Growshops, seeds and suppliers

[Jerry Maine]

Thought I'd start a thread purely for Japan growers, with a focus on the best places for seeds, and the cheapest places to get growroom supplies like lights, nutes, etc, and general growroom supplies and ideas you may be able to get from a hardware shop.

Currently I'm in the Kansai region and am heading in to Osaka today, but I wouldn't know where to pick up seeds or any other equipment if I wanted to. This isn't a problem as I'm not currently growing, but as I intend to sometime in the future I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread now so when I do, I know exactly where to go.

In my growing days in Tokyo I picked up some Nirvana seeds from Space Cake in Ueno (http://www.afterhours25.com/) they are somewhat pricey but I was too security conscious to have them sent through the mail to my growing address. I picked up my light, a 250 HPS from an online store using a trustworthy female friend's credit card, but the link no longer works. Here's one I believe an old OG friend got his 400 watter from:

http://sodatu.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi.

Everything else I bought from hardware shops, Y100 stores and the like, including nutes although I don't necessarilly recommend you doing so. From memory, all up including seeds, light, pots, stealth panels etc. it wouldn't have cost me more than Y60,000.

Lastly, I would just mention the obvious and advise if you are going to grow and choof be very careful as the herb is considered a hard-drug in Japan. Don't have seeds or a light sent to a growing address. Don't tell anyone you're growing, even those you smoke with, tell them it's from a dodgy Iranian or Israeli who has agreed to meet you privately every month at a set time and place, no phone numbers.

And never ever do stupid shit like smoking up a cab on the Tokyo dome ferris wheel with your mates.

Jerry

 

[Japanfreakier]

Jerry, long time no see. I haven't been doind much posting since OG went down. Still growing?

 

[Jerry Maine]

Ohisa, Jfreak !!!!!

Nah, nothing going at the moment, current living arrangements make it impossible, aside a gorilla grow, which I regret not getting off my ass and doing in spring. Probably can't grow for a little while yet, but when I next move house I'm factoring it in.

The only other option is to lend my equipment to someone, let them take the risk and take a small cut, but the one guy I think who would do it is a bit too young, potential security threat and it might all get traced back to me.

Have hardly smoked since I was in Tokyo, had about two or three decent choofs the last year and a half, hence the "starvin' Marvin" avatar.

Jerry

 

[Japanfreakier]

I went dry like two weeks ago. Un-friggin-believable. First time I let this happen in like 3 years. Made some iso but that will be gone tomorrow, then we're talking 2 more weeks.

Just about every-time I have helped somebody with clones, equipment, know-how, their promises are forgotten when the harvest comes. 10% becomes 10 grams and so on. Think you're right to pass on the idea.

When you're ready I got some great ideas for you concerning steath and smell.

Did you see in the other thread that somebody translated everybody's old shit onto 2 chan?

 

[Jerry Maine]

Alright, I'm back, and J-Freak, that's exactly what I wanted to hear, even if you posted it 5 months ago.

Currently designing a growbox and a mother/clone box to stealth around my desk. I'm chasing up ideas for the design in the forum, I'll post a link once I start the thread.

It's been a long time, but it's time.

Jerry

 

[Jerry Maine]

Here's a link to the thread I started in the growroom design forum

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=52919

any help greatly appreciated, especially from those with knowhow in Japan. Right now I need a lead for a quality fan that will keep a 45x60x70 grow box with a cooltubed 250W HPS cool enough to grow. The cooltube will probably have a PC fan but I'll need something decent for the box itself.

Jerry

 

[Japanfreakier]

http://www.daikage.com/shop/fans/index.html
If you get one of these kind of fans you won't need a seperate one for the light.

 

[Jerry Maine]

Are they quiet though? I need to go super stealth, this baby is going in my bedroom, and whatever I use needs to be passed off as an aquarium, as well as being quiet enough for us to get some shuteye.

Jerry

 

[Japanfreakier]

Not that quiet. About as loud as the one in your kitchen hood.

 

[Jerry Maine]

I'm going to borrow an idea from Red Greenery, use a glass shield to isolate the light, and cool the growbox separately. For the light I'll use a large PC fan, like the one here

http://www.pccasegear.com/prod2032.htm

And for the grow something smaller like this one

http://www.pccasegear.com/prod498.htm

Red has smaller fans cooling his 150W HPS, and aside from being cheaper, they are considerably smaller, easier to get, fit and replace. Plus I think they'll be as quiet if not quieter. Red has recommended a 65cfm fan for my light, and a 35cfm fan for the box, but I'll err on the side of caution and go bigger. I'll need a bit of extra oomph for the lightbox fan since I'm exhausting through the light trap/utility box. Lastly, I've got the space to add second fans in both rooms if necessary, but I doubt it.

The next obstacle is getting/making a carbon scrubber that'll work in the 13cm wide gap behind my desk, allowing for clearance. However, the fan I'm eyeing up is only 8cm, so I should manage. I'll run two fans inline if the scrubber makes it necessary, but again I don't think it will, given I'll be cooling the light separately.

Jerry

 

[brooklyn]

http://www.daikage.com/shop/fans/index.html
If you get one of these kind of fans you won't need a seperate one for the light.

peace, i got the 6" and like jfreak said kinda noisey but not that much, if throw a dial speed controller, it'll drop the sound down, but if u mask the sound with music or tv or even outside noise it ain't that bad, mines is on 24/7 no prob....warms my room during the winter too...

one!

 

[Japanfreakier]

Take a look at the carbon srubber in my gallery. Easy as pie to make and no smell.

 

[Jerry Maine]

Cool, can you give me the details on the scrubber? I was thinking of getting an odorsok because they are relatively small and at ￥10,000 reasonably cheap, the only thing is I don't want to order it by card.

Also, I found a nice, deep, old cupboard. I'm currently modding half of it, but it's hard to get cracking with the kids about, lol. The grow area will be about 55x65cm with about 130cm head room. It'll be a piece of cake to stealth, but I'm still scratching my head on the inlets. I probably draw air in from behind the cupboard, leave a one inch gap, and use PVC light traps inside. As I'll be using a glass shield I should be alright. Also, I should have space to make a muffler in the unit, and possibly a mother box

Jerry

 

[Japanfreakier]

My filter is just a box with one wall made into a charcoal filter. The air is pumped into the box from the light and there is only one place for it to go, thru the charcoal front. I used hard plastic screen on the front and back, left about an inch of space to fill up with the granulated charcoal they sell at fish stores. The charcoal can be a little messy to work with, to make sure the dust doesn't leak from the box, just put a thin layer of cotton filter (once again stuff used in fish tanks) on the inside front and back before you pour in your charcoal. Wood and charcoal should cost about ¥3,000

 

[Jerry Maine]

I think I need a new bulb. Any hints on the best/easiest/cheapest way to go about it?

J

 

[Jerry Maine]

Here is the site I originally ordered my light from.

http://www.akaricenter.com/akari_suigin.htm

Finally found them, following a business name change and new address. They have tonnes of stuff, but not always cheap or for indoor growing purposes, but some good stuff in there too, and all available in Japan. And ordering through a regular lighting shop, not a hydro shop, is good for security, although they dont have conversion bulbs or agrosun type bulbs, just regular ones.

Jerry

EDIT - wait a minute.....

http://www.akaricenter.com/akari_hid_hps_top.htm#kaku

 

[Jerry Maine]

This sucks, I can fork out Y12,000 minimum for a new bulb here, import a $40 bulb and have to pay for its shipping, or I can just buy an entire MH setup for Y20,000. I'm tempted to do that as it has a good flowering spectrum, and I could one day get a dual cab going with both 250's, one for mothers, clones and vegging, and the HPS for flowering. But I'd happilly just get a bulb.

Anyone know any good places to pick up a bulb?

Jerry

 

[Japanfreakier]

I've seen 250watt aircooled sets in Japan you can buy with converstaion bulbs. I'd go for the ones here for 2 reasons, 1) I've had bulbs break in the mail from the states and 2) If you live in east Japan it's 50mhz compared with 60mhz. You can still use the ballasts, but less power gets to the bulb.

 

[Jerry Maine]

I just want a bulb, but I'd rather buy a new MH unit from Akari for $200 than let them or another supplier screw me $150 for just a HPS bulb. It's cheaper to get a few sent over, even after paying for shipping and allowing for breakage, I'd still be better off than going locally. I've spent the last two days looking around different sites, even yahoo Japan auctions, and they are all a slug.

Probably go with getting a few from the US which should keep me operating for a few years, 2 regular and 1 conversion bulbs or something with an enhanced spectrum for vegging. Alternatively it'll be the 250 MH and fit the glass shield myself like I was planning to. Might go for acrylic alternatively.

Jerry

 

[duggy]

Can't you pick them up when you go back home to visit the folks over Christmas (or whenever you go back)?

Just a bulb, right? I think they're like ten bucks or so and what the fuck is customs going to say on the off chance they pop your bags open?

I've brought my 70w and my 150w back in my suitcase both times.

duggy

ps. how's the back?