Setting up a Condo Grow

[satori420]

Hey guys i'm considering setting up a small grow in a condo. It's two bedrooms, i'll be by myself though. Whichever room it goes in i'll keep it locked at all times. It is owned and not rented if that makes a difference.
I'm just looking for any advice on pulling this off, especially from people who have done this in their own condo.

I know all about using a scrubber and such. I'll most likely use two fans, one for a cooltube and the other for the scrubber. I'll be using S&P fans since their fairly quiet and will do the job.
Trying to decide between a 250w and a 400w.
One big issue is I can't decide whether to use a tent or to buy a cabinet. The tent would be easier to get in and set up. The cabinet would be a little more difficult because I won't have a big selection of tools, so i'd have cut all my holes and such at another residence.
I figure the advantage of using a cabinet is I can leave it sitting out in the room and if anyone saw it they wouldn't think much about it, where as the tent will draw a red flag I'd think.. of course that is if anyone ever saw it.
I do have two closets in one room though, so i thought about shoving a tent into one of them, but then i have to consider the heat since I won't be able to cut any holes or such in the walls.

Basically just thinking out loud here and looking for any advice or suggestions on what I should go with.

 

[SmokinErb]

If you're going to keep the room locked at all times, might as well as just get a tent. I'd go with a 400w personally, but then again it depends on on much you smoke. Good choice on the S&P fan for quiet. The whisperline is another great fan for that.

 

[satori420]

A 250w would keep me supplied for sure, but i'd love to use a 400w to have some extra for friends and family. The only concern really is the heat since i've never used one so have no idea what to expect.
Yea the room will be locked at all times, but should a emergency situation pop up where maintenance people enter my condo, and they happen to enter my room to see a big black tent sitting in there it may raise some eyebrows.

 

[thingshappening]

Are you in a medical state? Do you own this condo? I'm assuming you're not medical and that you do own the place, and will base my advice on that assumption.

If you're the type of person who has people over a lot, and I gather you are, I would not grow your own medicine in a small condo, period.

If you insist, yes, you'll have to get creative and sexy with a stealth cabinet. There is an entire sub-section dedicated to such a practice on this site.

If you can keep a bedroom locked up without too many questions, or, better, you don't have people over much, a tent is superior for obvious reasons: can be "built" in about 45 minutes, designed for growing, plethora of success stories, reliable, etc.

 

[satori420]

Non med state sadly, I do own condo though.

No I do not have a lot of people over, a friend or two at times yea. Then the occasional girl so if it's in my bedroom a tent could prove to be a problem unless it's in a closet or maybe i'll just have to sacrifice a little lol.
I can do a stealth cab no problem and to me a regular sized two door cabinet isn't that out of the oridinary to see at someone's home. It's just getting the actual holes and everything cut out that would be a little hassle and that's why im considering a tent. The breakdown speed of a tent is a plus, but at the same time with a cab all i'd have to do is empty everything out and dispose of it, sure there'd be holes and stuff in it but if there's no evidence what can they do.
One thing i just thought of though, is what to do about harvest. I know trimming everything will certainly smell my place up and possibly other units, with a tent I could just sit inside with the scrubber running and go about trimming.

 

[supermanlives]

go for it. just make nice to all your neighbors and keep smell in check. get a tent and put it in spare room. enjoy

 

[woolybear]

In a condo I would seriously consider using LEDs in a grow tent in the closet. With the HID you're going to need to vent the heat somewhere, plus you have to make sure your circuits aren't the protected ones.

I live in a similar situation and have no heat problems with LED. Also, there's the whole fire thing. Closet is better for stealth as visitors have no reason to look into your closet.

 

[VagPuncher]

I rock a 2 bedroom condo with 6k in lights.

 

[Captain Ginyu]

I rock a 2 bedroom condo with 6k in lights.

You must be a shining beacon to IR. :bolt:

 

[whodair]

spare room 5x5 tent, 600-1000w and 6in vortex...grow once then knock it down...reassemble as needed

would ya rather grow once a year "big" or year round smaller ??

 

[Captain Ginyu]

Point taken W. I prefer to be under the radar, instead of an occasional blip.

 

[RedRain]

condos are easy, just be smart about it

you can use water cooling, or use a mini split

there are many ways to cool.

tents are great so u can break down for fire inspections etc. stay safe and go over kill on odor protection

 

[satori420]

superman - haha i'd love to just buy everything and get to growing but i'm someone who's gotta have everything planned out. I don't wanna drop money and then have to spend more to do it a different way. I'm sure i'll come across as a nice person to my neighbors and they won't ever expect a thing. Smell will definitely be in check as it'll be one of my main concerns.

woolybear - I've considered Led's and I actually own small 63 watt model. However for what I'm wanting to grow i'd have to drop over a grand on an Led light alone plus everything else I'd need. I'd be worried about making my money back in a grow with that much invested. .

whodair- I hear you man, a 600w has always been a dream of mine even though for many that's nothing. I'd just have no idea what to expect heat wise with a 600w. I mean say it's sitting in a tent in an open room with a temp of 70F how much would that change inside the cab? And then how much is it going to heat up my room from all the exhaust.


Redrain - I'm not even sure how to do water cooling or these mini splits, never seen a setup with them I don't believe . And I agree the Tent is great to be able to break down, I'm just worried about the unexpected like if I'm out of town for a few days and someone happens to enter my condo.
In that scenario i'd feel safer with a wooden cab.

Seems to be pro's and con's with both and i've still got time to decide Just trying to bounce idea's around and pick everyone's brain so that I can come up with the best setup for "my" situation.

 

[SmokinErb]

If you want the 400, get the 400. Get an HPS ballast and buy a CMH bulb - those things run MUCH cooler than a standard HPS and are great for all stages of growth. I can place my hand on my CMH bulb after its been lit for hours.

Have you considered running the 250w vertically? You'd harvest about the same as a 400w would in a horizontal garden. In a vertical garden, you don't use a reflector, you run the bulb vertically and place the plants in a circle around the light.

 

[bcell]

I take it the condo does not have a basement? A home office in the basement with a nice 3' x 3' closet is pretty stealth. Some work to build it out.

 

[1quixotix]

Led is the way to go.
But for the time being, 2 tents, maybe dr80's.
Two in-lines, two filters.
HID for flower and cfl/ led for veg.
Blumats, coco and airpots.
Use latex gloves and a long sleeve t-shirt you take off after you are thru working in the tents.
Turn off your circulation fans when you are working in your tents.
Get an ozone machine for when you are in the tents for any length of time, as well as when harvesting.
Limit your ozone exposure.
Dry in the veg tent, above the new plants.
Recycle your coco.
Vacuums seal your trim garbage and dispose of in a city garbage bin, away from any cameras. (Leave no fingerprints).
Be aware of all smell that lingers on you or in your apt that may travel out thru main door or you when you leave and enter apt.
Be extremely cool to everyone and keep your grow ego in check.
Be very nice to the super that works your building (christmas gifts et.al.)
Get some incense or something to cover your smell in a non-electrical way if your power ever fails.
Mild smelling plants.
All I can think of off the top of my head.
Good luck with your endeavors.

 

[satori420]

SmokinErb - I was actually just looking into the CMH bulbs, i'd read about them a good while ago but had forgot all about them until I was doing some research last night. I think vertical grows are neat, and ill certainly try one someday, but for this grow I wanna stick with what i know.


bcell - Nope no basement

1quixotix- Some good points there many of which I've already been thinking of.
Got a question though, can i not just sit in my tents with the scrubber still running while I harvest? or is there some kind of danger in this. I've always been scared of those ozone generators lol

 

[RomulusUSA]

1quixotix - Did you mis-speak about the ozone generator? I would never want to work around one/be in the same room as one. The first link on Google is one to the EPA, I'd read the article if you did mean what you said as you said it. Also, would you still suggest latex gloves if its a legal grow? Maybe not a bad idea being its still not federally legal...

 

[Zen Master]

Got a question though, can i not just sit in my tents with the scrubber still running while I harvest? or is there some kind of danger in this. I've always been scared of those ozone generators lol

screw an ozone genny. Get an oversized carbon filter and run it 24/7 or close to it.

you can blaze in your tent and blow smoke into the carbon filter even, I've done it many a times in areas that aren't fond of floating clouds all afternoon. No health risks.

Vertical takes less to set up than horizontal material wise and increases yield if done correctly. If you're gonna run a 400w (which doesnt blast out too much heat) vertical would be awesome as you could get the plants pretty close and get a MUCH bigger area of quality growth. I hate larfy crap and love how vertical crushes that. Flat is easy and tried and true though, so, to each their own.

a 400 wont put out much heat, if you have cool temps at night, you can run lights on during the night and lights off during the day (if using a tent, make sure its all light tight of course) and that will easily offset the heat of the bulb. (unless you've got scorching night temps)

If this is in a spare room, get a tent and blow that room up. Its gonna be a PITA to explain that humming noise coming from your dresser thats tucked in the corner. Plus shutting it down "Just for an hour while the friends are over" sucks and should be avoided at all costs.

I love DIY such as with a cab, but sometimes its over rated, I'd rather just spend a couple hundo on a quality tent, have it set up and ready to rock in less than an hour, and its movable to a new location quite easily should you ever need to.


A locked spare room with a good excuse is nice. just make sure its an airtight excuse and you arent standing there all like "uhhhh its my friends room" when someone asks why that door is always locked, believe me, they WILL ask. Disregard it with a good excuse and act like its nothing and they'll think the same.



edit: oh yeah, screw LED's wayyyyyy too expensive and only good for veg (given current status in LED tech) a HPS will yield way more, a CMH will yield way more and have a great spectrum, run cooler, just produces a slightly leafier product than HPS.

 

[satori420]

Zen Master - Yea i'll definitelybe running the carbon scrubber 24/7 no reason not to.
Blazin in the tent is a good idea, even though I only vaporize now days so i'll be safe anywhere.

I'll consider a vertical setup but i'm just use to a horizontal, i will give it some thought though.

And now you've got me thinking harder about a 400w cmh lol, your saying low night temps but how low are you talking. Say i'm around 70-72 ambient with the ac running would this be cool enough? Consider the fact it'll most likely be in the room I sleep in so I dont wanna be sweatin my ass off.
Yea i've got a spare room but I just don't like the location of it in the condo, to close to front door and there's window where a lot of traffic will be walking by.

I really want to use a tent it's just their so obvious if it's seen. I can keep friends out of the room it's just managment I worry about since i'll be out of town atleast a couple of weekends this year. If I could throw the tent in a closet i'd be cool even if I had to leave the doors cracked while lights are on but I don't think that'll ever work with an hps light. Whether I roll with a tent or cab i'll still have to deal with he fan noise but I plan on always having a fan running, tv on or possibly gettin a small aquarium and with a loud pump.