Hey there, total noob here, so bare with me.
Got grow tents, lights (although I’m learning they are probably too wimpy), and coco coir and a bunch of other goodies. This will mark my first grow. So whilst shopping I saw Co2 Generators. In each of the grow books I have read they have never specifically mentioned needing these. Is it worth getting or is it over kill for my first grow?
Seeds on way growing Northern Lights for my first round.
Thanks guys!
Overkill. You need a sealed room and very strong lights for CO2 to help, and then it just makes the plant grow faster. Makes sense if you have a commercial greenhouse.
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Welcome to the forum.
Ditch the CO2 like @1BigFella says. Make sure you have digital pH and ppm meters for making sure your water and nutrient solution going in to your plant is managed and monitored; and measure the pH and ppms of your runoff.
Looking forward to your grow.
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Which brings me to my next question… I have been looking for digital PH testers and all of the reviews complain about how hard it is and how often they have to recalibrate them. Do you have a recommendation for one ( preferably on the cheaper side) or is it not a big deal to recalibrate them?
I figured so since it wasn’t mentioned in the books but I wanted to check. So glad I asked, thats more money I can use on other things. I’m no where near commercial size but hopefully one day. 
Thanks Big Fella!
I think my digital pH meter was under $20 on Amazon. They all need calibration, but probably only about once every 6 months and a single mid point is enough. Just keep it in water and the pH sensor will be stable. I think all of them will include two or three buffers you make up by pouring the envelope of salts in some distilled water. The buffer solutions last forever if you keep them sealed from the air so they don’t evaporate. pH is not that critical. 5.8 is ideal for hydroponic or coco, but anywhere from 5.7 to 5.9 would work fine. Just mix up your nute solution completely and then pH it. My tap water and full strength nutes actually comes in at 5.8 without adjusting! For half-strength (for seedlings etc.) I just add a teaspoon per gallon of vinegar and it’s right. Not difficult at all: Just go slow and take lots of pH readings as you add a bit of adjustment solution, shake well, take a reading, and so on.
The hardest part is getting the lights bright enough for flowering. With high quality LEDs, you need about 35 watts per square foot. For Amazon Chinese lights, you need about 50 watts per square foot. And that’s real watts drawn from the wall, not BS marketing “equivalent” watts.
I don’t bother with ppm testing because my tap water is good enough and I water-to-waste with DynaGro and coco coir. That means every day you water with nute solution until 20-30% of it runs out the bottom of the pot. That carries all the left over salts out so the coco contains exactly what you put in.
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i have Blue Lab pens and have not calibrated either in 8 months of use,
i did stick the pH pen into the 7.0 solution just to check it,
it is not hard to calibrate, probably takes 3-5 minutes and 1-2 pH solutions.!
this pen was ~$100 + solutions, i m liking it tho.!
Numerous PH n PPM Meters online…Amazon is good source. Solo meters around $10. Set of both…$20. Not NASA grade, but, plenty functional and affordable.
HOWEVER… do not let it get wet inside or drop in water. Instant death of meter
Would be a very wise decision to have spares. My spoiled 3rd hand used parrot roams the house and the first thing he did was get to my PH meter and bite off the sensor. Sigh…
Took 4 days for a new one and I was very nervous till it got here.
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Great thanks! I ordered the cheapo pack of two so they are on their way.I have another question if you don’t mind… I always see people talking about testing your ‘runoff’ PH. So do you fully water the plant and then place like a drip pan or something underneath your plant and then test that water?
The way I have my tent set there is a grate underneath that i can put the fabric pots on top of but there isn’t enough room to put a bowl or something underneath the grate to catch any water to test. So If I am right in my assumption I will have to modify. Sorry super noob here.
yes, exactly.!
i m not sure how accurate the run off testing is, i judge it loosely,
when it gets way off then it is time to adjust, but by that time the plants r showing stress.
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Many will test the water in the middle of the runoff stream.
How do you test the middle of a runoff? Just hurry and water and stick your head under haha.
OK awesome! I will have to reconstruct the bottom portion of my tent to accommodate this. Wish I would have been on this forum prior to buying everything. Though, I think I have done pretty good so far, the only thing I really messed up on is lights. I bought 50 watt and I think from what I have been reading I need 300 watt. I am going to start a new thread tho asking if people think its a good light before I purchase the next one. Do you use LED, Florescent or…?
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a bowl will hold water
When testing runoff… you really only want to test the last lil bit… I would not recommend mid stream… 
So basically the same idea as when you are taking a pregnancy test or trying to avoid failing drug test lol
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