auto hydro grow tent system OR create my own? for beginner

[whiteout90]

Im a new grower. just out of college and i want to make some money while i work a summer internship so im going to grow medical cannabis.
Ive looked into these "auto grow tents" like the supercloset and other ones like it and ive also watched videos about how to set up my own hydroponic grow system.
My question is, as a beginner, if space is not an issue, should i get a grow tent for my first few harvests so i can learn the ropes or should i jump right into making my own and hoping i do it well so i dont lose money?
im looking for something thats relatively hands-off that i can watch and learn the ropes of while still making money. and then go from there

 

[Alkhemist]

hey whiteout,

when it comes to grow spaces and areas i have always gone with making my own environment- it frees you up to create and customize your environment to fit the total grow area available to you... and it can be quite simple, ive used and have seen some amazingly simple setups its almost laughable but when it comes to hardware i would recommend going with bought gear.. unless you are fluent with electronics and such and can easily make your own hardware i.e. ballasts, light reflectors, hydroponic setups etc.. then thats no issue either.
personally i think you learn more when you are confronted with having to make your own setup.. you learn more about the dynamics and the pros and cons of different grow setups- especially after researching them all and finding the one that best suits your goals and needs.
it also depends on a few factors and what you're willing to risk- if it is indeed a risk venturing into growing your own... things like proximity to others where accidental discovery can become an issue... size of the total grow area available to you... back to proximity- are you able to leave the grow area open a bit where others wont see leaking light?? what do i need to do to extract the air and heat? cut holes in the roof and/or floor somewhere?? etc etc... it depends on how relaxed you can be.. if you dont have that luxury then something like a tent may just be ideal for you as it is equipped with vents for intake and extraction and is great for mere convenience..

an example is a mate of mine who grew 6 plants in 10litre buckets in a double wardrobe in his bedroom. he simply opened the two doors which opened outward, he tacked a length of black polythene over the top(with a hole cut into it to allow his extraction ducting to exit), and tacked a similar length of black polythene across the front of the doors(with hole for intake fan close to floor)--effectively doubling his grow space and creating quite a compact yet efficient grow environment! he hung a single 600W hps in there, harvested a wonderful grow and was done! no work needed to be done to the woodwork/plaster etc or holes cut anywhere!

i have also grown in a corner of a large room.. with simple 1.5M x 2M sheets of white sided corrugated cardboard propped up around the corner to effectively form a rectangular partition in that corner! hung the light there... had no extraction fans or intakes as it was simply in the corner of a large space.. grew 2 LARGE(7foot) bigbud x super skunk #1's and 8 smaller plants of same strain after the two BIG plants and it worked wonderfully.. it was simple yet did the trick BUT i had very little risk in that place... so i had little concerns about smell or light leaks etc...

so, to summarize- it really depends on what you're willing to do, how active you are, how bothered you can be with setting it up and how much research you are willing to do with regards to materials needed to set it up... BUT i would recommend you make your own.. simply for the satisfaction of being able to do so! and then reap the rewards of a successful grow! imho it makes it THAT MUCH MORE satisfying ;] just study schematics of epuipment and tents etc and seriously plan the logistics of making your own grow area.. if the cost of making your own exceeds the cost of buying a pre-made tent or some such you may want to look at going with that option!

goodluck with your decision brother!!

 

[Alkhemist]

just as an example bro, take a peek at the 'recirculating top fed(sprinkler set up) system' im using in my latest grow journal, you can link to it from my signature. its relatively hands off... you simply add to the reservoir with little or no mucking around with lifting out plants as you may do with changing DWC single pots etc.. but again- it depends on what your goals are.. do you want to grow BIG plants? where you may want to look at DWC/RDWC or top feed hydro, like mine OR are you wanting smaller plants? hence may want to look at nft hydro or sog-aeroponic/DWC- higher density planting.

all the best dude

 

[Ozstoner112]

Hey alkhemist I been trying to get hold of you for a while. I need a hand building a setup like yours a recirculating top feed drip system. I have a 54 liter resivour my tent is 1.4x1.4x2 m high and I have a 600 watt grow lush light kit with ballast. I'm just not sure what else I need to be setup and how to put it together I'd like to do a 4 pot system!?