In need of some first timers advice

Basically i finally got round to ordering some seeds and a lighting system. My grow space will be a chest of draws at the end of my bed (not easily accesssible because my bed blocks the draws and my tv it on top of it). I however, have smashed through the bottom of the bottom and midle draws so when you take the top draw out there is a large space that nobody knows about! Basically, im thinking ventilation is going to be a problem, given the fact there is none. What i was thinking of doing is attatching a small self powered fan (something like a pc fan) to the side of the growbox. Does anyone know either where to get a small pc like selfpowered fan or how to power a computer fan, so that at least there is some air exchange. I will also be putting a very small oscilating fan in with the plants to improve strength etc. Any information would be much appreciated.

 

Well the PC fan idea will work well. You can probably pick them up a a PC supply store or Radio Shack type establishment.

You can use an old 12v DC adaptor and solder the leads to the leads on the fan.

 

You genious. Iv got some old fans i think so i will def do that. Is it worth me putting two in would you say? im on an incredibly tight/non existant budget so i just wonder if its worth it.

 

hey, yea two would be even better. one on the bottom for intake and on at the top for exhaust. What kinda lights ya runnin?? If it's just a few cfl's or somethin you could just use one pc fan at the top for exhaust and then have a few holes in the bottom for a passive intake.

 

ok so the light i have is a 400watt Son T Plus lamp, and Dutch Shiny reflector. To be honest id on't know that much about it, but i know it has a dual spectrum bulb (red n blue), and it comes with a reflector, ballast and plug. Yeh two fans sounds like a good idea. They would have to be the opposite way from each other wouldnt they? so one sucks the air out and one sucks it in, am i right? also, i don't think i am going to be veging them for very long due to the limited grow space. Any experiance wiuth smell odours? cheap and cheeful ways to sort it at all? my room does generally smell of skunk so it should be ok, but itd b nice to have something. I don't have any nutes as of yet. Any advice you can give me? im thinknig of a sea of green setup for like 3 or 4 plants. I will go and take some photographs of my grow space and show you what im dealing with here to get a better idea of what i am doing.

 

ok, your light is a HPS correct? If so your going to need some major ventilation in that small space. A 400W HPS creates much heat......to give you an idea i have a 3ft X 3ft X 5ft space with a 400W HPS....with no fans going it can easily get to 110-115F. I just recently upgraded to a cool tube and a 150CFM exhaust fan and finally my temps are in the 75-80F range.

Now your questions.....
"They would have to be the opposite way from each other wouldnt they? so one sucks the air out and one sucks it in, am i right?"

They don't necessarily have to be opposite each other but definately have them on separate walls. Make the fan on the bottom blow air into the area (intake) make the fan at the top suck the hot, humid air out (exhaust).

"also, i don't think i am going to be veging them for very long due to the limited grow space."

Yea id throw them into 12/12 light cycle (flowering) about a week after they sprout. Then you'll still be doing some topping and or training. It is doable.

"Any experiance wiuth smell odours?"

This is one area i don't have to worry about. Smell doesn't much matter around here. But here is a link to a Do It Yourself (DIY) thread HomeGrown420 - Best Homade Scrubber By (Sun is Shining) Pt. 1. Not sure how cheap it is but i hear it works very well. Also, icmag,com has a great growers forum with a great DIY section. There is bound to be one or two that are cheap and work.

"I don't have any nutes as of yet. Any advice you can give me?"

Well i haven't had the best of luck with buying nutes. First i tried Fox Farm nutes......there soil is great but in my opinion there nutes are just a tad too much and definately easy to overfeed. Right now im on a strictly organic kick.....here is how my babies get nutes. I buy a totally organic soil (you can find organic soil at places like lowes, home depot, etc), then i mix in blood meal and perlite for vegetative plants. For flowering plants i mix in a small amount of blood meal, a good amount of bone meal, some dolomite lime, and some perlite. This seems to keep plants pretty happy. Although sometimes at the very end of flowering before you leach the soil....i sometimes have to add a very small amount of my Fox Farms flowering nutes to the water, as i said im not very fond of the Fox Farms nutes, but they work if your in a pinch and need it. Now that im done rambling.....my best advice to you is find anything that is cheap and totally organic...since your not doing vegetative for very long i would look into organic nutes that have a medium, even number of N,K and a pretty high P (N-P-K). Apply at 1/4 strength of what the nutes call for and go from there.

But i can't stress this enough, your going to need some really good ventilation in there......you might want to look at some CFL's for this grow and then use the HPS once you get a little bit bigger space.....fans to keep the area cool with the HPS on are goin to cost quite a bit....but if you insist to use the HPS then start lookin at ebay for inline fans or duct fans.....i wouldn't suggest anything under 250CFM for exhaust and nothing under 100CFM for intake. A small fan blowing on the bulb, and an oscillating fan set in the corner of the grow area will help. These HPS lamps really really create alot of heat, number one thing on your mind as far as the growroom is concerned should be VENTILATION!!!!!

Well this took longer than i thought it would, so if its really long and doesn't make sense im sorry.....but you should get the idea. Good luck.

- 42o -

 

link to icmag's Do It Yourself section...
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=40637

 

go to ebay and punch in muffin fans there just like computer fans just stronger and a hell of alot cheaper

 

Ok, iv chosen the fans im going to use:
120mm Fan max airflow is 79.2 CFM (2200 Litres/minute) and i will be using two. Will this be sufficiant? The size of the chest of draws is:
28.5" Width, 15.5" backwards and 23" Tall, so obviously height is a big issue. Depending on how expensive it is, i might buy a bigger cabinet, and thats if the plants work lol.

 

Im pretty stoked and can't wait to see ya get up and running but, a 400W HPS with a batwing reflector, in that tiny space is going to get way way too hot, even with those fans your thinking about getting.

This might help ya get an understanding, the volume or your drawers/grow cab is about 6 cubic ft., I also use a 400W HPS but its in a cool tube, the volume of my grow cab is 45 cubic ft, went and got a 250CFM exhaust fan and a 100CFM intake this weekend. The intake air comes from under my house so it is pretty chilly intake air, my temps are spot on perfect at 73F lights on and 67-68F lights off. This is all in a sealed cab aswell. So in a 6 cubic ft grow cab with a 400W HPS, even if you had the fans i have (250CFM, 100CFM) it would blow right into the 90-100F range......probably hotter.

Basically im trying to tell you a 400W HPS isn't going to work in that small of a space with the equipment and money your putting into it. I would say save yourself the frustration and build or buy a bigger space before you do anything.

By the way you said you have a 400W HPS.......haven't you turned it on and seen how frickin hot these lamps get???? Just turning it on in an open area you'll get an idea of how hot they get. Best of luck man, just trying to save you alot of frustration.

 

if ya can you should post a pic of your light.

 

meh, im still going to try it lol. Erm, i can't take pics of my growlamp as of yet, I will do when i fit the fans. Basically, im going to have two intake fans and 2 outtake fans, all 12cm. How often should i be watering these? I have just been spraying them with water daily, when they feel dry. Is this ok? I can see the start of what is popping through the soil which i am fairly excited about.

 

ok, i took some photographs of my light equipment. Lamp, reflector, balast and wires. I am contemplating buying an envirolite and putting it in my reflector and then unscrewing the cable from the balast and fitting a plug onto it. You have all made me scared to use the 400w beast so im thinking i might save it for when i have more grow space. Would this work?
anyways heres the pic:

 

you should go with a smaller watt bulb say a 150w or at the most 250w the running temp from a 400w hps bulb is 350 degrees farehieght

 

you should go with a smaller watt bulb say a 150w or at the most 250w the running temp from a 400w hps bulb is 350 degrees farehieght

 

one way to help with the temps is to locate the balist away from the cabinet, people have grown in things similar and smaller to what your doing so it is possible. i just think it might be tooo much light.