,
I like the idea of a semi hydroponic system becourse it will save some time for watering but at the same time i'll be able to adjust the nutrient level for a faster growing or lacking plant.
The grow will then be a SOG with 70-100 plants(Superskuk, Skunk#1, Misty, WW)

How does this plan sounds to you, what could be improved(Ohter than adding more wattage) Would you recommend for an example 4X 400W or 2 X 1000 W HPS light instead?
Also what size of ventilation would be recommendable?

I hope i have made myself understandable, write me if there is a Q regarding the language used in this post
Looking forward to hear from you

SB

 

[ft100]

i think if you want to go big then go big, but really even after you said your limit was 1800watts you talked about 2 x 1000 which would be more. you know your gonna have to have more light to go that big really. but if you wanted to run some light movers it could be done. i just think you would be happier either with more light, or a smaller tent then the biggest one. they do makes ome other sizes that would match your lighting well. anyways, i wish you the best with your search, remember it is neverending so dont get down because of it, peace and smoke gl

 

[SeamusBronkajs]

Yea i know the adding 2 1000W will use more power, just wanna stay at 2K or a little below -As i stated earlier i will also have a resovoir in there + ohter device such as a carbon scrubber so the real inside dimensions would be 1.7 X 2 meters -roughly 3.5 sq M. I know it is to the short side but i think it can be lit by 2KW-consider it will be a SOG so light penetration will not be a problem.. if I for an example were to add 2 600Watt lamps and 2 400 Watters i should be able to have a decent coverage -i will run digital ballast and use adjustable wing reflectors.. I live in a country were i cant run that much power without drawing attention -I am really just looking for a way to optimize everything before starting out.
Has anyone done a SOG like this?

 

[Mr. Tony]

you may want to keep the rez outside the tent to keep the water temps down...

also will you be using just one fan to cool the lights and vent/scrub the grow or one fan for lights and one fan for the scrubber.

 

[SeamusBronkajs]

well my idea were to have around 500-800m³/H of exhaust on a carbon filter, a little individual fan on each A wing all blowing towards the exhaust + some big blowers in a row along with the intake and reservoir (Honeywell or simular) the intake air will partly be outside air, partly C02 from alcohol production -as I live far north and the setup is meant to run during the night i dont think temps will be to high, the intake air will be max 20*centigrade s at all time.
You may have a point with the reservoir tank -but I were thinking it could help stabilize the temp in the room to a constant.

 

[SpacedCWBY]

I've been pondering a tent grow the past few days. Nice and simple to take down if need be.

 

[DeJa]

i've been planning my tent for 2 years and still havnt made it all up yet


my setup changes every week


SPace cowboyee ^ i can take down my tent in about 3 mins


Seamus , let me save you some time with a bit of advice



For 6x6 you should get two dual spectrum hps+mh 1000w

you could also go with dual 600's, you might end up putting them on light movers or the same with the 1kw


get a vortex 6" inch or quiter fan and put it on the light exhaust with a scrubber inside tent as the "sucker"

make sure there is ducting going through the bottom of the tent to allow fresh air in.
get a damper for the fresh air duct so that tent air doesnt leak out when your fan is off


anything else just ask here

 

[BeeBee]

First, with only 2 meters in height, you are better off with 600s. So I vote for 3 600s.

Second, don't bother blowing heat around. Hot air rises. Collect the heat and exhaust from as high up in the tent as practical. Hang the filter horizontally from the supports of the tent. Use the fans to blow steadily on the plants--good circulation is important.

Third--watering. I've been doing SOG in 1 gallon pots for years. I flower at 2 plants per square foot, but it sounds like you're doing about 4 per square foot. You could probably use smaller pots, if you wish. Here's how I water, using a light, commercial soil-less mix:
Make a water proof tray for the floor of your tent that holds all the pots (you could use two or three, if that's easier for you, but I recommend using one). Set the tray (flat-bottomed is best for ease of cleanup and control of humidity) on the floor of the tent, and get it as level as possible. To water, just add an inch (more or less) of water to the tray--the plants will soak it up! That's all you have to do, it couldn't be easier. I usually water just after the lights go on, and add enough water so that all the visible water is soaked up just before the lights go off. You can use a timer, a small pump, and a vacuum breaker (to stop the siphon, since your plants are below the water level in the tank), and it will be automatic. Don't let the soil dry out much--if it gets very dry, capillary action is inhibited.

Fourth, use a six-inch exhaust with your filter, and a four- or six-inch for active intake. Small, confined spaces, even if in a generally cool area, always run hotter than you think they will. You can always install a speed controller and/or thermostatic switch to keep the temperature in the proper range, if it's not warm enough.

 

[dongle69]

A little tent inspiration for you:

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=80484

 

[SeamusBronkajs]

Thank you very much, very helpful answers indeed -Beebee, that tray is a good idea -one could make two for perpeptual harvests -maybe thats a better way to use the space, considering i cant use more than 2kw on lighting.

Nice SOG Dongle69!

SB

 

[BeeBee]

For a perpetual harvest, consider this:
If you can divide the tent enough that you can have both a grow area and a flower area (this means some creative light control), it is quite simple to get a harvest every 4 weeks, like clock work.
Build two trays: one 36 x 30 inches (it will hold exactly 30 6-inch pots) and one 60 x 36 or 72 x 30 (also for the 30 pots). The small tray is the grow area, lit by one 600 HPS. Plant 30 well-rooted clones in 6 inch pots, and place in the smaller tray. Have the light on 18/6 for 7 to 9 days, then trim off the lower branches (use them for clones, if you like) and change the lights to 12/12. At the end of four full weeks (including the veg days), move the plants to the larger area (lit by two 600 HPS). The same day, replant the veg space. At the end of 4 more weeks, you have your first harvest, and start over!
Notice that you need a variety that finishes fast--47 to 49 days of flower. There are many such varieties available. You will need 30 nice clones every 28 days to make this work.
I recently built just such a system in an L shaped closet in a friend's garage. There have been three harvests so far: 37, 31, and 32 ounces (of top-quality purple erkle).
This system is a unique twist on the concept of grow room, flower room, in that the grow room is used for the grow cycle (very short) and the stretch (which only ends about 3 days before the plants are moved to the flower room). The plants are quite crowded by the time they are moved to the flower room (where they have twice as much space), which of course reduces the per-plant yield, but overall, the yield is very good: this has proven to be a very simple, but extremely effective, method of producing a substantial, predictable harvest.
It's a different take on the classic sea of green, one that I stumbled upon (invented? discovered?) about 8 years ago.
By the way, I apologize for all the non-metric units I have used!

 

[bushmasta]

Good info BeeBee I am about to do SOG set up in an attic. The veg room will be 5x5 and the flower room will be 6x3. How many watts per sq ft are you doing in the flower room? Do you have your carbon filter in the top of the room next to the exhaust? Wouldn't it be more effecient to put your ducting for exhaust in the roof of the structure ran than the side? Do you use one inline fan for exhausting both spaces and passive intake?

 

[BeeBee]

Hi Bushmasta:
Generally, I shoot for 80 watts per square foot. I use one 600 watt HPS per 7.5 square feet. I use the same illumination in the grow and the flower areas.
I mount the filter horizontally, about 2 inches below the ceiling or highest part of the space. I put the fan close to the filter. If there is an attic directly above the room, I often put the fan in the attic and exhaust out through the roof.
You can use one exhaust for both rooms. Air will go around corners, but light won't. If you can trap the light, but allow free enough air flow, a single filter/fan will work for both spaces.
I always use active intake. The intake is split into smaller ducts, and appropriate amounts are delivered to each space. The flower room requires more cooling than the grow room. (I use ventilation for cooling, because I'm in coastal Northern California. By drawing intake air from the crawl space below the house, I can provide plenty of fresh air and CO2, and also remove humidity and cool the plants.) Controlling the fans is a critical part of making the system work, and I have designed simple, fool-proof, reliable control systems to maintain proper lights-on (day) and lights-off (night) temperatures, while maintaining the slight vacuum needed to direct the smell out the exhaust.
Sometimes I use a small, secondary intake for the grow room, drawing air from the floor of the work space (outside the grow areas), which is cooler than the grow room. This doesn't interfere with the overall vacuum.
Thanks for your interest.