Europa

Sput, mspaint, I can hardly wait. These are not going to be scalar, right? LOL Oh yea, have you read the posting rules. They're a little ambiguous, but I think we're not to make hyperlinks to commercial sites unless they are of educational value.

Since we decided to go deep water I've been looking around this site and have started collecting ideas on a recirculating bubbler. Because there are so many options I think it's time to list our priorities and goals. Here's a few ideas off the top in no particular order:

Total Yield (or per sq. foot)
Yield per plant
Length of cycle (plant to harvest)
Quality (potency)
Beauty (the plants silly)
Ease of construction
Ease of use

What else Sput?

Europa

Basic self leveling recirculating bubbler. I still have to add the extras like a sight tube, drain, etc.

Europa

Lets try that again.

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Ocelaris

Hello,
neat project here. Thought I would share some ideas I am having with a growth chamber I'm contemplating, maybe similar to yours.

How tall do you plan on making it? Are you going to make your system enclosed? And if so, is the light going to move up and down, or are you going to just line the entire thing with mylar or something.

I'm planning roughly a 1 square meter, maybe 51x51cm or 20x20inches. I figure that's about enough for 1 large plant, You plan on 3 plants in a square meter with 600watts of light? I'm not an expert, but that seems small? Anyways, I'm planning, on a 400w MH, with a 5500k bulb from venture, I think the best deal out there on a full spectrum MH bulb. I wish we could do some trading on here, but I would never risk it, but I came across some cheap and wouldn't mind sharing for this experiment :-(

Some other ideas:

Co2, I have a tank, solenoid, and flow regulator. If I ever get this thing built I plan on using it on a short cycle timer.

Ventilation. Got a blower, allelectronicsDOTcom has a big one for $15 + shipping. Plan on running that constantly through the thing just for air movement within the chamber. I'll vent the entire case every 10-15 minutes or so I think, depends on what the temperatures stay at.

Cooling/dehumidfier - got myself 3x80w Peltiers, thermoelectric junctions? and a big ol 21a @ 12v PSU to run the puppies. I will have 6 heatsinks attached to them, 3 on the inside, 3 on the outside, and the inside ones will be inside the ventilation loop, where there will be a drain to collect the condensation that will hopefully develop on them.

Nutrients Etc... I'm just gonna follow the book on this one, General Hydroponics 3 formula + the tekt silicon stuff, and water from a deionizer, home made of course ;-)

Best, Ocelaris

Europa

Glad you stopped by. Yes, the chamber is goin to have three walls, a ceiling, and two doors at the front. I have no idea how tall, that's Sput's job. Definately lined with a reflecting material, probably space blankets. As far as the lighting goes, I'm not positive that 50klux is enough but thats my best guess as to how much MJ can use. I've read that there is a limit on how much light a plant can use and this seems to be about middle-of-the-road for herbaceous plants. Sput and I have decided to use a mix of HPS and MH because we can get the light quality we want without going to specialty lamps. If I had to choose one, it would probably be a wide spectrum or warm MH. What's the lumen output on your lamp, the way I figure it you'll have 1/4 sq-m @ ~140klux. That's way bright!

We haven't really started talking ventilation yet, best to wait till we have the chamber size figured out. What I've read says you should have enough cfm to replace the air 5X per hour. We'll probably multiply this by 2 or more and use it for cooling too. I'll install a dryer hose through the wall for an exhaust. Sput has some experience with TEC's, he showed me BTU tables on them. I haven't yet figured out how much heat these bulbs produce. Do you know if 240W of TEC will be enough for your 400W MH?

Nutes---I'm still investigating that. GH nutes aren't cheap. Being a chemist I could easily whip up a recipe to match any formula, but so far I've only found one elemental list. I'll keep looking. If all else fails I'll use the DynaGro I use on my houseplants.

CO2--Not likely we'll try it now unless growth rate gets to the top of our goals list. It does seem to be a really good way to boost production. Just be carefull, it's an asphyxiant.

Of course, I don't advise doing this in your parents house without telling them. Wouldn't it be better if they knew?

Legal, oh yea. If it was, we could just grow outside and let mother nature provide instead of spending so much on equipment. I'd much rather spend the time outside in the sun than in the basement and the yields would carry you through winter.

Ocelaris

CO2 - asphyxiation, not terrible worried since I'm only putting out enough CO2 for one plant...Just wish I had more space period!

As for the pelts, I don't plan on them having enough cooling power to remove the heat of 400w of MH lighting. Thats why I plan on having the light enclosed and vented seperately from the chamber, so less heat will be getting into the chamber. The cooling capacity is really only secondary to the dehumidification purpose. Ocelaris

sputnick

Height. originally i had intended on making the box 7ft tall. i also figured on making the box rectangular. but since a rectangular shape is not optimal for efficient lighting the box is now 1m x 1m. We happen not to have doors that are a meter wide so i assume that i will be assembling the cabinet in its final resting place.

Ventillation: I really like those big conduit fans we have at home. we already have them and i am sure they move enough air. I think we have 3 of these. i just tried drawing a pic. ugly. dont have time to post it anyway. have to do some homework. but anyway. i figure on two larger vents in the sides at the top. one in one out. the out hose will have attached one of those conduit fans and a rheostat for speed control. The bottom will be a false floor. depending on the suction from the other fan the intake air flow will increase or decrease. the other air intake at the top will be metered this will alter, based on the speed of the conduit fan, how much of the air is being pulled into the box from the bottom vs the top. There will be an additional fan closer to the base of the plants that has a heater built in, similar to the one in the orchid case, to break up the air flow etc. I am going to build provisions for 2 sheets of glass to be inserted directly below the lights. this will allow higher flow rates from the conduit fan without increasing the amount of air coming in from the bottom.

er...anyway. think about it...i know there is something wrong or some bit of functionality i have left out. gotta get some hw done though...thanks for your input in advance

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__________________
Environmental chamber design and construction
Super Silver Haze Hydro Grow
SSH grow v2.0 "Full Auto"

Europa

Sput,
I was talking to Mom about where to put the chamber and she said there's no room in the storage area and she'd like to have some sun in the bedroom . So we'll have to do a re-think so that all the mechanicals are remote or quiet. Also the facia will need to be decorative and have a set of transparent and opaque doors. I measured the recess and its 1.10m deep X 1.14m wide X 2.22m high (2.36m if we remove the dropped ceiling).

Here's my latest thoughts, we'll still need to work on the lower in-vents, false floor, and the glass partitions. I was thinking bi-fold wooden doors.

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Sonic Painter

Im not sure if youd like my two cents on door construction, but ill put it in for good spirits

not knowing what you wish to use for a reflective surface inside the environment, (sorry if i missed it in my skimming) you could simplify construction by using a single panel , if you do them in a see through manner, what will you use to keep light in the box and reflecting about? guess the main question is. would a 1 way glass help this in any manner?

just curious.
best of luck
SP

Europa

Thanks Sonic, I'll take all the help I can get.

Seems there are two options for reflection at the doors. Either a window-shade made of mylar inside the plexi doors or cover the wooden doors with mylar. The second choice is easier but the light will have to pass twice through the plexi to get back to the plants. I like the window shade idea.