Help Me Design My Setup

[bobzawatha]

I know there's a learning curve, but I'm doing tons of research to minimize it the best I can. With all your knowledge from your experience, how would you design the most ideal grow system based on these considerations (money is not a factor):

The space is a spare bedroom in an apartment complex and is 10 x 14'.

So I'm most concerned about odor, temperature, and air flow. However, the most important consideration is to make it as automated as possible because I sometimes have to leave town for 4 days and don't want anyone else involved.

Should I have two separate chambers, one for veg and one for flowering? If so, should the veg chamber be smaller to make more room for the flowering? Or should I make them both the same size and swap out the lights based on the phase they are in?

OR, should I use a dual spectrum light in both chambers so I can take each one from clone all the way thru flowering and then stagger them so they flower in intervals to keep a consistent harvest going?

I was thinking of going with the Deep Water Culture system for the automatic watering with no worry about timers failing or any clogging and whatnot. Is there another well tested automated system I should consider?

Are LED lights good enough yet? Or should I stay with the traditional MH for veg and MPS for flowering? My goal is the biggest, baddest, best buds I can grow. I'm not concerned about the cost, either startup or continual.

If I go with a traditional light setup, what about the heat factor? How much of a pain in the ass is it to constantly monitor the temperature and cool it?

If I have separate chambers, can get away with just a carbon filter in the flowering chamber? Or will the veg one put out quite the odor as well?

Is there an automatic CO2 system I should use? If so, does it need to be timed with the fans? I considered one of those turn-key closets for this reason, but then found a bunch of bad reviews and feel like I should put it together myself.

What about a light mover? Needed?

Any other considerations to tell me? Thanks!

 

[2dialed]

going big 4 a apartment..... i'd say the hard part will be the exhaust vents from running 4 1000 watt lights. look at your circuit breaker box an see if there's any room to add breakers cuz you will probabaly need to add ac as well. good luck, definetely tier 5 territory in my neck of the woods

 

[TorturedSoul]

Smell can travel in an apartment building. It would seem that a "room within a room" (actual room, cabinet, tent) would be called for. Along with a good carbon filter on the exhaust from it.

Sound can travel in an apartment building. Fans and pumps can be noisy.

Landlords/maintainence personnel can travel into an apartment. They are legally required to give 24 hours notice. Most will. Some will not. Even if yours plays by the rules, can you completely hide a setup such as you are envisioning in a day?

If money is no object... Get a house.

Otherwise, go small and stealthy.

 

[HealingKronic]

i am growing in a spare room in my apartment... check out my journals to see how i do it. start with my dankouver grow because it covers the construction of my room.

i used the closet in the room for veg and sectioned off half the room for flowering because i can only use one light and that is all the room needed. if you plan on having more than one light then make sure you have enough power on the circuit your using. i dont so its one light for now unless i run an extension cord from another room....

as far as smells and sounds... i have never had any problems... i have fans running and of course the ballast and i just be sure to set the ballast and such on sound dampening foam or magazines...

airflow i use the window in the room and a parascope type air tunnel:

the grey area is plastice i have to cover from unwanted light and the parascope is pulling air in low on the floor so it can rise and fill the room. fans in the room draw this air inside.. i have my apartment AC running throughout the year but with this air drawing parascope and a few fans i maintain 80 degrees in my room...

screw LED you may as well use fluorescent lights youll get the same low yielding results. you also dont have to use MH for veg i only use fluorescent for veg then HPS for flower. i get great results.

hope that helps!

 

[7thtoker]

yeah you can probably get good yields with some good floros there...