My First Time Growing

[Doctor Dread]

Looks great man!

[jlaudiofan]

Gotta pick up a bigger drill bit, some hose clamps, and some flanges to get the tubing through the rubbermaid w/o leakin...

Never have all the parts even if you think you do

I got anxious last night and got all my pots setup with the hydroton and rockwool... they are just itchin for some plants

I also plan on taking lots of pictures on the process of setting it up, I figure it'd probably be useful to someone

[Ms.Fox]

Sounds good! Lol! I know what ya mean about not havin everything you need. There's always just one more thing.

[FloridaBud]

Lookin good Bro!

[jlaudiofan]

Well, got the basin installed in the table, with the input/output drain and the overflow all hooked up. My reservior is leaking though, so I need to figure out a good way to get the hoses through the rubbermaid without it leaking...

Probably going to use some faucets since I think using just silicone around the hoses will be a huge pain when it comes time to flush out the reservoir. Something with a "quick detach" would be ideal.

I'll post pictures of what I come up with

Here's the lights:


and here's the basin with the overflow and other thingie:

[StonerGrower]

It would be a good idea to paint that container black on the outside.

[4twenty4all]

Looking really good, nice choice of strain too.

[jlaudiofan]

Originally Posted by StonerGrower

It would be a good idea to paint that container black on the outside.

Can you elaborate a little on that? I did buy black spraypaint so it's not a big deal... just wondering what advantages it would have if i'm not going to put a top on it (which i can also paint black). I imagine it would inhibit algae growth some, but with ebb and flow the water would only be in the light when it's time to water..

I will probably do it anyways

[ThatBoyDean]

^^
I think StonerGrower is telling u this so the roots do not receive any light when they reach the sides of your res.

[StonerGrower]

^ That and it could be an algae problem.

[jlaudiofan]

Ok. I'll spraypaint the basin then.

So, here's what I came up with:



Keep in mind i'm using toro 1/2" blue strip irrigation line (i have over 200 feet left over from the garden irrigation) so this application is a bit unique.

I also wanted something so i could quickly and easily detach the hoses from the reservoir so it will be easier to take it outside and dump the water, and hose it out.

That's what these are for:


They have the standard garden hose 3/4" threads... Which is perfect for the 3/4" toro part:


the other short plastic piece goes into the actual reservoir:


The goo in that picture is the "Plastic Fusion". This stuff is GNARLY. It rivals PVC primer / cement in toxicity (and flammability!!!) Put out that cigarette before you screw with it.

MAKE SURE if you are doing as i did, that the 3/4" hose threads are ON THE OUTSIDE of the res. It's the threads I noted in one of the above pictures. I threaded them through the holes i cut, from the INSIDE.

I really want to test this shit out, but I am going to wait until tomorrow to give the plastic stuff at least 12 hours to dry and setup.

More pics and details tomorrow :)

[StonerGrower]

If the glue is as bad as you say it is I wouldnt use it...

[jlaudiofan]

i'm not sure that it'd be toxic after it dries... It looks like regular plastic already. I could probably apply a heavy coat of silicon over top to seal it from the water... Would also ensure against leaks.

Thanks.

[Harry Red]

Originally Posted by jlaudiofan

I think I want to use these in the top of the table... Will it be enough for 6 plants or so? I think they're all 40 watts
Feedback much appreciated!

A friend of mine just vegged 15 plants using basically the same setup you have, six 4' 40watt flouros. They grew to very well under those lights and hit 14"-15" before he moved them under his HID light.

I really like the idea of using flouros to veg and would have probably went that route myself, had I known they how well they worked when I started. I had originally planned on using a single grow area and light, swapping from a MH to an HPS bulbs but quickly realized that I needed separate veg and flowering areas to keep a perpetual grow going.

I don't know if I have much confidence in using flouros to flower but I haven't really tried (except as supplemental lighting). From what I've read, many don't think flouros are nearly as good as HPS for the flowering phase but I've saw where others have gotten good results. You can always try the flouros for flowering to begin with and move to HID if needed. I just wonder about the penetrating power of the flouros. Maybe a scrog would be best, so you have a nice even canopy and the ability to get the flouros right down on budding sites.

Looks like you're preparing properly before you begin, which is a smart move for getting the best results.

+++luck

I know you said the cab was 4x2 but what are the heights of your top and bottom shelves?



Harry

[jlaudiofan]

I'd really like to try the scrog, but i'm not sure if this papaya strain is suited for it? Or is that a technique you can use with pretty much any strain?

I just finished getting the stuff all sealed with silicon... It says 24 hours to fully cure but i'll try it after a couple hours. Still got some more spraypainting to do

I'll get the measurements for the table here in a few minutes and post em.