Someone please tell me I didn't just kill them...

It would make hermies? In that case I'm gonna finish out this grow as is... Brackets? I just have a Florescent Light meant to be mounted to a ceiling, but instead I spliced the wires onto a 3 prong cord to ground it. If it was going to go above the plants I would have to mount the fixture directly to the ceiling, or mount a rope or chain to the ceiling and figure out a way to mount the light to that. I don't think that would work out too pretty though.
I'll try to find some kind of gloss surface. But I might just have to use paper and or foil. Or just let some light go to waste for this one grow.

My bad man, It will NOT create hermies (to my knowledge). What you DO want to do is be able to keep that floro fixture right up close to the tops. By whatever means you can, be able to raise it as they grow. Screw pretty, walls (and ceilings) can be patched with spackle. You are not gonna do any damage that cannot be easily repaired.

It is close to the top, even though it's sideways, I get what your saying though. I think what I'm going to do, is find some kind of flat metal malleable thing that has holes along the length. Wrap that around 2 or 3 places on the fixture, then either mount that to strings. Or mount that to the metal grid with the foil, so the foil is like a ballast reflection thing, or however you say it. Then get a chain or string to connect to the metal, and mount that to the ceiling. I need a drill though. The whole room is wooden. I guess I could just use a nail and use string and just reinforce the strings over and over on each side.

do have a nutrient meter to see how much nutrients are in the soil or in the water? mind you, you don't use the same kind of meters for the soil and water. what kind of system are you using? if you are using a hydroponic system you can save your plant if you keep an eye on it to look for any nute burns. as soon as you see it change the water. and How old is the plants?

No meter.
Soil.
No nute burns. Nute lack was making color change.
2 1/2 mons.
They're fine.

You'd only have to paint (or apply panda-film, etc.) the walls, to the height that you think your plants will grow you don't have to go painting the joists on the ceiling. Also the lining material for the inside of drawers and shelves is very similar to Panda-film and the others like it. If they have it near you for cheap, for instance at WallMart or Target than you could use that. Also i am a Landlord, i manage 30 commercial buildings and 11 Residential Units, and if a cement basement went from grey to white it would make no difference to me. But if your in a situation where the landlord is a homeowner just renting out extra space, they are usually alot pickier.

And i dont suggest hanging homeade lights with nails and string, do it right. Get chain they sell chain with up to 200lb test for $00.50 cents a foot at home depot, and hang it onto something sturdy. Or you can get a RopeRatchet/light hanger Yo-Yo. If you wish to make your own reflector thats fine but dont use Aluminum Foil, if you do make sure you make it as flat as possible because it reflects heat better than it reflects light, it might even be better to use the dull side. They have just plain sheet metal, or round metal ducting you could use someone made an excellent thread on here once about DIY relector, but i dont have the link so that doesnt do anybody any good, just search around you'll be straight.

Eventually you should get a PPM/EC meter, but a PH meter would be a good investment even just test strips (the liquid sometimes gets confusing depending on what nutes your using). Test strips are cheap like $7.00 bux at your local hydro shop or Educational Warhouse/Hobby Store they should sell Litmus Paper for like 100 strips for $3.00 bux.

I got a fan and blank white papered the walls. Nothing to mount with yet. But what does the fan effect? Flow of CO2?

If the fan is blowing directly on the plants, it is a widely held belief that it builds up cellulose in the plant stem and creates stronger healthier plants thus allowing for slightly larger yields because the plant can support bigger buds. But there is no actual scientific fact to support this. However fans do circulate air and co2, a plant can only use the air in its direct vicinity, so when that air is used up it needs a fresh supply, added circulation means more air supply for the plants to breathe and an overall healthier plant.

You said you had rafters, or floor joists right.. you could just hang the fans with rope, or something of that nature.. But they will cause vibrations so you will have too use a piece of rubber where the "rope" touches the fan and again where the "rope" touches the joist...

The fan is fine, it doesn't need to be mounted. I was talking about lights, it's just leaning long ways up and down facing them. Thank you for fan info though.

Yah you could mount the lights the same way.. you just dont need the rubber.. Make sure you get a strong 150lb test atleast rope, or chain (better safe than soorry $00.50 per foot for chain). Then all you need are some S-hooks and your good to go...

*they have light yo-yo's and rope-ratchets at hardware stores and your local hydro-shops but there expensive and i seem to remember you like the less expensive route. So go with the 155lb test chain from home depot for $00.50 cents a foot with some S-hooks and your good to-go!!

There isn't anything for the light to be hooked on. Like no hole for the S hook to go through. Is there something sticky I could get that anyone knows of? I'll just look for some kind of piece at home depot to hook the S joint through, to glue on.

Dr, Green Thumb code blue stat, Dr, Green Thumb code blue stat.

Finshaggy said:

There isn't anything for the light to be hooked on. Like no hole for the S hook to go through. Is there something sticky I could get that anyone knows of? I'll just look for some kind of piece at home depot to hook the S joint through, to glue on.

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what kind of light is it?
if the ceiling is made up of beams then wrap the chain around the beam once and secure with a carabiner(like $1-2.00 at home depot) (you could use an s-hook but once the chain loses tension everything would fall). then on the other end of the chain is where you secure the light onto to it. if you have an hps/mh light with hood the hood should have light hangers which would hang onto the s-hooks perfectly. if you have cfls just on regular sockets you can get creative. They have clamp lights at home depot for $5-7.00 depending on what size hood and then you could attach this to the end of the chain, or clamp it onto something.

dont worry just keep an ey on them to see if u get any droopy leavs. if u think u put too much nute. on your nxt water just put streight water your good!! dont trip. i have got very good results even on some of my plants that i just use water the whole season. right now i have a plant that i just used water this whole season and i have some 9'' colas real thick too. ill post some pics when i get home.

davidsaenz12 said:

dont worry just keep an ey on them to see if u get any droopy leavs. if u think u put too much nute. on your nxt water just put streight water your good!! dont trip. i have got very good results even on some of my plants that i just use water the whole season. right now i have a plant that i just used water this whole season and i have some 9'' colas real thick too. ill post some pics when i get home.

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What kind of soil did you use?

jkahndb0 said:

what kind of light is it?
if the ceiling is made up of beams then wrap the chain around the beam once and secure with a carabiner(like $1-2.00 at home depot) (you could use an s-hook but once the chain loses tension everything would fall). then on the other end of the chain is where you secure the light onto to it. if you have an hps/mh light with hood the hood should have light hangers which would hang onto the s-hooks perfectly. if you have cfls just on regular sockets you can get creative. They have clamp lights at home depot for $5-7.00 depending on what size hood and then you could attach this to the end of the chain, or clamp it onto something.

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T5 Flour 2 tube.
The ceiling is the bottom of stairs.
I don't have a hood for the light.
I've got a CFL in a desk lamp.

yah the t5 flouro 2 tube, work light im guessing, should have holes on the side to hang it with (if its a grow light it definitely has holes too hang it with), you could always make the holes yourself. You can drill the holes, or if you wanna go real budget you could do it blacksmith style with a hammer and nail (just make sure the bulbs are not in the light when making holes) depending on how thick the housing is it might even be easier. I wouldnt bother hanging the desk lamp i would just use it for seedlings and clones.

*if the ceiling is the bottom of the stairs screw some cup hooks to the bottom of one the stairs and hang the chain from that. it will only leave a toothpick sized hole and will hold the light easily.

I just checked again. No holes. I can make some though. Still gotta get a chain though, and hooks.