It Starts With the Build

Justforme11

Justforme11

Member
I cannot begin to describe how excited I am right now. My first grow is almost done and as soon as it is, I am basically tearing my cabinet out of my grow closet and am just going to convert the closet into my grow room. I am really hoping to get some help from the people here on RIU! I think I can turn this into one kick-ass grow room!


Here is a list of things I have available right now.


Lights and lighting accessories:


11 each t5 HO 6500k 24" 24 watt fluorescent lights


400 watt MH/HPS with adjustable ballast 50%, 75% or 100% settings and a 1,000 watt just like it


I am putting both of those inside of a dual Hydrofarm 8 inch Raptor Reflector With Dual lamps. ( I just ordered it)


I am considering getting a low wattage UV light as I have read some really nice things about how they affect trich production.


Okay... So... Other than lights


I need to get a second air pump like the one I have. It has a battery backup inside that has come in handy quite a bit in first grow.


The pics show the amount of space I have in the closet... It's pretty big. Bigger than I need. Lol


I am planning on building out the cubby-hole area to the left of the cabinet in the pics.


I am planning on putting up some plywood around three sides of the grow area and wallpapering it with Mylar. Then I am going to build a swinging door across the front so that I can have lights on 5 sides of my plants.


I am am going to mount 2 of the t5 lights on each side and then 3 across the back and 3 on the swinging door on the front.


I also have a CO2 setup shown below. I bought it for my first grow and rapidly found out I was not ready to start using it. I have read quite a bit about it now, but have not used CO2 in practice yet. It is not going to be a sealed room, but I think I can still build up a nice pocket of CO2 in the grow area. Although I may have to get a tent wall to close off most of the front half of the closet. That will also let me pull air into the grow area thru the lights, then thru a carbon odor filter and straight out into the attic. I do not know yet if I should get a controller or use what I have the way it is... undecided still.


I can't get started on anything until what is currently inside that cabinet gets harvested. But I can start planning out getting the things I still need.


So, I think you get the idea... I want to build a kick ass room! I am going to have lots of questions along the way. If you guys can dream it up, I can probably built it. I plan on documenting the whole thing right here; reports, pics maybe even a few videos.


The grow is going to be a DWC/SCROG for 2 feminized beans from Dutch Passion. A blueberry and a lemon Kush. I know... overkill for two plants right? I don't care, I am having fun! And these two plants are going to be monsters! (Hopefully) and, anything I grow is Just For Me. I share, but I don't need that much lol


Wanna go for a ride?
Meimage.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg
 
SxIstew

SxIstew

Well-Known Member
Yeah they come and go. ALL the time.(Go advanced helps when you get the error message after an edit. requires 2 captchas sometimes but other times none at all. lol
 
Justforme11

Justforme11

Member
And for a completely different kind of lighting.... I am putting up my Christmas lights today. : ) I probably won't turn them on until after Thanksgiving, but the weather is great today and I have time now.

By the way, I thought I would also mention, this is a open thread. Anyone can post anything you like here.
 
Justforme11

Justforme11

Member
Whew! Got all my lights up now! And ten minutes after I got done, it started raining... The old bitch Mother Nature was actually on my side tonight?
 
Justforme11

Justforme11

Member
Welcome Steviah! Glad to have you along.

Yes, there is an AC vent in the closet, but I still had some super high temp issues with the cabinet in the pic. That is the one of the primary reasons I am switching from the cabinet to the closet. If I am not watching very closely, that cabinet can go from a very nice 73 degrees to 96 in less than five minutes of the lights coming on. (Inside that cabinet)

Now I think I have my heat issues solved by 1) getting out of the cabinet and 2) I recently bought the air cooled light hood.

My thoughts on the AC are that I am still going to have a shitload of lights in there. The t5's don't get very hot... But there are still going to be 10 of them going. I want it as an option until I can actually start taking temp readings inside the grow area. I may be really wrong about having solved all of my temp issues. I want to be able to run all the lights at max light.

My second thought on it is that I want to have a nice temperature drop during the dark hours. The AC will let me do that.

Maybe be I need to design a way to shut off the AC vent during the light hours and let is get hotter in the closet on purpose so that the CO2 can have a maximum effect. I won't find that out until I get to a testing phase.

Thoughts?
Me
 
Stevieh

Stevieh

Well-Known Member
Justforme11 said:
Welcome Steviah! Glad to have you along.

Yes, there is an AC vent in the closet, but I still had some super high temp issues with the cabinet in the pic. That is the one of the primary reasons I am switching from the cabinet to the closet. If I am not watching very closely, that cabinet can go from a very nice 73 degrees to 96 in less than five minutes of the lights coming on. (Inside that cabinet)

Now I think I have my heat issues solved by 1) getting out of the cabinet and 2) I recently bought the air cooled light hood.

My thoughts on the AC are that I am still going to have a shitload of lights in there. The t5's don't get very hot... But there are still going to be 10 of them going. I want it as an option until I can actually start taking temp readings inside the grow area. I may be really wrong about having solved all of my temp issues. I want to be able to run all the lights at max light.

My second thought on it is that I want to have a nice temperature drop during the dark hours. The AC will let me do that.

Maybe be I need to design a way to shut off the AC vent during the light hours and let is get hotter in the closet on purpose so that the CO2 can have a maximum effect. I won't find that out until I get to a testing phase.

Thoughts?
Me
Click to expand...

This is a thought ....We don't have AC here as to cold, if it's a out take can you not bloke it in some way...
I heard from a mate ;) If you want to smoke weed in a hotel you put a condom over the smoke alarm lol ....It works ....

maybe be something along those lines .....
Just tell me to shut up if that sounds stupid :D
 
Justforme11

Justforme11

Member
Stevieh said:
This is a thought ....We don't have AC here as to cold, if it's a out take can you not bloke it in some way...
I heard from a mate ;) If you want to smoke weed in a hotel you put a condom over the smoke alarm lol ....It works ....

maybe be something along those lines .....
Just tell me to shut up if that sounds stupid :D
Click to expand...
thats not stupid at all! I can reach up and close the vent... I have high ceilings in my house. I am 6'2" and can't quite reach it. But then I have to be available twice a day, everyday to open/close it by using a ladder. If I don't need help with temps or temp drops, then I can can move forward having a sealed room.
 
Justforme11

Justforme11

Member
I have been thinking about this conversation for awhile now and I have a few questions. And is actually something about using CO2 I do not have quite right in my head yet.... the part about using CO2 that i still don't get is, why is it only needed if you have high temps? I get that it is much better for a plant growing in a high temp environment, to have it as a supplement. But why is it "thought to be" not needed in lower temps? I can't wrap logic around that and I don't understand the science behind it well enough... But.

But, if CO2 is good for a plant, why should temps be a part of the decision? Wouldn't it still be beneficial at all temperature ranges?
 
SxIstew

SxIstew

Well-Known Member
Justforme11 said:
I have been thinking about this conversation for awhile now and I have a few questions. And is actually something about using CO2 I do not have quite right in my head yet.... the part about using CO2 that i still don't get is, why is it only needed if you have high temps? I get that it is much better for a plant growing in a high temp environment, to have it as a supplement. But why is it "thought to be" not needed in lower temps? I can't wrap logic around that and I don't understand the science behind it well enough... But.

But, if CO2 is good for a plant, why should temps be a part of the decision? Wouldn't it still be beneficial at all temperature ranges?
Click to expand...
Your high temps are a result of no exhaust and/or intake. I think. I don't actually know much about CO2. i just saw the picture of your tank. lol
 
Justforme11

Justforme11

Member
SxIstew said:
Your high temps are a result of no exhaust and/or intake. I think. I don't actually know much about CO2. i just saw the picture of your tank. lol
Click to expand...
I am really hoping I have my temp issue solved. That is why I bought the hood... Damn thing is not here yet though : ( I am getting the rest of the start up supplies next weekend. I just don't see how my current plant can make it past next weekend without being harvested. Meaning I am hoping to begin building in less than 10 days.

It it is not going to take much longer for me to know what my temp ranges will be. I really do have my fingers crossed right now. I have seen the schematics and drawings of the light hood. It really should work!
 
SxIstew

SxIstew

Well-Known Member
Benefits of Adding Extra CO2

  • If you’ve maxed out the other limiting factors (especially light), CO2 can make your plants grow faster, produce bigger plants, and enhance your yields.
  • Maintaining 1200-1500 PPM of CO2 in the grow area allows growers to keep temperatures much higher than normal
  • It can be beneficial for security since you’re not venting out hot, potentially smelly air (you must seal off the grow area for CO2 supplementation to be effective)
Disadvantages of Adding Extra CO2

  • As far as light intensity is concerned, plants must be receiving about 7500-10000 lumens of light per sq foot for CO2 enrichment to be effective
  • Adding extra CO2 won’t help if your plants are already suffering from nutrient deficiencies or other plant problems
  • In order to keep CO2 near the plants, you must seal up grow area so it’s airtight, which can make it harder to manage temperature and humidity
  • Can be expensive to inject enough CO2 into your grow area to be effective
  • You must keep temperatures between 85°F (30°C) and 95°F (35°C) in order for CO2 enrichment to be effective
  • Every time you check on your plants, you’ll be letting out all the CO2
  • CO2 is bad for you at high levels, so you need to take precautions to
 
Justforme11

Justforme11

Member
SxIstew said:
Benefits of Adding Extra CO2

  • If you’ve maxed out the other limiting factors (especially light), CO2 can make your plants grow faster, produce bigger plants, and enhance your yields.
  • Maintaining 1200-1500 PPM of CO2 in the grow area allows growers to keep temperatures much higher than normal
  • It can be beneficial for security since you’re not venting out hot, potentially smelly air (you must seal off the grow area for CO2 supplementation to be effective)
Disadvantages of Adding Extra CO2

  • As far as light intensity is concerned, plants must be receiving about 7500-10000 lumens of light per sq foot for CO2 enrichment to be effective
  • Adding extra CO2 won’t help if your plants are already suffering from nutrient deficiencies or other plant problems
  • In order to keep CO2 near the plants, you must seal up grow area so it’s airtight, which can make it harder to manage temperature and humidity
  • Can be expensive to inject enough CO2 into your grow area to be effective
  • You must keep temperatures between 85°F (30°C) and 95°F (35°C) in order for CO2 enrichment to be effective
  • Every time you check on your plants, you’ll be letting out all the CO2
  • CO2 is bad for you at high levels, so you need to take precautions to
Click to expand...

There are a couple of points in here that I have not read before... Or just don't remember. This is an excellent post Stew! Hell, warming up the room is simple, just close the air conditioner off. I may rig up a handle or something on the vent so I can easily open and close it for night and day.

As as soon as I can get near a scanner, I will put in a few pics of some drawings showing my floor space in there. There are several ways I can build this. It will come down to one thing... How much space I want in the grow area. Not sure I know the answer to that one yet.
 
Justforme11

Justforme11

Member
Stevieh said:
They look wicked :)
Click to expand...
Thank you! Trust me, I made a lot of mistakes on my first grow. This little girl has been one tough bitch. I have definitely been her biggest problem! Lol but, I learned a lot.

There are a few pics of her on my original journal from before she got so heavy she started breaking herself down. Loolololololol
 
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