First grow tent checklist

Hi guys,

So I will be starting my first grow in the next month or 2 and have started planning everything. I would just like to cross reference what I have come up with and possibly get suggestions, tips, things I've forgotten etc.

So a few notes about the grow and why I have gone with the options I have:
I am renting so I have decided to use a grow tent and will be growing in soil to make the plants a bit more portable so that in the case of an inspection or something I can get the room back to its original state fairly quickly.

I am not super tight for money so I am aiming to buy quality gear but obviously don't want to spend more then I have to.

So with that in mind, this is my shopping list so far:

1. GrowLab 145 Grow Tent ( 4'9"x4'9"x6'7" )
2. Lumatek 600W dimmable Ballast
3. Cooltube with 150mm Centrifuge fan
   
4. Son T 600w HPS / 400W MH
   
5. 150mm Centrifuge fan (123L / sec) + 150mm x 500mm Carbon Filter (with a tent volume of 4205L air will be replaced every 1.5 - 2 mins)
   
6. Canna Terra potting mix / nutrients
7. 15L pots

With quick pricing comes to roughly AU$1500, does this seem correct?

How many plants will I be able to grow in this space, I was thinking 6?

Does this seem like an okay beginners setup? Have I missed anything important or got any suggestions of what I should change?

Any help is much appreciated.

With a $1500 budget, I would definitely recommend getting a nice air cooled reflector as opposed to a cool tube. This is not an area to cut corners, in my opinion. Also, I have chatted with many a hydro store owner and I've gotten the same, unsolicited feedback about Lumatek and their attitude towards retailers and customers. Let me just say, there are a lot of other very good brands out there and, if something goes wrong, I personally wouldn't want to rely on Lumatek to make me happy, quickly. Get an E/Digital ballast w/o a fan...the fan is the first thing to go.

What type of fan brand are you getting? Take into account how far your pots will be off the floor to picture where the bases of the stalks will be. Then measure how far down the lamp, reflector will be when you take into account brackets, ratchet hangers, socket level, etc. Next, take into account how far your bulb will need to safely be above the canopy. You will quickly realize how short of a space you have to work with. Many things need to be taken into account and considered, like scrogging, stretch cropping, etc. It can all be done...not trying to spook you...I've just had the opportunity to have many tent runs vs. bigger commercial runs...and they are not one and the same. I'm horsing around with several tents right now just for fun.

Look forward to you pulling trigger.

Hi jcommerce, thanks for the reply.

I guess I was more worried about heat as I live in Australia and it can be quite an issue to overcome. So i was actually thinking I was making the right choice with a cooltube but you are referring to an air cooled reflector in terms of better light efficiency right? Would you say the blockbuster 6" reflector would do the job?

If not lumatek, what brand would you recommend? The next most common brand I have come across is Quantum?

I'm not really sure on the fan brand, the site gives little info on it only reference to a brand is "Can Fan" maybe? but I would prefer to get my equipment locally in Australia for obvious reasons but here is the link Can Fan RS150. I'm also struggling to get a proper understanding of all the different equipment involved, as my experience is limited solely to reading, never first hand experience, but my brain is just telling me it is a bit over kill to spend $160 on a fan that flows 123L a second to cool a light? I mean I am using another fan with the same specs to circulate air through the whole tent... I know to someone who has even done one grow would consider these things trivial but its hard to build a complete mental image of the whole operation with everything being efficient but creating a perfect environment that would give you the best result

One of the reasons I decided on soil was that the plants could be a lot closer to the ground, so they would literally only be sitting the height of the pot above the ground correct? I understand what you are saying that height space can quickly become very small and the truth is I actually would have a full room available to me, it is not meant to be a "stealth" grow as such, more of a modular grow that i can disassemble quickly. Would I be better off going with a gorilla grow tent with their adjustable height extension? I did try to keep this in mind when buying seeds and the two strains I will be using both claim a height of about 90cm, would this be okay?

Ideally I would love to give an experienced grower a budget and tell me what they would get with that amount, not because I am lazy or don't want to put in the effort, because I have been for the past few months but i am feeling slightly overwhelmed with the amount of choices for every single component of the operation

What up FX? Yes, a reflector will give you better light efficiency while removing large amounts of heat. I'd personally recommend something like Sun System's Blazer reflector. It is the smaller cousin of my XXXL 8". The main thing I like about them is that they are completely sealed with gaskets, yet the glass lens is hinged so you can easily swap bulbs and, more importantly keep the inside of your lens clean. They also have safety cables that prevent the lens from swinging all the way open and potentially smashing your plants. They open just wide enough to easily work around inside the reflector while it's still hanging.

As far as ballasts go, Quantum is a good brand. But I try to stay away from ballasts that have cooling fans. These are obviously moving parts and, therefore, will likely be the first thing to go. If the fan goes out, the transformer will overheat and poof goes the ballast, lights, and your crop if you don't have a quick backup. I've been pretty impressed with the Phantom. I read a lot of reviews and they are one of the most reliable electronic, non-fan ballasts out there. Galaxy ballasts are good too. Their past generations had fans, but the latest gens do not and solely rely on their heat sinks to cool them. Non-fan ballasts will be slightly larger due to this, but I prefer quality build and reliability over small and fancy.

For your fan, $160 (Aus Dollars) does not seem too spendy to me. Again, this is a component you don't want to go cheap on. You want durability and longevity. I have used EcoPlus fans for the last 7 years or so and they have been rock solid. Their new line is Hurricane and they are slightly cheaper in cost but, essentially, the same fan and a little more low profile. I recently splurged and bought a HyperFan from Phresh...it's small/compact and packs a punch. It also comes with a fan speed controller. If I were you, I'd get an EcoPlus or Hurricane...you can get them for around $100 USD, not including shipping. Can Fans are good too, although I much prefer Phresh carbon filters to Can's. Phresh is Australian carbon (so hopefully you can get them there!) and they are the smallest and lightest filters by far, and they last about 2 years under heavy use....they kick ass. You Aussies make some damn fine activated carbon. Last but not least, definitely get a fan speed controller like the Speedster (about $25) for your fan. You don't want just the on/off option....I've never run a fan at full strength. You can adjust the controller to get your room down to the exact degree you want it...a beautiful thing.

For your tent, I don't think you need a Gorilla (even though I just got one...my 3rd tent but 1st gorilla). Keep in mind that the extensions are in 1 foot increments. You cannot raise it 6 or 8 inches, it must be a foot. If you have the height then, yes, I'd recommend it. But keep in mind, they are priced at a premium. They are heavy duty, hardcore tents. I love the snap connect aspects of the poles and the material is burly. But if you don't need the height or can't add another foot, then there are other, cheaper options out there. I can't speak to Grow Lab but I've read good things. I have a Home Box and it has stood the test of time....not even sure if they're around anymore.

Keep us posted.

Jcom