First time builder: What do you suggest?

I am preparing for a move and at my new location a stealth box, tent, or wardrobe of some kind is a necessity. Unfortunately, space and funds are both at a premium and even after a few solid rounds of research I'm still unsure as to what exactly I need.

The space I have to work with is, at most, 36 inches (90 CM) side to side, 24 inches (60 CM) front to back, and 48 inches (122 CM) high. Here are some of my questions for the moment:

1) How many plants will fit in my space? I need to be able to grow 4 ounces every 60-70 days, more if possible.
2) What size intake and exhaust would you recommend?
3) Should I use CO2 in this space, or would the infusion of fresh air from the intake make that a pointless gesture?
4) How many watts of lighting would you recommend?
5) What size should my exhaust fan and carbon filter be?

Any advice, suggestions, anything is welcome. I appreciate the help in advance.

With all due respect, I'd strongly suggest reading the Ventilation 101 and DIY blackout intake designs first.

Having built my first cab that was absolute shite in terms of stealth, I've learned from many mistakes. Namely: Do not go cheap on parts. Seriously. It's not worth building a cab if you think it'll fall apart on you while you're out of your place.

1. Depends on strain, among other things. Some sativas are probably automatically out of the question for you because of space limitations. You can get amazing yields from individual plants if you take the time to train them (see Low Stress Training or LST). There are also methods like topping or FIM'ing.
(bear in mind, some strains respond well to topping or FIM'ing and others can lose out on maximum yield because of them)

2. A general rule is that exhaust size needs to be 2x larger than your intake.

3. Additional CO2 is often considered a waste until a set-up is dialed in.

4. Wattage (in my opinion) shouldn't be chosen until you have a solid ventilation system planned out. For a cab, I have really enjoyed using Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH) lights. However, there are plenty of success stories with other types as well.

5. I can't really help you here yet, but I'm really digging S&P brand fans. Absolutely top for the price.

hello man i have almost the same space as you are talking about
plants i would say 4-5 max in the space again it depend on how big you want to go. you can go only 1 plant in there or 2 just grow bigger plants.
and i have a carbon filter in there to ^^that smell is strong late flower if you dont exhaust it out side. what size fan i would say go as big as you have the money to if you want to make a bigger grow room later and then just buy a fan control .
and i have a 400watt hps on my room
you dont need co2 in that small space i would say waist of money - its how you want to spend your money


i am throwing some pics up from the room in next week if you want to look how i decided to make my room

hope this helped

Your best bet is going to be researching what others in here have built as that will give you a much better understanding of what you'll be able to achieve.

The DIY link-o-Rama will have around 10 threads relating to micro grow builds. May also be useful to start hunting around for a suitable cabinet or wardrobe/box that fits your dimensions before you look at plant count or wattage.

I would say do this.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=29593

What he just said and, research Forums/Grower Forums/Micro Grows and Read it a lot. Check out what Bueno Time, DiscoBiscuit and mtnjohn's cabin(et). I would give you links but I'm too lazy so google those names + icmag. good luck!

KalidoscopeMind said:

I am preparing for a move and at my new location a stealth box, tent, or wardrobe of some kind is a necessity. Unfortunately, space and funds are both at a premium and even after a few solid rounds of research I'm still unsure as to what exactly I need.

The space I have to work with is, at most, 36 inches (90 CM) side to side, 24 inches (60 CM) front to back, and 48 inches (122 CM) high. Here are some of my questions for the moment:

1) How many plants will fit in my space? I need to be able to grow 4 ounces every 60-70 days, more if possible.
2) What size intake and exhaust would you recommend?
3) Should I use CO2 in this space, or would the infusion of fresh air from the intake make that a pointless gesture?
4) How many watts of lighting would you recommend?
5) What size should my exhaust fan and carbon filter be?

Any advice, suggestions, anything is welcome. I appreciate the help in advance.

Click to expand...

Welcome to Microgrowing- be warned, it's an addictive hobby! For your ventilation questions, there are already some great posts and DIY tutorials on this site. Search for them, and they'll talk you through the formulas to compute how much fan power you need for proper ventilation and cooling.
As far as lightning goes, you can get a 150watt hps fixture that would fit your cabinet for about $80 online. Just be sure you have enough ventilation to keep temps down. If you have problems keeping things cool or need to spend less on lighting, it's hard to beat compact fluorescent bulbs and standard light sockets. Throw in as many as your internal cabinet temp and electricity bill can handle. Better to have more lower watt bulbs than a few higher watt, as it lets you distribute the light more evenly.
A cabinet your size should be able to handle 4-6 plants or more, depending on the strain and how you prune and train them.
Don't expect to get a maximum yield your first grow. It takes some experimentation to get your lighting, nutrients, ventilation, and pruning/training dialed in, even if you have experience with larger grows.
There are many talented growers on this forum, but if you only look at one thread to see what is possible from a microgrow, I'd suggest this one:

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=190726

Thank you! I appreciate all the wonderful feedback! I have already taken a look through the links you all recommended and will let you all know what I come up with when the time comes to get things together.

Similar newb here and love the links posted. thanks all!