First grow setup. I have questions

[YYCannabis]

Howdy!

I’m new to growing and have decided to take the plunge into hydroponics. I’m a medical cannabis patient living in Canada and I’ve gotten tired of the high prices from the LPs. I’ve also applied to Health Canada for my personal production license. I’ll describe, and include some pics, of my grow area and will gladly take all suggestions of how to achieve success.

GROW METHOD
- hydro
- 5 gallon pails w/air stones. (No top feeding)
- Aglex 1200w LED (dual switch) full spectrum light

GROW SPACE
- 4’x4’x6.5’ tent located in an outbuilding (not in the home) that is insulated.

As as you can see in the pics, space isn’t an issue, nor is stealth an issue since everything is totally legitimate. While I say “stealth” isn’t an issue, by that I mean that I’m cultivating on my own property and not worried about hiding odor/noise as if I live in an apartment/condo. You will also see in the pics that the walls/ceiling of my building are unfinished which allows me to install electrical and ventilation to suit my needs.

Here’s some questions I’m unsure of the correct answer and hope to get some help from this community.
1) 15 or 20 amp circuit for power? Is it ok to run a 20amp circuit to power the equipment, or is there a reason not to?
2) Regarding ventilations: I have a 4” inline fan (that does not have a speed controller) and is rated for 195 cfm. Is that sufficient for my tent? (‘‘This fan will be mounted approx 10’ above the tent, then pushing air 25’ to exhaust outside)
3) Has anyone mounted this type of fan in an attic space (above the insulation) that is subjected to extreme heat and cold? Should I build an insulated box around the fan to protect it from temp extremes (avoiding winter temp issues causing a major fault)?
4) Should I use peroxide or bleach to clean my pails and equipment before starting? What should I use to clean pails when doing water changes?

Like many new growers, I will have hundreds more questions over the next few days.

Cheers
YYC

[Sww]

Your grow a single plant in there. That's cool

[YYCannabis]

I am hoping to grow more than just one plant in there. Thanks for the constructive advice.

[HappyDaze]

Nice space!!

I ran a 220V service to my room for the light and just have a single 15A 120V plug for my air pump, exhaust and circulation fans. It should be GFI if you're doing hydro (is there water readily available, BTW?)
I have 4" fans that pull through a carbon cans and they work great, but my inlet/outlet ducting is short.. I'd recommend minimizing the length of the duct to the inlet, 10ft is a lot and will diminish the flow out. I'd run sheet metal duct as opposed to the flex to minimize the pressure drop, and insulate about five feet of it before it goes outside, you'll get condensation if you don't.
Putting the fan in a cold/hot space might come with condensation issues I mentioned, I'd put it as close to the tent as possible.
I use both H2O2 and 10% bleach for cleaning, neither have any negative effect on the plants, IF you intend to run a sterile DWC. If you're running beneficials in your rez, the way some do, you need to clear rinse everything, otherwise you'll kill them and cause yourself a ton of headaches.

Have you chosen a nutrient program you're going to follow?

[Toker1]

1. Run a 20amp. You will thank me later. I assume you are adding new wiring as well. Just make sure it’s rated for 20A. The reason for running 15a is because more than likely it was already installed and easier to just deal with. Plus over loading can be dangerous.
2. No. Get a 6” or 8”. The one you picked out is too small. Go bigger and get a speed controller.
3. Yes. It’s doable. Read the fan specs or call the manufacturer. They will tell you safe ambient temperature and RH range for that particular model fan.
4. Food grade quality Peroxide. Bleach leaves a salt film residue after the rest of the product has vaporized.

[YYCannabis]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Electrical: I am lucky to have a clean slate to work with and the materials to run either 15 or 20 amp outlet. I’m concerned with not having to run a 2nd line on a separate breaker. Just wasn’t sure if it was advisable to do it as a single 20a or two 15a.

Ventilation: The exterior wall vent is 4”. From what I’ve read, going from a large diameter duct to a smaller duct (exterior vent) would cause a bottleneck in flow and a loss of efficiency. (Plus the exhaust would blast out like a jet causing noise and drawing attention)
I will have to try to find a 4” fan that has a higher CFM and speed controller. I’ll take HappyDaze advice and lower the placement of the fan to just above the tent and build a sound reduction box around it. And to think about it now...it would be easier to service and maintain.

As for the rest: looks like H2O2 is the way I’ll do it. What is the recommended solution strength?
Nutes will be the MegaMass Blend/grow/bloom trio.

Thanks again for the tips 😉

Cheers
YYC

[HappyDaze]

Hey...if you haven't already bought your nutes...go see the guys at Quick Grow Superstore (not the north store), and talk to them about nutrients. They'll get you started out right and give you actual growing advice as opposed to shopping advice. They have grown some cup winning weed and they know WTF they're talking about. They have their own nutrient line, and I'm just using up the G.H. stuff I have before I make the switch.

[Toker1]

More amps is better. I have 3 legs each capable of 15 amps. With my 3 tents, plus fans, I damn can use every amp I can spare.
4” will not be enough unless you are running a very small amount of wattage in your lights.
If you buy the concentrated kind, use 1tbs per gal.

[YYCannabis]

Are you in the YYC area? I’ll have to go check them out.

[YYCannabis]

How do you sub-comment in this forum? 🤔

[Toker1]

Thanks HappyDaze! Much respect.

[YYCannabis]

Thanks for the heads-up. It’s always good to know who the straight shooters are when joining a new community.

[HappyDaze]

I used to post on Overgrow and Cannabis World a long, long time ago, before Heaven's Stairway was taken down. There are lots of great people in the grow community in general. I haven't been here long, but it's been all smiles so far in the forum. And Nebula's information is reliable on that side of GWE too, she's not selling nutrients or seeds or gear, so her recommendations seem pretty unbiased and based on her experience, not her commission.