Cliffbuds Micro Stealth LED Box

[Cliffbuds]

Hi everyone. This is my first journal and hopefully my first harvest in my new stealth box. I’ve had some bad luck so far in this box, but hopefully things start going my way! This box is super stealth, hidden in the rafter of my garage. It’s completely silent, but it’s starting to get cold in that garage!

Box Size: 11”x11”x30”

Lighting: 4x 12w 1500lm 2700k Led with domes removed. Light cycle is 18/6. There is an Arctic f12 that can be used to blow directly on the bulbs to cool the box, but that isn’t needed at the moment.

Ventilation: 1x Arctic F12 pc fan powered by 6v dc adapter. This fan pulls through 3 x passive intakes with pc dust mesh over them.

Odour Control: 4”rhino pro carbon filter. The pc fan is high static pressure and is absolutely able to push air through the filter.

Heating: 40w tube heater and 5w heat mat under pot, controlled by reptile thermostat set at 23c.

Temperature range is 22c to 26c, humidity is on the low side between 35% - 50% RH.

Strain: Chem Bomb Auto by Humboldt Seed Organization. Currently 2 days old.

Pot size: 3 litre food container with hole in the bottom.

Medium: 100% Canna coco professional

Nutes: Hesi Coco soft water version (orange bottle whole grow). One watering so far, 2ml per litre ph 5.8. I’ve got ph down and liquid silica for ph up if needed. Super simple. NPK is 3-4-5

 

[TorturedSoul]

Interesting mini-box. I generally recommend foregoing the shiny stuff and, instead, painting the interior walls (very) bright white, either flat for maximum diffusion or eggshell for the next thing from that but with durability and ability to tolerate being scrubbed/cleaned. I suppose you've used it for some insulation value? Might gain some small additional (light-energy) efficiency next grow by moving it to the exterior of the box and priming/painting the interior white.

Is your soft water nutrient product for locations that have little calcium in the water supply, or does it somehow lock up the sodium added by residential water softener devices?

Did you encounter difficulties in removing the covers from your lights? What method did you use?

Do you anticipate running out of headroom before harvest?

 

[Cliffbuds]

Interesting mini-box. I generally recommend foregoing the shiny stuff and, instead, painting the interior walls (very) bright white, either flat for maximum diffusion or eggshell for the next thing from that but with durability and ability to tolerate being scrubbed/cleaned. I suppose you've used it for some insulation value? Might gain some small additional (light-energy) efficiency next grow by moving it to the exterior of the box and priming/painting the interior white.

Is your soft water nutrient product for locations that have little calcium in the water supply, or does it somehow lock up the sodium added by residential water softener devices?

Did you encounter difficulties in removing the covers from your lights? What method did you use?

Do you anticipate running out of headroom before harvest?

Hi bud, yes it certainly is a different sort of box isn’t it!

You’re absolutely spot on about the insulation aspect with the wall linings, I’ve used it in a previous box and find it excellent helping to keep the temps up.

My water is low in magnesium and calcium, I’ve suffered with deficiencies before growing in potting soil with organic nutes. On my first grow in this box wit hesi, I gotsigns of deficiencies at 3ml per litre, so I bumped it to max strength (5ml) and it greened everything up nicely.

To remove the covers I just popped them off with a flat head screw driver.

Headroom wise, I plan to use lst as the plant grows, maybe a bit of supercropping and pruning if necessary to keep the canopy in order

 

[Cliffbuds]

Temperature has dropped right down today, made decision to run the lights 24/0 to help keep the environment more stable

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Nice setup Mr buds

A hotter bulb, throw a 100 watt incandescent in there for more heat. I'm not sure but maybe even a colored may run hotter. 40, 60, 100 or colored should give you 4 different heat settings.

I see you've a shallow pot, if you can place your plant higher up you can take better advantage of your root space. Maybe something like a half solo cup sitting at the very top of the pot and let the roots spill out the bottom..

 

[JimJonesJr]

Nice little box. Reminds me of my first indoor grow. Sounds like you've got a grip on what ya need to do. It'll be fun to watch her grow.

 

[Bionic Chronic NZ]

Nice brother. I’ll tag along for the grow.

 

[VetSmoke85]

Love a stealth cabinet. I'll follow along. Some cool white bulbs might do you better while she's vegging and then switch back to the 2700k when she starts flowering. Just a thought.
I got 3 of the arctic fans when I built my cabinet but no matter how I wired them they just wouldn't run. Got a refund and got to keep the fans though.

 

[Cliffbuds]

Nice setup Mr buds

A hotter bulb, throw a 100 watt incandescent in there for more heat. I'm not sure but maybe even a colored may run hotter. 40, 60, 100 or colored should give you 4 different heat settings.

I see you've a shallow pot, if you can place your plant higher up you can take better advantage of your root space. Maybe something like a half solo cup sitting at the very top of the pot and let the roots spill out the bottom..

Thankyou mr loblaw

In the corner, that long white tube is a 40w heater. It is controlled by that wire probe paperclipped to the pot. Should it drop to 72f, it fires up. There’s a 5w mat under the pot that also fires up to keep the roots warm. So far it’s keeping it toasty

 

[Cliffbuds]

Nice little box. Reminds me of my first indoor grow. Sounds like you've got a grip on what ya need to do. It'll be fun to watch her grow.

Thanks man, be glad to have you along for the grow

 

[Cliffbuds]

Nice brother. I’ll tag along for the grow.

Got you a seat right up front pal

 

[Cliffbuds]

Love a stealth cabinet. I'll follow along. Some cool white bulbs might do you better while she's vegging and then switch back to the 2700k when she starts flowering. Just a thought.
I got 3 of the arctic fans when I built my cabinet but no matter how I wired them they just wouldn't run. Got a refund and got to keep the fans though.

The Home Bargains in my town didn’t have the 12w 6500k in stock . My experience with autos is a light schedule of 24/0, they stay stocky with tight nodes whatever spectrum you use. But 2700k is definitely the fastest.

What adapters were you using on the fans buddy?From experience if you wire them up wrong first time you fry them. I can take some pics if that would help you? Mine isjust a generic 6v adapter. The Arctic p12 will push through a rhino no bother. If it gets colder I’ll try a 5v adapter to slow it down a bit more

 

[VetSmoke85]

The Home Bargains in my town didn’t have the 12w 6500k in stock . My experience with autos is a light schedule of 24/0, they stay stocky with tight nodes whatever spectrum you use. But 2700k is definitely the fastest.

What adapters were you using on the fans buddy?From experience if you wire them up wrong first time you fry them. I can take some pics if that would help you? Mine isjust a generic 6v adapter. The Arctic p12 will push through a rhino no bother. If it gets colder I’ll try a 5v adapter to slow it down a bit more

Fair one. I got a 3 pin adapter and wired them to that, tried different plugs, wired them straight onto the 6V adaptor etc. Wired them the right way but just wouldn't work. The seller even asked me to send pics of how I'd wired them and agreed they should have worked. Was a bit odd. Ended up using eluteng 5V USB fans instead. Done the job nicely.

 

[Cliffbuds]

Fair one. I got a 3 pin adapter and wired them to that, tried different plugs, wired them straight onto the 6V adaptor etc. Wired them the right way but just wouldn't work. The seller even asked me to send pics of how I'd wired them and agreed they should have worked. Was a bit odd. Ended up using eluteng 5V USB fans instead. Done the job nicely.

That’s some bad luck pal. But if your current fans work that’s all that matters. I see you’re a micro grower too, have you ever played with these led bulbs you can remove the bulbs on?

 

[VetSmoke85]

That’s some bad luck pal. But if your current fans work that’s all that matters. I see you’re a micro grower too, have you ever played with these led bulbs you can remove the bulbs on?

Yeah it did my head in. Ah well. The ones I've got make a little noise but easily hidden. I started off with a DIY light rig with e27 blurple bulbs but soon upgraded to the HLG board.

 

[Cliffbuds]

Yeah it did my head in. Ah well. The ones I've got make a little noise but easily hidden. I started off with a DIY light rig with e27 blurple bulbs but soon upgraded to the HLG board.

Yeah I just checked out your grow. Those quantum boards look amazing. If they made a 30cm square one I’d be all over it! I’ve seen a few of these led bulbs, but honestly the home bargains 12w are consistent, 17 chips per bulb so not too harsh

 

[VetSmoke85]

Yeah I just checked out your grow. Those quantum boards look amazing. If they made a 30cm square one I’d be all over it! I’ve seen a few of these led bulbs, but honestly the home bargains 12w are consistent, 17 chips per bulb so not too harsh

Whatever works mate. The QB is no bigger than 30cm. I think it's 27.5. It's the 65W one. They seem to be getting harder to find though. When I've got spare funds I'll look for the 3000k one to put in my new flower tent. They're perfect for small grows.

 

[Cliffbuds]

Whatever works mate. The QB is no bigger than 30cm. I think it's 27.5. It's the 65W one. They seem to be getting harder to find though. When I've got spare funds I'll look for the 3000k one to put in my new flower tent. They're perfect for small grows.

Why don’t you try a few 2700k bulbs like I’m running? Some growers in other forums are having awesome results.

I’ve settled in this forum mind, it’s proper chill isn’t it?!

 

[VetSmoke85]

Why don’t you try a few 2700k bulbs like I’m running? Some growers in other forums are having awesome results.

I’ve settled in this forum mind, it’s proper chill isn’t it?!

Yeah I'll see how this cheapy LED panel I've got performs but may have to consider something like that. Set it up using stuff I had left over from my first build. Can always wire up the old blurple bulbs if need be too. I know they work okay but wanted to try this panel out.

 

[Cliffbuds]

Yeah I'll see how this cheapy LED panel I've got performs but may have to consider something like that. Set it up using stuff I had left over from my first build. Can always wire up the old blurple bulbs if need be too. I know they work okay but wanted to try this panel out.

I’m going to be keeping an eye out for some 6500k like you suggested, if I can get them I’ll run 2 of each spectrum