Set-up for first grow, any thoughts?

BoredToDeath

BoredToDeath

Member
Hi!

First time poster and also first time grower here. I would love to get your input on my set-up before I dive in to the world of growing!

This is my set-up:

2x2x4 grow tent placed in a pretty big walk-in closet
200 watt Dual-Spectum CFL grow light with reflector + supplemental lighting (either 2x20w 2700K CFL or 2x19,5w 2700K LED)
Exhaust-fan 100 mm with two speedsettings: 85/110 cfm (with a dimmer attached for speed control)
Carbon-filter
Clip-on fan for air-flow inside the tent

1 or 2 plants in 3 gallon pots
Seeds: Northern Lights and/or NL + Critical Jack, both fem. photoperiod
The idea is to top the plants, then scrog them.

I will have my exhaust-fan outside the tent, hovering in a soundproofed box for noise control + for getting more vertical space in the tent. I will vent the scrubbed air in to the walk-in closet which has a pretty good air-flow (it has a "ventilation-hole" in the top right corner with a very good draw in it). I have a window right outside the closet which will be left slightly open most of the time for a supply of fresh air and the closet door cracked open for air flow. I can´t have ducting directly from the window in to the tent as I need to keep the grow as stealth as possible.

For reasons I won´t go into I´m pretty much confined to getting supply's at the local hardware store. I´m thinking of getting some LED-light as supplemental lighting instead of CFL´s. Would this easily accessible LED-light be of any use for growing purposes?

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Any thoughts, comments or recommendations? Should I do one or two plants? What size pot?

Thanks!
 
coreywebster

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
Those LEDs are ok for growing, you can cut off the bulb part to increase the light from them. They are better than cfl.
Im not familiar with that specific bulb but generally white light has a good all round spectrum. Not sure what kevin they come in but usually warm white is good.

Sounds like you have most things covered, only issue I can see is if you vent back into the closet then the air coming back into the tent will be recycling, it will get warmer as the air passes through your tent over and over and it will also deplete co2 levels.
If you have the option to use the ventilation hole then that's what I would do, when you send the hot air out that way the tent will pull new air in around closet door and from any other gaps. You could put a vent cover in the door itself to help further.

How much will 200w of these LED bulbs cost you? There might be better options that would require you to use less wattage, although it would likely cost you more, how much more depends on what your current plan is going to cost.

I would go with max 2 plants in that space for a scrog. But that's just me.
 
BoredToDeath

BoredToDeath

Member
coreywebster said:
Sounds like you have most things covered, only issue I can see is if you vent back into the closet then the air coming back into the tent will be recycling, it will get warmer as the air passes through your tent over and over and it will also deplete co2 levels.
If you have the option to use the ventilation hole then that's what I would do, when you send the hot air out that way the tent will pull new air in around closet door and from any other gaps. You could put a vent cover in the door itself to help further.
Click to expand...
Since its a pretty good draw/airflow in the closet I was hoping it would be OK. I have an extra door for the closet that I will use during the grows that I just shortened a bit to create an extra intake for air at the bottom of the closet. The problem is I live in an apartment building and I´m not really sure where the ventilation goes. I´m on the top floor so I guess that's a plus but I´m concerned of a situation where my carbon filter has stopped working and I don´t notice it because the air goes directly to the vent and all the air gets pulled in to a neighbors apartment stinking up the place.. I´ve also read about people venting hot air and then getting busted because the lack of snow on that particular part of the roof... :D
 
VillageAnt

VillageAnt

Well-Known Member
Also, as mentioned, you should vent the tent out into the main room. Have the fan blow it out the top of the closet into the room, that way the hot air (and CO2 depleted air) will mix back in in the main room. Have your passive intake at the bottom of the tent, where fresh air can be brought in. Venting into the closet is not a good idea. The heat would build up and CO2 would be depleted.
 
N

Northwood

Well-Known Member
pulpoinspace said:
128 lm/w at 2700k

pretty impressive for a regular lightbulb actually i've never seen those at my local store
Click to expand...
Me neither. Wonder if the lumen output is based on the plastic cover on? That's good efficiency though regardless. Most of my bulbs I have going are rated 1600 for 14 watts, so about 114 lumens/watt. They only cost $3 or $4 a piece though. Lol
 
Chip Green

Chip Green

Well-Known Member
No man should underestimate the cultivation capability, of your run of the mill, screw in LED "bulb"....
It actually raises the bar, on "McGyverabilty" in the small grower world.
Like the old days of rewiring the ballast on a 70W HPS Security light, but way, WAY easier, and better....and cheaper. Way cheaper.
 
BoredToDeath

BoredToDeath

Member
So if I use the 200 w CFL Dual-Spectrum that I already have (it´s one big ass CFL growlight, not multiple small ones) + 2 or maybe 4 of the 19,5 watt LED-bulbs, would that be good for that size tent? I´m totally new to all this but I imagine the LEDs would not cause an heat-issue? Also, how far from the plant should the LEDs be?
 
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BoredToDeath

BoredToDeath

Member
VillageAnt said:
Also, as mentioned, you should vent the tent out into the main room. Have the fan blow it out the top of the closet into the room, that way the hot air (and CO2 depleted air) will mix back in in the main room. Have your passive intake at the bottom of the tent, where fresh air can be brought in. Venting into the closet is not a good idea. The heat would build up and CO2 would be depleted.
Click to expand...
Hm, maybe I´m a bit slow today but how would I go about to vent the air out from the closet in to the main room in a way that´s stealthy and not suspicious looking? Leaving the door slightly open isn´t enough?
 
Old Thcool

Old Thcool

Well-Known Member
You can buy a power supply and real high output led strips and make an awesome light for relatively cheap. Can't remember where I saw it but recently I ran across a guy offering kits with good quality strips! He offered a parts list and did a tutorial on the build via video for free!You might want to check into that. As for you air.. they are right, you can think of it like breathing into a plastic bag. You will need to have good exchange or you will get heat build up, mold and mildew issues, stunted plant growth due to all of the above and Co2 depletion. You will want to ensure your carbon filter is in optimum condition come the beginning of flower. Depending on the phenotype and strain you may be able to get away without one during early and mid veg?
 
Old Thcool

Old Thcool

Well-Known Member
Oh I'm not sure what your house is wired for but that light is 220 volt! might wanna think that part through?
 
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