Investing in a new setup - Achievable goal under 3k budget?

[RiddleMeThis]

I will be moving soon and will have to start from scratch building this growroom. I have some questions regarding my productions goals and whether or not they are achievable under our budget.

My goal is 2#/month. I know the strain plays a pretty big role in my ability to achieve these goals, but ideally the strains we will be growing will be a fairly high yielding 60 day strain.

Our budget is 3k or less.


The plan is a 4x8 Silver Ed. Hut

As far as lighting, I was thinking 2 1ks. Would I be able to achieve the same production out of a single 1k on a movable light rail? Also, are the benefits of dimmable ballasts worth the extra cash? Keeping production in mind, which light setup would be the most ideal?

I plan on using coco coir as a media and will be hand watering the plants. To keep perpetual production of 2#/month, what do you guys think would be the most ideal plant setup to achieve these goals? Assuming we will have a fairly high yielding ~60 day flowering strain, what number if plants would you suggest, and how long would you recommend veg'ing the plants prior to flower to achieve this?

Considering the 4x8 will only be used for flower, and keeping in mind the space the plants will require during vegs, as well as some room for mothers, I was thinking of getting a 4x2 tent equipped with a 2x2 4 bulb t5 and a 250/400w MH? Is this going to be enough space? Is this an ideal light setup?

I might be able to get my old 2x2 back with my 250w switchable ballast and 4" fan. If I created a second level in the tent, could that work considering it would technically be the same square footage? The height restriction would require a shorter veg time...

Sorry for all of the questions, any help would be awesome. The main answer I am looking for is whether or not my production goal is achievable under a 3k budget. Any input or advice on how to achieve this goal under the budget would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys!

 

[Hydrolized]

Your asking for 2lb per 1kw including veg time (if you use the tent as a veg tent also)....which is usually only obtained with lots of experimentation, experience, CO2, perfect strain, etc. Not impossible, but not everyday occurrence either, especially with a brand new setup.

Your budget is another story. There are many roads to take when setting up a grow. You can go "super Macgyver", buying all used equipment, open cheap ass hoods, used ballasts from Home Depot Dumpster etc, all the way to brand new top of the line stuff, or anywhere in between. I set up my 4x8 with top of the line stuff for about $2500, but that's not including all the ancillary stuff like nutrients and random setup items like window boxes (if needed) random electrical supplies etc.

I'd say for 3k you can have a nice 4x8 and then some, but the 2lb/month is going to come with time.

 

[ThePizzaMan]

i would start with a 4X8 ebb and flood table. coco gets old quick because you have to dump the shit somewhere. it's dirty..and the speed of which you can clone and transplant in hydro is far superior to coco....trust me...i am running both...and have finally thrown in the towel with coco coir. it's nice and all...but if you are looking for #'s and turnaround time...with as little hassle as possible...you want to be growing in water. Assuming you are going to be there to check up on the tent often...hydro is just as safe as coco.

you mentioned dimmable ballasts.... the great thing about them..is that you can veg your clones in your flowering cab..and take clones of them before you flower...to cut down on your mother and veg area. Veg in your flowering tent for 2 weeks..take clones...and 16 plants per 1000w light(assuming you have a high yielding relatively quick strain)...will def. net you 2#'s per every cycle. It's just a trade off...also...if you want..use the first few runs to get some $$$ to build out a 4X8 veg area...you will not need a tent for that...and you can cut your veg time to 0...and have a well oiled perpetual machine. you could also get 4 1000's on a flip box...and run two 4X8 tents for flower...and have 2#'s every month.

3K should be more than enough $$$$ to get started. Start with magnetic ballasts...you can always upgrade to digital later down the road. Botanicare white trays...ez cloner..or turbo klone(48 site)...snapture fittings for your stands to be used with PVC....Botanicare fittings for flood and drain...396GPH ecoplus pump...couple of air pumps and stones for rez....100gallon flat reservoir....

As far as nutes...i would start with gh one part with some additives...you can always spend $$$ on nuts down the line if you have extra...

did I miss anything?

TPM

 

[Hold Your Fire]

I can say no to the light mover. They do not make up for a lack of light.

PizzaMan's plan sounds like a good one, if you don't mind hydro.

 

[jm420]

I just about done setting up a 5x5 ,and I'm already at about 3k

Inline fans 200
tent 300
ac 300
osc fans 40
co2 setup 750
1k setup hood bulbs ballast 500
carbon filter 100
fan controls 50
airpomp75
nutes 150
misc.airlines ,air stones etc..200
genetics 300

IMO a 4x8 will be closer to 3500 ,but 2 pounds is doable all you need to do is hit .5 grams per watt.I would think done right you should hit closer to 3lbs.

 

[Hydrolized]

2 pounds is doable all you need to do is hit .5 grams per watt.I would think done right you should hit closer to 3lbs.

He wants 2lbs per MONTH....which means he would need 4lbs/cycle. Which would be 1 gpw

 

[Jamorg13]

i say ditch the light mover idea, unless you want sparse fluffy buds.

 

[jm420]

He wants 2lbs per MONTH....which means he would need 4lbs/cycle. Which would be 1 gpw

My bad.

2 lbs every 30 days in 32 sq feet is gonna be tough no matter how you look at it .2 4x4 trays (sog) mite get a pound plus every 30 days.When dialed in maybe close to the 2 lbs.

 

[FunkBomb]

You can easily get that kind of setup running for under three grand.

Secret Jardin 4x8 tent - $350 @ cheaphydroponics
2 x Budget Grow II ballasts - $220 @ plantlightinghydroponics
2 x Yieldmaster II 6" supreme reflectors - $180 @ plantlightinghydroponics
(includes socket and cord sets)
6" Hurricane inline fan - $70 @ plantlightinghydroponics
6" Carbonaire filter - $100 @ plantlightinghydroponics

So right there you've got the big ticket items at $920, not including shipping which would probably be another $100-200 for all that stuff. Add in genetics, soil, nutrients, containers maybe $400-800. You can add an air conditioner and a clone machine and still be under budget.

-Funk

 

[Brother Bear]

You can build a really nice 4x8 tent for less than $100. 2x3's and some black and white poly. Duct tape and staples, your set.

 

[praisehim.]

i would build my rooms,using proper materials.. fitted with ac. Its about the same price, and way better then a tent.
You wont be able to achieve 2 pounds a month unless your environment is fully in your control. Once you get your room operating properly, then, i would look into getting plants.

oh and light rails are shit. dont waste your time.

 

[ThePizzaMan]

1) source your genetics first, because..unless you live in a med state....access to that amount of clones can be hard to come by safely. Try Reservoir, Chimera, Karma, connoisseur, Mosca, Carpe Diem, etc.. all are reputable.

2) I would skip Co2 your first few rounds...get everything to where you are getting consistent results..and then add C02... I will also mention...that C02 in tents is a bit silly..there is no way to seal them... you will have to build or start using sealed rooms if you want to use it

3) Carbonaire filters(at least the 6") are EXTREMELY heavy, hanging it will be impossible.( I had to stand mine on a bucket in the corner of my tent) save yourself the room in your tent..and go right for the Phresh filter from www.plantlightinghydroponics.com my guess is you will be using 6" inline fans..so you will need the 6X24" filter which is like $150.00 shipped or something like that. Phresh filters are super light.

So to recap....Start with one tent...ebb and flood 4X8..magnetic ballasts...gh nutes...

Start looking for your genetics right this minute..because it takes a long as time to grow and veg and take clones.and then you have to clone them....i would also like to recommend you keep your moms in hydro..the rate of growth is going to be a good thing if your are going perpetual..also transplanting will be a breeze. You will also need hydroton..it costs some $$$ Im guessing at least 4 50l bags to get started in your 4X8 with 1 gallon wilma pots.

once you get your first crop over with...i would think about getting a flip box or relay for your 2 ballasts so you can run 24/7..and have no problems achieving your 2# per month.

Cheers

TPM

 

[jm420]

I dont know if i consider those "big ticket items" besides the tent.The cost and heat of those ballast are not worth the cash IMO,1 6 inch fan is pushing it as well.
My co2 system is what put me at the 3 k mark.After spending 2k on everything else whats another grand.
The biggest reason to invest in a quality digi ballast is after 3 years the savings in electric pays for the rest of the stuff."Hydro" seems you forgot bulbs as well theres another$ 250 for cheap or $4oo + for quality.Imo it will take all of 3 k to setup a tent thats gonna pull 2lbs a month

 

[jm420]

co2 in a tent is doable, got to be dialed in and dont open the door every 10 minutes

 

[ThePizzaMan]

What about odor control though JM? He will need negative pressure in the tent right? Will he need to have a secondary fan and filter in there or something? I was always under the impression that there was really no point in doing it in a tent. Please explain.

TPM

 

[jm420]

my 6 inch fan pulls directly threw my light with a damper on 1 end so its pulling air from the room not from the tent if that makes sense..The damper is only there for light reasons .my 4 inch inline is connected to a 4x20 active air filter for odor control as well as myac are run threw my enviormental control with exaust coming on at set times.my co 2 is set on a co2 control .to keep desired levels..
So in theory it should work,without a big waste of co2,I could be wrong though.Keep in mind this project is almost ready to start and i have yet to figure out all the bugs.I do know the tent seals well with just the 4 inch fan pulling into the tent it blows up like a balloon.so im quite positive it would be considered "sealed".So I guess to answer the ? is yes my odorcontrol and exaust are not intended to pull heat from the 1k it has its dedicated fan .All the talk about fans just got me thinking its gonna be another 100 for mufflers.

 

[RiddleMeThis]

As far as genetics, I just need to pick the clones I want, and ultimately see for myself what they can do. Some of the clones came from Cali/Colo. Last I saw, he had Casey Jones, Lemon Headband, Purple Kush, Lemon G, Violator Kush, G13, and some more I cant think of off the top of my head. Not sure how legit these genetics are, but having smoked a few of the strains already (the lemon g, purple kush, and lemon headband), they seem to be legitimate. I also have my decent Dutchgrown Sweet99 pheno which yields a ton, and some seeds left from that, as well as some old OJD genetics. I will likely try the clones available to me before messing with seeds.

I am looking for 1#/mo minimum, 2#/cycle (60 days hypothetically). I realize many of these strains wont allow that type of production (except for maybe the casey jones which I am hoping is a nice pheno), but I would like to build a setup capable of handling that type of production.

The original plan was a 4x8 with either 2 1ks or 2 600's, and handwatering coco.

Starting to look into ebb&flood. Water location may be a bit of a hassle, but I would have to manage anyways. My biggest concern is a freak accident of some sort resulting in an overflow/flood/huge mess.

 

[RiddleMeThis]

Starting to like the idea of the ebb & flood idea... Thinking about maybe 2 4x4's over a 4x8 table to allow me the ability to cater to diff strains nutrient needs if I am running more than one strain.

Was looking at some complete 4x4 kits. Found one for 365. It includes: Flood and drain fitting kit, Eco Plus 185 Pump, Black Poly tubing, Multi pin timer, 4 gal res, and flood tray (although this particular tray wont quite fit the tent, only by .75".)

Although I did find 4x4 and 4x8 trays that would fit a tent, I was wondering if using a 3x6 or 2 3x3 trays would make much of a difference in yield since there is still 32sq ft of light space for them. Not sure if this would limit too much ground space?



As far as the tent goes.... I used a tent for my first grow, in a house with 5 roomates. I didnt skimp on my setup (good tent, good fan, Phresh filter for space limitations, hps etc) and had some pretty good results, not to mention I never once raised any suspicion from my roomates(although having to trim in a 2x2 tent was extremely difficult....) Anyways, I am comfortable with the security they provide, and the lack of construction it would require to build a room... Not to mention the ability to disassemble the setup with ease if there was an emergency. The current guy that produces my genetics uses big tents (granted I did suggest them), and we have had nothing but success with them so far.

As far as Co2 goes.. I understand the concern of an unsealed room, however I do plan on sealing the room the tent will be in, to the best of my abilities. My grower uses these Co2 buckets with replaceable cartridges (I believe they last 90 days?), and they have done wonders for our production. That was the setup I intended to use for my setup. Does anyone have any experience with Co2 buckets? For the price (like 150 or so for the bucket and like 90 for the replacement cartridges), how do they compare to the more technical/expensive Co2 setups?

Thanks for all the help guys, you are all seriously the f'n best

cheers
riddle

 

[RiddleMeThis]

Sorry for all of the posts, forgot a few things...

Will a 6" Fan and Filter be adequate in venting the 4x8 tent and 2 1k lights?

As far as cycling the plants for harvest, and since I am considering 2 separate ebb and flood setups, I was thinking of cycling 16 plants every half cycle. This would reduce the space needed for veg a bit.

I am not used to dealing with this many plants, as we normally run 5-6 at a time in our 4x4 with about 2 months veg time. The thing is, there is no set perpetual cycle, and the old man hasnt done a great job of dialing it in imo.

With this many plants, am I vegging them at all? How would you guys recommend I go about this?

 

[lordofthenugz]

Check this out. https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread....ight=1000+coco Also check out after he is up and running, how he added automation using Pico's DIY manifold. Here is the link to Pico's DIY manifold https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=62654&highlight=manifold . You can have two different 4x4 "tent" like areas to make it mor perpetual and get the yields you are looking for.

Good luck and good growing.