Advice please on a new grow tent project

[pug1010]

Hi all:)

 

I hope I can get some advice about my future grow room.

 

I only want to grow one plant at a time in the grow tent, using as little energy as possible. I think my lighting and tent situation is okay (although any advice would be great), but would really appreciate any suggestions for my ventilation needs. I will be living in an apartment, so can't really use any ducting to the outside. I intend to use a small ozone (corona) generator for smell in the tent, but would like to bring air into the grow room and then extract it. I am wondering if it's okay to have a timer that would control the intake fan (perhaps for 5 minutes in the hour), then use the ozone generator for 3-5 minutes about 40 minutes after the intake fan, and then after another 10 minutes or so extract the air and start the whole process over again. Hopefully, I can get some decent co2 in the tent, by using the dripper co2 Enricha while all this is happening.

 

I was hoping for some help with the intake fan, extractor fan and internal fan (to increase circulation in the tent). Although any advice about the setup would also be much appreciated.

 

Grow Tent

Secret Jardin DR 60 (60cm wide x 60cm deep x 140 high). Using this sites calculator, I found out the following:

Square Footage = 3.9 square feet

Cubic Footage = 17.8 cubic feet (0.5 cubic metres)

Recommended 150HPS bulb

3 intake/outake socks, 1 cable outlet sock and 3 bottom ventilation windows

 

Lights

one Sunshine Systems GlowPanel 45 LED Panel - one panel is supposed to be equivalent to a 250w HPS. The panel uses 27w and creates little heat.

 

Thanks heaps and sorry for all the questions and long winded explanation

 

pug

[TD.]

Hi pug1010, Let me clear up some jargon for u

Intake and exhaust fans should be run and many hours as possible...the exchange of warm stale air for cool fresh Co2 laden air is vital for any form of growth.

I can understand your heat issues wont be major if your only using LED grow lights (i dont trust the technology yet...when they can penetrate like a HPS then there worth it)

I have never used an ozone generator before, but everyone seems to say that you dont want it in the tent with your girls, keep it outside the tent....also breathing in large amounts of ozone can be bad for your health...for all the information about ozone, what it is, where it comes from and how it can harm you please read the PDF in THIS link

[miccyj]

Hi Pug,

 

I would forget the LED panel, I have seen many side by side grows and they never seem to perform. For a small tent like that, I would go CFLs. They are great for small grows and heat is not a problem if you ventilate well.

 

Also an O3 generator would be way overkill for what you are doing and not very safe either. Just pick up a 150mm inline fan and sock carbon filter to match. Not to expensive and very effective for 1-2 plants. For a tent that size, a passive intake ill be fine aswell.

 

If your going to put the tent in a wardrobe, make sure humidity doesnt become a problem

 

Good Luck.......

[pug1010]

Thanks heaps for the valuable information.

 

I was thinking about throwing the grow tent in a closet...so will have to check out the humidity issue. Might have to rethink the ozone generator and also the LEDs too. The inline fan and the sock sound like a very good alternative. That's why this site is so good....saves so much effort and money, through good advice...thanks guys.

 

Any suggestions on a quiet inline fan?

Any suggestions on the cfl I will need - type and strength?

 

Also, after doing my measurements, I think I will go for the slightly bigger tent:

Secret Jardin DR 80 (80cm wide x 80cm deep x 160 high). Using this sites calculator, I found out the following:

Square Footage = 6.9 square feet

Cubic Footage = 25.14 cubic feet (0.71 cubic metres)

 

Just wondering if you reckon this might change things...still looking at one (two plants at most) in the grow tent.

 

Thanks heaps

 

pug

[miccyj]

The bigger tent wouldnt change much, Just add more lights. As for what type of lights, one of the CFL guys will need to chime in, I'm a HID person but heat can be an issue with those, especially in smaller tents.

 

Doesnt matter what type of inline fan you get, they are all pretty noisy, mine sounds like a jet engine, but it's pretty big. You can also get acoustic ducting which I hear helps, but I'm not sure how effective it is.

 

Have you put any thought into what type of grow you will be doing and what nutes your going to use? If you wanted to go hydro, DWC is perfect for 1-2 plants, and easy to build yourself for about $100. For info on nutes check the bottom of my Sig.

 

I use the 150mm version of this for intake (100mm inline fan) but for a tent that size the 100mm will be fine.

 

Here is the carbon filter to match (100mm Carbon Filter)

 

*edit* fixed the links

Edited March 19, 2010 by miccyj

[TD.]

Any suggestions on a quiet inline fan?

 

If you deceide on a 150mm inline fan i would strongly suggest a cooltube (you will see why soon)

A fan like THIS would be appropriate

 

Any suggestions on the cfl I will need - type and strength?

 

It may be more efficient to use a 250w HPS bulb inside a cooltube (more about the cooltube soon, i got a link for the bulb and tube further down) if you are really hell bent on a CFL try the 130w Globe

 

Also, after doing my measurements, I think I will go for the slightly bigger tent:

Secret Jardin DR 80 (80cm wide x 80cm deep x 160 high). Using this sites calculator, I found out the following:

Square Footage = 6.9 square feet

Cubic Footage = 25.14 cubic feet (0.71 cubic metres)

 

How about an Indoor Elements 0.9mX0.5X1.6m (90cm long / 50cm deep / 1600cm tall) its lined with mylar, wont gas, and accepts all sizes of ducting.

 

 

Ok now down to that 250w HPS + Ballast & Cooltube....in a nutshell the heat generated by the HPS globe will be drawn thru the cooltube and out of your tent before it has a chance to heat the tent up. If your after something cheaper u should get the giant 130w CFL but it will emmit some heat and it will be more expensive to get a cooltube and CFL separate...most retailers give combo deals for hps lights, ballasts and cooltubes, and since u need the 150mm inline fan anyways why not get the cooltube, they compliment each other.

Edited March 19, 2010 by TD.

[pug1010]

Thanks TD and miccyj:)

 

Great advice. I will look into the grow tent, cooltube, carbon filter and inline fans.

 

I like your avatar/photo miccyj. I am assuming you are a regular on apptrackr.org

 

Thanks fellas. I'll keep you posted on how it progresses once I decide on everything and start to grow.

 

Cheers

 

pug

[TD.]

keep us updated on what u buy.....just in case u get it wrong....then we can all have a laugh j/k i dont think u can go wrong with the info here

[loylty gets u nothing]

id be using that smaller jardin tent for clones maybe

and buying a 1.2m x 1.2m tent

go 600w and some decent fans

watch the buds fatten

all the best

bil

[pug1010]

Hi again:)

 

Okay...after looking into all the recommendations...I think I'm going to go with the following:

1. Grow Tent: DR100 = 1M x 1M x 2M. Square Footage = 10.8. Cubic Footage = 70 (2 cubic metres).

2. Light: Although most are against it, I keep going back to LEDs. I think I'll try them and if they don't work, use them as supplemental lighting...you can have a laugh with this one TD .

3. Odour (Au): Mountain Air 100mm - 400mm Carbon Air Filter

4. Plant Pot (Au): Autopot Single 12" pot (grown in soil to fulfill the non-hydro requirement)

5. exhaust fan (Au): Westaflex mix-flo 100mm (looking for a quiet fan around 40 db or less)

6. Intake fan: Fantech TD-250/100 inline duct fan (looking for a quiet fan around 40 db or less)

 

Just a quick question...again...does the Mountain Air (carbon filter) go before the Westaflex mix-flo fan (exhaust fan) or vice versa?

 

Thanks heaps

pug:)