Which Growbox should i go with.

[ncrazyballa]

Hi, im pretty new to growing so im not sure which grow box to go with and need expert opinions. I will be growing autoflowering strains with soil. These are some that im interested in, found them on ebay. my budget is between $200-$500. Im mainly interested in grow boxes since they are stealthy and more convenient. I know i could probably set u a grow room with $500 but i dont have the space or privacy to do so.

The first grow box
hXXp://www.hydroponicsonline.com/store/img-hydroponics/black-hydroponic-automatic-grow-system-grow-box-video_260488989589.jpg

Its pretty cheap only 230 shipped. Comes with a hydroponic system. Cons might be the size of the grow box might be to small and the lighting might not be sufficient. Only 3 cfl bulbs? maybe i can upgrade to higher bulbs? they are not adjustable either. Also the box offers no odor control


Number 2
hXXp://emiliobole.com.ar/pictures/NB%20XL%20Ebay/Main%201.jpg

This one has more info on the auction - its 36x20x15, has three 55 watt fluoros, so 165watts and a 130Cfm fan and timer. Im not sure if the lowryder has a timer it doesnt say on the auction. This one has what looks like a decent manual too, but it is made of cardboard so idunno.its alot bigger though . Price is 239.00

And number 3

hXXp://www.growrelentless.com/storage/mammoth150main.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1303323350278"]

This one looks the nicest but close to 2x expensive. box is 36" x 20" x 28" so its much bigger than the other grow boxes. It has a 150w hps which has more lumens than the nug box - it doesnt say how many. says the fan blows 160 cfm.. so the grow box should stay cool? Also unlike the other 2 this has odor control with snap on carbon filters. Its $499 with shipping... I think it might be over my budget - It says you can grow up to over half a pound in it - but i don't believa that...


Right now im kinda leaning towards the nug box .. looks like it has the most growing potential to price ratio... What one would you guys recommend?

 

[thomas 11111]

Live links are a no no. Just edit your post and change the http to hxxp and everyone will know what to do.

 

[woodydude]

Hi ncrazyballa, welcome to MP.

I didnt look at any of the links you gave, I will give you some general advice which will hopefully hold you in good stead while making decisions about what to go for. If you have the space for a "budbox, you have the space for a stealth grow, mylar lined etc, much cheaper.

First, start off with how much space you have to play with. What I notice from the sizes you give is the boxes are what we would normally use for a mother & clone space rather than a stealth type grow but since you are looking at auto's they should be ok. The largest is 3ft high x 1'8" x 2'4", if this will fit in the space you have earmarked, this will tell you a lot of other things about light, fan, how much potential yield/plant numbers.

Since the space has a footprint of less than 4sq ft, you need 5,000 lumens per sq ft for flowering. So you need 20,000 lumens. A HPS will give you around 150 lumens per W so the 150W hps will give you enough light but you may end up paying more for bulbs that are not as common as say a 400 or 600W. If you go for cfl's, they produce more heat per lumen/W than other types of lighting, such as T5 or HPS. You also have to think about light spectrum. Blue for veg, red for flower. Be careful if the tents are sold as veg tents, they may only come with blue spectrum bulbs.

Since your space is just under 4sq ft and is 3ft high, thats a volume of 12 cubic ft. For ventilation, the air need to be exchanged anything between 4x per min and every 2 min is ok. The more frequently air is exchanged, the more this impacts on humidity. Also a carbon filter reduces suction by around 33%.
So, lets assume you want to exchange the air 2x per min and have a carbon filter, the calculation is :- 12cubic ft x 2 + 33% = 32 cubic ft per min minimum. The 160cfm fan will be exchanging the air 10x per min in that space. I think that is quite a lot though it will keep the space cool and full of fresh air.

After that you need to think about how many plants. If you are doing auto's, you could maybe squeeze in as many as 16 in a SOG in 6" sq half gallon pots. I wouldnt though as I think that would be far too many. Someone with more experience growing auto's will help with this part. I would suggest a single plant SCROG but if this is your first grow that may be asking a lot.

You then have to think about seeds, nutrients, pots, ph meter, ph down, medium (soil or coco or hydroton)

Thats a lot to thinka bout and I havn't answered your question. In the main this site is about equipping people with the information to make an informed decision, we help those who help themselves. We will help and most of the guys here love seeing the progress new growers make, in turn, they then help other new growers further down the line.
This is why I havnt just said option c or b or whatever.

I am sure others will be along soon with other suggestions. Get those links changed though because no one will click on them! lol

Green mojo on its way for ya. W

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

.....Since the space has a footprint of less than 4sq ft, you need 5,000 lumens per sq ft for flowering. So you need 20,000 lumens. A HPS will give you around 150 lumens per W so the 150W hps will give you enough light but you may end up paying more for bulbs that are not as common as say a 400 or 600W.....

HPS lights do not emit 150 lumens per watt. Every wattage is different, with the smaller HPS (in general) putting out less lumens per watt.

These are average lumens for different wattage HPS.

150W - 15,000 lumens
250W - 25,000-28,000 lumens
400W - 45,000-55,000 lumens
600W - 85,000-95,000 lumens
1000W- 140,000-150,000 lumens

As a side note, 150W bulbs are very easy to find and are not expensive.

 

[woodydude]

Thats my learning for the day I think.
Thanks for correcting me THG, I just based it on my 600s putting out 96k and 95k tested with a light meter.

With that in mind, for that space maybe a 250W would be better.

W