Capulators First Mpb Run, And First A Documented Garage Conversion.

[Capulator]

http://i8.invalid.com/albums/a20/draph2000/welcomechecks.gif

Hi farmers,

I decided to do a journal not just on my first MPB run, but the whole build out of the room from el scratche.

My move in date was the first, and the first thing I needed to do was upgrade the old panel, because, well, this tenant needs a "hot tub"!

So last week we ripped off the old panel (the whole house was running off 40 amps!), and installed a nice 200 amp service box.

Then, I needed to figure out a way in and out of the nice over sized one car garage, without opening the door. So, I decided to make an access door in the back of the garage, in the side yard. Of couse, I dont want people seeing me going in and out, and building this mad science project, so at the same time, I put in an 8' tall locking gate and fence. Now I have a nice little private side yard, and access to the garage without opening the garage door, which will be bolted shut from the inside once I get my 5 ton AC (thank you GIddeon!)

Today, I spent part of the day trying to figure out a way to put my res outside. Originally, I was going to built my own res out of concrete, and in the ground. Unfortunately, I ran in to a gas line, which I cant move without having the gas company shut off the main, and that's too much trouble. So, I need to figure out a way to keep it inside, but maximize my space (it probably is going to go under the new door, and double as a landing upon entry.

Here are some pics:

Building materials in. The whole space you are looking at is 13' by 18', and I plan on utilizing as much of it as possible for flowers. Top right is where the new door is going in, and because it will be about 2' off the ground (garage is lower than house and surrounding yard), I think I will build a box here that the res can sit in, so it is basically in its own little room.

[image deleted]

where I need a door.

[image deleted]

A gate so nobody can see my madness.

[image deleted]

A new door, and piece of shit gas line right in the middle of where I wanted to build my outdoor res. room.

Dry wall and insulation almost done on one wall.

The only I felt like keeping was this sweet lucky horseshoe that was nailed to the wall. Hell yeah.

This week I am installing the sub panels, and I am ordering all the shit I will need, including the kwikool ac. After that AC goes in, I can seal off the garage door from the inside, and build a wall in front of it, insualted, and dry wall with quiet rock sound deadening dry wall.

Stay tuned, and please post any suggestions, build wise or other that you think of.

Thanks for helping. Synergy works.

 

[cheech]

looks like your off to a great start. your LL will appreciate all the upgrades!

 

[Capulator]

thanks cheech, I am sure the LL will be stoked on the gate and dry wall of the garage, and I got the blessing for the panels too.

I ordered my AC today. A Kwikool portable 5 ton ac, air cooled. The most I have spent on a single piece of equipment to date. HAd to cringe from excitement when I hit "checkout".

this is a link to the ac: https://i21.geccdn.net/site/images/large/653280A_01.jpg

Thanks again Giddeon for the idea. Didnt want the mini split making noise outside, and like the idea of being contained in a single space. Plus, now I don't need to install cool tubes, which will save me some much needed space while I am crawling around on the floor.

 

[cheech]

wow, that's a lot of money for an ac! definitely let us know how it works, if it lasts long that will definitely keep away any unwanted suspicion.

 

[St3ve]

Good work so far

 

[Capulator]

2nd purchase

2 danby 70n pint dehueys.

Purchased here:

I also was trying to find some rigid insulating foam for my res house, and found this:

http://store03.prostores.com/servlet/buyinsulationproducts/the-224/Mass-Loaded-Vinyl-Sound/Detail

This shit is 1/8" thick and will control sound as if it were a standard 2x4 wall with 2 sides of 5/8" drywall. If I have any sound issues in the room after building out my own walls with quiet rock, I am going to attach this underneath the panda. NOtice how a 4ft x 50ft roll needs to be shipped via pallet. Must be heavy...

 

[Tobor the 8th Man]

I am subbed for this thread because I want to do a section of a garage. I have a 3 car garage that has 2 doors facing the front and one door that opens on the backside facing the woods. I figure I can go in and out there to a room I make out of that stall.

I think you should delete pics 2,3 and 4 Capulator. They provide too much detail that could be recognized by somebody. Even though it is a stretch it could happen and they don't really add that much to your thread.

Did the garage have it own separate panel right from the line or did it come off the panel in the house? Mine comes off the panel in the house but it has it own little panel in the garage that has two 10 amp screw in fuse plugs. So I think I will need to upgrade this. I was thinking of just having a 100 amp panel put in there that comes right off the power lines and has it's own meter. That way I have the option to make an apartment over the whole 3 car garage area.

 

[Capulator]

Tobor,

I am not sure about the zoning of your property, but if you are zoned r1, I dont think you can add a new meter/apartment without raising eyebrows. I rwmoved the old main panel and upgraded to 200 watt service. From there, I ran a 50 amp sub to the side yard for my "hot tub", then I ran a 100 amp panel in to the garage via the crawlspace. I will also be running a separate line for the ac which rrquires its own 60 amp breaker. I should be maxing out my service at around 170 amps wgen its all said and done. Ill remove the pics based on what you said, but man that would be one hell of a longshot! Thanks for subbin, and leta do some larnin' y'all!

 

[Capulator]

I am subbed for this thread because I want to do a section of a garage. I have a 3 car garage that has 2 doors facing the front and one door that opens on the backside facing the woods. I figure I can go in and out there to a room I make out of that stall.

I think you should delete pics 2,3 and 4 Capulator. They provide too much detail that could be recognized by somebody. Even though it is a stretch it could happen and they don't really add that much to your thread.

Did the garage have it own separate panel right from the line or did it come off the panel in the house? Mine comes off the panel in the house but it has it own little panel in the garage that has two 10 amp screw in fuse plugs. So I think I will need to upgrade this. I was thinking of just having a 100 amp panel put in there that comes right off the power lines and has it's own meter. That way I have the option to make an apartment over the whole 3 car garage area.

And then I read "facing the woods", so I assume that putting in a separate meter would be fine, and you arent subject to zoning restrictions like I am in my city.

 

[Tobor the 8th Man]

It is zoned agricultural/commercial around me. I will have to check into it.

 

[Capulator]

Just bought 2 alita 80 air pumps with manifolds, and 15 12" alita air stones http://alita.com/airpump/index.php, from HIDHUT.com

Total cost: $881.73

Also ordered all of the quick connect fittings from here: http://www.varcopumper.com/products.asp?dept=19

Cost: $332.85

This is getting expensive. I also just read throught he entire thread of DD's MPB's, and some noted failures of the system..

Nothign to get me discouraged, but its always good to know what you are getting in to.

I had a question: Why the 100 gal main res for 10 plants, and can I get away with a 100 gal res and 14 plants?

With a check valve, the main res volume shouldnt matter, because like a UC system, the water is constantly being recirculated, so your actual water volume is the main res, or epicenter, plus all of the mini res's. I would love for someone to tell me why the 10 gal/plant site for the main res is so important..

because it seems like in theory, the main res of the MPB could be as small as the epicenter in the UC, and still perform the task of being the place where pumps are housed, water is chilled, and nutes are added... Wait, nutes addded.. maybe thats why. A hundred gal res will probably supply just enough water, so when it is full, you can mix the nutes, adjust pH, and then cycle the water to the mini res's, leaving the main res half empty when the minin res.'s fill up and are draining back to the main... this would avoid any fluctuations if you were attempting to adjust ppms with the water circulating already, and would save time. Man, I love it when I answer my own questions.

 

[Capulator]

The epicenter for the UC should be way bigger.

 

[Abob]

Thats so far over my soil head, but I appreciate the thought patterns. I will wait until you work it out and watch to see how it grows. Love the passion. all the support and luck

 

[cheech]

The epicenter for the UC should be way bigger.

why do you say that? most people have a large rez that tops the epicenter off so it isn't a problem. a huge epicenter would mean a larger chiller.

but yea dude.. read the mpb threads... that system is pretty much obsolete now that the uc is out.

here are the problems that i have heard.. for starters, there is a lot of plumbing that the uc doesn't have. then you have pipes that are only half full of water, allowing mold to grow on the surfaces that aren't fully submerged. since the uc plumbing is always submerged, it makes it easy to run a disinfectant through the system. i would use the home depot totes but plumb it like an under current. best of both worlds there.

 

[Capulator]

It seems there are farmers here who are still killing it with MPB's

Can the MPBers chime in on this?

 

[mrdizzle]

I would personally give you the advise of instead of going the MPB bucket route just run 20gal brute trashcans with some chowmix or another medium that drains quickly, save yourself $1000's in the build and equipment, electric bills, nutes and time, and save you from a potential failure.

you can easily grow 2lb plants in a 20gal with a 6-8wk veg. but you will harvest every single time. all you ahve to do is have a 10ftx10ft to veg in

I know the rdwc thing is tempting but just close your eyes and imagen spending all the money your spending, all the time for the buildout, a month of veg, and then a month into flower your plants get sick, 3 more weeks of trying to fix them only to end up with no harvest, just bills, and another 2 months before you can harvest again, assuming the second one doesnt fail too

 

[Capulator]

Dizzle,

Thanks for the encouragement.

How about I run half and half. Then, I can at least pay my bills.

How many MPB runs did you do before you jumped ship? I know its a few. I read the posts. You took a 50k loss and scrapped the idea, or something like that. I would have done the same.

Didn't you have some successful harvests though?

One last question D, whats chow mix? PEat/perlite?

 

[Capulator]

Lots of systems shit the bed. My new system killed it first run, then got pm the second round and tossed everything. Third round battled some root rot. I think it takes a WHILE to get to know your system, strain, and just general grow know. I have made so many improvements on the new system, and I am confident the next round will kill it.

It is VERY important I learned to grow one strain per main res, and pick a hardy one that is resistant to temp flux, pm, over/under feeding, etc..

 

[mrdizzle]

Dizzle,

Thanks for the encouragement.

How about I run half and half. Then, I can at least pay my bills.

How many MPB runs did you do before you jumped ship? I know its a few. I read the posts. You took a 50k loss and scrapped the idea, or something like that. I would have done the same.

Didn't you have some successful harvests though?

One last question D, whats chow mix? PEat/perlite?

When I started I think I was one of the first to run MBP in a journal, Im sure there were others running them thou. I didnt have a single problem until my 5th run, ran them for over a year. would never ever ever ever run them again, there is simply no benefit I can see

I ended up doing 8 total runs, 1 self induced rot, and 1 algae run. 6 great runs that net just under 2ps a light. No CO2.

the system stops becoming enjoyable once you get any sort of root problem, even if you harvest and yeild well. From that point out everytime you open the door to your grow you will hold you breath.

not that it really is a consideration but the extra KWH you run could easily be another 4 lights in a semi large op

Chow mix is a 60%hydroton 40% cocochip mix. DTW. I use a perlite coco mix, key is highly porous. you'll get the same yeilds as you would a MBP with an additional 2-3wk veg. but youll harvest everytime

I like the half half idea, not a smart business move to put all your eggs in one basket

 

[Capulator]

Would you still run the brutes on a vert? Could you just use your infamous strong box... Its 27 gallons right?