1st time grower here, LOVE this site!!!

[DemonTrich]

First off let me say this, THANK YOU for the great site. ive learned a TON from reading up on anything and everything that can help me get my 1st grow going. i am a legal card holder in Mi (3 yrs now, legal that is, lol), and decided to take the plunge from patient to caregiver (able to possess plants). i still have a little bit to go before i turn the lights on, but will happen in less than a month (fingers crossed).

here is what im working with.

*4 dedicated 20amp outlets each on their own 20amp breakers
*2 secret jardin d120 4x4x6.75' (one for veg, one for flower)
*2 apollo 600w air cooled magnetic hps/mh light systems w/30" x 25" x 7" reflectors
*each hood will have a 440cfm fan for cooling w/6" ducting coupled with a digital tempurature on/off
*flower room will have a 440cfm fan coupled to a custom 6"inlet 9"x20" carbon scrubber
*16" adjustable oscillating fan for each tent
*2 lower vent opening w/dust mushrooms for fresh air intake per tent
*all intake duct openings will have dust mushrooms
*soil: KISS 40% FFOF 40% Happy frog 20% Perlite
*nuts: unsure at this time

this is in a basement, always cool even on the hottest days. and basement has a/c-heat registers for fresh air circulation (ill just kick the thermostat to ON instead of auto in the off a/c heat season for a few hrs a day.

i am open to any suggestions, comments, or your doing it all wrong scenarios. lol which im hoping the latter wont arise.

no pics yet. all my hard items will be here thurs/fri/sat.

thanks everyone.

 

[DemonTrich]

edit:
digital ballasts, not magnetic.

 

[Bumbastiklas]

Waiting for pics. And... Good luck, mate!

 

[kooldave67]

Seal of your home heating duct work if any in this setup. Take all factors of having issues out of this grow room. If you are pulling out air you will not need it. Fresh air will find its way in.

 

[DemonTrich]

so your saying to keep the basement a/c heat ducts closed off? i currently have them closed, taped up with cardboard and the air flow divertors are closed off so no air is going to the basement when the heat or a/c is on.

thanks

 

[kooldave67]

Morning demon, yes keep them closed and sealed.This way no smell in the rest of the home and this would seperate the grow from the home. I don't run a fresh air in my drow but I do pull out old air with a 4inch inline. I have never had an issue with this setup.I don't know anyone with an air tight setup so the fresh air will find its way in. This will also help temp flux. Best of luck !

 

[DemonTrich]

sweet, thanks for the tips. any tip big o mll is appeciated. my basement i 1200sq', so i have alot of air to work with. and all the house dust work joints have been taped up for air leaks and energy saving. tent ad lights will be here tomorrow and will be up by the end of th day. depending on how fast the fed-ex/UPS guy can gt my stuff t the door. ordered my 3 fans this morning (a/c hood x2, carbon filter x1). should be here in 5 days. going to get 25' of 6" dust work today and the materials to make my carbon scrubber today as well ad building that too.

one of my biggest hurdles is chosing clones of beans. the clone way is a HUGE decision as i will never trully know the strain (could be getting bullshitted on strain) and the possiblity of getting contaiminated. i have 3 honest local people i ask fo help locally and they offered clones to help me get going.

 

[kooldave67]

I work with 3 stains at the moment and I have yet to get the itch for clones. I like working with new beans every time. Alittle more time but honestly I don't feel like I lose anything by doing this. I would pick one strain that you are willing to stick with forever and when you think you got it down move on to srtain number two. In 7 years its taken me this long to get into more then these three strains. As far as I'm concerned if you grown the strain that's good but if you can understand it then you have grown with it. I love SSH !
Good luck !

 

[TrichyTrichy]

welcome

 

[DemonTrich]

thanks once again. more and more stuff ordered today. ive way over budget, but who gives a $hit. lol

in a 4x4x7 tent, would it be safer (room wise) to go with a 4 plant or 6 pant grow?

id like to do a 2 strain grow. pull a couple clones fom each, and go from there. my current cg only grows G13 pineapple express, which i LOVE. but after 4 months is getting old (if you know what i mean?). i like a little variety. id also like a dedicated cbd strain. i have a rare form of r/a that sometimes kicks my ass hard enough i have to take vicoden to manage the pain. im anti-pain killers unless it gets out of controll.

 

[im me]

welcome aboard bro and to answer your question you can fit 6 in there or better yet 4 nice fat bushes but thats up to you i would go with four fat bushes but thats just my 2

 

[kooldave67]

Fri, Mar 1, 2013. If it was me I would run 6 plants and de foliage.

 

[DemonTrich]

^^
thanks 6 plants LST!! now jus need to decide what strains to grow. 1 cbd is a must.

come on UPS and FED-EX guys. tick tock

i have 2 tents to buld up.

 

[DemonTrich]

making a little progress. both tents are up and degassing. both a/c light systems are put together and sitting on my shelf, my basement locked door is all framed up and installed (LOL!!!, it works). got some panda film for the tent floor. still waiting on my 100oz of charcoal and 3 fans to ge here, then ill set everything up and do a 2 da test befoe i put any plants inside.

 

[Toadstools]

nice!!!

 

[rocketman420]

i would look into making your own soil.it is a whole lot cheaper and you can amend anything in them you want to. i used to use FF soil and i quickly relized im payin for a brand and the soil i make its just as good or better. i use 60% peat moss 40% pelite, 2tbl lime per gallon. you can add earth worm castings, guano, or any kind of bone or blood meal. another thing is look into blumats for watering so you can have a life. make sure the strains you decide to run grow similar for a nice even cannopy. everything else looks like you have done your homework good luck growin, lookin good.

 

[rocketman420]

oh yea i run a 240 cfm cheap ebay fan on my 600 watt hood and i got a speen controler dialed in at 3/4 and my temps are at 74 inside tent and 70 outside. its in a secret jardin 4x4. works great no need in a $100 fan if you are not runnin a filter. just a little money savin tip.

 

[rocketman420]

sorry one more thing, if your gonna run 4 20 amp breakers just run 1 240 v 20 amp breaker. i run 2600w on 1 240v 20 amp breaker and am only pullin a little over 12 amps which is less than 80% draw. when you run 110 it pulls twice the amps. i would run 1 240v 20 am and junction box it and split two plugs and you will be more than fine. a plug down in the basement should be at least 15 amps which would be more than enough to run your fans ect.

 

[DemonTrich]

thanks everyone. i already ordered te fans the the temp controll switch. the hood fans will only come on and off between x temp and x temp. the 250cfm fans were just out the same price as the 440 ones. so i figured go bigger and turn down the time running. ive heard alot of these fans do NOT like to be on fan controllers, they will burn the motor spinning slower than what hey are made to operate at.

took a couple days off from building everything. my fience and i adopted a 10 month old femae marshal ferret. alrady 900.00 i the hole for a massive luxury ferret high-rise, a 9sq' play pen, toys, shots/immunizations, andoter frilly stuff. she is so cute. her name is bella. I migh adopt another one next sunday...maby. they will be my grow guard ferts.

 

[DemonTrich]

so made a little head-room in the the grow build. hood/light and 1 fan in the flower room is up and ducted, hood/light and 1 fan and 1/2 the duct work is up. boy, those 440cfm fans really blow. i dont think ill have any heat issued with the a/c hoods. slowly but surely. need to get another 25' of 6" duct, move some cords around. need to make my carbon scrubber tomorrow. thats goal #2 after getting more ducting.