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Indoor plans for new growers

Lazyman

Overkill is under-rated.
Veteran
Centrifugal fans work much better pushing cold air then they do sucking hot air, and if you're using CO2 or carbon filters, sucking air means you suck unfiltered smelly air and CO2 through any leaks, instead of blowing filtered air out them.
 

erwingruber

Member
2Lazy :
Thank you for spending you time for me ,
I cannot think another way ta pay you back
from a promise that i will give back
to the community time and knowledge.

The home it is empty we take permission
from our friend to make our grow there.

There is no cooling system running in the house.
my passive intakes is from inside the house
because i think too that the temps will be lower
from outside.

If i cool down the entrire house i need lot of power consumption.
( the electricity consumption it is not a really problem for the equiment that i can buy
because no one lives there but running a big AC 24/0 + 2200Watt maybe skyrocket the power usage)
On the other hand you are solving multiple problems with this instalation

In case not cooling down entire house
Maybe I can draw with ducting my fresh air (from iside the house) to the flowering room
and put the AC there too but then i will not have cool air for my veg room or i must draw from my flowering
room together with odors , can i eliminate them with a carbon filter on a fan recirculating air ?

The room is a kitchen and the RO place is the sink that is going to used for cuttings with 250w florocent fixture
There is a small window where the lights and carbon filter exaust and a door where is the 360cfm and the passive intakes are

i am thinking for a ebb&flow table 4*2 foot with 18 plants SOG(like) under 1 600 hps and 4 buckets DWC under the second 600 hps
for a head to head yield test.

I am pushing air throught the lamps with the 360cfm
( i am going to change that and use a second fan for the second 600 hps or make a snake pass from all lights to avoid Y spliters )

I am sucking air throught the carbon to exaust outside


Finishing with sums
1) No central AC but it is a good idea cause the home is small
2) Passive intakes from inside the house either way
3) I am still confused for the AC setup if i am not going to use a big unit to cool the entire house
4) RO osmosis filter is a better solution no water stores here and 1 gallon distiled water cost 0,75 cents
(the tables use 40 litres each + the buckets it is a lot a water and RO systems cost around $200)
5) I think that i will upgrate to 600W MH the 1000W is too much and i am not going to veg long
either for my SOG table or the DWC buckets.On the other hand i am thinking changing one 600hps with one 1000 hps

Finally i think that i am close to the finishing of the setup , i must only find a solution
for the AC unit or make the decision to cool down the enrire house.

I think that i will need some more of your time with that AC

BIG THANK YOU :thank you::tiphat:
 

erwingruber

Member
Lazyman :
You are everywhere helping everyone tomorrow i start my studies on
The how to and why fors of CO2 supplementation for growers
 
2

2Lazy

Centrifugal fans work much better pushing cold air then they do sucking hot air, and if you're using CO2 or carbon filters, sucking air means you suck unfiltered smelly air and CO2 through any leaks, instead of blowing filtered air out them.

I'm going to disagree with the first point. Centrifugal fans are designed to pull from high volume and push to low pressure. Hot air is low density high pressure, so pushing cold air into a high pressure system is not ideal, as far as I can tell. By pulling the high volume hot air and pushing it out into the cooler air you are supporting the natural flow of energy from high to low. Pushing cold air is counter productive because it's reverse to the natural flow.

Think of it like this. When you open the oven a woosh of warm air comes out, rather than a sucking action of air going in. It's high pressure to low pressure, and ventilation systems should be set up to take advantage of this.

I think people that Exhaust their CO2 are strange indeed. I'd rarely vent a CO2 supplemented grow space, just cool it, and recycle it. Maybe at night if I wanted to lower the levels a bit, but it'd be unnecessary really.

With the Lighting ventilation, in this setup the grower has a direct line of air coming from the house through the lamps and straight out. Leaks are important to not have in any ventilation setup, so yeah, don't have any leaks and it's all good.

erwingruber:
I didn't know the house wasn't in use. I thought it was a space used for living as well. I guess your best option is to get a decent portable AC and put it in the Veg room. If that whole area is a sink and you're getting the RO system just be prepared for fairly high water usage bills which judging by your area's temperatures might be expensive in the summer months.

Since you're not going to have all that extra space, and you're using Fluoro lighting for the clones, a 400w system will probably be just fine for in there. I also can't speak against you getting the 1000w lamp for the flowering room. If you can stomach the increase in power then you might as well get it I think. The magnetic core ballasts aren't any more expensive than the 600's.

As far as the flood table my only suggestion to you here is that a light source is better suited to light a square area than a rectangular one. Depends on where you put the other plants but a single 600w could light two of those tables side by side. The 5x6 growing area with two 600w systems ensures fairly complete lighting with a good amount of overlap, so I suppose it doesn't matter how you do it as long as you have a nice thick canopy of bud sites. Be that 18 lollipop buds or 4 scrogged plants.

In all I think your plan is good. Lazyman and I seem to disagree on the placement of your fans, so you'll just have to try it out one way, and if it doesn't work well enough then you can try it the other way.
 

Nicedreamz

Member
Thanks for your input lazy just wanted to add a few things......Im doing soil ......and i would really like to have the veg on the bottom.....I feel like it will be easier to control ventalation f big light is closer to the crawl space.....ill use a step ladder to get to the top part......i was thinking about doing a small tent for veg at bottom that way no light leak? what do you think? Anyway you can draw me a Diagram? I have a hard time following any instructions unless they are lego style hehe
 

kal

Member
New to icmag forums:tiphat:... Thanks for all the help!


The dimensions of the space I will grow in are.... 20x20x8
The budget I'd like to stay within is.... 5-7K
My average daily consumption is.... 5 gs
I'm am growing this medicine for....myself, my fiance, and a few other patients
My energy costs per Kwh....not sure
I am comfortable with a power bill increase of....my bill is currently 225$ increase of $800 is understandable.
I have researched growing, my experience is.... [A little]
I am interested in the growing method(s)....organic/aero
My demands are....no cutting corners,best equipment, fool proof design,at the very least 5Ps a month,quiet setup, no smells
My constraints are....never attempted this before need some guidance
 
2

2Lazy

Dont need to check ph Huh?BAD ADVICE

Please keep your ignorance to yourself.

Let me complete your sentence for you, I know how tough grammar school can be for some.

One doesn't need to check the pH of Canna Nutrients systems' if using RO water and the entire line of products.

The reason for this is because Canna nutrients is specifically designed to pH at the proper number. Also, I am suggesting top feed coco systems which can buffer acidic solutions to the proper level without adjusting. The combination of these two facts combine for a grow that isn't pH monitoring intensive.

Canna Nutrients has a larger R&D department than their marketing department. Advanced Nutrients cannot make this claim. I think CES is the only other supplier I can think of that spends anywhere near what Canna spends on the R&D.

I am not suggesting to these people that they need a 55 gallon reservoir and an army of DWC bubbleponic buckets. Mostly because it is not in their budgets. Many new growers entire budget would be consumed by a decent Hanna combo tester, so in order to circumvent the issue I've chosen to use a pre-balanced and inexpensive but also very effective system.

For the first grower I suggested he look into litmus paper in order to test the pH of his Lucas formula, as this can fluctuate.

So of course checking your pH is better than not. I never, ever, would suggest that pH is unimportant. ONLY IF THE BUDGET IS LIMITED would I even suggest choosing this route. But given the constraints I offered the best advice I could. I personally went 3 grows without a pH pen and since I've gotten one it hasn't actually been useful as far as needing to significantly change my pH. I just check the pH and viola like magic it's always within range.

I should note that when nutrients are given 48 hours or more they will change their pH. Dissolved CO2 can drop the pH, and evaporative action can increase the ppm. I suggest for top feed systems that you allow the solution to mix for 1 hour and up to 6 hours, but not much longer after that.
 
2

2Lazy

Damn... This is entirely more work than I thought it'd be. I could really use some support from other members!

It's just, I have a life, and things I enjoy doing that don't involve a lot of writing. So I can't dedicate the kind of time a thread like this really deserves all on my lonesome.

I will get around to everyone eventually, I just need to find the time to do so, maybe this weekend will be better.
 

Justin_Credible

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary....
Veteran
Damn... This is entirely more work than I thought it'd be. I could really use some support from other members!

It's just, I have a life, and things I enjoy doing that don't involve a lot of writing. So I can't dedicate the kind of time a thread like this really deserves all on my lonesome.

I will get around to everyone eventually, I just need to find the time to do so, maybe this weekend will be better.

Damm! I should've read this post before I just posted. Honestly I was thinking the same thing guy! I was thinking to myself, how in the hell is lazy going to pull this off? :tiphat:Well, if you do it by yourself then you would not be lazy right? Send me a pm and we can talk about it? I'm game! I think this was a great thread to start and the info could help alot of people.
 

jm420

Active member
Veteran
No ignorance intended as far as a budget goes drops are about 5 bucks an ro ststem will be a couple hundred.I dont know of any nutes that will self adjust.Telling anyone to grow hydro without a ph test kit is just bullshit, you have to know ur ph to know what yor plants r doing.I believe its ph up to rich ph down to lean.I dont care what you claim but in any hydro grow you have to test ur ph.Most problems in hydro r ph related so no matter what you claim its still BAD ADVICE
 
2

2Lazy

Maybe I can come at this a different way. For new growers they need to anticipate certain costs depending on what kind of system they will choose to run.

Every plant needs a container, a medium, food, light, and air. Mother Earth provides all this in spades outdoors, but indoors each of these factors must be manufactured by you. The initial purchase of lighting, ventilation, nutrients, and a complete system plus the cost of the plants, can easily set someone back $800 to $1000 for a low-moderate setup. I think most growers should expect to spend up to $800 over the course of 3 months if they are fairly serious about getting into the game. If the money is available, I think $5000 is about as much as any one person would need to spend in order to provide themselves and one other with enough medicine to spend the whole year in a foggy purple haze.

Once the system is in place though, the operating costs can drop significantly. This is why planning ahead is so very important. Identify where you'd like your grow operation to be in 1 year from the first seedling, and in 3 years. If you one day want to have that system then start now and plan appropriately. The way I pay for my upgrades is in my "offset" cost. I usually buy about 1/2 oz at a time, and I spend about $150 on that every 7 days. So, by offsetting my growing costs I save like $8000 a year by growing my own. I've been smoking herb for 8 years now, so if I'd started early on I could have saved enough to be smoking my own bud in a BMW 7 series!!!

Soil systems are the least cost intensive because everything the plant needs is contained in the soil. A kind of "just add water" situation. It is important though that the pH of soil doesn't fluctuate too greatly as this can have a dramatic effect on the microbial environment. Soil growers should use very clean, pure, water in a soil system that has a pH of around 6.4 to 6.6. Lowering the pH is as simple as a few drops of lemon juice in the bucket of water. Indoor soil systems will be slower than hydroponic systems but they do offer the opportunity for an organic grow. My suggestion is for anyone that wants to do soil is to do a complete organic grow. You will need to incorporate some perlite into your soil, perhaps up to 30% of the mix, because the soil doesn't breathe very well on its own.

I think Fox Farms soils are just fine if you can get them. Some people don't have much of an option though. There really isn't an excuse for getting Miracle Grow though. In every town, every couple of miles, I assure you there is a flower nursery. These nurseries can carry some good organic stuff and the people you talk to there know much more than the zit faced teen in the garden center at Lowe's. Additives to consider are dolomite lime, worm castings, various kinds of guano, composted chicken or cow fertilizers, greensand, vermiculite, hydroton, broken pieces of clay pottery, michorrizae, bone meal, blood meal, and kelp. Of course there are many other products people use, but for the beginner I very much suggest just keeping it simple and getting themselves a bag of organic soil, mixing it 70/30 with perlite and incorporating about 1 tablespoon of dolomite lime. It's really all you need, but we can do better :)

Moving out of a soil grow there are many attractive directions to pursue.

Aeroponics is popular among PhDs who really know what they are doing. NASA has a system in space even. NFT is an old timer to the hydroponics game and was developed in the UK (I think) some 40 or more years ago. More recent advances in hydroponics includes deep water culture (bubbleponics), Ebb & Flow, and Top Feed. Basically, all types of hydroponics available today is either one of these systems or a variation/combination of several ideas depending on the media of choice. When choosing a hydroponic system for a new grower it is important they do not over extend themselves. A bubble bucket runs about $50 to DIY (with the good stuff) and for some growers they just don't have the $$$ to drop on each plant like that. Rockwool slabs are inexpensive but also better designed for a drip systems, which require pumps and reservoirs. NFT and Aeroponics aren't inherently more expensive than other systems, though they can be, but they do offer the greatest risk to the first time grower and require pricey monitoring equipment.

A complete hydroponic run can cost a lot up front. Pumps and filters and monitors and tubing and emitters and nutrients are all needed... the list goes up up and away. Top feed systems like coco coir and rockwool pebbles offer simplicity and remove the chance of a mechanical failure ruining a crop if back-up parts can't be kept on hand. For some people these issues are easily overcome; but it's not for everyone which is why I love top feed for newbs.

If a new grower doesn't already have a preference of a system I will ALWAYS suggest coco. I find Coco Coir to be everything a new grower could want in a hydroponic medium. It is inexpensive, offers excellent buffering, has a very high cation exchange capacity, and has many similarities to soil in the texture and watering schedules. You can even reuse it several times, further decreasing costs. By incorporating Canna Coco A & B with Botanicare Cal-Mag I personally promise good results with minimal if any complications. I back up that promise on my reputation, if I'm wrong then I shall be shunned.

Hydro-Budget make up:
Lighting: 35%
Atmosphere: 15%
Media: 8%
Container(s): 5%
Nutrients: 25%
Equipment: 12%

I think any grow should stick close to these rough percentage estimates when starting. A $100 grow might need an $8 bag of soil and a $5 planter and $35 in clf bulbs. A $10,000 grow might need $3,500 in lighting and $2,500 in nutrients with 1,000 $0.50 grow bags. Stick close to these ratios and I think your grow will find a good balance and harmony. Over do the lighting and now you have to take it out of nutrients and atmosphere, negating the extra money you spent on the lights because now there isn't enough C02 or available food to convert the energy. Be smart and find a balance in the plan.
 

Lazyman

Overkill is under-rated.
Veteran
New to icmag forums:tiphat:... Thanks for all the help!


The dimensions of the space I will grow in are.... 20x20x8
The budget I'd like to stay within is.... 5-7K
My average daily consumption is.... 5 gs
I'm am growing this medicine for....myself, my fiance, and a few other patients
My energy costs per Kwh....not sure
I am comfortable with a power bill increase of....my bill is currently 225$ increase of $800 is understandable.
I have researched growing, my experience is.... [A little]
I am interested in the growing method(s)....organic/aero
My demands are....no cutting corners,best equipment, fool proof design,at the very least 5Ps a month,quiet setup, no smells
My constraints are....never attempted this before need some guidance

I'm gonna guess this is a garage? You'll need to set aside some of your budget for an electrician (usually the first step) but it will be at least $500 to have a couple circuits pulled into the room, maybe double that.

I'd suggest partitioning off a quarter of your space if you're buying clones for a veg room, a third if you are doing moms and cloning yourself.

Use T-5's for the veg room and handwater pots of soil, use a centrifugal fan or two to move air in and out. I'm gonna say go with a pair of 6 bulb T-5's just for vegging, one more for moms/ clones if needed.

FLower room I'd have you air cool to the outside, use probably 3 1000w lights and air cool those if you can too. Also handwatered pots of soil until you get the hang of it. You don't want a complicated hydro system on a dial in run, I promise. Organics are generally best left to the outdoor growers, they very rarely outperform salt based nutes indoors.

You won't pull 5 pounds a month man, even if you put in 4 lights (which is probably beyond your budget) and harvested half of the room every month you'd get 2-3 a month. SCROG and vertical bulbs might help your yields but they take some practice and planning.

Dont forget odor control, oscillating fans, hoses, pumps, meters, timers, a reservoir, air pump and stones, nutes, pest control, panda plastic, the list goes on and on. I usually figure a new grow runs me about $1500 per kilowatt, but can be as high as $2k per KW on a raw space (needing insulation, sealing, and power.)
 

kal

Member
Thanks for the help and for your time.

The room is a downstairs bedroom. Almost square in dimentions. If you walk into the room thru the door(only entrance) there is a window on the back right side.otherwise its sealed. I own the home so i can drill into the ceiling if necessary.

I've had an electrician come in and he put a sub box down there. 240v I believe. The box has 3 (20) switches on each side. He's willing to do more electric if necessary

Ive ordered 2 4ftx100ft rolls of mylar, reflective duct tape, a combo tds/ppm/ph/temp meter with calibaration solution. a couple of wall thermometers .

The list does go on as I continue to find out whats necessay propane burner/ monitor(1800 ppm), dehumidifier, AC,..... and soo forth.

I guess what i'd really like to know... is... with this particular space how many 1k lights should i use..?flouro no MH for veg? ...how big of a fan to evac air? Ventilation ideas?I was thinking of splitting the room with drywall.

2-3 Ps a month is cool....now that I think of it granted its quality.

Also as far as budget is concerned, reguarding the number of lights... I DO have some money.... Im looking at this operation as an investment. Im willing to put in what will help me get the most out.

Also as far as genetics are concerned I've got THSeeds MKultra fem, DNA's LAcon fem, and Barney's red dragon fem. justa side note.


Thanks again for the time and the help, any questions for me let me know.

kal
 

Colorado Kid

New member
New Grower Area Questions

New Grower Area Questions

I am a new grower,my dimensions are 10x19 room,4x8 growing bed ,as seen.Budget $1500,daily consumption 4 grams,growing for back related pains,.13 per kwh,power increase of $200,experience(none),soil grower,demands are 30 ounces every 3 months,constraints( coliform in well water). Also what size pots do I use,how far do I seperate,and what soil brand should I use?.My room is insulated,has a 220 power line to it,the picture you see has my well pressure tank in it with water valve,also has vent up top from house heating system,window for air conditioner and ceiling vent to attic.Colorado Kid,please advise.
 

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redspaghetti

love machine
ICMag Donor
Veteran
The dimensions of the space I will grow in are.... 20x20x15
The budget I'd like to stay within is.... 15k
My average daily consumption is.... 4 -8 grams
I'm am growing this medicine for.... myself and patients
My energy costs per Kwh.... 17.5
I am comfortable with a power bill increase of.... 1200
I have researched growing, my experience is.... [A lot] [Some] [A little] [None at all] A little
I am interested in the growing method(s).... hydro/soil
My demands are.... 10lbs every month
My constraints are....
:D
o
 

Phishing

New member
sweet thanks for helpin every1 yo

The dimensions of the space I will grow in are.... 24in/18in pc micro grow for 1-2 plants
The budget I'd like to stay within is....the pc is mostly done i have 2 exhaust fans and 1 intake however im stumped on the best kind of lighting for this? also is it possible to get a single light for this sized area i only have 1 12/120 size fixture right now..?
My average daily consumption is.... 4gs
I'm am growing this medicine for.... myself i dont have money for it at all..
My energy costs per Kwh.... idc gonna be @ my college so no worries on power especially with this small of a project
I am comfortable with a power bill increase of.... $85
I have researched growing, my experience is.... Some
I am interested in the growing method(s).... pc micro build for 1-2 plants full lifespan inside of case
My demands are.... grow some kick ass weed in a computer case
My constraints are.... cant get caught for smell or noice


thats about it i pretty much used random parts i had around my house. wasnt looking to spend any money at first but now im kinda well.. hooked on this lil operation and will defiantly invest money into it b.c of all the success i have seen come from them. ideally id like a single ladie that is low to the ground and stumpy and ofc yields a decent harvest i am going to germinate a nyc sour d and chem dawg seed and hopfully get at least one female then go from there..

thanks in advance seen how much uv helped people so far
 

wreck

Member
The dimensions of the space I will grow in are.... My guess (space isn't available yet) would be a small closet.
The budget I'd like to stay within is.... ~$1000.00
My average daily consumption is.... 3-5g's
I'm am growing this medicine for.... myself and wife.
My energy costs per Kwh.... n/a
I am comfortable with a power bill increase of.... n/a
I have researched growing, my experience is.... Let's say, no experience.
I am interested in the growing method(s).... soil, MH/HPS, CMH
My demands are.... high quality, flavor
My constraints are.... having very little experience.

Additional info: I am going to grow a few BOG strains. I want something that will be fairly easy, I can get more involved later down the line. I plan on keeping a mother plant for clones of the 3 strains I'm planning on growing. Also looking into revegging - so my guess would be a 1000W system. That might also require two grow spaces, but what do I know? I'm open to suggestions for soil and nutes. I'd like quality equipment (my budget isn't set in stone, but I know the value of spending a little bit extra for quality gear).
 
2

2Lazy

Okay dudes, I'll be online tonight with plans for everyone. I finally have a few hours to dedicate.

Be back soon!
 
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