Never grown before but legal now in Canada so we will try

[Edzzed]

Over the last couple months (since Oct 17th) I have been assembling items I will need. Been doing a lot of reading on this site. I will be going Coco Coir for a couple reasons. My old roomy 25 years ago grew a couple crops hydroponically before I moved out. He did a flood table with Rockwool cubes. I think for the amount of plants (90) and yielding a bit over 4 pounds he did something wrong. I am looking to fix that error. My setup and I want opinions is 2 viparspectra par 600 lights. 212.00 each. One yield labs 4x4x78 tent which was new 82.00 Two 190 cfm fans with both ducting out 20 feet away from the house. Legal so no need for carbon. One fan will run constant or run on a minute by minute timer ?? (programmable) 5 on 5 off who knows. The other fan is hooked up to a temp sensor to trigger it on to vent heat. I got a 58.00 new 3x3 flood table. 25 gallon reservoir. water ebb and flow kit. Also have two 4 inch air stones for oxygenation. I bought Cocotek grow and Cocotek flower. I bought GH calmag and not sure if I need that ?? The other stuff is supposed to be heavy with cal mag. I am looking at clones with rock wool and my thiking is set them in fabric pots with Coco Coir in it with perlite. So I am allowed 4 plants but out of curiosity. How many could one put on a 3x3 table and not be crowded. I am not into breaking laws or I would have done a grow long ago. Also have PH test strips and solutions for up down. Here in Vancouver we have quality water but heard its PH is 7 to 8. I believe I will be needing 15 gallons water so should I PH the tap water or buy bottled water. Any tips or answers greatly appreciated sine I am beyond a new grower. Crop is not yet planted lol.

 

[HonestGR]

Hey fellow Canadian!

Just curious how many are you seeking to grow firstly. Most are 4 plants which can yield a large amount.

Although I agree you do not need to have a charcoal filter. I use one to keep the smell from flowering to a minimum.

Invest in a good quality Ph meter for your water. Dont go off of what people tell you.
Depending whar medium you use...

Its hard to read your full message due to format on my phone. I would recommend getting the tent asap. This will determine the length of flex pipe you need.

I leave my fan on 24/7. Yes it uses more energy. But rather than the constant start/stop, it will be easier on it. I use enough suction to give negitive peressure to my tent.

Off my current grow from Oct 17th i am fingers crossed seeking a lb off of my current grow for my wifes prescription to offset that cost. Even if i got 4oz per plant I would be happy. I roughly estimate it to be 32-38$ an oz.



We shall see...

 

[MickFoster]

You're a little light on lights - those Viparspectra 600w lights only pull 260 watts each, which is only 520 watts. You really need another one for maximum yield if you use those lights in a 4x4 tent. Quantum Boards would be a better choice - the Chinese blurples are old technology.

Why are you making it complicated with the flood table, air pumps, airstones, and reservoir? Why not simplify and just hand water from the top like coco was designed - drain to waste? I feed daily from sprout and twice a day in flower - you can grow a tree in a 3 gallon bucket of coco.

Tap water will be fine - you may not need calmag - I never have to use it.

Good luck.

 

[dakotamoon]

I'd vote for the Horticultural Lighting Group .. Quantum boards as well, I have a chinese led which supposedly draws 1600 watts, it's not even close to that. My Quantum board was shipped from Vancouver today, coming by courier .. so I may still get it before Christmas. I have a 3 x 3 tent, and in my first grow .. I realized my error with the Chinese COB led light, it's okay for an ounce or so, but that's it.

 

[gr865]

I'd vote for the Horticultural Lighting Group .. Quantum boards as well, I have a chinese led which supposedly draws 1600 watts, it's not even close to that. My Quantum board was shipped from Vancouver today, coming by courier .. so I may still get it before Christmas. I have a 3 x 3 tent, and in my first grow .. I realized my error with the Chinese COB led light, it's okay for an ounce or so, but that's it.

You can use the Chinese LED for veg.

 

[dakotamoon]

Yup, I can - that's about all it's good for. I also have 175 watt MH bulbs, bare, and several par 30, par 38 grow light bulbs, and 1 CFL at 6,000 k. As I'm finding out, if your led lights have a fan blowing, then - it's not a "real" led light. Mine has 3 fans blowing their hearts out, it sounds like the concord taking off when it warms up.

 

[Edzzed]

I am definitely learning. Bought the lights before I found out about this site. Rather than going all in debt wise to buy new lights what would you all suggest I get to compliment the lights I do have. I did see quantum has choices in lights. Looks to me like their top light will do 4.5x4.5 Haven't figure out how to quote messages in this forum yet but do have a 4x4 tent. Didn't get a ph testing pen but did get ph test strips. I know how to use test strips. As to Why are you making it complicated with the flood table, air pumps, airstones, and reservoir? Why not simplify and just hand water from the top like coco was designed - drain to waste? I feed daily from sprout and twice a day in flower - you can grow a tree in a 3 gallon bucket of coco. I did it that way because of travel. We have a house up country and go on weekly vacations monthly so wouldn't be here to water. Looking at more set n forget with watching over it when here. Our neighbors aren't that close to our house which is why no carbon filter. We aren't in a densificated area of town. We have 1/2 acre. And the tent. I was leery about buying it but when I stood inside it. I had my wife hold the lights outside of it so I could try to see light getting in. It's pretty black inside. I could see no light. I got that tent for 82.00 USD. on black Friday. Also heard zipper complaints from other brands but have not had any issues yet. Figure silicone spray would lube it if need be.

 

[dakotamoon]

Hang in there, there is so much to learn here. I'm only on my 2nd grow, first in Coco - but I have learned so much doing that. I'm 1/4 Scottish - so when I started out .. I outfitted my tent with $$ in mind. Funny how one can scrimp on lights, but pay $78 for a half litre of some "stuff" - which claims to increase bud size! My Chinese cob light was great for a first grow, but - as I'm finding out: We spend so much time worrying about nutes, additives, that we tend to scrimp on the "basics"! Plants need oxygen, light, and food. Light in the flowering stage is the most important "element", it took me a while to figure that out. The main thing is "have fun", this is an amazing hobby, what you learn this time may be painful (in my case I developed root rot - in the 3rd week of flowering) ! I learned so much growing that 1.7 ounces. Provide your plant with those 3 elements: oxy/light/food - the rest is "details"! Provide your plants with the best oxygen you can provide, the best food (very debatable), but the most "important" ingredient in this cosmic THC/CBD stew - is lighting.

 

[Edzzed]

I am or was a bit worried about maybe not having enough light so I contacted True Northern Lighting I did a search on lights and one that came up on this site was Quantum lighting boards. Found horticulture lighting group and the response I got from true northern lighting was and this is a quote "You have 2x of the viperspectras 600w in a 4x4 right now that is a pretty large amount of light already for that space" unquote. So I have some telling me one thing and one telling me another and that person works at True northern lighting. The reason for reaching out to them was to ask about supplementing the two lights I have. Opinions please.

 

[High Wally]

My first grow was with the Cheapest Mars Hydro 300's. I used 1 to start and added another 1 every couple of weeks(4 lights total) in a 5x5. I too was concerned about not having enough intensity.....FOR FLOWER! Flower time should be about twice the intensity, gradually if you can. So couple weeks into flower I purchased Growers Choice 315CMH. I agree Flood and Drain is a bit much, but if you're smart and love a challenge, go for it! I started with 4 plants, they were Feminized. I harvested just over a pound, Vegged for 8 weeks.

Wally - First Grow - LED - Black Jack x 2 Pure Power Plant x 2 - 5x5 Tent - Coco

 

[NOOOBIENOT]

Hello from a fellow Ontario grower , those 2 lights will be fine for a 4x4x7 tent I have used them on my 2nd grow what I did was went to home depot and bought 2 of these led lights for $45.00 as additional lighting for flower and veg , feit 300 watt led on their web site 5000 k and 4000 lumens , but you don't have too ,you can get them(600 watt led`s) really close to your plants 16-18 inches as they don't give off that much heat , they provide a good spectrum just not a lot of penetration to the lower part of the plants for flower.



Feit LED 300w Med Base Yard Dl Non-Dim

 

[Stunned]

I bought the vipar spectra's my first go around too
used it in a 3x3 for 2 plants. It did a decent job
then I upgraded to a larger tent and HLG Quantums
so now I use the 3x3 and the vipars for early veg and or mother and the big tent for flowering

 

[NOOOBIENOT]

COCO PH IS 5.8 AND 270 -300 PPM AND CALMAG ADDED to water and water daily ,I give 1 gallon per pot every day

 

[NOOOBIENOT]

You don't need all this added nutrients crap ,it is just a money grab , these work great !plus some calmag , these nutes are very thick and I use a 20 ml syringe to add to the water , calmag 1st then the nutes , it's not rocket science , 5.8 ph and 270 - 290 ppm .

 

[NOOOBIENOT]

If you have yellowing give them more nutes and calmag with next daily watering and KEEP THE PH AT 5.8 AND YOU WANT A GOOD HEAVY RUNOFF EVERY TIME .Temps at 73-79 and rh at 50 %, ,in the pic the temps are 75 and 52 %Rh it works .

 

[NOOOBIENOT]

PS Get a ph pen and ppm pen they are worth their weight in GOLD, strips don't work worth a shit !!! they are not accurate enough !!A strip cannot tell you 5.8 .