You can expand to a 4’x8’ tent once you’re ready, and buy 1-2 more 600w HPS lamps to make 2-3 lamps covering 32 square feet.
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Your ProMix plan is smart. Another option is to buy a water-only soil like Michigan Made Mix. I know people that don’t even pH their water and still get great results with M3. It’s entirely up to you.
There are plenty of people on here with documented DWC and RDWC DIY builds. Those feel like the cheapest hydroponic option. I’m just not sure hydroponics are the best option on a tight initial budget.
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What kind of budget would put me in a good place to get results I wouldn’t feel bad about. I understand I’m not going to get the same results as my outdoor grows (1.5lbs per plant, in 20 gal smart pots) I might be able to allocate $1000 but that cuts into my outdoor budget.
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Honestly, I’d keep it small and simple at first. Get a crop out of a 4x4 tent and see what the basement is really like to grow in. You shouldn’t feel bad, even if it is sup par.
I wouldn’t steal from my outdoor budget to grow indoors either. Outdoor crops are so much cheaper than indoors.
See if you can buy a second 4x4 tent and 600w MH now, so that you can veg for your outdoor season. A vivosun tent is a lot less expensive than a Gorilla Tent, but a lot of people are getting good results with them. You can always make improvements to a leaky tent, and cover the door with a blackout tarp or panda film.
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What are your outdoor expenses, if you don’t mind my asking?
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Well I bought a agrobrite 4’ 8 bulb last year to veg indoors before putting them outside, but besides that roughly $600
Is that mostly for soil amendments and genetics?
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Well… I use promix and feed using gh trio in fabric pots. I genuinely just use the money for genetics, nutes and up keep of my garden.
$600 being the most I’ve spent, but that was the first year. Last year it was closer to 4
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Outdoor is much cheaper.
While indoor start with your 1 tent and don’t dive in to deep, get a grow or two under your belt indoor.
Gorilla tents are nice but not worth the price anymore they have good height to them.
Make sure your buying the tallest tent you can most often height becomes an issue once all the gears in it.
To start I would recommend a 2 in 1 tent something like the topogrow 60"X48"X80", Amazon it. I have their 3x3 version. It gives you a little side compartment to start plants in or organize gear etc etc it’s nice I wish my first tent was a 2 in 1.
This gives you the ability to do 4 plants as a start
Edit: forgot you had ballast and gear… @KeystoneCops can help you there, that being said aside from easing your start up costs I wouldn’t in the future invest in CMH/HPS systems due to led technology /efficiency and they are safer fire hazard wise.
To light the 4x4 I strongly recommend, and I think our lighting guru @dbrn32 would agree two of these will be a great choice you won’t regret.
Unless you want to build your own and save money, you sound hands on and totally can it will save you money and give you just as good of a product. For that head over to the lighting threads and go to the “let’s TALK DIY lighting” thread. Let's talk DIY lights
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I agree with your point that LED is more efficient @Nicky they just don’t have the budget for it. HPS will be highly effective, and within their budget. Personally, I’d prefer LED. But I didn’t just replace my boiler (ouch).
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Yeah totally and the supplies already on hand mean that CMH/HPS in a 4x4 is a great starting point.
Run a grow or a couple grows at that point and that gives you time to learn and save up at Wich point the DIY LED route I woild think would be best considering they have the knowledge/tools/time (Wich isn’t too much).
Dang replaced the boiler ouch, speaking of boilers one is beside me right now
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And don’t feel bad about waiting, @Northerlit because the LED tech is only getting cheaper and better.
Watch 45% tariffs hit imported LED chips next week
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If they do then cree chips will be made in the USA more and more and thus they will get cheaper eventually? Lol
But yes the tech on led is changing and so is the price I think we are going to look back in 5 years and laugh at our R spec lights
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Also look into oppulent tents way way cheaper then gorilla and a few of us use them. With that said Gorilla are super nice but it does the same basic thing something half or less will do.
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Thank you for the detailed info, such a huge help breaking it down like that.
@KeystoneCops I might be able to do $1000 without affecting my outdoor budget.
I was looking at tents, and found a 60”x60”x80” vivosun for $130. Would two of the light kits you recommended fill that space? I’d still like a separate tent for veg, but having trouble finding one my 4’ t5 would fit in without over doing it.
I see a lot of options when it comes to diy hydro setups, is there one method that is superior? (dtw, ebb&flow, etc) what kind of money would I be looking at to build said setup?
Again, thank you all for your time, very much appreciated
Also, how hard is it to put these lights together, does it come with detailed instructions or do I have know how to wire things?
The support materials are pretty good. You’ll find guides on YouTube I’m sure. No need for a multimeter, if that’s what you mean. To me they’re as easy as putting together IKEA furniture.
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nice, maybe I’ll go that route for lighting.
Do you need a veg tent right now? You could set the light up without one. Poster boards will work to reflect light. Otherwise, there are squat tents on amazon.
They would provide enough light. I’m not sure what reflector would be best. I think adjustable parabolic reflectors might be best. What do you think @dbrn32 ? 2 600w parabolic reflectors for a 5’x5’?
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I actually don’t need a second tent for veg, but I do have issues with low humidity and temps in the open basement.