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Dr. Awesome
Registered: 01/17/09
Posts: 55
Last seen: 7 years, 15 days
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Re: Closet grow recommendations? [Re: Dr. Penguin]
#200279 - 02/26/09 04:45 PM (15 years, 8 months ago) |
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i was also considering purchasing an ultra sonic fog generator, you know, like the kind that some halloween decorations have.. or that you can buy at a petstore for reptiles and amphibian cages. i've heard those are great and since there are no moving parts to maintain, and no hoses or fittings to clog, i could just use the pump for circulation. what about an air pump and bubbler?
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Dr. Penguin
Registered: 05/19/08
Posts: 1,036
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Re: Closet grow recommendations? [Re: Dr. Awesome]
#200371 - 02/26/09 10:40 PM (15 years, 8 months ago) |
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I looked into those, It seems like they would work to me. I would build a specialized unit for the fogger head though because the commercial ones wouldn't be able to hold enough liquid and might clog/fail.
As for the pump, go and by one with 2 air nozzles and a decent gallon rating from the pet store; no need for something fancy in a closet grow. The air stones now, those will cause heated debate. I have always used the cheap blue ones but the silica reusables are looking more and more appealing.
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Dr. Awesome
Registered: 01/17/09
Posts: 55
Last seen: 7 years, 15 days
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Re: Closet grow recommendations? [Re: Dr. Penguin]
#200401 - 02/26/09 11:38 PM (15 years, 8 months ago) |
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you can actually get the fogger unit all by itself, you basically just set it in the reservoir and viola. i mean that's how all the halloween decorations work.
something like this but without lights of course. dont need any light on those roots http://www.mainlandmart.com/foggers.html
there nothing there to clog. im begging my ex gf to sell me one she has for her halloween decorations but she wont budge
teh only think i guess i would really need to do is make a float for it so that it only sits an inch or so below the waters surface no matter what the nutrient solutions level is. i think we might have been thinking of different kinds of foggers.
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Dr. Penguin
Registered: 05/19/08
Posts: 1,036
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Re: Closet grow recommendations? [Re: Dr. Awesome]
#200465 - 02/27/09 01:03 AM (15 years, 8 months ago) |
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Nope, I knew exactly what you were talking about. The same fogger heads are in every cool mist humidifier, thats what I meant by commercial units.
I would build a blower for the head in any case though, not just set it in the rez with the plants. Two reasons: first the roots will grow into the solution eventually so you would need to aerate it, defeating the purpose IMO. Secondly because the roots will strangle the fogger by growing on top of it and such, clogging it.
All you would need for the blower though is a rez to float the fogger in like you mentioned, a lid for said rez, a hose (think vacume cleaner size) and a pc fan to blow air into the rez, forcing the mist up and into the sealed tub for your plant roots.
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Dr. Awesome
Registered: 01/17/09
Posts: 55
Last seen: 7 years, 15 days
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Re: Closet grow recommendations? [Re: Dr. Penguin]
#200468 - 02/27/09 01:21 AM (15 years, 8 months ago) |
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ahh, gotcha. that makes sense. i'm wondering how i would protect the pc fan from moisture, it would certainly be a risk of causing a short. im not sure if a fan of any kind would even be necessary, unless im just not following you on this one. i've seen one of those foggers EASILY fill a large rubbermaid tote (larger than what i intend to use) full of thick fog till it was spilling over the edge. i see what you mean about protecting the head from being strangled by roots, but that should be an easy fix.
what about a funnel or something on that sort over the fogger head? positioned with the spout of the funnel facing upward, it shoudl effectively keep the roots away from the unit, while at the same time causing the fog to erupt from the top of it volcano style. not sure if that would work.. just kinda brainstorming ideas right now...
so just to see if im still at least partly on the same page, i could use a pump to keep the nutes circulating, air stones to aerate, as well as an ultrasonic fogger?
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Dr. Penguin
Registered: 05/19/08
Posts: 1,036
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Re: Closet grow recommendations? [Re: Dr. Awesome]
#200500 - 02/27/09 08:08 AM (15 years, 8 months ago) |
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The pump would be unnecessary I think, but an airpump and fogger should work for you. As far as keeping the roots off the fogger, I guess you could just cover it with a net pot and manually remove and roots growing into it every couple of days. The funnel is a decent idea, but I think it would limit the amount of fog that can get out. One more thing to check into is the average particle size generated by those fogger heads. There is a water droplet size range (I believe ~5-50 microns) that functions best for aeroponic gardening, you want to make sure the fogger is in that range.
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Dr. Awesome
Registered: 01/17/09
Posts: 55
Last seen: 7 years, 15 days
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Re: Closet grow recommendations? [Re: Dr. Penguin]
#200587 - 02/27/09 12:23 PM (15 years, 8 months ago) |
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ooh, that's something that didn't even really occur to me, (droplet size) i'll definitely keep that in mind. and the net pot idea sounds like it would work fairly well. manually removing rots form it every few days doesn't seem like too much of a chore IMO.
i should be able to keep the fog unit away from most of the hanging roots anyway, the reservoir should be large enough for me to space the plants enough that the fog head can go between them with minimal interference from roots. but i will still cover it with a net pot just to be sure.
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Dr. Awesome
Registered: 01/17/09
Posts: 55
Last seen: 7 years, 15 days
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Re: Closet grow recommendations? (UPDATE WITH PICS) [Re: Dr. Awesome]
#204690 - 03/11/09 01:51 PM (15 years, 8 months ago) |
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well here are some pics of my closet setup, no plants yet, just finished setting everything up. everything went fairly smooth.
i only need a couple more things, small oscillating fan that i can attach to the wall, and some weather stripping to keep the light in and out, some better cable management lol oh, and clones of course
anyway, here's the pics. as always thoughts on what i can do to improve this grow closet are welcome and appreciated.
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Dr. Penguin
Registered: 05/19/08
Posts: 1,036
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Re: Closet grow recommendations? (UPDATE WITH PICS) [Re: Dr. Awesome]
#204695 - 03/11/09 02:34 PM (15 years, 8 months ago) |
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Looking great! I just have a couple questions and comments.
What kind of fan did you end up going with? It looks like all you have is a duct booster fan which means you must have skipped the scrubber. Any idea what you will do about the smell?
That ducting you're using may be a bit too long, especially with a duct booster fan instead of a centrifugal or axial fan and its made of plastic which always concerns me when venting hot air. I suggest multiple, smaller sections of metal flex duct so that the run is as straight as possible, at as many light heights as possible. I know it will cause a bit more work, but with a decent sized HPS you have to get the most out of your cooling system.
Keep it up!
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Dr. Awesome
Registered: 01/17/09
Posts: 55
Last seen: 7 years, 15 days
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Re: Closet grow recommendations? (UPDATE WITH PICS) [Re: Dr. Penguin]
#204699 - 03/11/09 02:49 PM (15 years, 8 months ago) |
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well, so far ive left the door closed for an hour and a half and the temp hasn't risen above 78 f when the thermometer was placed only 5-6" away from the glass of the reflector. the ducting isn't attached to the reflector yet, and i will be adding the carbon scrubber before i initiate flowering. from all previous grows ive noticed veg smell is minimal. enough so that venting to the attic should pose no security threats. however i will insist on having the scrubber built and in place before flowering.
i did go with a duct booster fan, it was cheap (10 bucks at home depot, and it seems to be serving well enough for the time being, tho i will be investing in a 6" vortex fan. as well as possibly an axial fan for the intake just to boost airflow over the bulb. unfortunately the vortex fan was outside my initial start up budget.
i will keep my eye on the ducting, if the air becomes too hot for it i will take a quick trip to home depot to cure that. for the time being i will straighten out that ducting/cut off the excess.
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ethnoguy
E to the G
Registered: 04/21/08
Posts: 429
Loc: your momma's house
Last seen: 15 years, 3 months
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Re: Closet grow recommendations? (UPDATE WITH PICS) [Re: Dr. Awesome]
#204706 - 03/11/09 02:58 PM (15 years, 8 months ago) |
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Keep us posted. Its looking good.
EG
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Dr. Awesome
Registered: 01/17/09
Posts: 55
Last seen: 7 years, 15 days
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Re: Closet grow recommendations? (UPDATE WITH PICS) [Re: ethnoguy]
#212341 - 04/05/09 02:15 AM (15 years, 7 months ago) |
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so i have come across a problem, just not sure how much of a problem it will end up being... in my closet i made an intake vent that draws air from my basement since i found that sealing the door was in my best interests security wise. no light leaks in or out, and no sounds are audible when teh door is closed so that is good. however with that fresh air intake, my relative humidity has dropped to around 20%. my hygrometer could just be horribly inaccurate, cos my house doesn't seem to have super dry air, but im not sure. how much is having a really low humidity going to effect growth? i suspect that once the hydro unit is running and there are plants in there it will surely drive the humidity up, but i just wanna know for a worst case scenario what it will be like if i cant get the RH any higher than 20%
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Dr. Awesome
Registered: 01/17/09
Posts: 55
Last seen: 7 years, 15 days
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Re: Closet grow recommendations? (UPDATE WITH PICS) [Re: ethnoguy]
#212352 - 04/05/09 03:32 AM (15 years, 7 months ago) |
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double post
Edited by Dr. Awesome (04/05/09 03:33 AM)
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ethnoguy
E to the G
Registered: 04/21/08
Posts: 429
Loc: your momma's house
Last seen: 15 years, 3 months
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Re: Closet grow recommendations? (UPDATE WITH PICS) [Re: Dr. Awesome]
#212357 - 04/05/09 09:23 AM (15 years, 7 months ago) |
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Thats kinda odd. Maybe you have high positive airflow instead of negative? I'm not sure. What is the cfm of you intake and exhaust fans. I find it strange that air from the basement would have such low RH.
EG
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Dr. Penguin
Registered: 05/19/08
Posts: 1,036
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Re: Closet grow recommendations? (UPDATE WITH PICS) [Re: ethnoguy]
#212410 - 04/05/09 03:11 PM (15 years, 7 months ago) |
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Yea, agreed ethno, basement air is usually pretty damp around here... I would check the hygrometer first off, you can find good ones at a reasonable price at a local cigar shop. Cigar shops have good ones that will give you an accurate reading, I've always been wary of the cheap ones from walmart and the pet stores.
That said, I have never really had a problem with humidity when growing hydroponically and it gets pretty damn dry in the winter. The only thing a low humidity level will do is increase transpiration rates (unless it gets ridiculously low) which means you will have to top off your rez water more often.
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Dr. Awesome
Registered: 01/17/09
Posts: 55
Last seen: 7 years, 15 days
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Re: Closet grow recommendations? (UPDATE WITH PICS) [Re: Dr. Penguin]
#212419 - 04/05/09 04:22 PM (15 years, 7 months ago) |
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well, that's good. im glad it shouldn't be too much of a problem. my basement is pretty humid especially in the summer so once things start to warm up i don't think it is unrealistic for me to be fighting with air that is too humid :P
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