Let’s Get Nuts: 1100w LED With UV & IR, 5x5x6fr, CO2, Build-Up

[Bill284]

i think they would be great to use outdoors also as long as no snow on it the styrofoam insulates well

I could glue them to the inside walls very easily.
Thank you so much from from Ontario as well.

Stay safe
Bill

 

[ReservoirDog]

I gave the option of building out the room heavy consideration and costed it out. Without adding my time, the value of which is still heavily debated, and still the costs of tents (for which I added some PVC reinforcement) was significantly lower and I am on a fixed budget for this stage of the grow. What I put into the "walls", lets call it, ultimately was going to come out of the lights. Lights being an investment-type item it dictated this choice. Now, I may not have made this clear, but I have another exact same tent going in beside this one. Yes, two 5x5's in a 10x5 space. It's gonna get tight. I need two spaces in order to both flower, germinate, cut, veg, plants simultaneously. This I must do to grow enough plants to meet my "investor's" needs.

I am sealing this room as we speak. There is an 8 inch ventilation cut-out in the roof and I'm installing a vaned device that allows me to mechanically close (or open) and thus seal the room while having outlet ducting from an AC 6inch fan and filter attached. That's after I deal with the windows and doors. The doors will still function for emergencies however they will be essentially airtight. I plan to stow my co2 bottle outside and have it feeding into the flower tent. The co2 equip was gifted by a friend and includes a controller and regulator. To be honest, initially, it's likely only to be on standby as a last resort if my low ceiling and bright light cause real issues I can't otherwise cope with.

I also hope to move the tents out of the room at some point and do exactly as you suggest, build out the room itself, and then use the tents in another room thereby doubling my indoor grow space to 20x10.

I am also embracing hydroponics systems outdoors this year in order to significantly increase my food and medicines crops. I have been keeping basic raised beds and tomato pots, and I take an apprx 100 litre grape juice harvest every year, but have people to support who need good food, more good food. It was actually my wheatgrass growing and juicing that I started at the beginning of the pandemic that got me hooked on hydro again. I've always wanted to after taking over someone's grow in an emergency. It is very rewarding.

On Vancouver Island it's possible to store incredible amounts of rainwater even if you live in a city on a small suburban plot as I do. It's my intention to seriously kick up my capacity with an underground tank within the next two years if I can get the permits. I need to do sump pumps this summer anyway, so might as well not waste the stuff if its gonna insist on getting biblical, am I right?

I have an active pond we built 10 yrs ago that will anchor some interesting aquaponics experiments this year. I'll try to post a pic of the flowers grown in there, but those fish and that ecosystem has the nutrients in it to grow a LOT of food, medicine. Lastly, I'll tag onto here briefly that a mushroom tent is underway as well and it ought to be interesting.

 

[ReservoirDog]

I think your major concern Bill is vapour/liquid creation. Spray foam in all metal containers I believe remains the favourite. Metal boats and shipping containers are essentially the same and though environment seems worse for boats they have the advantage of not running at 80 degrees, anyway they use spray almost exclusively. A lot of moisture will form between a metal surface and anything if there's an airspace. Every dewpoint will generate a lot of water. There are good articles to be found on the specifics I'm sure and those containers have many advantages. iIll have a scrounge for you.

 

[Reave]

Looking like some good ideas. I’m in!

 

[ReservoirDog]

Ugh, I did mention at the beginning that I have health challenges that’ll cause some stops and starts in my builds. Since the journals really mostly for myself I’m just living with it. Sorry you have to, but I’ve no choice. I’ve been in bed for 2 weeks, watched too much football and every Terrence McKenna YouTube vid online, but I’m back.

I thought I’d play a little game called, “How much money did ReservoirDog waste?” I won’t list the prices here now, but I am going to list with pics everything I bought for the grow on Amazon and everywhere else. After getting first seeds started we’ll go back and show the things I didn’t use won’t need and wasted money on. Hey, like I said, the journals really for me and hopefully this shaming will be helpful!

Check this thing, it has a transformer style face made of tools on it. I really love the Chinese sometimes, they are the kings of appropriation. Culture has a different definition to them.

I’m having some probs rotating reduced size images, I’ll figure it out. I bought this sump pump partly because my property needs it, but really because after working and living on boats a lot powerful pumps make me feel good. I’m actually gonna use it to mix nutes- how awesome will that be! (We’ll see, won’t we?)

 

[ReservoirDog]

Four litres of clay balls for the net cups. I’m seriously thinking of attempting to grow out of 4 inch cups. Reason is trying to reduce evaporation and subsequent humidity out of my DWC Rez. Not doing recirc. (yet), just seeing if I can manage the day to day hurly burly of hydro with my disability before I invest more money. If I can’t it’ll be cococoir or something, maybe even, gasp, soil (gahd I hope not, I did that organic outside for more than 10 years, always dreaming of hydro. Weed is always greener etc).

 

[ReservoirDog]

Aha here’s some wasted cash already. Cash flow, more accurately because I will use this for something but don’t know when. I was going to make my own filter and I had ordered a 450 cfm in-line for it but canceled the order when I basically just chickened out of the diy commitment. This is top quality activated charcoal, there’s about 3 litre/quart here. Instead I bought this:

 

[ReservoirDog]

This is a used air conditioner slash dehumidifier I had reconditioned. It’s a Garrison, moves on little wheels and has the duct out the window scenario. It pulls water from the air like a beast. Right now the rh in my bedroom is 60… 60 with electrical heat up to 70 deg and electronics running nonstop! West coast BC in winter.

BTW, speaking of water. When my 1100watt leds showed up the box was mangled, soaked, and the lights had a superficial ding in control box. Worked fine. The manufacturer from China sent me a second light just to be sure. The thing has 2800 Samsung top bin full spectrum diodes, and uvb, ir, 2.8 efficacy, and now I have two! Looks like my Veg tent might just become another flowering tent… maybe not right away, but I’d purchased some hardware store 5000k leds at cut rate prices for use in veg tent. Feels like someone just gave me a free car or something.

 

[ReservoirDog]

Cut rate lights mentioned above. Non grow light design I know but the price was right and lights the same.Got two of these and one of…..

These. Dammit I’m still struggling with the photos. I am working on the prob. This thing kicks out 10000 lumens, it’s properly bright. Amazing my camera could stop down this much. With your eyes it’s impossible to look at. These lights were for my second 5x5 designed for propagation and vegging. Not sure now that I have a second grow led. I want to them though, properly in a tent.

These next ones are sweet little beauties. They remind me of HPS with the light produced, a lovely orange 3000k colour temp. They’re 30watts each and cheap online.

I may use them to fill in any bud sites not getting enough light. I’m quite taken with them and the light quality.

 

[ReservoirDog]

I decided not to skimp on water monitoring and because I’ll be running some outdoor veggie garden hydroponics and aquaponics I couldn’t get the inplace monitor. Maybe later. Because I’ll have a water pump in each Rez. for my drippers until roots reach the nutes, I’ll just pull samples using it each time I check ppm and ph. I like the full kit, you get a really good booklet with it that you can log data in if you wish during your learning period. Hopefully a good Bluetooth or wifi ph ppm system comes along soon and everyone else can beta test it for me. I like having data I can make spreadsheets or program with but a little pre pencil-coding never hurt anyone.

 

[ReservoirDog]

These guys are Govee brand Bluetooth connected humidity and temperature sensors. The base unit makes sure they can be read while in your refrigerator or freezer for the foodies and such. Guaranteed to work in 99% humid. I reckon they’ll do a lot of heavy lifting for me. Because I mean to run CO2 I’m going to use a lot of wifi monitors so I don’t have to open the tent and disturb the atmosphere I’ve created. I’m going to drop a 4K wifi camera in there via a Samsung s20 plus smartphone I don’t use anymore. I mean to place these Arno-sensors in multiple tent locations to get a clearer picture of the full environment.

These guys are also Govee, operate wifi only but I wanted something I could visibly see as well . Also, I’m building a 4.5x4x5 mushroom indoor greenhouse in another room and so I just need a lot of this junk. Awesome junk, but junk.

 

[ReservoirDog]

I am pretty sure I’ll use this. But I also bought two liquid graphite ones that aren’t here yet. They distribute the heat more evenly I’m told, avoiding damaging hot spots. I need these for mushrooms too but they are critical for propagation in my mind. Certainly some kind of heat is req’d but keeping a steady temp with technology has always been worthwhile in my experience.

 

[DonChiefums20]

Looking like a nice thread im subbed

 

[ReservoirDog]

Looking like a nice thread im subbed

So glad to have you. We`re starting from the beginning with a room slash tent build-out. I have been out of the game for decades now and it was mostly outdoor weed when I was in. The only substantial indoor hydro weed I worked was a buddy's skookum rdwc bloom, tabletop veg, aeroponic propagation garden when he was in the hospital for 6 months - so I didn't set it up. I definitely fell into the deep end on that one - and am still stunned I didn`t crash and burn. As a result it's left me with very positive, excitement-laden feelings about hydro weed. An itch that ever since I have wanted to scratch but I stopped smoking it for quite a while which made justification a little tricky. Solution... just guess. Anyway DonCheifsums20, please be assured that your comments, on anything, will be gratefully received.

 

[ReservoirDog]

A reminder that we’re looking at all this junk cause we’re playing “How much money did ReservoirDog waste?”. See, after spending enough on Amazon to cover Jeff Bezos’ high octane fuel bill, I figured I’d undertake an effort in self shaming by listing it all here so others could tell me what a tool I am, and, more usefully and less obviously, report which items went unused and why, or were such big a phaff as to seem worthless even if they work.

In this case I’m hoping to avoid using this rock wool for propagation but don’t have a solution yet for something that will transfer well to net cups filled with hydroton (aerated clay) marbles. I’ve got 2 “ foam for my DIY auto cloner but that doesn’t fully solve the problem because people prop-ing those still use a pinch of rockwool… and I hate rockwool. You can’t dry it out and it has no moisture or temp layering to take advantage of. Anyway…. ‘hopefully’ this one was a waste, but no doubt I’ll use it outside if not in. Next is a kinda odd one…

 

[ReservoirDog]

Heat radiation reflective tape. Gold plated duct tape, we’re talking the ultimate in diy luxury, am I right? LoL… first off, the ten stainless zip ties are skookum AF. They’ll definitely come in handy. The tape I’m unsure of where I’ll use but only because I have to choose, not lack of choice. I noticed a friend’s tent poles (green ones) turned into radiant heaters and this would definitely solve that issue. It’ll make my tent look like a 1990s Honda civic engine compartment… which people definitely have opinions about! It’s a 10 meter roll and I have 2 rolls. Cost 20$ each. Maybe I’ll make duct tape art then give it to a romantic interest! “My love, like this duct tape, my love will never fade” lol

I'm interested in peoples ideas. Air lines? zipper seams? Affixing different probes? PS upcoming will be a tel on probe placement and protection

And yes, I remember promising a basic par-meter-from-your-phone tek you can use to optimize light hanging distance, I'm working on it. Thanks for your patience and interest.

 

[ReservoirDog]

So, nutes. I went with the conservative choices, and bought both liquid and solid-soluble forms. This powder in pic looks to be the most economical of the two by far, while both forms definitely have a lot of fans out there in the Mary Jane growers world. This brand seems a decent cost effective choice for hobbyists, although cheaper and better are avail, just not to me in Canada. I'm sure I'll need more sooner than I want to so opps for testing brands should come along. I plan to supplement my mushroom substrate with it also so as to simplify it and tailor for fungi type.

Look at the insane P and K numbers on that kool bloom on the right. Its only for the last 1-2 weeks of feeding tho - so just about killing it is kinda the point. Good thing too. See liquid nutes in next entry.

 

[ReservoirDog]

Well now here's my liquid nutes starting with the commonplace GH liquid trio that’s divided into primary nutes veg, secondary nutes and budding nutes primary. Cost was 120$ Amazon. Prices were going up 10$ per weeks for a short period over/after Christmas and that’s what spurred me to take on the powdered nutes in my previous post. On the right, next row down and in squared off 1 quart is Hydroguard. It’s a beneficial bacteria, bacillus amyloliquefaciens, that will colonize my reservoirs and feed off the nutes. It’s presence will preclude any damaging organisms getting a foothold. It is quite expensive at 100$/quart however most people don’t know that you only need to buy it once. It is possible to effectively and inexpensively maintain a concentrated colony in a separate container that you can use to inoculate every freshly changed Rez. I’ll be sure to create a tek when I make mine. As it happens this bacillus is also being successfully tested in mushroom industry where issues of pest infections are even bigger issue, so I’ll definitely use with my shrooming. Go science!

The next one, small clear bottle left of hydroguard is silicon in silicon phosphate form. Silica is one of the best things you can use nutrively to protect plants core health from stress caused by pests and environment both. In my experience it creates a plant stronger by 10 fold, capable of carrying much larger flower, and very resistant to damage. Huge stems result which permit you to blast your fans, which has knock on effect of keeping insects and moulds from settling. Always mix first before all nutes or it WILL precip out and ruin mix.

Beside that is some local seaweed goo, beside that is calmag. In front is just ph probe calibrating fluid. I hope to pick up some humic acid still and I do have some soluble mycorrhizae coming from Amazon still. That’s pretty much my nutes. Comments?

 

[Bill284]

Well now here's my liquid nutes starting with the commonplace GH liquid trio that’s divided into primary nutes veg, secondary nutes and budding nutes primary. Cost was 120$ Amazon. Prices were going up 10$ per weeks for a short period over/after Christmas and that’s what spurred me to take on the powdered nutes in my previous post. On the right, next row down and in squared off 1 quart is Hydroguard. It’s a beneficial bacteria, bacillus amyloliquefaciens, that will colonize my reservoirs and feed off the nutes. It’s presence will preclude any damaging organisms getting a foothold. It is quite expensive at 100$/quart however most people don’t know that you only need to buy it once. It is possible to effectively and inexpensively maintain a concentrated colony in a separate container that you can use to inoculate every freshly changed Rez. I’ll be sure to create a tek when I make mine. As it happens this bacillus is also being successfully tested in mushroom industry where issues of pest infections are even bigger issue, so I’ll definitely use with my shrooming. Go science!

The next one, small clear bottle left of hydroguard is silicon in silicon phosphate form. Silica is one of the best things you can use nutrively to protect plants core health from stress caused by pests and environment both. In my experience it creates a plant stronger by 10 fold, capable of carrying much larger flower, and very resistant to damage. Huge stems result which permit you to blast your fans, which has knock on effect of keeping insects and moulds from settling. Always mix first before all nutes or it WILL precip out and ruin mix.

Beside that is some local seaweed goo, beside that is calmag. In front is just ph probe calibrating fluid. I hope to pick up some humic acid still and I do have some soluble mycorrhizae coming from Amazon still. That’s pretty much my nutes. Comments?

Good morning my friend @ReservoirDog hope you are well today my friend.
I don't think anyone is going to say you wasted your money.
In fact I think you spent it pretty well.
You have a great start going with all the new equipment.
I'll have to do the same thing after loosing so much in the fire.
Can't wait to see some beans popping.
Put it all to good use.

Stay safe
Bill

 

[ReservoirDog]

Now you know why I’m called ReservoirDog lol. This is about 10% of the totes I’ve purchased new this year for various garden projects.

This is off topic, but just barely… I’ve challenged myself to use not just less water on my outdoor garden this year but to in fact triple production while reducing water totals by 50%. Our water supply here is exquisite, no complaints and they just keep improving it (I love benefiting so directly from property taxes). A new treatment plant recently meant a80% reduction in chlorine and their testing and reporting regime is class. Another new plant soon will end our shameful dumping of black water straight into the sea. We also enlarged the reservoir 65% in the last decade so the system’s stress level is low.

Nonetheless, living in a rainforest places the onus on me to use the resources available to make sure the civic system stays low to moderately stressed. Same scenario with electricity. We have a very low carbon system: dams, but I’d like to start picking up some jolts from my immediate surroundings as well. Stay tuned on that front I have some novel experiments in mind…

I’m doing an outdoor hydro-wicking build for my outdoor veggies this year using 27 gal. totes with perforated sceptic pipe as reservoir in bottom that can be both topped up and drained by short pvc piping. Roots won’t be able to enter however they ought to wick water out very well. I’ve got materials for 12 of those.

I’ve also got large pvc piping and pumps enough to build 2, 5 ft hydroponic towers to be used as small plant/seedling farms with a couple levels of strawberries at the bottom of each. It’ll be fed by a small terracotta cistern full of goldfish I have every year. I hope the hummingbirds will forgive my removing their fountain, but I kinda doubt it. Rough bunch those hummingbirds.

As mentioned I’ve got a very mature fish pond in the back I mean to use for more intensive aquaponics however I haven’t designed the system yet.

These are the lids for the Rez in my flowering tent. They are originally yellow and let light through the plastic. Random dark spray paint on underside, and this nice super thick white for the tops to reflect light. I recommend the pictured paint for this job. I’ve also got white net cups, maybe I’ll scrap the hydroton and use course perlite just for the all white look!