First Grow. Need Some Advice!

Well the title says it all...

1) Starting in a 4x8 tent. 2 1000 watt Magnum XXXL 6" Air Cooled Lumateks. Is it possible and would it be REALLY beneficial to add a 600 watt MH light in the middle of the two 1000 watt lights?

2) I want to grow in Coco with hand watering. Any suggestions for the run off? I tried to do some research but haven't found anything I really like. any thoughts?

3) As stated first grow, thinking 10 plants, 4 week veg to flower. Will I have enough space in that size tent?

4) Nutes...shit a little stuck on this area. I like the idea more is less especially since I am a beginner. But I think I would like to combine products. Any suggestions of a nute plan or schedule...not sure how to ask this...please excuse my lack of knowledge.

5) any other suggestions, questions or comments please feel free to say.

Thanks!

I am in this exact position, someone please post some of your experience. +rep for advice

Well when it comes to feeding in coco you really need to find all the coco forums you can and read what you can because feeding in coco has it's own techniques. Generally most online coco growers use the canna coco A+B nutrients and there are a few documented nute sheduals around on forums too. This should give you the knowlege you need to move forward with it.

Maybe you can rig up a big tray and lift your plants off the ground so they run off into the tray that will be tilted slightly at an angle which will run off into your reservoir. then you can either throw away or recycle the nutes for one more watering.

Scroggy-thx I will have to search that. thx
Cannibisox-thx good idea

Anyone else?

1)I dont know that you NEED the extra 600w MH. But if you can handle the extra heat and don't mind the extra $ on your electricity bill, let it rip.

4)Go for a simple nutrient regime. The guy mentioned canna coco A+B. Could also consider something basic like GH grow micro and bloom. Less is more!

3) you could EASILY flower 10 plants with a month of veg time in that tent.

2) You could buy flood trays and put your pots in there. Then just leave a bucket or rubbermaid tote under the fill/drain holes.

X2 1000 in a 4x8 with xxxl shields is good not shure you need more, the heat is going to be a factor for
Shure

Thx for the input. For the nutes I'm going to go less and try Cana a and b. Are there any small add ons I should purchase? Calmag?

Will I have problems with heat if it's just the two air cooled 1000 watt lights with intake and outtake fans?

Thx again

Addressing the light spectrum issue. I would not add a MH, rather buy the HPS that burns a bit of that color. They are expensive but worth it IMO.
Or simply add a t5 lamp. I am gonna think heat will be the issue, 1000w HPS lamps burn HOTTT and running two will be a nice battle to keep temps in that tent down. Adding the MH, even thou it dont burn as hot, will not help.

Have you planned on what your exhaust system will be? If your budget allows, I just started looking into water cooled systems. Its a bit pricy but I know 1 chiller & a 50 gal rez can cool a few hood nicely.


What do you mean by run off? Like after your watering run off? if yes then, are you not going to be removing them from the tent to water and inspect them? At the very least be able to pull them out and inspect for bugs or disease and rotate. Then when you do this water them in a bigger bucket to catch run off, empty as necessary til they are all watered.

Also not too sure, but coco and hand watering might create a issue later in the cycle. Are you gonna be able to water a few times a day if necessary? or be able to build a type of top feeding drip system? and incorporate a false floor and a tub underneath to catch runoff.

I really cant tell you about the plants size and over growing the tent. Its alot on genetics and individual phenos. I do recommend getting all the same clones, so they are all the same strain/pheno. That way they stretch the same, they should all grow the same, you will have a nice even canopy and can adjust the lights evenly. BUT do know when you flip to 12/12 the plants can double in size! So flip to 12/12 accordingly.


For nutrients, since I was kinda new into hydro I just use GenHydro's simple 3 part solution.

On the back it identifies what stage of growth and then amounts of each part to add to a gallon.
but hey we all got opinions and you will read alotta different shit about the matter. Personally find something that works and stick with it. that Gen Hydro Grow, Bloom and Micro has been working for me, so no need to change.

thats a hell of a first grow man.

bud nugbong said:

thats a hell of a first grow man.

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haha yea, my first grow was with 1 42w CFL and a roll of tin foil haha, how far i've traveled.

BBYY- I was worried about the weight of the lights and heat. I'm gonna just go with the 2 1000Watt

If they are air cooled with the proper intake outtake fans, I was hoping it would be enough to regulate. If not I was thinking possibly a small ac unit. Thoughts?

As far as watering, your right its much better to take out and inspect/rotate the plants. I will have time to water them multiple times a day but didnt think about that in depth. BBYY...what medium do you grow in?

If you are considering A/C then I would look into water cooled systems.
Its like having a radiator on the end of the reflector. Then you pump water from a rez threw the radiator, thus cooling the hot air being blown outta the reflector down into the atmosphere, also cooling the grow room. Its a multi part setup consisting of a Ice box exchanger that fits on the reflector, then the tubing to and from this ice box to the rez. You can make your own, but they have nice Chillers that functions as pump too, so all you would need is Ice boxes for each of your lights, then the tubing and splitters running to the chiller.

Or you can do the traditional air cooled, with them 1000w ones, you should also try and keep the ambient temps low. For my 600 w HPS, I use 2 inline fans each rated at 160 CFM's, This barely does it for me, So I am gonna do some overkill and either buy into the water cooled system, that way I can run my veg light and flower light off one chiller, or get a 400 something rated inline fan and use the 160 cfms for air cooling the 400 MH veg light.

I keep my mother plants in soil, I use a nice pre-mix soil from nickle city called Just Right Xtra.

Then I clone into a my DIY bubbleponics cloner, which then will go into a rock wool plugs and eventually a hydroton/rockwool piece mix. I am still trying to figure out a nice ratio of hydroton to rockwool pieces thou as last time I had to lower my watering to 2x a day compared to straight hydroton when I was watering 4x a day.
I use this hydroton and rockwool pieces because I use a flood and drain setup.

You have many options, Just I think coco for a start might be a bit harsh, I would try and make things as simple as they can be for a first grow, With that being said, Why not get some good soil like that Nickle City stuff, or something along the lines of it. In that soil there is a culture of bennies that colonize the root mass. I suggest soil because it can go 3-5 days in between waterings, you dont have to feed every watering and then any signs of over feeding / under feeding will develop over days rather then hours (like in hydro/coco)


If you do wanna do coco, go look around the forums to find a grow similar to yours and ask a few ?'s.

Soil is very good if done the right way, and is a bit more forgiven.

BBYY- good advice, Ill have to rethink. I have been on the fence numerous times about the growing medium. You raise some solid points about soil so again back to thinking lol...

igalig said:

BBYY- good advice, Ill have to rethink. I have been on the fence numerous times about the growing medium. You raise some solid points about soil so again back to thinking lol...

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Its better to sort this shit out now, rather later after you spent a stack of cash.