doogleef
Well-Known Member
I just posted this in another thread as an answer to a question and in re-reading it myself, I figured more of you may enjoy it. This is a straight copy of a post by one of mt mari-heroes, Lucas. 
"Lets say someone is interested in starting to grow their own Medicine. Here are some ideas on how to start picking out the components needed.
1. Pick a light WATTAGE based on quantity of medicine needed per month (conservatively estimate 3 months to yield 1 oz per 50 watts)
the following system elements all flow mathematically from the light size, buy nearest real world size approximations.
2. Calculate required exhaust CFM (Watts/4 is a proven ratio)
3. Calculate required GH Micro and Bloom nutrients, and pH down (if using tap water) to purchase. (Watts/400= quarts of Micro required for a 3 month crop cycle. Buy 2quarts of the Bloom for each 1 of the Micro, buy half as much pH down as Micro)
4. Calculate required plant numbers. (this is a very flexible number, Watts/100 is my personal preference.) I suggest you buy twice as many 3" netcups as you have plants.)
Notice items 1-4 are hydro store supplies, while there, you also need a pH meter, rooting hormone, some growrox for the netpots (dont be tempted by 4" rockwool cubes, they are not needed for a bubbler), and a water pump to drain the res,
items 5-8 can be had at wall mart or similar)
5. Calculate required reservoir GALLONS (Watts/25 is a proven ratio)
6. Calculate required airpump watts. (Watts/100 is a proven ratio)
7. Calculate required cloning fluoro wattage. (this is a very flexible number, Watts/20 is a good rule of thumb)
8. Calculate required square footage for canopy. (I love screens. Watts/50 is a good rule of thumb.)
Lets see how it works with an example. Jane Patient has Cancer, and a doctors recommendation to use Cannabis for pain, nausea, and appetite. She requires 2.5 ounces of High Quality Medicine a month.
1. 2.5oz x 50watts x 3 months = 375watts of light. The nearest real world size is 400watts.
2. 400watts /4 =100cfm exhaust blower
3. 400watts / 400 = 1 Quart of GH Micro, 2 Quarts of GH Bloom, 1 Pint pH Down if using tap water. For RO or bottled water, no pH Down is needed.
4. 400watts / 100 = 4 plants
5. 400watts / 25 = 16 gallon reservoir
6. 400watts / 100 = 4 watts of airpump power
7. 400watts / 25 = 20 watts of fluoros
8. 400watts / 50 = 8 square feet of canopy
putting the calculated results into real world equipment would look something like this. Jane would go to a hydro store and buy a
400watt HPS, a
95cfm Dayton Blower,
1 quart Micro, 2 quarts Bloom, 1pint pH down,
1 pH meter, REQUIRED! (no TDS meter needed with GH 0-8-16 nutes strategy)
8 3" netcups (twice as many as plant number),
1 stick of Fifteen 1.5" wrapped rockwool cubes (Four times as many as needed for 1 crop),
1 bottle of Clonex
1 small water pump and matching hose to drain bubbler
then she would go to Wall Mart or similar and buy a
15 gallon plastic tub, a
5 watt airpump, a
14" stone
1 plastic airline
cloner:
1 18watt fluoro fixture, (they are smaller than the 20watt and fit in a smaller tub)
1 nursery tray and dome, or cake and dome (eat the cake
,
1 plastic tub to mount fluoro to lid as cloner
Janes biggest challenge will be to build a grow area that is lightproof yet has free flowing airways. It is best to intake from the house climate, and exhaust outdoors. If the ventilation needs are respected, temperature will not become a problem. Some of the materials I find valuable for lightproofing include Panda Plastic, and Foil faced insulation board. Im a big fan of 2x2 sheet metal corner brackets from Casa De Pot. You can assemble a very strong frame with 2x2" lumber.
I sincerely hope this thread serves to help new people.
Lucas"
"Lets say someone is interested in starting to grow their own Medicine. Here are some ideas on how to start picking out the components needed.
1. Pick a light WATTAGE based on quantity of medicine needed per month (conservatively estimate 3 months to yield 1 oz per 50 watts)
the following system elements all flow mathematically from the light size, buy nearest real world size approximations.
2. Calculate required exhaust CFM (Watts/4 is a proven ratio)
3. Calculate required GH Micro and Bloom nutrients, and pH down (if using tap water) to purchase. (Watts/400= quarts of Micro required for a 3 month crop cycle. Buy 2quarts of the Bloom for each 1 of the Micro, buy half as much pH down as Micro)
4. Calculate required plant numbers. (this is a very flexible number, Watts/100 is my personal preference.) I suggest you buy twice as many 3" netcups as you have plants.)
Notice items 1-4 are hydro store supplies, while there, you also need a pH meter, rooting hormone, some growrox for the netpots (dont be tempted by 4" rockwool cubes, they are not needed for a bubbler), and a water pump to drain the res,
items 5-8 can be had at wall mart or similar)
5. Calculate required reservoir GALLONS (Watts/25 is a proven ratio)
6. Calculate required airpump watts. (Watts/100 is a proven ratio)
7. Calculate required cloning fluoro wattage. (this is a very flexible number, Watts/20 is a good rule of thumb)
8. Calculate required square footage for canopy. (I love screens. Watts/50 is a good rule of thumb.)
Lets see how it works with an example. Jane Patient has Cancer, and a doctors recommendation to use Cannabis for pain, nausea, and appetite. She requires 2.5 ounces of High Quality Medicine a month.
1. 2.5oz x 50watts x 3 months = 375watts of light. The nearest real world size is 400watts.
2. 400watts /4 =100cfm exhaust blower
3. 400watts / 400 = 1 Quart of GH Micro, 2 Quarts of GH Bloom, 1 Pint pH Down if using tap water. For RO or bottled water, no pH Down is needed.
4. 400watts / 100 = 4 plants
5. 400watts / 25 = 16 gallon reservoir
6. 400watts / 100 = 4 watts of airpump power
7. 400watts / 25 = 20 watts of fluoros
8. 400watts / 50 = 8 square feet of canopy
putting the calculated results into real world equipment would look something like this. Jane would go to a hydro store and buy a
400watt HPS, a
95cfm Dayton Blower,
1 quart Micro, 2 quarts Bloom, 1pint pH down,
1 pH meter, REQUIRED! (no TDS meter needed with GH 0-8-16 nutes strategy)
8 3" netcups (twice as many as plant number),
1 stick of Fifteen 1.5" wrapped rockwool cubes (Four times as many as needed for 1 crop),
1 bottle of Clonex
1 small water pump and matching hose to drain bubbler
then she would go to Wall Mart or similar and buy a
15 gallon plastic tub, a
5 watt airpump, a
14" stone
1 plastic airline
cloner:
1 18watt fluoro fixture, (they are smaller than the 20watt and fit in a smaller tub)
1 nursery tray and dome, or cake and dome (eat the cake
,1 plastic tub to mount fluoro to lid as cloner
Janes biggest challenge will be to build a grow area that is lightproof yet has free flowing airways. It is best to intake from the house climate, and exhaust outdoors. If the ventilation needs are respected, temperature will not become a problem. Some of the materials I find valuable for lightproofing include Panda Plastic, and Foil faced insulation board. Im a big fan of 2x2 sheet metal corner brackets from Casa De Pot. You can assemble a very strong frame with 2x2" lumber.
I sincerely hope this thread serves to help new people.
Lucas"