Mr. Micro's Dual PC Case, Hydro, HPS/CFL, 3 Strain Grow (with pics!)

[Mr_Micro]

Thanks Flutch!

That multi funtion air purifier won't remove the odor completely (unless your using a really low odor strain) but it will work well for quick removal of the smell in the room after you've been working in your cases for a while or if your carbon filter isn't completely filtering the smell. Its no substitute for a good carbon filter, but it's always good to have a backup plan. I also keep a small ONA block around for emergency situations. The safety and stealth of your grow is without a doubt the most important part... because if you get caught or your grow gets discovered than all your planning, hard work, and expense were for naught.

Anyway, heres a link to that mini Ionizer/Ozone Generator/Electrostatic Cleaner dealie -------> http://www.heavenfresh.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/21/products_id/61

For $22 it's proven to have been worth it's weight in gold twice already when guests stopped by shortly after I had been working in my PC cases. If you buy one though, make sure to ask for them to include a 12volt DC adapater for it so you can plug it into your wall. Otherwise they'll just ship it with a cigarette lighter adapter for use in a car.

 

[Flutch]

Thanks Mr_Micro I will make sure to get one of those things and a ONA block never heard of that. Do you know if people leave a ONA block open all the time next to there active carbon filter. I think I might have room for a small pot next to my carbon filter.


Also looking at all your pictures and I can't seem a air intake. Could you take some pictures please, trying to get a idea on what to do with mine. I can't have any light leaks what so ever. So getting a close up shot of yours would be great to get some ideas going in my head.

anyway thanks again for all the help.

Flutch

 

[Mr_Micro]

ONA blocks are pretty small (only a few inches wide and a few inches tall) but daaaammn do they ever smell strong! I open mine and a minute later the entire apartment reaks like ONA. I tried leaving it open for a day once and it was seriously burning my sinuses after a couple hours... it masks odors pretty well, but the odor from the block itself is strong enough to tranqualize a horse LOL

Also, if you go back to the first page and look at the picture twords the top (the one of the plants just starting to flower) you can see my intake fan just below my exhaust fan. I managed to seperate them with a peice of cardboard coated in reflective tape for better airflow so they arn't fighting each other.I tried using many varieties of passive intakes but ultimately they never cooled the box as well as an active one did and caused lots of light leak problems in the process. The exhaust fan I'm using is 52cfm and is being restricted a bit by my carbon filter, so I used a 25cfm intake fan so I was able to maintain negative pressure in the cab (no air leaks).

To solve the light leak problem I used black electrical tape on all the little cracks in the box and I built a small cardboard light trap on the back of the case over my intake as well. By forcing the light coming out from the intake fan into a 90* angle it eliminated any light leaks from the intake. After doing that and using some electrical tape here and there on the seams of the box I can now shut off all the lights in the room and not a single speck of light can be seen coming out of the box.

 

[pieceofmyheart]

Everything looks great, nice babies.

 

[thescissors]

very nice and inspirational! one thing, the carbon "pre-filter" you have around your carbon scrubber is meant to be used if the scrubber is on the "suck" side of the fan, not the blow side! its meant to filter the air so that the carbon isnt packed with dust and dirt. In your case, what you might try, is a slightly more powerful intake fan sucking through a FILTER (which would lower CFM back down to keep your neg pressure), and then ELIMINATE the "pre" filter on the outside of the carbon scrubber. Its achieving ZERO purpose there other than lowering the power of your exhaust fan slightly and maybe keeping a little carbon dust at bay.... just a thought! my "micro" grow is a full sized TV "armoire" desgined for 32" tvs but i have the TV *on top* of the cabinet, an 800w flower chamber (2x400wHPS) where the tv is sposed to go, and a 200w CFL veg chamber down below where normally youd store VCR tapes and whatnot ... anyways, my blower is a 2200CFM STANLEY blower and i have what i call a "MASSIVE PASSIVE" 8" *FILTERED* intake. Right now im using the flower chamber to veg my moms under one of the 400wHPSes, so my carbon filter is pretty modest (just a "sheet" of carbon covering the blower intake area at the moment...) and im trying to figure out a more-powerful idea for when im in full bloom!!

 

[Flutch]

one thing, the carbon "pre-filter" you have around your carbon scrubber is meant to be used if the scrubber is on the "suck" side of the fan, not the blow side! its meant to filter the air so that the carbon isnt packed with dust and dirt.

Make sense to me. I was wondering the same thing the other day when I was looking at all your pictures. Let me know how it turns out. Also I found a major Hydro store in my town. So can't wait to go there and pick up the stuff that you told me to get.

 

[Mr_Micro]

I had thought about that aspect of the filter TheScissors, but I know when I tried making my own carbon filter I had the same problem with all 5 or 6 different designs I tried using. In every design I always had a whole buttload of carbon dust blowing all over the back of my PC case, the power strip, the wall behind it, and pretty much everything in a 2 foot radius.

So because of this I decided to leave the pre-filter on so that I wouldn't have this problem of everything around the filter getting covered in carbon dust. Also, the only bigger 80mm fan that would fit in my case would be a 80 cfm one that sounds like a freakin hair dryer under my desk when it's running. At 55dBa with a high pitched whine it's seriously louder than anyone could even stand to be around. I tried it for a while, but it also pushed air through the carbon filter waaaay too fast and didn't allow for effective air filtration.

So I think I'll stick with the 50cfm 19dBa exhaust fan and leave the pre-filter on my carbon filter. If it ain't broke, no reason to fix it


Edit: A little update here... I started flushing the Skunk#1 and Blueberry last night. I'm going to flush em with plain water that will be changed again in a few days. The Skunk #1's trichs are almost all cloudy and about half the trich stems are begining to turn amber. Only about 10% amber heads, but the stems are starting to turn so I'm guessing by the time next wednesday rolls around (which will be day 58) they'll be ready for harvest. I'm going to wait until next wednesday to start flushing the Bubblegum though, as all the trichs are either clear or cloudy with only 2% or so amber.

So the plan is to harvest the Skunk#1 and Blueberry on Day 58 and the Bubblegums will be harvested on day 65. Today is day 52!


A quick question though, to anyone who might know... is it normal for the trichs to be 25% to 30% amber (signifying that they are ready for harvest) but all the hairs are still white? I mean, I have like 1 or two hairs that have changed color on each bud, but they're pretty much all white. If I harvest when all the hairs are still white, will they change those nice red/brown/orange colors during the drying and curing process?

 

[thescissors]

A quick question though, to anyone who might know... is it normal for the trichs to be 25% to 30% amber (signifying that they are ready for harvest) but all the hairs are still white? I mean, I have like 1 or two hairs that have changed color on each bud, but they're pretty much all white. If I harvest when all the hairs are still white, will they change those nice red/brown/orange colors during the drying and curing process?

From what i understand, the trichs are KING. you can ignore just about any other aspect of the plant's appearance, etc., if the trichs are ready, they're ready!!

 

[Maj.PotHead]

hell yea duder you have it going on great work for the micro growers

 

[Sleepy]

man, your results are unbelievable!!

way to go, Mr. Micro!!

a true inspiration.

 

[Mr_Micro]

Well hello again everyone! It's been quite a while since my last update, and we are now on day 58 of flowering!

I started flushing the Skunk #1 and True Blueberry last week but after a day of flushing I decided that they were probably not going to be done within the next week so I put them back on the usual 20ml PBP Soil/ 5ml Hydroguard / 5ml Cal-Mag Plus for one more week.

And now, at day 58 of flowering, I have begun flushing all plants with plain PH balanced and will harvest around day 65 I'd guess! One week of flushing should be quite fine in these little SWC tubs I think.

I've heard that Sensi Seeds's Skunk #1 is usually ready around day 52, but it's now day 58 and my Skunk #1 is just starting to look ready. I'm pretty confident Bubblegum Pheno 1 will be ready by day 65 and it seems like the Blueberry will fine enough to harvest by then as well.

The Bubblegum Pheno 2 plant still looks pretty scrawny and airy in the bud department, but it's still gonna get harvested at day 65 regardless of what it looks like because...well...cause I'm an impatient bastard
Worst case scenerio is the whole Bubblegum Pheno 2 plant gets made into hash, which seems somewhat likely at this point.

But anyway, enough of my babbling! I'll let the pictures speak for themselves! All pics were taken today, day 58 of flowering...

First up we have a view of the canopy of True Blueberry and Skunk #1 which have been growing in the 20" PC case.




Next we have a view of the cola on the True Blueberry. I think the top never really fattened up due to the high heat levels twords the roof of the case.




A shot of the True Blueberry buds growing twords the middle of the plant




One last picture of the True Blue, this time a lower nug that hasnt received a whole lot of light. I still thought it was pretty though




Next up we have the Skunk #1, which looks to be my favorite so far just by the glorious ammount of resin oozing from the flowers and the slightly musky piney scent that flows from it. Old school goodness grown in a new school style




More Skunk #1 ...




A Skunkalicious side branch!





Now lets move on to the two Bubblegum plants growing in the bigger 28" PC Case.

First up we have a canopy view of both plants...




Next up, a few shots of Bubblegum Pheno 1








And now, for the either very sativa or very runt-ish Bubblegum Pheno 2. Just a few random nug shots...










And with that, one week now remains in my first PC case hydro grow (which is also my first grow in 6 or 7 years)! At first I didn't think it would even be possible to grow hydro with a HPS inside a 20" computer case, let alone get these kind of big frosty nugs out of it! But...

In a tree by the brook, theres a songbird that sings, sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.

 

[Snider]

Congratulations man!!

You did it very well, you deserve the best.
You're a hell of a teacher, keep up the good work.


Enjoy!

 

[Flutch]

Mr_Micro,

what are your temps inside your case when it is closed up? Mine keep creeping up in the 88 or higher, trying to figure out a good way to cool my pc.

 

[sm0kateer4204]

wow, i cant wait to see them jarred.... they look healthy as hell man, nice job just keep it up.

 

[Mr_Micro]

Hey thanks everyone!

Snider - You give me too much praise sometimes I think... but hey, I'm not gonna complain about it LOL Thanks man! It's really nice to hear such great compliments. I'll do everything I can to help you out with your new hydro grow too!

Flutch - My temps are about 2 to 3 degrees F* above ambient room temperature now. Room temps are about 75* and the cases are about 77*. Strangely enough, the bigger case is always a degree or so hotter than the smaller one!

The temps were around 6 or 7* above ambient (sometimes as much as 9 or 10*) when I started with this setup, but as the plants grew the temps gradually got lower until they were (and still are now) just 2 or 3* above room temp. I attribute this to the volume of air inside the case that is being exchanged. When the plants were small they wern't taking up much volume in the case, thus there was a lot more air inside the case that needed to be exchanged. Now that the plants are big and taking up a very large volume of space in the case, there is less air in the case to be exchanged and thus making it easier to cool. Its just a theory, but it sounds reasonable to me.

sm0kateer4204 - I can't wait either! I am sooo stoked to harvest em', dry em', and cure em'! Just 6 more days man, 6 more days! I'm working on building a nice little system that will allow me to dry my buds inside the PC case right now... I'll post some pics of it when I finish it! Once again, thanks for the props! Much appreciated!


And much love to all you other microgrowers out there. Stay safe, happy growing, and I'll keep ya updated!

 

[thecarguy]

we need updates!

the chop is coming soon.

 

[Mr_Micro]

There will be more pictures the day of the chop, I assure you

At this point it looks like the Skunk #1 and Bubblegum Pheno 1 will be ready for harvest on wednesday... but I got a lotta stuff going on wednesday so I'm gonna harvest em on thursday for sure!

The True Blueberry and Bubblegum Pheno 2 look like they'll need a while longer, so I'm gonna put em back on nutrients for another week or so after the Skunk #1 and Bubblegum Pheno 1 are harvested and then flush em again for another week after that.

To be honest I'm really suprised by how long these plants are taking to mature. The Skunk #1 and Bubblegum Pheno 1 will be harvested on day 66 of flowering and the True Blueberry and second Bubblegum pheno could take as long as 80 days to finish!

Somehow I always imagined this kind of good seed stock would finish pretty consistently in the 56 to 65 day range. But in any case, I'm being patient and I havn't sampled a single bud off any of em yet! Sure looking forward to the scissor hash from thursday's harvest though hehe It's been about 3 or 4 months since I had a smoke and I could really go for one at this point!

 

[pieceofmyheart]

Hey you, it all looks great. I just put some Skunk # 1 seeds to germ yesterday!!!!!!!

Any quirks or anything that you noticed while growing it?

 

[Snider]

Micro:
People generally dont give compliments; they simply dont do it or they complain.

The ones willing to teach, to help, to give away first without no intention to receive are the ones who deserve to be praised.

Thanks!
And dont forget:

 

[Mr_Micro]

Hey you, it all looks great. I just put some Skunk # 1 seeds to germ yesterday!!!!!!!

Any quirks or anything that you noticed while growing it?

Hey POMH!

I think out of all the plants I grew this time around the Skunk #1 has been my favorite. It grew the biggest buds and the largest quanity of them, finished before everything else, and has a really lovely softly skunky and slightly fruity smell to it. I have no doubt it will be the largest yeilder by far and I can't imagine the smoke being anything less than wonderful. The trich content is far larger than I would have ever imagined it would be for the price of the seeds as well! For $22 US or so for 15 seeds you just can't go wrong with Sensi's Skunk #1!

I did notice a few things with it that were very different from the Blueberry or Bubblegum though. Mainly, it was a huge brancher! It grew big long branches from every single node and continued growing more branches quite a while into flowering.

I have heard people complain that the internode length is very large on Skunk #1 but I really didn't notice any greater spacing than what I got from all my other plants.

One cool and different thing that I really liked about the Skunk #1 (which also made it especially well suited to my setup) is that almost all the top buds on the side branches were just as big as the bud on the cola! It was a wide branchy plant with a big fat bud on the end of each branch that were each almost equal in size to the bud on the cola.

Overall I think it's going to be a plant I'll continue growing for it's ability to yeild probably double what any other of my plants will yeild in this small of a space without losing any quality in the process.

We'll see what the final product smokes like, but like I said, I have zero doubt that it will be top notch (especially for a lightweight like myself ). As it stands now I'd give the Skunk #1 five thumbs up! (if I had five thumbs, that is)