First grow - I need a review of equipment

[SpaceLulu]

Hello everyone,

I've been thinking about growing for a year now, and finally I have all of the conditions to do so.
I have decided to buy a grow tent kit which includes:
- tent 100x100x180cm (that is around 3.28x3.28x5.9 in ft)
- reflector
- 600W HPS bulb
- 600W MH bulb
- balast
- 2 ventilators
- humidity and temperature measurement tool
- timers

Besides this i plan on getting:
- Cool tube, and a fan for it
- Carbon filter (later along the way depending on the smell)
- pots, soil and additives

I have the seeds, I have 4 feminizes and I will start only from them and hoping that 3 of them will take root.
Now I would like to know what do you think of the setup? Is 600W too much for the size of the tent, and should I maybe start with 400W? Will 600W produce too much heat to control even thou they are selling it as a kit.
Do I need CFLs for the pre-veg part?

I have been reading up, and watching various materials for quite some time now. And I feel ready to give it a go. But I just would like some consult on the very start and the equipment I will be using.

Thank you

 

[JuanCarlos]

No a 600 watt light will be just fine with an air cooled hood. The setup looks fine. You can sprout seeds with CFLs or T5 bulbs, up to you.

 

[Weaselcracker]

Having a dimmable ballast for the veg part is super convenient, I change my settings constantly based on what's going on in there. I'm guessing that if your setup comes with both a Mh and Hps bulb- that it has a digital dimmable ballast(?).
You'll need a good ph tester as well if you don't have one. The option of testing ppm is nice as well.

 

[JuanCarlos]

As usual Weaselcracker coming through with some great advice. I looked at getting kits but decided ultimately that I could get exactly what I want for about the same amount of money by buying everything separately. I don't know where you are located, but many people are surprised at the amount of stuff that Amazon has for growing.

 

[SpaceLulu]

@juan Carlos, @Weaselcracker on the ballast itself it doesn't actually say if its dimmable or not. I will check with the seller and if its not I will get the CFL.

I live in a small country in Europe that is not a part of EU, so ordering over Amazon is a nightmare because they charge customs for that.
I don't have a very wide choice of suppliers, and I calculated that as a kit I will get some small discount. The kit itself will cost me around 300euros without the carbon filter, and cool tube. In the kit itself they give you some light reflector and I will try to convince them to give me a Cool Tube instead of that light reflector (because CoolTube has that in it). Will see if that will work.

I'm planning of using soil for growing and mixing it with perlite in 50:50 ratio. Hope that will be enough.
They give some additives and fertilizers with the kit, but will have to look into what they are actually giving and get the right stuff.

 

[JuanCarlos]

Yeah, you are in a tough spot concerning getting equipment, so I really can't offer much advice there. Get the best you can, cool tube or air cooled reflector would be great otherwise you will need some cooling for the grow area. Good luck.

 

[SpaceLulu]

Will get an air cooled reflector and hope that will be enough. Some special cooling for that area is not a possibility but will think of something.

 

[Weaselcracker]

Don't stress over the details- dimmable ballast, etc- if you can't buy exactly what you want there. Plenty of great bud has been grown under a bare bulb, using a gnarly old magnetic ballast and soil borrowed from the garden. I know, because that's how everybody I knew did it when I started.
You will need venting or some sort of cooling, but generally something is always possible with a bit of ingenuity. Fans and ventilation supplies/ducting is commonly available in scrapyards and junk piles if you have to scavenge.
A lot of the time people seem to have great equipment, but soil that is too rich, or sometimes too acidic or alkaline. Then they go through hell trying to correct it. No need to get fancy, more important that you just have the basics sorted out. Good luck!

 

[SpaceLulu]

@Weaselcracker - hey. Yeah, i guess everything does not need to be perfect

I actually got my setup, and managed to assemble the grow tent, at least I think I do.

Now, on the fan I got it says that it should push the hot air, not pull it. But I wanted to use it as an exhaust fan. I hope I can use ti as a exhaust fan, it says it can take higher temps then normal fans.

2nd thing, I have no idea how to attach that fan. I would like to put it in a hole of the grow tent, and connect it with aluflex ducting range. But there isnt anything to hang it onto, or something like that. And it is too heavy I think to just put it in the hole and hope it won't fall. :/

 

[LungButter420]

@Weaselcracker - hey. Yeah, i guess everything does not need to be perfect

I actually got my setup, and managed to assemble the grow tent, at least I think I do.

Now, on the fan I got it says that it should push the hot air, not pull it. But I wanted to use it as an exhaust fan. I hope I can use ti as a exhaust fan, it says it can take higher temps then normal fans.

2nd thing, I have no idea how to attach that fan. I would like to put it in a hole of the grow tent, and connect it with aluflex ducting range. But there isnt anything to hang it onto, or something like that. And it is too heavy I think to just put it in the hole and hope it won't fall. :/

Hey there,
If i were you i'd attach ducting to the open side of the cooltube and run it out the other side of the tent if possible. This will make your cooltube setup more effective. I think you'll be alright if you're sucking air instead of pushing it, but someone else might want to chime in. Also, keeping your fan outside the room is best if possible as it radiates heat as well. Looks like you're on the right foot tho

LB420

 

[svebban]

New grower, but I think of my self as a fast learner.

Im gonna tell you right away that im from sweden and my english may be riddish, so sorry about that.
If you only use one extracor fan then dont pull air from outside. But my advise is that when you have money enough you do this.

One fan push air from outside into the buld an dout of the tent.
One fan extract air from the ten (and in my case, from a carbon filter then from the tent) and outside.

That is the best way!