First Time Growing - Advice Welcome

[Duggan]

I just said f it and got a 6" fan and filter Now running 440 cfm for a 3x2x5 tent. The filter that came with the 6" fan is TREMENDOUS compared to the one the 4" came with.

Overkill is good, it will work when you upgrade to a bigger tent. 4x4 is a good size.

Cheers

Sent from my SPH-L720T using 420

Morning.....yes , i can't mention this enough....oversize the exhaust fan /filter combo and run it at a max. of 80 %. I recommend a 6" set up over a 4 all day long , unless of course your GR is very small! Oversizing this combo gives you way more flexibility...for shore! have an awesome day guys....cheers.

 

[Duggan]

Hey Noob....Nis....got a short one for ya's....."Ya late!!!!!"

 

[cmay]

Ok so what's up with these filters. They really don't scrub the air 100%. Am I buying the wrong ones or something. This six inch still puts off a tint of bud. I mean I'm 7 weeks into flowering one sour diesel and one Ak47. Is that diesel too strong for even the 6". These are VT fans and filters. Bought as a package so I know the fan and filter match up. Getting frustrated and stressed out at this point.

 

[Papageno]

Mine works great. I even go smoke out by my tent and blow my smoke by the inlets.

Either you have a bad filter or a leak. When setup correctly there is only one place it can leak.

Setup like this it can only leak (in a smelly way) at the filter to fan interface, which is easy to fix. If that is good then you have a bad filter. Mine is fine after multiple grows.

All that is great advice you really want to run it slow not just for the fan motor life but also the slower you pull through the filter the better the filter works.

So I usually run my 400 CFM fan on 400 CFM filter at 1/3-85% speeds. Only when it gets hot out do I need to pull full tilt. But in summer I can do veg under low LED lighting and drop it back down.

I have a much bigger fan and I may upgrade to a bigger filter to match in the future. I wouldn't want to put my big fan on the 400CFM filter and over run the filter and burn down my motor.

After I move I may set that up and use the 400 as input side. But right now at 400 the negative pressure is just about right. A little high but I like that.

 

[Duggan]

Ok so what's up with these filters. They really don't scrub the air 100%. Am I buying the wrong ones or something. This six inch still puts off a tint of bud. I mean I'm 7 weeks into flowering one sour diesel and one Ak47. Is that diesel too strong for even the 6". These are VT fans and filters. Bought as a package so I know the fan and filter match up. Getting frustrated and stressed out at this point.

Top of the day to ya cmay! Yes, VI is most correct with his reasoning. Check the joint between fan and filter. As well, try and only run it at 70-85% of full speed.DO NOT run your fan any less than around 65% full speed. It is way too hard on the motor windings The longer the air is in contact with the carbon , the better job it does. I've been using a Can #33 filter for three yrs....24/7/365 coupled to an Ostberg 6" fan and lemmy tell ya , you can put any strain ya want in my GR,...stand in my work shop ( where it exhaust's into) and you smell nothing but fresh , very well cleaned air. These Can filters ...i very highly recommend! Also cmay , make sure you change the pre-filter often. It doesn't have to be the pre-filter it came with ....any air handler pre-filter mat'l will work. VI's example looks like a very well thought out system...i like how ehe has it way up , nice and neat, out of the way , with a short run to exit the tent,...very efficient. If you can't get the filter working properly ....i suggest, a change in manufacturers. Cheers and try and have a stress free night!

Mine works great. I even go smoke out by my tent and blow my smoke by the inlets.

Either you have a bad filter or a leak. When setup correctly there is only one place it can leak.

Setup like this it can only leak (in a smelly way) at the filter to fan interface, which is easy to fix. If that is good then you have a bad filter. Mine is fine after multiple grows.

All that is great advice you really want to run it slow not just for the fan motor life but also the slower you pull through the filter the better the filter works.

So I usually run my 400 CFM fan on 400 CFM filter at 1/3-85% speeds. Only when it gets hot out do I need to pull full tilt. But in summer I can do veg under low LED lighting and drop it back down.

I have a much bigger fan and I may upgrade to a bigger filter to match in the future. I wouldn't want to put my big fan on the 400CFM filter and over run the filter and burn down my motor.

After I move I may set that up and use the 400 as input side. But right now at 400 the negative pressure is just about right. A little high but I like that.

Good day VI, sound advise for cmay brotha....reps on the way!

 

[Papageno]

Yeah 1/3 is a bit low...60% is better...but that fan is cheap (like 85$ or so). In fact the filter is more expensive. If I can double the life of 2 filters running them slow I paid for a new fan.

I love amazon.

 

[millertm]

Sour will out smell any filter. If you got the VT combo with filter, fan, speed controller, for $140 or so it will not work very well. That carbon is junk. CAN makes a filter but the small one is CAN33, that's 33 lbs of charcoal. Filters by CAN will work but are expensive. Sour are some of the stinkest smoke and my area outside was lit up for last 6 weeks.

Cheers

Sent from my SPH-L720T using 420

 

[Duggan]

Sour will out smell any filter. If you got the VT combo with filter, fan, speed controller, for $140 or so it will not work very well. That carbon is junk. CAN makes a filter but the small one is CAN33, that's 33 lbs of charcoal. Filters by CAN will work but are expensive. Sour are some of the stinkest smoke and my area outside was lit up for last 6 weeks.

Cheers

Sent from my SPH-L720T using 420

Evenin millertm, yes you are right about that cheap set. Someone once said to me "buy cheap,....buy twice!" That's why i spent so much on my fan/ filter combo with the Can #33 and the 6" Ostberg inline fan. it's slightly oversized for my GR but i'm glad i have this pair. I have said previously on other journals the combo is three yrs. running now at 24/7/365 and i believe changing the pre-filter as often as i do,...and run the fan at 70-75% has helped it last. If i had to buy another set tomorrow, i would get the same.The Can #33 was 200 Can. and the fan was 200 Can. Expensive pair , but worth it, wouldn't you say. Anyhow gettin a lil bagged...long day with the young one....never stopped all day....wah , wah ....cheers miller , noob, and gang

 

[cmay]

I thought that VenTech was suppose to be a good brand, filter and fan wise?

 

[Papageno]

I use Phresh...it is the BOMB. I have never used CAN but they are the gold standard. Never heard of anyone having a problem with either.


On the Phresh website they have a calculator. You plug in your dimensions and they tell you what you need. Go a bit bigger and turn it down like we said and you are golden.

I think mine came out to like 320 CFM so I got the 400 and can run it lower with confidence.

All you really need it enough of a fan to create negative pressure so all the air leaving the tent is coming from the filter. That fixes the smell. Not the heat. To fix the heat may take more.

 

[cmay]

All you really need it enough of a fan to create negative pressure so all the air leaving the tent is coming from the filter. That fixes the smell. Not the heat. To fix the heat may take more.

Ok brother so lets say i have an heat issue which i do. How do you fix that because i thought that whole set was to cool the tent and scrub the air? When i ran the 190cfm in the tent it wouldnt cool it off enough and the temps went into the high 80's and thats when the AK did an about face and went down hill from heat stress. She had recovered for the most part. Look at my next up date pics. You can still see some of the burnt leafs.

Also VI what are the dimensions of your filter. It looks to me like a stubby? They sent me the 6 inch set up with came with a filter that i almost laughed at. Its 6''x24''x20''tall. Its nearly two feet its a monster compared to the other one for the 4''. Now is this normal to have and how the hell do you fit this in a tent with it being 2 feet long.

 

[cmay]

UPDATE:

Since my last one i been dealing with stink issues. Goes to show you that growing sour diesel probably wasn't the best choice to grow in a very stealth environment. Live and learn i guess. I upgraded to a 6' 440cfm ventech with matching filter.

I did a water change yesterday and gave the AK-47 the same nute amounts as last time. This time i dialed down the nutes for the sour as some of you made mention she is very green this late in bloom.

I basically have noticed the calyx pop up and now they have white hairs shooting out of them. The AK47 didn't have them it seems. Is that normal? Does sativa and indica have different looking calyx when flowering?


Here are The most recent pics from today of SOUR DIESEL.

Mix Shot of Sour Diesel and AK47

These are a few shots of AK47

You can still see some burnt leafs still. Those are from a newbie mistake of lifting plant up and hitting led while i did a water change. I didnt know what i did til a day later when she started looking different.

Thats about it for now everyone. Im trying to check the tri's to see where im at with them. Im 54 days into flowering them today and of course the breeder says 67 days for the sour and 65 for the AK. Thats my ball park time that im going by. I have been reading that letting sour go longer is the way to go for top shelf D. Some place i saw ppl letting them go to 85-90 days. I mean at this point whats another 2 weeks when you been at it this long!!!!!

If someone see's anything or has advice, criticism, or just wants to try and make someone feel good about their ugly heat stressed nute burned plants please speak up

How long do you flush with a drain to waste dwc system. Is one week more then enough to give her time to clear out those nutes, especially since i toasted the sour?


And this is for anyone who contributes or just reads my journal.....Have a great day

 

[Papageno]

Those are great dude don't worry. You are just going to want to do a nice slow long cure. But yes in Hydro you can get a decent flush in 48 hours but most do about 4 days.


Regarding the filter...


I have a very small grow space. I am not a pro. I am home hobby Jack ass. I have just a 5' x 5' x 7' tent. 175 Cubic Feet. With a 400 CFM setup I can run it a little low and pull out all of the air twice a minute. That keeps it about as cool as you can get. I have a filter on my inlet vents and a box fan by one helping to pull in to reduce the load on the filter fan.


It really matter where you put this. The air you are exchanging with matters. Running your outlet away from your inlet matters.

They always send me nasty emails when I link people to products on amazon so I will just tell you the name and you can google to see the dimensions or go to the phresh site.

copy and paste these lines into amazon...

Phresh 701005 Carbon Air Filter, 6 by 16-Inch, 400 CFM

Hydrofarm Active Air 6 inch In-Line Fan 400 CFM



I also picked up this bad boy and it works great and is in my opinion super cheap.

Thunder (TM) Inline Duct Fan for Hydroponic Fan Blower with Quiet Operation - 5 Year Manufacturer Warranty ! (8-INCH)

But that guy is for a real good sized load.


When I move I probably will setup to use the big one on the outlet and the small one on the inlet and match them to reduce loading. But I need to either get a much bigger filter or run an adapter to the filter which allows for places for leaks to form. So I want to burn through my filter first.

 

[cmay]

Phresh 701005 Carbon Air Filter, 6 by 16-Inch, 400 CFM

Hey VI whats up bro,,
Thanks for tips man, i wanted to ask you how come you went with the 6x16 inch and not the 6x24 filter? Just curious was it a space issue using the bigger one?

My plants look beat up to me haha. Like they been through alot, not as pretty as before i burnt her and then nute burnt the sour. BUT its the end result im mostly concerned with.

 

[Papageno]

I eat burnt toast all the time. If you want to send it my way I can take care of it for ya.

I went with the 16 incher because it was all I needed. That is overbuilt for my space. I could overbuild more...

A tent is much smaller then one might think.

 

[cmay]

Village
So your exhaust is that filter and fan? That's strong enough to create negative pressure and remove enough air to keep the tent cool? I felt like when I had the filter in the tent it didnt draw enough through the carbon filter. I think the answer to my own question is DUH 190cfm dude.... Guess that's was the issue, no?

 

[Papageno]

yup....

Like I don't have to drop to 750W until it is in the upper 80's outside. If I offset my grow another 3 hours I could probably stay at 1000. It doesn't get that hot often round here.


As soon as you start removing air you will have negative pressure unless there is an inlet fan. I have an inlet fan so I can't drop my filter fan below a certain level. If I do then air escapes the tent through zippers and such and that is smelly air.

 

[cmay]

Village...Honestly how bad does nute burn affect the overall end result? I mean after you take the necessary steps to dry and cure. So is it mainly a cosmetic issue if you don't flush and cure properly that is?

 

[Papageno]

well to start with burnt stunts so burnt plants have reduced yield but that is water under the bridge.

So the real deal is that deep green.


The first thing you note in seeing Nitrogen overdosing is a deep green. it goes unnoticed by many because they misdiagnose it as healthy. Cannabis should be light vibrant green not deep dark green. That green comes directly from Chlorophyll but indirectly from the plant packing on too much nitrogen in the leaves.

The whole point of the cure is to get this bacteria to go through and eat up all the left over sugar and chlorophyll. That makes it less hash and not smell like hay and brings out the phenos terpins.

You have a lot more.

I let my plant go through a more natural process where in the autumn they loose their leaves and by the end is nearly cleaned out to begin with. Your plant is packed full!!!

So go easy on the last few weeks and cure slow and long... Not super long.


Just be awesome and everything will be super fantastic!

Happy Monday!

 

[Reddog99]

I see people posting about their plants getting overheated. What temperature is too high? I am just at the stage where I'm trying to gather the information I need to set up a tent in a extra bedroom and I expect the summer (inside) temps to reach the mid 80's. Is this too hot? My current plan is a 390 cfm fan in a 5x5 tent and LED lights.