Too much time and money invested...CAN ANYONE HELP ME???? AGGGGGGGGH

Anyway, I would just like to say hello and thank you in advance. If you can help me you will be my proverbial "daddy," and I will gladly send you some bud if this all works out. This is going to be a long post because I want to be clear on where I am at and what I am looking for. So if you don't want to read a long post, then now is the time to probably hit the back button on your proverbial "browser."

I am bitter. I am a dead broke student living in one of the most expensive (overpriced) cities in America, and have invested a lot of equally valuable time and money in my set up (pics below). I am 30, back in school for a career change after a miserable other one, and have been smoking pot regularly for over 15 years. Having marijuana is an important factor in my personal happiness, however although I live approximately 15 miles from where I grew up, for some time now I have had zero interest in procuring my medicine (proverbial...) from the old connections from my youth that exist on somewhat of a different life plane. I am not an elitist, I just don't hang at the gas station anymore. 'Nuff said, and much love to anyone who nonjudgmentally understands what I am saying. So, hence the long overdue grow.

I have done what I believe is a fair amount of research, although like anything else I am sure I will learn from doing. HOWEVER, I feel like I am RETARDED in this endeavor. I think my set up is passable, however there seem to be some major problems. Basically, I really do not have a fucking clue what I am doing and refuse to just waste more time and money without asking people who know more than me for help. I have resigned myself to the fact that this batch of seeds is probably over (I have already killed seven seedlings), and am looking for tips on how to make MY CURRENT SETUP work for the next seeds. This part is important, I DO NOT want a bunch of tips that include "go out and get this," "go out and buy that." I am NOT buying anything else. I am looking to see if you all can make this work as is. Hope you understand.


Basically, I built a 2' X 3.5' x 1' cabinet using framing lumber and drywall. I painted the inside of it flat white and hit it with organic fungicde. These and everything else are decisions I made on my own based on things that I read. I installed 120 mm computer intake and outtake fans powered by a PC power supply. The fans move the most air I could find, I think like 110 CFM. Lights. this is one of the places I am having major problems I think, primarily with heat. I have ten fixtures. They are all mosty 30 W 2000 lumens. Not pictured, the cabinet two modular panels that slide closed in front. When closed, the temperature in there is exceeding 85 F with the fans on and the cab being put in an air-conditioned room. These bulbs are obviously too hot, because people on other forums were saying "just put them two to three inches away." If I do this the temperature directly under the lamps will be nearly 100 F. I am pretty sure this is what fried my last batch of sprouts. UGGGH.

I basically just want to know how YOU would run MY setup. Oh yeah and forgot to mention, the soil is 1:1:1 perlite vermiculite peat with some lime. This is the only place where I would be willing to change upon a seemingly experienced suggestion. There are no nutrients in it. I was planning on watering them after I saw some decent growth...

Anyway I am sure there is other important info I am leaving out, but I am serious, if you help me I will send you bud, although if you can help me you probably already have bud. LOL. But if you want, then I will send.

THANK YOU PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I guess there are a couple of other pieces of info I can include.

1.) the first time around the pH of my water was probably over 8.5. This time it was too, but I flushed it with some at 6.6 with a *tiny" bit of fish fertilizer in it. I do not know why I did this, it just seemed cool. Actually my thought process was that someone on another forum told me that the plant can't take up nutrients when the pH is too high, so I thought I would give it some with the new water. Oh yeah, any nutrient suggestions for the seedling stage in my nutrient free soil HIGHLY APPRECIATED. As I said, you will be my "daddy" (mommy?).

2.) I am thinking about leaving the front open to reduce heat. obv light reflectivity lost...does it matter?

3.) I have a couple of little ones (one pictured) that look like they *might* have a chance at something more than a premature death at the hands of horticultural antichrist. One also turned black and died and the two of them are having trouble breaking the surface.

This is fun, even at failing.

first off and up front I grow hydro not soil but will help where I can.

1) TURN OFF SOME OF THOSE LIGHTS!!!!
Way to much light for just starting seeds you could prob turn like 7 or 8 of those off and still be giving enough light to start out. And what bulbs are those? are they Daylight, Soft White, etc?

2) air intake looks a little high. better circulation if was a lil lower. actually to help with heat problem run both pc fans as exhaust and do passive intakes on the bottom, twice the air flow :thumbsup:

those 2 things plus you keeping an eye on that PH should do wonders :jointsmile:

OK I will turn off some lights. That was actually my initial setup, but it was still too hot in there I think. It is July/August here. HAHA, probably where you are too...My thinking I guess was that if it was going to be so f'ing hot in there with just a few lights then I might as well blast it. I can be somewhat agrro perhaps. So let me get this straight, with "passive intake" do you just mean leaving cab open? If so, I think I like this. I have jacked the window AC unit in that room up to high, and with leaving the cabinet open and turning off a couple of lights then I can lower the light closer to the plants. Am I feeling you correctly? Let me know. THANKS...

get reflectors................

-C

with passive intakes you will need to put like a water drain elbow or something coonected to it so air can flow but light does not enter.

You said you will water them once you see some decent growth... how are you watering them now?

The seedlings don't need fertilizers or nutrients until they have about 4-5 nodes on them, then you can give them veg nutrients starting at 1/4 strength and gradually increasing.

Do you have any fan moving air around the plants and inside the cab? I know you don't want to buy things, but even a computer fan blowing between the lights and the plants will help with temps and strengthening the young ones.

From what you say, the seedlings could have died from heat, ph issues, or perhaps underwatering (this just came to mind because you said you would wait to water until you saw some growth...), maybe a combination of all of them.

Hope you get things figured out. Keep us updated :jointsmile:

high man, rather than reiterate what's already been said, here's some links i
think might help you more than i can, hell, i know they will help you if you go
exploring, lol.

anyway, the first is a thread by redgreenery explaining air-flow, i think you'll
find much there that will help.

the second is to an awesome box built by Yukon, an NGB style box and
again, i think you'll learn much.

the last is to a collection of DIY projects that are all very good.

oh yeah, if you go to a discount builders supply, you can get fixtures
like this for very little money.

and i'd also suggest you switch to lower wattage bulbs, i use 23's and 26's,
they are easier to find, give you more points of light and they are
cheap,
usually 3, sometimes 4, for $6.99, a much better value than the
42's and even the 30's.

Ventilation 101 (redgreenry)

Yukon's awesome box

DIY~ LINK-O-RAMA

Beyond what has already been said...I would also like to recommend keeping the (appropriate number of) lights within a couple of inches of the plants. Usable light only extends about six inches max for CFL's.

When dealing with CFL's or fluorescent tube fixtures, reflectors and Panda Film's are basically irrelevant. The usable light only extends up to 6 inches or so. (you have to count the distance from bulb to reflector, then add the distance from reflector to leaf surface) If you are counting on reflectors or reflective films to provide side lighting, you will be disappointed.