S
Stoney Bud
Guest
lefty said:hey stoney i think ur right .im going to go with the one room and learn all i can from that then expand after the first or 2nd harvest into 2 or 3 rooms . what do i need to get started w/ ur model ebb and flo(sorry havent read FYI yet will do tonight)kind of got hung up. but if u let me ni whats needed to get started at least i can try and pick some of the items up. my room is CLEAN.walls painted white no windows....thanx......lefty
Here's a shopping list for you to get started with. You'll need a few more things that have to wait until you have these first. Let me know when you've got all of these on hand and we'll go from there.
I use the "Cadillac" of light bulbs and ballasts. A digital ballast for each light is something I strongly suggest. Again, more cost, but in this case, you get what you pay for. No degradation of light and a smaller light bill. I use the Hortilux LU 430S/HTL/EN 430 Watt light with a digital 430 watt ballast for each of my lights. If you buy "bargain basement" bulbs and ballasts, again, you get what you pay for here. You'll want to buy at least one extra bulb as a backup.
1.
You need 4 of these. I would buy an extra or two just in case.
1" 90 Degree Slip Fit Bulkhead Fitting
See the photo below.
2.
25' of soft black plastic hose that will tightly slip over a piece of 3/4 inch Schedule 40 PVC. Make sure it's a nice tight fit. I use soapy water to lube it when I push it over the PVC.
3.
20 Stainless Steel Hose clamps that fit easily over the hose you buy. These are the clamps that will insure it not to leak all over your house. Buy good quality ones.
4.
13"H x 14"W x 18"L Rubbermaid Tubs that are colored dark enough not to let in light. Black if you can find them. My last are blue. These need to be flexible plastic, not rigid breakable ones. You can go a little larger, but no smaller in any of the directions.
5.
Two submersible pumps, (one is a backup pump in case of failure).
I got mine at Home Depot. Beckett 185 gallon/hour at 1" lift.
6.
A reservoir for your nutrients. I use a 25 gallon tub that fits into a closet next to my grow room. Yours will be just outside the room your building, so you can go with any size. I would suggest nothing larger than 50 gallons and the HEIGHT OF THE TUB CAN'T BE MORE THAN 12 - 14 INCHES. This is very important. The bottom of your grow tubs will be just above the TOP of your reservoir. Every inch of height of your reservoir and tubs takes away height of your plants. Keep the reservoir as short as possible with the proper volume. Shop around for the best one. It's a ***** to find them sometimes. Let me know if you find really good ones online.
7.
Two 400 or 430 watt HPS lights with reflectors. You can use the air cooled reflectors to maximize your cooling. I strongly suggest this. More cost, but well worth it. The air cooled reflectors pull air through, over the light and out of the grow room. This will radically help the heat buildup in the room.
8.
General Hydroponics "Flora Series" 3 part hydroponic nutrients. One gallon of each of the 3 parts.
9.
Hydroton clay balls for your media. You'll need enough to fill all four tubs to the top. Get the tubs first so you can calculate the volume of hydroton you need. I use half "River Rock" from Home Depot. It's way less expensive than hydroton and you can use half the volume of this to save considerable money if you like. It makes no difference to the grow.
10.
Peat Pellets for your seedlings. You'll use these for your seeds right after germination. Rockwool cubes can be used, but I have better luck with the peat pellets. I buy them 100 at a time. They are about 18 cents apiece.