Criticize my first grow set up

Deusracing

Well-Known Member
Just do a drain to waste feed twice a day... I run one set up like that one pictured above.. and i simply take my spent res water and re use it in here. and then on draining it i put back into gallon jugs let get cool and reuse till the nutes are depleted. or until the plants say I'm hungry.. but its only a veg tent so not much is needed in there i have ZERO VENTALLATION no fans just 2 buckets and a led as simple as it gets.. for hydro that is...thank god for my 65 degree cold ass basement.. and for co2 I simply open the door on tent to 2300sqft of gods given clean air....
 

Deusracing

Well-Known Member
I disagree with this, cO2 makes a huge difference in yield and finishing time, but this is only if all other factors are in good order, I would probably recommend holding off on enrichment until you learn how everything else works with your system. You're probably going to be battling other problems for your first grow, best not to add more.

The biggest problem I think your going to have if using gas is temp with Dwc, you need higher ambient temperature when pumping cO2 and this will mean higher rez temps unless you use a cooler, that will lead to all kinds of trouble.
Not saying co2 is bad for the small set up he's got going is well simply crazy in my eyes.. isn't there enough co2 in the atmosphere i guess i don't worry bout co2 since i pull fresh air in either from outside or simply from the basement.. and i do have a humidifier that runs in summer in basement so conditions are GREAAATTTTT
 

Deusracing

Well-Known Member
I suppose what I'm saying is Save some of your money instead of buying products normally seen in large scale grow operations.. yes i know lots of people use co2 generators.. what I'm saying is that if your going to have such confined areas why on earth would you put so much money in to large fans and all that money running everything when indeed money could be put to use on other things such as FOOD, drying rack, better lighting for small areas, so many other items.. i did the same thing i bought so much shit off the bat for one tent and well split it all up into 3-4 areas now here is what us newbies do brb
 

miccyj

Well-Known Member
Not saying co2 is bad for the small set up he's got going is well simply crazy in my eyes.. isn't there enough co2 in the atmosphere i guess i don't worry bout co2 since i pull fresh air in either from outside or simply from the basement.. and i do have a humidifier that runs in summer in basement so conditions are GREAAATTTTT
You should try it sometime, I bet you'll be amazed by what a difference it makes, especially if you can control temp and humidity easily with a sealed environment, I keep levels at 1200 ppm and I'm still surprised sometimes at the kind of growth I get and how much quicker I get to harvest. Just remember that temps need to be 30-35°c <50%humidity, then watch the show
 

Deusracing

Well-Known Member
IMG_3789.jpg IMG_3793.jpg IMG_3830.JPG IMG_3831.jpg IMG_3832.JPG IMG_3833.jpg IMG_3834.jpg IMG_3835.jpg IMG_3836.JPG IMG_3789.jpg IMG_3793.jpg IMG_3830.JPG IMG_3831.jpg IMG_3832.JPG IMG_3833.jpg IMG_3834.jpg IMG_3835.jpg IMG_3836.JPG
You should try it sometime, I bet you'll be amazed by what a difference it makes, especially if you can control temp and humidity easily with a sealed environment, I keep levels at 1200 ppm and I'm still surprised sometimes at the kind of growth I get and how much quicker I get to harvest. Just remember that temps need to be 30-35°c <50%humidity, then watch the show
Yes i can control my temps and humidity if needed i have all the equipment.. as for co2 generator i grow slow and try to bush out and get my sea of colas. but i usually try to fill my 4x4 canopy with one plant. guess I'm goofy like that.. oh i had my last girl slammed at 2498ppm never phased her at all... there is reason for that high ppm 95% was organic matter rest was dense bud
well here ya go heres what happens to us newbies when ebay and hydro store are close by.IMG_3789.jpgIMG_3793.jpg IMG_3830.JPG IMG_3831.jpg IMG_3832.JPG IMG_3833.jpg IMG_3834.jpg IMG_3835.jpg IMG_3836.JPG
 
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Deusracing

Well-Known Member
we end up with all this shit we really don't need but again we do cuz it allowed us to split it up and make more sites LMAO cannot wait to see photos of you grow.. Love to see side by side CO2 and no CO2 well enough photo bombing IMG_3837.JPGIMG_3839.jpg IMG_3840.jpg IMG_3841.jpg IMG_3842.jpg IMG_3843.JPG IMG_3844.JPG
 

Attachments

Deusracing

Well-Known Member
Sorry tried to edit and use thumbnails and damn things going crazy on me.. you get the what I'm trying to say.
 
Tents are both lined with Mylar .. I got them both from Lighthouse. Pleasantly surprised with quality to price but then again I really have no comparison as they're my first grow tents.

Have spent about 2k so far between this stuff, random parts and nutrients and I think my set up is pretty awesome compared to a friend who spent almost $3k on a Supercloset.
The total price gets up there pretty quick....always finding something else to add or improve....up to 3k also and still would like to add another tent to my grow area that I have....very addicting hobby this can become
 

Deusracing

Well-Known Member
The total price gets up there pretty quick....always finding something else to add or improve....up to 3k also and still would like to add another tent to my grow area that I have....very addicting hobby this can become
Right it sparked me into starting a 100 site garden out back not including the 30 or so pots my ol lady and i planted out on patio
 

Deusracing

Well-Known Member
I will say though I buy a lot of stuff off the clearance shelf at my hydro store.. man i bought 15 gallons of organic nutrients sensi cal max most for 2-3 dollars a gallon got some dne relay timers for 6 dollars a piece. ALL NEW. i got my 4x4 table set up for under 50.00 cost me more to build stand LOL
 

miccyj

Well-Known Member
haha totally blows my mind too how much we all spend up on this....sadly in the 10 years or so Ive been at this ive accumulated well into 40grand of equipment myself. (I keep everything when i upgrade)
Haha, I know what you mean, I've still got my first 400w mag ballast lying around in my shed with a bunch of old equipment I have upgraded and probably never use again, as well as 6 acme nft tanks that were worth quite a bit when I bought them, I should try to sell them on eBay, but I get sentimental sometimes, haha
 

miccyj

Well-Known Member
Total spend for me to date would probably be around the 30-40k mark, and I buy almost all my stuff wholesale or direct from the manufacturer, I have a lot of contacts in China which helps.
 

ms1055

Member
Thank Ayron, I might have asked more questions but newbs tend to get flamed for asking things that have already been answered and I didn't want to go through that lol plus everyone usually has a different opinion and I'd rather research and consider the majority opinion, source, etc. Good luck with your grow! Right now I only have the lights and tents set up and a few other parts that arrived early. Everything else has been ordered through Home Depot, Lowes and Amazon except for a few small things like the rockwool and some other small supplies that aren't on my purchase list above. Will post some pics when I run the ducting and get my tubs all set up and installed. I didn't think I was buying every tool under the sun but then again I do have a reputation for overdoing and overthinking things lol!!

Miccy, thanks for the advice. Looks like I'll have to stick with the cool tube for now because it's already installed and don't want to give the vendor a hard time with a return. On a related note I got a lot of stuff from Gotham Hydroponics off Amazon and if you're around NY like I am shipping ends up being free overnight. Hence most of my tents and lights came much quicker then everything else. I bought 8 tubs total and I'm using 4 so the plan is to fill an empty tub with water and just exchange the tops while being as delicate as possible. Believe it or not I haven't looked into the cleaning and nutrients schedule much yet so I apologize if I'm leaving something out in regards to the cleaning procedure. Believe it or not I've spent the last few weeks researching grow room design and trying to understand all the different concepts there are to figure out what is best for me. I know enough now that I realize what I'm going for but there is still PLENTY to research. All I know is nutes are diluted in the beginning, plants need to be hardened off to the light and many many things I need to look out for like water temp, humidity, ppm. I'm not nervous about anything except pruning but I'm sure I'll end up becoming as comfortable with that as I am with grow room design now. A few weeks ago I was dying to buy a supercloset but my budget wouldn't allow the up front cost at the time. In the meanwhile I started my research and now I realize how much value those systems lack and I have a very good understanding of the need for certain components and a lot of background knowledge I otherwise wouldn't have had. I've basically attacked the Kindle store .. So far I've read a book on maximizing yield in small spaces and skimmed through a few "bibles" here and there. Damn I'm writing an essay .. sorry!! Def want to check out your grow room, sounds like my kind of place :weed:

Deus, thanks for the pics! I really like the green buckets and those liners you're using, assumably not to let nutes get damaged by the light. I'm a sucker for presentation and I really like the colors .. said the most female guy ever lol jk The CFL being a little oversized for my application is a concern right now. I've contacted the vendor to explore the possibility of using a CFL dimmer and a wattage meter inline but not sure if the fixture/bulb would be compatible. Will let you guys know what I come up with. I know it's funny I bought the actual apparatus last, 've been trying to get the basics out of the way and in the meanwhile I've been researching all the different methods out there, not to mention the DWC Hybrid set ups. I was very unsure for a while what I wanted to do. My instinct has always told me more is better and I had considered an expensive Sentinel Ebb & Flow or Under Current system but then last minute decided I wanted to go with the safest option and DWC is highly regarded even when compared to the more expensive aforementioned methods so I bit my tongue and went with the cheaper more fool proof option despite really wanting to get an impressive, technologically advanced set up. I'll probably upgrade down the road when leaks aren't a concern. The reason I'm so determined to use CO2 is because I've read that it promotes more bushy compact growth and with my lack of height I figured it would optimize my yields .. that and the fact I can get free refills and tanks through my job so I figured if all I need is the hardware it's worth a shot. My set up is in the corner of my room hence the expensive controller and testing equipment. Will be taking a lot of precaution while enriching my tents due it being about 10' away from my bed and that I have a few small animals.

Miccy again lol, Root rot due to water temp is definetely a concern and something I will be keeping my eye on. The original plan was to have a res outside the tents but my concerns about a potential devastating leak eliminated that option. The last thing I need is to come home from vacation or something and find my set up leaked and was discovered by my landlord as any leaks in my apartment tend to go right through the floor and onto office equipment. Are there any other options besides expensive water coolers? I haven't looked into that much yet and I'm hoping that with the combination of the oversized cool tube and dimming my 600 watt to 75% that everything will be ok. I did a test run on the light for an hour or 2 and I was surprised without any venting being hooked up I was able to touch the cool tube and it wasn't too hot.

Ok done with my essay .. hopefully I didn't put everyone to :sleep:
 

ms1055

Member
I think me and you have a lot in common Deus :hug:

I don't know about you but I tend to overthink things, have a decent sized wallet and a hole in my pocket most of the time. I always feel like something can be better especially when there's that X factor where you are just curious and experimentation in general has it's own entertainment value.

A lot of the stuff in those pics I've considered buying and will probably experiment with down the road.

Funny how many different systems you have. Which do you like best? I would guess RDWC?

Probably going to check out that Autopilot timer as thats one major components I haven't purchased yet.
 

ms1055

Member
Your hydro store must love you lol I bet they start celebrating when they see your car pull up lol jk

I haven't checked out my local store yet just because I like to do tons of research on stuff before I buy it and when I go to a store I tend to sit there awkwardly trying to research everything on the spot with my phone, or get bad advice or make a hasty decision, then buy the wrong stuff or waste time with general indecisiveness due to the lack of information.
 

ms1055

Member
I have an addictive personality with most things and some what of an obsessive compulsive disorder with shopping. The only thing that has saved me is my ADD because over a short period of time I tend to lose interest in hobbies and move on to something else but when you take something I've always had an interest in like gardening and combine it with my favorite past time of the last 15 years then .. well ...:fire:
 

Deusracing

Well-Known Member
Thank Ayron, I might have asked more questions but newbs tend to get flamed for asking things that have already been answered and I didn't want to go through that lol plus everyone usually has a different opinion and I'd rather research and consider the majority opinion, source, etc. Good luck with your grow! Right now I only have the lights and tents set up and a few other parts that arrived early. Everything else has been ordered through Home Depot, Lowes and Amazon except for a few small things like the rockwool and some other small supplies that aren't on my purchase list above. Will post some pics when I run the ducting and get my tubs all set up and installed. I didn't think I was buying every tool under the sun but then again I do have a reputation for overdoing and overthinking things lol!!

Miccy, thanks for the advice. Looks like I'll have to stick with the cool tube for now because it's already installed and don't want to give the vendor a hard time with a return. On a related note I got a lot of stuff from Gotham Hydroponics off Amazon and if you're around NY like I am shipping ends up being free overnight. Hence most of my tents and lights came much quicker then everything else. I bought 8 tubs total and I'm using 4 so the plan is to fill an empty tub with water and just exchange the tops while being as delicate as possible. Believe it or not I haven't looked into the cleaning and nutrients schedule much yet so I apologize if I'm leaving something out in regards to the cleaning procedure. Believe it or not I've spent the last few weeks researching grow room design and trying to understand all the different concepts there are to figure out what is best for me. I know enough now that I realize what I'm going for but there is still PLENTY to research. All I know is nutes are diluted in the beginning, plants need to be hardened off to the light and many many things I need to look out for like water temp, humidity, ppm. I'm not nervous about anything except pruning but I'm sure I'll end up becoming as comfortable with that as I am with grow room design now. A few weeks ago I was dying to buy a supercloset but my budget wouldn't allow the up front cost at the time. In the meanwhile I started my research and now I realize how much value those systems lack and I have a very good understanding of the need for certain components and a lot of background knowledge I otherwise wouldn't have had. I've basically attacked the Kindle store .. So far I've read a book on maximizing yield in small spaces and skimmed through a few "bibles" here and there. Damn I'm writing an essay .. sorry!! Def want to check out your grow room, sounds like my kind of place :weed:

Deus, thanks for the pics! I really like the green buckets and those liners you're using, assumably not to let nutes get damaged by the light. I'm a sucker for presentation and I really like the colors .. said the most female guy ever lol jk The CFL being a little oversized for my application is a concern right now. I've contacted the vendor to explore the possibility of using a CFL dimmer and a wattage meter inline but not sure if the fixture/bulb would be compatible. Will let you guys know what I come up with. I know it's funny I bought the actual apparatus last, 've been trying to get the basics out of the way and in the meanwhile I've been researching all the different methods out there, not to mention the DWC Hybrid set ups. I was very unsure for a while what I wanted to do. My instinct has always told me more is better and I had considered an expensive Sentinel Ebb & Flow or Under Current system but then last minute decided I wanted to go with the safest option and DWC is highly regarded even when compared to the more expensive aforementioned methods so I bit my tongue and went with the cheaper more fool proof option despite really wanting to get an impressive, technologically advanced set up. I'll probably upgrade down the road when leaks aren't a concern. The reason I'm so determined to use CO2 is because I've read that it promotes more bushy compact growth and with my lack of height I figured it would optimize my yields .. that and the fact I can get free refills and tanks through my job so I figured if all I need is the hardware it's worth a shot. My set up is in the corner of my room hence the expensive controller and testing equipment. Will be taking a lot of precaution while enriching my tents due it being about 10' away from my bed and that I have a few small animals.

Miccy again lol, Root rot due to water temp is definetely a concern and something I will be keeping my eye on. The original plan was to have a res outside the tents but my concerns about a potential devastating leak eliminated that option. The last thing I need is to come home from vacation or something and find my set up leaked and was discovered by my landlord as any leaks in my apartment tend to go right through the floor and onto office equipment. Are there any other options besides expensive water coolers? I haven't looked into that much yet and I'm hoping that with the combination of the oversized cool tube and dimming my 600 watt to 75% that everything will be ok. I did a test run on the light for an hour or 2 and I was surprised without any venting being hooked up I was able to touch the cool tube and it wasn't too hot.

Ok done with my essay .. hopefully I didn't put everyone to :sleep:
Ahh you'll be fine i had mine in a tent with no ventilation just opened the door and took the exhaust from other tent to blow some air in there. www.oxygenpotsystems.com Do not buy another brand except the current culture.. . The oxypot is by far superior to any at the same price point TRUST ME man this is it.. and www.dirtgenius.com and www.rocketplasma.com this is the way to go I'm telling you you may spend tons on lighting but you will save on electricity due to not having to run 6" fan in such small areas... ill shoot a video of my entire grow area so you can kinda see all the stuff you really don't need..... brb
 

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
Breakdown in cost (round about figure)

Tents
Lighthouse 2'x4'x2' - $150
Lighthouse 30"x18"x3' - $100

Lights
600W HPS w/ 8" cool tube and digital ballast - $200
250 CFL w/ reflector - $80
Extra bulbs for both - $50
2 - Yoyo Hangers - $20

Ventilation
Active Air 6" inline fan - $80
Phresh 6"x16' filter - $130
Viagrow 4" filter - $55
Reducers, dampers and insulated ducting, foil tape - $165
Fan Controller - $25
Ductstat - $21

DWC
Alita AL-60 air pump - $180
Airline tubing, connectors, 4 way - $20
4 - 60" flexible air stones - $60
8 pack of 16"x24"x8" rubbermaid bins w/ covers - $60
25 pack of 6" net pots - $27
Brick of coco fiber - $20
Flora nutrients - $37
Seed starter kit with dome and heat mat - $40
Trellis - $15

CO2
Controller Atlas 2 - $230
Regulator - $90

Testers
Blue lab Ph Pen -$80
2-Humidity monitors - $24
Hygrometer pen - $38
TDS pen - $15
Clonex - $20

Tax $40

Grand shabang - $2,072.
OUCH. I'm a grow consultant and it hurts me to see a shopping list like that.

Just for openers, my RDWC doesn't use an air pump, stones or airlines at all.
 

Deusracing

Well-Known Member
I have an addictive personality with most things and some what of an obsessive compulsive disorder with shopping. The only thing that has saved me is my ADD because over a short period of time I tend to lose interest in hobbies and move on to something else but when you take something I've always had an interest in like gardening and combine it with my favorite past time of the last 15 years then .. well ...:fire:
WOW are you sure your not me hold on let me go look in the mirror see if I'm really here.
 
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