Building single-plant growbox, I want your opinions!

If you would have posted that idea before I built it I probably woulda done it with the exhaust on top, that's a pretty good idea, except that when my plant is sleeping it is more susceptible to random light from wherever. I do keep it in my closet though, which I think keeps out most light anyway, although I've never closed myself inside it so I can't say for sure

But as far as the passive holes go and 2 exhausts, one of those fans by itself is rated at 34.5 cfm. My container can't be any more than 5 cubic feet, so it's air is being completely exchanged approximately 7 times per minute, plenty of ventilation I would assume. And not only that, I'm in an apartment building and smell will be an issue, so I'm keeping the flow constant and airtight in a way that no smell will escape aside from my exhaust. With passive holes, the place would most likely be reeking of dope. I'll be carbon filtering my exhaust when necessary. For now, I might as well not restrict the airflow.

Fractus said:

If you would have posted that idea before I built it I probably woulda done it with the exhaust on top, that's a pretty good idea,

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exhaust on top is a standard in grow ops...

except that when my plant is sleeping it is more susceptible to random light from wherever. I do keep it in my closet though, which I think keeps out most light anyway, although I've never closed myself inside it so I can't say for sure

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You should get in there... you do not want light leaks... you could make a "panda film" cover for your box...

Did you notice the "glow" with the lights on?

Same thing happens from outside in...

But as far as the passive holes go and 2 exhausts, one of those fans by itself is rated at 34.5 cfm. My container can't be any more than 5 cubic feet, so it's air is being completely exchanged approximately 7 times per minute, plenty of ventilation I would assume.

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Sure, but heat rises... and you have a trap up top... it will build up there if it cannot escape...

not to mention that that is an axial fan.. which looses cfm very quickly with ANY restriction... just not enough umph...

And not only that, I'm in an apartment building and smell will be an issue,

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Get a carbon filter going when you flower... it will smell if you don't...

so I'm keeping the flow constant and airtight in a way that no smell will escape aside from my exhaust.

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Anther standard in grow ops is to have more exhaust than intake (hence the passive intake suggestion)....

This creates a negative pressure in the box... any air leaks will be in the form of fresh air coming in... none escaping...

All dirty air is directed to the exhaust... and the carbon filter...

With passive holes, the place would most likely be reeking of dope.

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On the contrary...

WITHOUT them, your set up is flawed...

If you have the same cfm intake as exhaust and you restrict the exhaust with a filter, you are causing a positive pressure... meaning that the box is over full and air will leak out any possible way... spreading smell and building heat...

I'll be carbon filtering my exhaust when necessary. For now, I might as well not restrict the airflow.

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agreed...


go with what you now bro..

but I went from a Aerogarden, to a 20x36x54 600 watt tent with zero heat issues... to a full 2400w 2 pound a month room...

I am speaking from experience... even if I didn't look up the actual flashpoint...

Best of luck bro...

Fractus said:

If you would have posted that idea before I built it I probably woulda done it with the exhaust on top, that's a pretty good idea, except that when my plant is sleeping it is more susceptible to random light from wherever. I do keep it in my closet though, which I think keeps out most light anyway, although I've never closed myself inside it so I can't say for sure

But as far as the passive holes go and 2 exhausts, one of those fans by itself is rated at 34.5 cfm. My container can't be any more than 5 cubic feet, so it's air is being completely exchanged approximately 7 times per minute, plenty of ventilation I would assume. And not only that, I'm in an apartment building and smell will be an issue, so I'm keeping the flow constant and airtight in a way that no smell will escape aside from my exhaust. With passive holes, the place would most likely be reeking of dope. I'll be carbon filtering my exhaust when necessary. For now, I might as well not restrict the airflow.

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I just finished a new shelf unit flowering chamber last night. I will shoot some pics if you like. It has the exhaust unit on top. I just put a throw rug over it.....no light leaks and temps are cool in my basement so no worries. Before we moved this plastic shelf unit was our laundry shelf.

GypsyBush, where were you when I was designing this thing anyway! haha, everything you told me in your last post are things I know and should have taken into account, but I was too avid to get this thing going, mainly because my little plant was suffering without a proper environment. Right now it is doing exactly what it should be, but yes with the carbon filter I completely understand where you're coming from. So Maybe to solve this problem I will hook up a dimmer switch to my intake fan and slow it down, either that or upsize my exhaust.. It's a little too late to shift my exhaust to the roof, but the box is relatively small and the circulation in it is really good, it definitely is pulling air from the top of the box so I don't think heat will be a problem. My exhaust is warm and inside my box stays cool. I've had it running for over 7 hours now.

why is it too late?

and what is the temperature in there?

are you familiar with the GrowFAQ

and you should also read this... it's funny...

https://www.rollitup.org/newbie-central/10004-how-not-grow-dope.html

I think it's too late because the hole for the fan is over 3 inches in diameter, it's big... Like too big for the 2 fans to keep constant flow the whole time, I know that smell would escape. I could put some sort of cover to taper it down some I guess.

Do you think it would work to just switch my intake around so that it pulls, and then put a couple smaller holes in the cover as passive holes? I think that way it would keep a steady negative pull, although that would mean i either need to route both exhausts into one filter leter on, or attach filters to both exhausts, both options sound like a hassle. I probably should have taken more time planning this out lol. But at least it's safe, right?

Edit: Oh yeah, forgot to mention, no thermo in there yet so I don't know how warm it is, but it's no warmer than the air in my room, when I put my hand in there the ventialtion actually makes my hand feel cooler than the ambient temp in my room - chill factor, i suppose.

And about the blue LEDs, they are so small and insignificant I doubt my plant will even register their flickering blue glow as 'usable light', what do you think?

Fractus said:

I think it's too late because the hole for the fan is over 3 inches in diameter, it's big... Like too big for the 2 fans to keep constant flow the whole time, I know that smell would escape. I could put some sort of cover to taper it down some I guess.

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go with what you know bro...

Do you think it would work to just switch my intake around so that it pulls, and then put a couple smaller holes in the cover as passive holes? I think that way it would keep a steady negative pull, although that would mean i either need to route both exhausts into one filter leter on, or attach filters to both exhausts, both options sound like a hassle. I probably should have taken more time planning this out lol. But at least it's safe, right?

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There is a reason why all successful ops have exhaust on top and intake on the bottom...

it works...

I can't imagine why it's too late...

I would just drill 2 holes on the lid and put the fans on there...

I already explained this... I am not gonna repeat my self...

Edit: Oh yeah, forgot to mention, no thermo in there yet so I don't know how warm it is, but it's no warmer than the air in my room, when I put my hand in there the ventialtion actually makes my hand feel cooler than the ambient temp in my room - chill factor, i suppose.

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Your hand is not a thermometer.. without a thermometer, you are just guessing...

And it's not cooler in there.. I guarantee it... you have heat sources in a closed box... heat will build...

And about the blue LEDs, they are so small and insignificant I doubt my plant will even register their flickering blue glow as 'usable light', what do you think?

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can you see it? so can your plants...

You need to read dude...

ALL of these issues are covered in the basic GrowFAQ

read and you will learn...

start here .. https://www.rollitup.org/newbie-central/12071-noobs-if-you-fail-plan.html



Gypsy out...

There is a reason why all successful ops have exhaust on top and intake on the bottom...

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Done

Your hand is not a thermometer.. without a thermometer, you are just guessing...

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Yes it is Yours would be too if you had it trained.

can you see it? so can your plants...

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I researched it, those particular LEDs are producing only a fraction of a single lumen EACH, dimly reflected inside the box when all other lights are out. There are a total of 8 LEDs in the fans, so the most possible light they could be getting is under 8 lumens. Are you saying my plants don't realize it's bedtime when it switched from 10 000+ lumens to 8?

read and you will learn...

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Agreed.

Draw & Cut some new fan holes


Screw in fans, put lights back in.


Passive intake vents - I tacked a dryer sheet to the outside of this one,even though it's held very tightly in place by suction alone. Makes it smell good and guaranteed to create negative pressure with a slight restriction. The opposite side is just open though.


Finished, with overhead exhaust



I'm actually considering duct-taping the whole outside of the box (aside from vents obvsiously) so external light doesn't get in and internal light doesn't get out, although my closet is doing a pretty good job on its own.

OK... Looks better on the ventilation... though when and if you flower, you do not want that smell on your buds... trust me.. it SUCKS to have dryer smell on buds...

and your hand is not train-able for temperatures... get a thermometer...

Are you familiar with a chemical process called PHOTOSYNTHESIS...???

It happens when LIGHT (any light) reaches the green surface of a leaf...

Bro... your plants don't sleep... they shift modes.... and if you confuse them (by having light hit part of the plant while other parts are in the dark) you will end up stressing the hell out of it, possibly even creating a hermie...

I'm sorry if I seem short bro...

I have a bum leg and it hurts like hell sometimes.... like now... so I get a little cranky and short, but I'm still trying to help with no desire to offend or prove anything.... just sharing the info....

so sorry if I seem rude... it's not me... it's the pain..

Does the moonlight screw up outdoor plants then? I'm just extrapolating on your theory, I know what photosynthesis and how it works, but those LEDs are enough light for it to do anything at all. How does my plant know a firefly isn't sitting on it in the woods? :/

I will probably invest in a thermometer just for curiosity's sake, but I know the temperature in that box isn't too warm, the ventilation actually cools my lights! - after all a case fan is designed to cool warm components, and right now my box is exchanging all of it's air nearly 15 times/minute with fresh cool air from my closet, and now exiting out the top So far it's working awesome and I've already noticed a great improvement in both colour and size since my transplant yesterday. Anyway once I get the temperature it will probably be posted in this thread and I'll let you know, along with anyone else who may be wondering if my box is getting too hot.

okay let me start by saying cool idea but thats just silly looking anyway, i think that what gypsybush is saying is all pretty much good info, my only concern is how worth it this will be, i mean this plant cant get more than what 8inches tall? and on top of that you dont have a terrible amount of light, i mean you really arent going to be able to get more than a few grams off of her, im just wondering how worth it this whole process is going to be. thats all.

Sweet idea

Fractus....I have thought of the same thing about the moonlight and whatnot when a plant is in nature, but speaking from experience letting much light in during dark period will turn your plant into hermie very easily. Happened to a beautiful plant of mine when my light cycle got fucked up one night.

Keep in mind also that the bulbs you will be using for flowering do put out more heat than the 6500k bulbs.

ALSO...it isn't about the box melting...it is about how much heat that insulated cooler will be holding in.

I hear ya, my argument to that is that I'm going to use another fullsize cooler just like that one, and flip it upside down and set it on top of that one, so it's twice as high, grow my plant to about 2 feet and then flower. The box is BLINDING to look at, it's just ridiculously bright, I can;t imagine that not being enough light. I've seen wicked growth from guys having only 4 CFLs but using them close, I have 6 cfls very close to my plant in a highly reflective white box completely enclosed aside from the vents.
I'm hoping to get more than a few grams but really this is just for learning purposes, it's my first grow ever. And it didn't much, and I'll always be able to have a single plant in there year round, I think it was a good investment as long as it works

hopefully it will work out for you, but you may have to build some other box for flowering, the 2700ks get a little hotter.

Got#'sbutstillsmokeroache said:

Fractus....I have thought of the same thing about the moonlight and whatnot when a plant is in nature, but speaking from experience letting much light in during dark period will turn your plant into hermie very easily. Happened to a beautiful plant of mine when my light cycle got fucked up one night.

Keep in mind also that the bulbs you will be using for flowering do put out more heat than the 6500k bulbs.

ALSO...it isn't about the box melting...it is about how much heat that insulated cooler will be holding in.

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I suppose I'm better safe than sorry, that makes two (experienced) votes saying kill the blue lights, so i'll just cover them with a piece of electrical tape lol, problem solved Thanks for your concern!

And the heat... right now I have 3 x 6500K and 3 x 2700K bulbs in there- all 1600lumen - again, I don't know the exact temperature but I can tell by feel it's nothing significant, I'll have a solid # for you soon, maybe tomorrow.

I am definitely going to follow this. I am a closet cfl grower myself, but have always used rubbermaid container. If this works out for you I may invest in a few styrofoam coolers. Guess you are the guinea pig eh?

Haha yeah, and I'm making lots of mistakes but hey it's my first try, I expected this, but the idea in itself I still think was good despite some of the criticism I've received. I plan on continuing to post pics of my plant's progress on here, I'm glad you're interested

you can have short plants...

I have had full sativas finish at 6" tall and 13" wide...

It's all in what you want to do...

and heat builds... if the ventilation system is not up to par, it will get hotter and hotter and hotter...

On the other hand, if you ventilate properly, you could have a light bigger than your box... and it would still be cool...

and yes... plants do turn hermie in nature... the moon light can be strong enough...

but you gotta remember... if the WHOLE plant is in the light, even if weak, it's in the light...

the big stress comes when part of the plant is in "dark" mode and a beam of light starts photosynthesis in another part...

"is it day? is it night? is it the end of the world? better go hermie and make seeds quick, cause I might die..."

know what I mean..

you will do good cause you are willing to listen...


I just wish you would read the GrowFAQ

ALL OF THIS CRAP IS IN THERE...

you should know all this before you start you grow...

You don't start the car down the highway and then learn how to drive right?

I get it... you wanna grow pot... it's cool...

and you git a cool little toy there...

but as far as growing POT to keep yourself supplied, you need to read LOTS AND LOTS...

but you will do good, cause you listen...

I'm cheering for you... I'd like to see you get at least 1/4 oz from that plant in that box...

again... make use of the info... forget how I said it... I'm grouchy asshole and I'm in pain...

hope you guys can deal with that...

I'm rooting for you bro...

don't let my bitterness tell you otherwise...