# 30 Gal Tote for starter



## Flyinghigh (Nov 19, 2013)

Hi there Growers.
Getting ready to cut hole for 3 inch pot net in a 30 gal tote lid.  How many should I put in.? I got 8 of them net pot.
My plan is to start some bag seeds and veggie them till sexing and then put them in a 5 gal single buckets and hopefully I can finish them in these 3 in pot net.

Light using T-5 (4 bulb)
Room is closet 5x3 just big enough for tote..
Food 3 part flora 
Water is well water 5.5 haven't had to add any ph.
60 gal air pump 
30 gal water pump

I need to start this A.S.A.P.


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## sunakard2000 (Nov 19, 2013)

not 100% sure but a 30 gal tote id say 4 or maybe 6... 6 may be cutting it a little close, and yes when you start in a 3inch net pot you finish in a 3 inch net pot, the "transplant" will be to another deepwater system, aka tote to bucket.


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## Flyinghigh (Nov 19, 2013)

sunakard2000 said:
			
		

> not 100% sure but a 30 gal tote id say 4 or maybe 6... 6 may be cutting it a little close, and yes when you start in a 3inch net pot you finish in a 3 inch net pot, the "transplant" will be to another deepwater system, aka tote to bucket.



Yes that my plans is to finish in these net pot in 5 gal buckets.. I wonder what the roots be like once the main roots get growing big, in little slots.. 
I am going to try 6 and hope for the roots not to tangle with one another..


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## The Hemp Goddess (Nov 19, 2013)

Couple of comments and observations on your project.  First, if you are going to use a space that big, you absolutely are going to need more light.  It is pushing it to use a 4' 4 bulb T5 in a 2 x 4 space--yours is twice as large.  If you want your space that large, plan on getting another light. 

I am not really seeing any advantage to using a tote that large for small plants, especially when you do not have enough light to adequately light the space you need for that size tote. What do you consider the upsides (why did you decide on a tote that large)?

What is the water pump for?

I think that if your water is 5.5 from your well (how are you checking it as that seems low) you are going to need pH up as soon as you mix nutes up.  Nutes will bring your pH down.

Finally, I do take 3" net pots and put them into 6" net pots that I have cut a hole in the bottom of.  So, while a plant cannot be removed from a net pot it has been started in, the net pot can be put into a larger one.  The roots will tangle unless you make sure they don't.  As they get larger, you will need to either pull the pots from the top of the tote to untangle any roots starting to tangle or lift the lid and do the same.

Your biggest issue is that your lighting.  If you cannot get more, you are really going to need to cut your space down at least by 1/2.  You are only running 1333 lumens per sq ft with your lighting.  This make the tote seem even more unsuitable to me.....


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## ShOrTbUs (Nov 19, 2013)

i did a lot of experimenting with this when i was growing hydro. how fast and how large the root ball gets is strain dependent, but i've found that if you do 5 pots(1 pot in each corner and one in the center) you'll need to have them out by 21 days. after that the roots begin to touch, and as soon as they bond to each other, which they will. you will have to dmg the roots just to get them apart.

just a heads up. you are going to waste a lot of nutes mixing 15gals of it for plants that are generally going to be small while in the tote. you should return it for the 10gal tote. same size lid just shorter. this will save you time and money by only having to mix up 5gal of nutes as opposed to 15g.


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## Flyinghigh (Nov 19, 2013)

Man u all aren't making this any easier lol.
Well this is what I have and didn't want to spend any more money for a new start to keep myself supply going.. 
Ok now my 400 watt HPS is starting to have problems with over heating I guess and shut it self down to cool and then it restart up.  I thought it was the timer but that not it because my 1000 watt is on that timer..  I had bought this system off of eBay 5 yrs ago, so I guess It time to up grade, endless I can maybe get alittle suggestion for help first.


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## Flyinghigh (Nov 19, 2013)

In this tote can I put some type of plastic wall in between the roots somehow and be safe?


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## ShOrTbUs (Nov 19, 2013)

Flyinghigh said:
			
		

> In this tote can I put some type of plastic wall in between the roots somehow and be safe?



actually yes. try office max or staples. they have clear plastic dividers. i dunno if they make them tall enough for your tote. but you can stack 3-4 on top of each other


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## The Hemp Goddess (Nov 20, 2013)

Flyinghigh said:
			
		

> In this tote can I put some type of plastic wall in between the roots somehow and be safe?



I say no to the dividers.  There is going to be no way to put dividers in the res and still maintain good bubbles throughout that res.  

I am sorry that you are not happy, but you did ask us for our advise didn't you?  I hope you understand that we simply cannot bring up the points that we see will give you problems and adversely affect your grow.   

It is an absolute fact that you will have unsatisfactory results unless you get more light in there.  So, if you are trying to save money, making the space (and your tote) smaller is the best alternative.  That space is even too large for a 400W--you would have to step up to a 600W to adequately cover 15 sq ft.  Since totes are so cheap, it is a mistake to try and save money by using a tote that is unsuitable.  You would probably spend more than the cost of the new smaller totes in the nutes you will waste with the larger one.  However, why are you not just starting the plants in the 5 gal buckets in the first place?

Also remember that more plants does not necessarily mean more product.  In fact often the opposite is true.


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## ShOrTbUs (Nov 20, 2013)

The Hemp Goddess said:
			
		

> I say no to the dividers.  There is going to be no way to put dividers in the res and still maintain good bubbles throughout that res.
> 
> I am sorry that you are not happy, but you did ask us for our advise didn't you?  I hope you understand that we simply cannot bring up the points that we see will give you problems and adversely affect your grow.
> 
> ...




good catch THG, i forgot about the bubbles :48:


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## YYZ Skinhead (Nov 20, 2013)

IMO you would be better off with two 14-18 gallon Rubbermaid Roughneck tanks than one 30 gallon tank.  I have had great results with Rubbermaid for at least 10 years.  Two 14g reservoirs are a lot easier to drain and re-position.


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## Hushpuppy (Nov 21, 2013)

:yeahthat: I prefer using 18gal totes as opposed to the 5gal buckets as they will hold more water and nutes which makes water changes less often, and they are easier to maintain (to me). I also like to connect them together in my grow space so that I can more easily maintain the solution by continually circulating and aerating the total solution. But everyone has their favorite way of doing it


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## The Hemp Goddess (Nov 21, 2013)

I use 5 gal buckets and smaller totes so that I can raise and lower individual plants as needed and run nute concentrations at different levels.  If you are going to connect everything together a larger tote makes sense.  However, I still believe that a 30 gal tote is too large for small plants.  The level of the nute solution is going to have to be kept so  high (probably 20+ gal of solution).  The level will have to be kept high until the roots grow into it.  Then there is still the fact that the tote requires a space that requires more lighting.


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## 7greeneyes (Nov 21, 2013)

and nute concentration needs are different if you're growing multiple strains. 

fyi didn't catch what strain(s) you're growing...


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## Locked (Nov 21, 2013)

On the rare occasions that I run hydro I like to use the big tidy cat litter buckets. I run one plant per bucket with one air stone per bucket as well. Jmo


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## YYZ Skinhead (Nov 23, 2013)

Hushpuppy said:
			
		

> :yeahthat: I prefer using 18gal totes as opposed to the 5gal buckets as they will hold more water and nutes which makes water changes less often, and they are easier to maintain (to me). I also like to connect them together in my grow space so that I can more easily maintain the solution by continually circulating and aerating the total solution. But everyone has their favorite way of doing it



Another advantage to Rubbermaid Roughneck is that they are very easy in which to drill in the hole saw without the lid cracking.


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## Flyinghigh (Dec 2, 2013)

Wow guess it been a few days since I was last on...


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## Flyinghigh (Dec 2, 2013)

The Hemp Goddess said:
			
		

> I say no to the dividers.  There is going to be no way to put dividers in the res and still maintain good bubbles throughout that res.
> 
> I am sorry that you are not happy, but you did ask us for our advise didn't you?  I hope you understand that we simply cannot bring up the points that we see will give you problems and adversely affect your grow.
> 
> ...




No THG not mad....!     This is what I have in my scrap box and wanted to put them to use as my grow is about finish and need to start a new grow. When my grow done I will restart the 5 gal buckets with the fresh plants intill then I want to keep my supply's growing... 

This is why I ask about the tote so I can start new plants in and then transfer to 5 gal bucket by using the 3 inch net pots transfer into the 6 inch net pots and try to keep the roots  seperated...  Or just from start to finish in the tote and weed out the males..

Traded one of my camping trip tote that was smaller 15 gal from the 30 gal tote which I have now made 6 holes in top for the 3 in net pot.

I have 2 air stones that r a foot long that I was going to stick in the tote for the Bubbles..

For the light and space I am going to put side around the tote and leave the top open for venting for a moment.

Got a friend that gave me some seeds from a plant that they called it Dolly.  

Thanks everybody


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