New Guy Needs Advice

[Disco Duck]

I am using most of the 25 ft of ducting to bring the hot air out near the window on the opposite side of the room. That is the best I can do with that. I had to rearrange 3 closets and move both dressers into my closet just to fit the tent in the room.

There is a wall behind the tent. There is the top and right side ports right there. I would need more ducting to do that. That wall is also a neighbors wall, and I'm guessing through conduction they would hear a fan on that wall pretty well.

I am thinking I need to find some tall stand, like they hand IV bags from in hospitals, to hang the fan from that inside the tent, then I can hang the filter from the roof. I really am running out of money, I'm not sure I can afford both a stand to hang the fan and some clones to get started. Wow, I started this 3 months ago, haha.

 

[Disco Duck]

I found the answer by starting another thread looking for tent advice. I am going to get 4 2" x 8' wooden poles and cut them to size with notches in the ends. Then I'll use those as 4 additional vertical support poles in between the existing corner poles. This will add a great deal more support, and the tent should easily handle 71.5 lbs.

So I will find a way to fit 8' long poles into a 95 Camaro later tonight:-)

 

[TrichromeFan]

Thats funny, I had been thinking something similar. That sounds like a good idea to use the 2x2 wood. You might as well connect the top if the poles together all around the roof of the tent. Good luck with the Camaro.
-TF

 

[Disco Duck]

Ok... I got 4 2x2's and filed grooves into the ends to fit perfectly snugly in-between the horizontal bars. One would block the doorway, and doesn't really seem needed, but I'll stick it in there after everything is set up anyway. I would feel comfortable hanging 80lbs from the tent now, it is rock-solid with these 2x2's added.

Here are some pictures of the new setup. I have 2 clip on fans to put on the side-wall 2x2s at plant level once everything else is in and connected. The position of the filter, fan, and light allow room for the light to get past the fan and filter and all the way to the roof. The light and rainforest are not exactly centered in the tent, they are about 6 inches toward the door so the light has room to clear the filter and fan. So... am I finally ready to put plants in it, or is something still wrong/missing?

 

[Disco Duck]

Oh... For any other newbs like me out there thinking about using a tent. I don't regret getting the tent at all, it's the only way I can do this right in an apartment. The 2x2s and the file only cost $18. It was a lot of work with a file, it can be done easier if you have a drill.

My tent is a Secret Jardin DR120. I cut the 2x2s to exactly 78" and made half-circle groves about 3/4' deep on each side. The 2x2's fit snugly, but don't exert any pressure on the aluminum bars. I did that very precisely with the file so that the 2x2s are not weakening the frame by stretching it. The fit snugly enough to be held in place, and will "catch" any weight distributed too them. If you make them too big they you will wind up actually weaking the tent by bending the bars.

With this modification the tent really does become what you want it to be... a self contained system that supports everything you need within itself. So realize that these tents aren't that unless you enhance the flimsy frames they come with. Out of the box a tent can't support the weight of what you need to hang inside of it. You need to strenghten the tent or have some type of stand to support either the fan or filter.

 

[TrichromeFan]

Looking good there, duck! Now just get that duct hooked up, and test run it.
Did you ever get your strain figured out?

 

[Disco Duck]

That's great news, I'll set the rest up and run it tomorrow to test the temps. It will be hot for the next few days so it is a perfect time to see how hot it gets in there.

As for strain, I know of a couple dispensaries that seem like they have a lot of clones but have never been to those. Mine doesn't really do clones. So I am just going to have to pick from what they have. All I really know is that I want 6 of the same type of plant (to simplify things for my first time) and that I want something indica dominant so that it is a shorter and bushier plant.

I know I really like anything with Trainwreck in it:-)

 

[og_kid]

welcome disco u are in good hands here at the farm see u got some advice already.try to get the medical horticulture bible if u still want all the abvious stuff u need and to have a great garden not that we cant help that happen here(:

 

[Disco Duck]

I have everything set up now, all the wires secured and the surge protector everything is plugged into is about a foot up off the floor. No wires on the floor, in case some water spill nothing electirical will be touched. I think I only have one more question on the room/tent setup.

I put a clip on fan on each side 2x2 at about plant level. They don't oscilate. Which way should I point them? I thought I saw people saying to point 1 at the plants and the other at the light. Should I do that?

I will test the tent the next couple days for temp. It will be hot, so I am going to run it during the day and see how hot it gets. So I've started thinking about the solution now...

1) I know it is an endless debate, but which brand of nutrients should I use? I have small sample bottles of GH that came with the rainforsest, should I just use that or something else?

2) I am going to use distilled water from the supermarket becuase my tap water is 220 PPM. Other than nutrients, what else do I need to put in it? I think I read you need to put Hydrogen Peroxide in distilled water to keep things from growing in it. What, other than nutrients, needs to be in the water?

I won't be doing water or plants for at least a few days while I test the tent, I'm trying my best not to kill the first plants I try:-)

 

[TrichromeFan]

Duck,
the clip fans will be fine as long as they have good air flow. I would aim them at the plants, coming from different directions. When they are young, just make a light breeze. As they get older, you can kick it up to high.

Nutes? Can of worms there. Some like GH, Advanced, Canna, or House and Garden. Those seem to be the most popular. I would start with the basic veg, bloom, and micro nutrients before you start getting into all of the additives. Do you have a PH and PPM meter? This is an important tool. You want to start out slow on the concentration levels of your nutes in the water, till you figure out the plant that you are growing's needs.

You do not need to add hydrogen peroxide to the water. Some people use that as a treatment for root rot. You just need to add your nutes, and adjust the PH to the proper range.

I would look around to see what options you have within driving distance for clone dispensaries. I would gladly drive 2 hours for a quality strain that is just what I want, rather than something that is easy to pick up that is not. You can never do any better than the genetics that you start with.

-TF :evilgrin0013:

 

[Disco Duck]

I figured the nutes are pretty much the same unless you are a real scientist and actually know what you are doing with that:-) I'm just going to use GH this first time around since I have some to start with.

On the "strain"... Don't really know. I am 41 and in my day we laughed at names for weed, or people saying it was "Afghan" or something like that. We thought it was all BS. So I am only now learning real names for things.

I'd like something with a decent yield, known for being an eaiser plant to grow (first time), and something that wouldn't naturally want to be 14' tall. By the names I know, I know I like anything with the words "wreck" (Trainwreck) or Kush in the name a lot. I'd love to grow some type of Trainwreck or Kush if they fit what I am looking for, but I'd rather go for something else if those are hard to grow well or something.

I found two dispensaries I've never been too, neither are all that nearby, that seem to be into clones and have lots of them. I was planning on going to those and seeing what they have there.

 

[Disco Duck]

Oh, I do have a PH/PPM/Temp meter. Do I need to store it in some solution to protect the sensors? I thought I read that somewhere.

 

[Xceptional]

welcome to growing! here is my advice....

KEEP IT SIMPLE! it's easy to get tied up into a bunch of unnecessary extra shit your first run when you come to a site like this because so much advanced stuff is going on that looks inciting or some guys on here will give you good advice but it's well before you need it and it's in good intention but they just get ahead of themselves.

if i were you i'd run a simple formula like the "Lucas formula" (google it). my first run i ran in hydro i ran it and i had a good harvest. i used tap water and had some deficiencies but I'll be honest it was not that bad considering all i had to do was keep mixing the same two parts every week, the simplicity outweighed the slight deficiencies i saw! i got a buddy on his second hydro run right now using the lucas formula with three strains and he has some 2 ft colas that look like they are going to be the size of 2 liters on plants that are about 5ft tall and he isn't even running the lucas at full strength he is only at 980-ppm last time i glanced at his continuous read meter. that's no exaggeration that's the straight up truth and i said this to say more isn't always better when it comes to additives and ppm's both.

if you choose something else just look at how people are running it as many lines people do not run full strength (meaning the dont use as much as the manufactures schedule recommends of every part).

two major points are

watch your ph like a hawk
should not be outside of the 5.5-6.5 range ever in a hydro system. having a bad PH can make your grow look like shit faster then anything. also the less nutrient in your water the more your ph has the ability to move. nutrients have buffers that prevent the ph from swinging all over the place so earlier in life you should be checking it even more often then later but still no less then once a day imo. sure i may go a few days without adjusting ph and with some lines I've not had to ever adjust my ph my RO water and their line just worked where after the initial mix i never adjusted until i had to add more water but i still believe in checking EVERY day and do check every day without skipping a single day myself.

use good water
pay the extra and use bottled water. it may sound excessive but trust me if your water out of your tap is 200ppm or over i wouldn't risk it I'd at least do 50/50 tap and filtered water. tap water can cause issues i've dealt with them personally so i will never run tap water.

 

[TrichromeFan]

I'm sure the GH will work fine. I hear you there, old fart. I am hitting 41 this year.
I used to grow the hindu kush, it was awesome. I would stick with the shorter, indica dominant varieties. I would call the dispensaries first, to make sure that they are open, tell them your situation, and maybe they can give you a little info over the phone.
As far as storing your tester, I never did, but you can use a storage solution. You just pour a little in the cap, before putting it back on. I would get the cleaning solution, and use that every 4 weeks or so. You can do that before you calibrate.

 

[Xceptional]

yes store your meter in some solution!

sorry to conflict with TrichromeFan but seriously i ruined my first ph meter by letting it dry out. My expensive one i have now i forgot to put back in my res that i run continuous was way the hell out of wack the next day since it dried out. ph testing solution works fine dont get caught up in the hype of a special storage solution. also dont use RO water to store it in it does something to the Ions of the diode and throws it out of wack i was told by a guy who knows more about meters then i ever want to. i dont like to give recommendations i haven't tried to many kids online just repeating stuff they read but the RO info comes from a very legit grower/breeder who is very knowledgeable.

 

[Disco Duck]

I will be checking the water several times per day at first, I am sure. It will take a few weeks to get a feel for the water stuff and I'll be checking it a lot at first to learn all that. I'm really planning on doing this for the rest of my life, so I am taking it all pretty seriously.

I wound up wasting $150-$200 on things that weren't needed in the end. It took a lot of reading and studying and planning to only wind up wasting that little. Had I gone with the tent right away I probably only would have spent about $50 unnessarily in setting all this up. With it all done and ready to go, there is only one thing I actually regret buying, and that is the $150 PH/PPM meter.

When I got it the guy at the store was trying to convince me that I'd be better off with probes that are always in the water and a continuous display reading for the water. At the time I thought that was going way overboard for my little "closet grow". Had I known at the time that the hand-held one had to be kept in solution anyway, I would have just got the continuous one. It was about $100 more, but would have been worth every penny. I'd have a constant display outside the tent, and the probes would just always be in the solution.

So my advice to other confused newbs is that the hand-held's are a bad idea. They are like a bad compromise. Either go cheap with strips or a pool kit, or get continuous monitoring. The hand-held is more trouble than it is worth, and if it has to be immersed all the time anyway... you may as well be getting continuous readings. Buying the continuous reading setup and selling the hand-held on e-bay will be the next thing I spend money on for this, but probably not for a month or two.

 

[Disco Duck]

Ok, so even after deciding to just go with GH nutes this first time... that still doesn't end the decisions. I have encountered 3 options for using GH nutes.

1) Standard 3-part system.

2) Lucas Formula (using only two of the parts)

3) Flora Nova (a 1-part system)

So here are my newb questions that will hopefully help other newbs who find this thread in the future...

After thinking about it for a while, my instinct is to use the full 3-part system. The schedule they give shows the concentrations of each part changing depending on the stage of the plant's life. This says too me that the 3-part system is the most versatile and can be used to better support the plants... once you learn how to use it right. Also, as a new grower, I think using a 3-part system will teach me more about nutrients.

On the Lucas Formula... I don't see a big advantage. You are using double of one type and will need twice as much of that type because of that. If you were using 3-part I assume you'd use less of that type because you have the 3rd part... I don't see a big savings here. Wether you buy two bottles once, or 1 bottle twice... you are still buying 2 bottles.

Flora Nova is appealing, just put that one thing in... but I have to assume the 3-part system is superior if you learn to use it correctly.

So right now I plan on using the full 3-part GH system, assuming my thoughts on this are right. Someone let me know if I am just wrong in some of my assumptions here, that is certainly likely:-)

 

[og_kid]

best way to learn how to grow is do it .so get some plants in there and get the fellin.

 

[Disco Duck]

Well... This doesn't look good. I have had everything on for about 2 hours now. The temp inside the tent is consistantly 83.3-83.4 which I think is too hot. It is 76.1 right outside the tent and only 82 outside. It is supposed to hit 90 today.

I thought the temp probe might be too close to the light, but moving it father away had no effect. I only have 1 4' intake, maybe I should put a second in... but opening the door only lowers it too 81.5.

The temp went to 83.3 right away and seems to stay there very consistantly, the highest it's been is 83.6.

Is there any way of lowering the temp 5+ degrees without buying a $400 portable AC unit:-(

 

[Xceptional]

GH 3 part - if you follow this schedule you should be good!

Lucas - notice Lucas Micro to Bloom ratio is only the Aggressive schedule from GH without additives ;)

Flora Nova - QUALITY but here are the issues

#1 it is SUPER THICK. if you dont damn near put it in a paint mixer to shake it you will get inconsistent feeds because the thicker stuff in the nutrient wont be suspended and you will pour off the thinner stuff first. if you use it make sure you shake VERY well

#2 it separates more then i thought it did. at first i thought it didn't but i was wrong. if you run this lineup you will need to make sure your res has lots of movement to keep it mixed up and keep the nutrient from settling to the bottom of the res providing watering that are either too strong or too weak depending on how yoru res is setup. FYI Lucas formula #2 was running Flora Nova Bloom and that's it! that was a revision to his formula that came later. i forget the ML per gal for Nova but a google search will find it for you if you are interested.

as for the ph/ppm meter it's all in perspective of the op as to which type to get. personally i wont get a real continuous read tri meter. i know i said i run mine continuous but it's a Milwaukee SM 100 Hand Held pH Meter and i just leave the probe in and the unit turned on. for ppm i use a bluelab truncheon. for backups i got a Sunleafs PPM meter and litmus strips and a dropper kit for PH.

the reason you can not say which is better is it depends on the setup. for example i run Ebb and Grow hydro bucket system for flowering but i also am setting up a 3 x 3 table for vegging. i dont want to buy two continuous read meters when i could just use one portable set for both. this also allows me to test the ppm and ph of the water that i mix up in 5 gal buckets for mother plants, soiless plants i run around my room, solution for cloning (i use RO water and 200ppm Flora Nova to soak rapid rooters). if i ran continuous meters mounted on my wall all pretty i would need a few sets of them! my battery powered set goes from room to room with ease and let's me do everything i need and to date I've not heard a single claim that any TDS/PPM/EC reader could top the bluelab truncheon.