[Murphy]

HI ALL! (got that from T-Bug, always thought it was funny dude, and I've read your'e threads, Respect Brother!) I'm pretty much done no but still have small things to and I'd like my fellow growers help, advise and suggestions to make it better.

The fast facts for those that don't want the details:

Total Cab size is 30" deep, 36"wide and 46" high
Total GROW space for plant height is about 30 inches
All Dutch Master Neuts and yes, I use and believe in Liquid Light.
Currently at 1950 PPMs/6.08ph


Cab details
It was an entertainment center these are the 2 sides stacked together. I cut the bottom of them out and put 1X4 around the bottom to gain a little height and you can't tell that it didn't come that way. So we have a tub sitting directly on the floor and holds about 18 gallons,.On the back wall is an elf carbon scrubber. It's shielded because I want it to pull all of the air from the top to get heat out of the cab. Duct runs ....semi straight up and a 4 " vortec is mounted on top of the cab and the duct is then run into the celing that goes to an open room (laundry).

The Light
400 watt Cermaic Metal Halide in a 2 foot umbrella reflector. Here is where I went in a different direction than most cab grower, with the CMH bulb, I get UVB that an air cooled reflector would block. I order it all before I knew how I was going to do it. I have the DIY gift, I can build anything but I lack in the planning section. I can't sit down and plan something out and get the parts and slap it together as I planned it.

The summarized build
The basics with lights and cabs is always fighting the heat issue. I found "my" way to combat the heat, I recessed the reflector into a "shelf" so there are 3 levels to the cab.
One the floor sits the res, 1/2 inch above that is the grow tray with 5 inch pots with a PVC "fence" holding them in place and for a later scrog screen to connect to. Above the grow area is the "adjustable celing" so I don't have the light suspended from the top, the frame sits on dowels. I can adjust it from about 10" to 26" high. I and only limited on the low side because of the carbon scubber and 6" from the top of the cab from the reflector depth.

How and why it works
To start, like the title says there's a 400 watt Cermaic Metal Halide bulb for lighting. I put a large inlet vent up high on the back of the cab, the scrubber is in the grow area so the air gets sucked in through the hole where the socket mount is, I bought this other 4" 115v 130cfm fan and hung it so it blows directly on the bulb and the with the air getting sucked through the hole, I have great air flow and there is nowhere for heat to build up.

Temps
I found a thermometer that came with a very small wired probe, I have 2 of them and and other one that is wireless. I know it's overboard, but this is the first run in the cab, and I need the thermometers for 2 other cabs later.
A probe sitting on the top center of the reflector stays at 2 degrees above the outside room temp. Inside the grow area, I have a probe mounted on the socket mount, 88 degrees, on the lip of the reflector, 83 degrees. I set one of the probes on the tallest bud closest to the buld for 2 light on periods, highest temp, 86 degrees. Dropping down to the 1/2 way point in the cab, the temps are in the mid to lower 70's.

I tried to be detailed, but I'm smoked up so I may have missed something needed for the questions I have.

As you can see, I've got 2 plants further along then the others, the reason for this is a novice mistake, I switched the test plants to 14/10 lighting for 10-12 days before the others were added to the system. I then found out, Grape Krush will flower under 14/10 lighting.

This is embarrasing but I just don't get calibrating my PH meter, it's a hanna, ph, ec, ppm, I forget the model number but it's the black one that is waterproof. I mean I feel like a retard with this thing. It says "keep the probe wet" ...... I try but, it does dry out.

I'll get better pics.

[Murphy]

The photos were taken just before the lights came on, I will ge t better photos but the cab is in a small room and it's hard to get the entire cab in one shot. Sorry for the poor quality, I just wanted to snap off a few so you get the idea.

Carbon Scrubber





The hood/Celing









Here are the differances in height due to some unforseen problems where a lost a few and replaced them with younger seedlings.




And here is "Mission Control" along with a small shelf to hold a few things. I try to use evey inch I can.





Better Pics coming!!!

maybe im wrong, but arent those all males?

[Murphy]

To be honest, I think so.... They started out looking one way, over the past week, they grew to look like this. I'm not an experienced grower. I only have 2/3 of a previous grow under me, that I had to take a complete loss on last year. This is my second grow, I thought in the begining that they were female, pistals, not nanners. ......maybe I should stop wasting time and start hacking these down. Denial and lack of knowledge can be a bitch. I had a few that were definate males and picked them right out.

[EasyBakeIndica]

Wow...it's truly a rare thing to see so many mature males. Grown in hydro, no less.

I can't spot a female in any of those pictures.

What seeds are you using?

[la resistance]

looks like a bunch of males to me

at least they're pretty!

[Murphy]

Shit, shit and shit........ All are DJ Shorts Grape Krush.

[guineapig]

In a few days, you should wake up to find your grow room covered in a yellowish-dust, which is made up of pollen granules.....

Often in a grow the taller plants will turn out to be males.....

You are doing a good job though!!!! They look very healthy.....

Do you have any light-leaks during your dark period? Just curious.....most people stick to 12 hours light on/12 hours light off, but yes, you can induce flowering with a 14/10 schedule.......

kind regards from guineapig

[Murphy]

......I guess on the positive side, I'm opening up a shit load of space for the Serious Seeds AK 47 seeds I have waiting.

[Murphy]

Originally Posted by guineapig

In a few days, you should wake up to find your grow room covered in a yellowish-dust, which is made up of pollen granules.....

Often in a grow the taller plants will turn out to be males.....

You are doing a good job though!!!! They look very healthy.....

Do you have any light-leaks during your dark period? Just curious.....most people stick to 12 hours light on/12 hours light off, but yes, you can induce flowering with a 14/10 schedule.......

kind regards from guineapig

I asked around with a few Grape Krush growers, 14/10 sends them to flower. It's' the strain.Before I knew that, I read a thread that said people were doing the week before flower to "get the plant ready" so I did it. No light leaks, I've been paranoid about it. I tape the doors evey night.