Newbie Hydroponic/CFL system

I am a 25yr old medical patient who is going to start a smallish grow room, approximatly 10sq feet total. This is my first attempt. I am going to start with 2 plants first, and see how it goes. I am going to use (2) Power grower ECO sytems from Hydro farm to grow in. I plan on using (2) 125watt 6500k CF bulbs in hydrofarm reflectors, then switch to (2) 125watt 2700k CF bulbs when budding starts.

from what i've seen on other posts, this should be sufficient for a decent yield on a first grow atempt. Any Comments/advice would be awesome!

First link is the lighting/reflector setup, the second is power grower pots

Hydrofarm - Hydrofarm FLCOUN Compact Fluorescent Grow Light Fixture (No Bulb)
Hydrofarm - General Hydroponics GH4830 Power Grower Eco Complete

The very best advice I can give you.......use better lighting for flowering.....like an HID.

Good luck.

yeah everyone says that, but for what i need/expect is fine. I've seen 2 plants yeild 3 1/2oz from (6) 42watt [150watt equivalent] cf bulbs. They're only like $5 at my local hardware store . I might add another 125watt flowering cf bulb and hang it low between the two plants and rotate them everyday 1/4 turn to get the midlle a good amount of light.

I am going to take pics of the whole process and let everyone see what i get. My 2 hydrofarm power growers are comming in today, so i'll start the picture journal today. My lights won't get here for about 2 weeks, so i have the 2 seedling soaking in natural sunlight for the time being.

hi guy, welcome to can.com

if you are at all handy, there is no reason to spend that kind of money. those pots are just DWC's which are simple as shit to make DIY (take a walk through my imaginary garden and you will see).
check this thread of MVP's too, believe me, mine isn't the definitive source.

http://boards.cannabis.com/hydroponi...effective.html

as far as lighting goes, at $80.00 for the hood and $60.00 for each of those bulbs, well, it doesn't sound like a good deal to me.

you say you can get those 42watters for about $5.00

for the sake of argument lets say they cost $10.00.

now, at that price you can get 6x42wtters for the same $60.00.

that's 252watts instead of 125 (or 504watts total for the $120.00 you'd spend on 2 of those bulbs, or 1008watts if you really can get them for $5.00)

plus, because there are several bulbs, there are several points of light, in whatever location within your grow you want.

another thing to consider is that mj plants need both cool and warm light throughout thier life cycle so those 125watters aren't very versatile

with the smaller bulbs you can really tweak your light spectrum, you're also spreading the heat over a wider area, those 125's get hot

anyway, all of that assumes you're not only handy with small power tools (you need to know how to operate a hand drill),
you'd also be motivated to do it yourself and keep most of your dough in your pocket.

hey bozo, thanks for the comments. Any advice is awesome. I am definatley a newbie to this so anything from anyone is helpfull. The prices you were looking at were the suggested retail prices from hydro farm. I Probably wouldn't pay that price either.

I only paid around $50 including shipping for each of the power growers. It's not bad considering all it comes with. Buckets, Pump, tubing, Hyrocorn, 2 months of nutrients. I priced it out at my local hydro shop to try to make my own, i was only gonna save around $8 each. Plus i got one reflector and one bulb for $80 total . So i saved quite a bit of money for everything. Plus i can get replacement 125watt cf bulbs both in 6500k and 2700k for around $30 each.

Here's how she looks so far. It is 2 Seedlings in power growers and each under 42watt [150watt equivalent] cf bulb in reflector. In a couple of weeks, i will get my big lights and take pics of the actual grow room set up.

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Originally Posted by dopeedogg

I am a 25yr old medical patient who is going to start a smallish grow room, approximatly 10sq feet total. This is my first attempt. I am going to start with 2 plants first, and see how it goes. I am going to use (2) Power grower ECO sytems from Hydro farm to grow in. I plan on using (2) 125watt 6500k CF bulbs in hydrofarm reflectors, then switch to (2) 125watt 2700k CF bulbs when budding starts.

from what i've seen on other posts, this should be sufficient for a decent yield on a first grow atempt. Any Comments/advice would be awesome!

First link is the lighting/reflector setup, the second is power grower pots

Hydrofarm - Hydrofarm FLCOUN Compact Fluorescent Grow Light Fixture (No Bulb)
Hydrofarm - General Hydroponics GH4830 Power Grower Eco Complete

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somehow, i misunderstood this post and thought you were planning to buy that stuff. i didn't realize you were describing stuff you'd already bought.

if i had i'd have advised you to add a couple of clamp lights to the ones you already have. adding maybe 60watts or so of 2700K during veg and 80watts of 6500K during flowering as the plants need both spectra throughout their lives, just in different proportions depending on which stage of life they are in.

another thing you might want to investigate is how to do a SCROG, i've seen pics of some impressive yeilds from just 2 plants.

anyway, it appears you've done a fair amount of thinking and research on this which makes it a pleasure to offer my 2 cents
lol, you'll still need at least $2.00 to get a cup of coffee.

i look forward to watching as you grow your first crop and wish you much success.

Move the light a little further up from your transplant right now. It's a little close. I'd love to know who your hook-up on your equipment is, I've been wanting to buy a rainforest for vegging but don't want to pay the outrageous retail cost on it.

thanks guys. Herbie, i did move the lights up a little. Bozo, i will deffinatly add the extra bulbs like you suggested for flower/vegging . I'll keep up with the pictures. I would love for all you guys to sample my yeilds once they're done and ready to smoke! What are growing buddies good for?! :thumbsup:

Oh by the way, both seedling are "purple Erkle".... If anyone has grown this strain before.

Plant Grow Lights, Indoor Hydroponic Systems, Supplies/Equipment - Best Prices, Products & Delivery

I'm not advertising for these guys but they do have very nice prices on everything i have. 125watt cf bulb like $40. Power grower about $55

Looks good, CFL grows are always fun to watch when they're done right.

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Originally Posted by dopeedogg

Plant Grow Lights, Indoor Hydroponic Systems, Supplies/Equipment - Best Prices, Products & Delivery

I'm not advertising for these guys but they do have very nice prices on everything i have. 125watt cf bulb like $40. Power grower about $55

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LOL, like i said, if you haven't bought them already, i can get 23watt CFL's for $.99 (the local electric co. gives a $2.00 coupon), so thats 23watts x 40 = 920watts. even at full retail that's still over 300watts for the same $40.00.

Im on my first hydro grow too man, Ill be watching.

Good luck!

bozo, yeah i might have saved some money if i did a little more shopping around. First time grow, live and learn ya know. i allready bought the lighting sytem, so i guess when they burn out, i'll probably just buy more smaller lights and place them through-out the grow room to disperse light over all the plant's surfaces.
Once again man, really appreciate all help! ! !

i'll post more pics in about a week to show seedlings progress.

I put the seedlings in rock wool sqaures 8 days ago and as you can see in the pic they love it. The roots grow very rapid and big in rockwool. It's been 5 days since i put the seedlings (with the rockwool) in the power growers. The bigger seedling grew about 1.5 inches and the smaller one grew a little over an inch. Not bad for 5 days. The root explosion has occoured in both plants and they should be getting quite a bit bigger in the next few weeks.

my lights come in on july 5th, so be on the look out for new pics in about a week or so!

Looks like its going pretty good for you. Keep us updated!

If you don't already have a PH meter, you will need one. PPM meter is nice too but you need to keep up with PH daily.

Your plants look happy. That's good. I don't want to bust on CFL's they are good for veg time.

However the bigger the lights the bigger the buds. Have fun and see what works for you.

If you could see the dif in lights you would go straight to the 1000HPS for flowering and trichome production. If you like do a search for loc nar and you will see some of my grows. even the one they busted me with.

It's been about 6 days since my last post. One of my lights came in, but the other one wont be here for a few day. The 125 watt cf is really really bright. I don't think my plants need a whole nother 125 watt cf and reflector. i will wait untill they get a little bigger before i put up the other reflector and bulb.I will use the two 42 watt cf on the sides, it really makes the under growth shoot out. The closet is pretty big for just 2 plants, so i might add mylar on the walls to help with relection.

here how it looks so far.

the web link is the feeding chart i am using.

Flora Nutrient Weekly Feeding Program - Greentrees Hydroponics

Looking Good There My Brother!!!!.........Your Plant's Ae Looking Real Health!!!!Best Of Luck!!!:rastasmoke::jointsmile::smokin::stoned::ra sta::pimp:

Just starting my first hydro grow. will be monitoring this thread

ok im back. Just moved into a new house and internet got hooked up today., it's been 3 weeks since i posted. Alot has changed. I have a new closet also, roughly 3.5 feet x 3.5 feet. About 2 weeks ago , I picked up a pump with dual outlets, and (2) 7'' air stones with tubing from my local hydro store. All in all about $20. I just had to drill a hole in the upper grow bucket to put the tubing through down to the res. Every one says to airate the solution, so i decided to do it. The plants look a lot healthier and grow like crazy.The plants are hella big now. The tallest is about 22'' tall and the little one is about 19" tall. I plan to start budding at 24'' tall. I am still only using (2) 125watt cf bulbs in relfectors. here is the new set up. I put a shelf up to hold all the cords and air pump and just extra stuff. I put up 4 rails ( 2 on each side) to hang the lights with. You just move the hook and chain up to the next slot in the rail. Very easy to adjust light height.

holy shit they loor real real nice now.:thumbsup:

Holy shit man! Those are doing great for your first time around! Those look like sativas ... I would have started the flowering at 14" to 18". Sativas can get up to like 15 feet tall so depending on how long it takes for them to bloom completely.... you might need to cut a hole in your roof...lol or cut the top every so often. Great work though! My first sativa grow was crazy.. shit got as tall as a christmas tree..lol. I now have an indica strain growing which is a little more greenhouse friendly as far as height goes. :thumbsup:

Hey thanks man, Im amazed at how much they have grown in the past 2 weeks. I'll start budding them tonight. Any more help is always appreciated.

Ok i put in the 2700k 125watt cf bulbs. They have been in flowering cycle about 4 days now. The plants are still growing strong. They look like they're opening up a little more and the roots are pretty abundant. I have the lights and the drip set up for 12/12. I don't water when the plants are sleeping, the roots are submerged in the solution anyways. I still run the airstone 24/7.

P.S. Since I am using the gen hydro 3 part flora system, can i add in extra blooming nutrients? ANd if so, do i need to use less of each since i am adding in more types of nutes?

Here are the updated pics.

I'm using GH 3-part as well, but your water seems to be very dark, not saying that it is wrong... my res is black and I might not notice the color as much! I really like latewoods GH 3 part tutorial, and it seems to be working great for me. What all nutrients/chemicals have you invested in so far?

i'm glad more and more people are experimenting with cfl's and micro-grow.

i'm using cfl's myself, but they're 23watters... i've got an array goin on lol. might i suggest LST the next time around? it's what i've chosen to implement, which is the holy grail of methods when it comes to micro-grows.

You can add bloom boosters to your regular nute mix to help with the budding. Be careful though cuz sometimes you can burn your plants if you put in too much. Just read the label and chart and stay patient and never go outside the recommended dose. Would suck to see your ladies burn up. Good shit tho!

test

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Originally Posted by SAP420

You can add bloom boosters to your regular nute mix to help with the budding. Be careful though cuz sometimes you can burn your plants if you put in too much. Just read the label and chart and stay patient and never go outside the recommended dose. Would suck to see your ladies burn up. Good shit tho!

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any bloom boosters you guys reccomend?

I am personally thinkin about using kool bloom. Says to use 1 tsp per gallon along with your normal bloom mix. Supposedly adds to the flavor and helps with the density of the buds. It comes in a powder form and a liquid form. With hydro.. I recommend using the liquid form.

Thanks Sap, I'm gonna go down to my hydroponic store today and see what they got.

I'm hearing that you only use the bloom booster the last week before you flush your plants.. to help bulk up your buds. Also I have been told to actually use less than the manufacturer's recommendation due to plants tending to burn when used at the recommended dose. Like half of what is recommended. Hope this helps!

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Originally Posted by SAP420

I'm hearing that you only use the bloom booster the last week before you flush your plants.. to help bulk up your buds. Also I have been told to actually use less than the manufacturer's recommendation due to plants tending to burn when used at the recommended dose. Like half of what is recommended. Hope this helps!

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Right on for that tip man. Ok so i went to the hydro store and told they guy what im using right now. ( general hydro 3 part flora). I told him i wanted a bloom booster. He pointed right at "KoolBloom." He said to use it through out the entire budding phase, with a 2 week flush at the end. The kool bloom bottle says 1-2 tsp per gallon, and I did 1.5 tsp per gallon. I just did right in the middle. So now do i only use koolbloom the last few weeks? Or through out the whole budding? :jointsmile:

I actually got some quotes here from a different thread from me askin similar questions ... check these out

er sorry ... check out the thread that talks about bloom boosters on the main hydroponics page. The one I started.

Well as you can see, the roots are still going strong. It been about 10 days or so since i started budding. The pic is a little hard to see the buds starting.
Im gonna lay off the Kool Bloom untill weeks 3-6, then do one week of "PK 13/14" from Canna., follwed by 2 weeks of flushing. I picked this up at my local hydro store. The dude sounded like he knows his stuff, he's been giving me advice through-out this whole grow. He said the PK 13/14 is good when used one week before the flush, and it just pumps the buds up a little more right at the end. It's only like $8 so i'm giving it a shot.:thumbsup:

Any comments? advice? any one used these products before?

just some new pics. it's been 2 weeks now since i started budding. The plants are both about 34" tall. I'm gonna start kool bloom next week.

Wow man, looking great for your first grow! and a CFL grow to boot! bravo! I tried a couple CFL grows and not much came of it.

It looks like you went with the liquid kool bloom rather than the powder. I believe there is a difference where the liquid is 0-10-10 and the powder is something like 0-26-58 or something wild like that. I know a guy who uses the powder in his hydro setup and it REALLY fattens the buds up.

I used the B*Cuzz PK 13/14 with my GH 3 part and it had some kind of crazy reaction and like...curdled all the nutes...i stirred up my nutes in the reservoir and as soon as i added the pk13/14 it got all chunky and weird looking. so i stopped using that. i look forward to seeing your progress and how the boosters work for you. maybe i'll pick up some of the canna or kool bloom.

looking good.
Skeet

:thumbsup:How many gallons do those power growers hold? I just bought some kool bloom powder myself. The hydroshop guy told me to buy the powder because it goes a lot further and will last many many grows. Good shit tho man! Those plants are getting huge. Good thing you started the bloom phase cuz usually plants will double or even triple in size after switched to the bloom phase. Nice first grow! I got like 3 oz off my first plant since I only had one girl. I using the basic 2 gallon reservoir waterfarms and I had to add a gallon of water to each one today. I will doing a regular feed next week and then a transition to bloom feed the week after and then full bloom the week after that. I will prolly add the kool bloom about 3 weeks into my bloom phase depending on the bud development at that time.

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Originally Posted by SAP420

:thumbsup:How many gallons do those power growers hold? I just bought some kool bloom powder myself. The hydroshop guy told me to buy the powder because it goes a lot further and will last many many grows. Good shit tho man! Those plants are getting huge. Good thing you started the bloom phase cuz usually plants will double or even triple in size after switched to the bloom phase. Nice first grow! I got like 3 oz off my first plant since I only had one girl. I using the basic 2 gallon reservoir waterfarms and I had to add a gallon of water to each one today. I will doing a regular feed next week and then a transition to bloom feed the week after and then full bloom the week after that. I will prolly add the kool bloom about 3 weeks into my bloom phase depending on the bud development at that time.

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sap, My growers are 5.7gal reserve with a 3gal grow bucket. What kind of light do you use? HPS or MH or CFL?