FIRST GROW! CFL and LED in 2x2x4 tent

Stonedvegan666

Stonedvegan666

Member
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I'm so excited to have finished setting this up. I'm just anxiously waiting for my seeds. 10 days waiting. Hopefully soon!

2x2x4 Grow Tent
8 x 25w CFL half warm half cool (800w equivilant light)
180w ufo full spectrum led
Fox Farms Ocean Forest and Nutrient Trios
Thermometer Hygrometer

I'll have the temps and humidity through out the stages on lock down and will have ph balanced water
I'm hoping to have 4 bush type plants, kind of like a scrog but not as serious. My goal is 150 grams out of the 4 plants. Wish me luck on my first grow. I seriously can't wait to start.
 
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Smokenpassout

Well-Known Member
Mine in a 170 cfm carbon scrubber 4" for a 2X2.5X6'11"
That is maybe enough light for 2 plants but not near enough to flower 4. You said your 8 cfl's are 800 watts equivalent? No you add the actual watts, so 25x8=200watts equivalant. They are not putting out 100 watts each only 25. So You have about 380 watts total if you get those CFL's right down on thar foilage 1-3". Two plants might squeak by if there are small to medium size. Are you planning on any odor control, cause they will smell a house up.
 
nomofatum

nomofatum

Well-Known Member
100 CFM is way more than plenty. You want an actual performing CFM of about 8-15 CFM. That will clear 100% of the air in the box every 1-2 minutes.

Your fan either can't handle the back pressure or you have no decent intake for it to pull air in. If you get a 4" inline turbine fan make sure you get a speed controller, you will be setting it to minimum.
 
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Slowburnone

Well-Known Member
get a proper exhaust fan. I started first with a 4" window mounted type kitchen fan. No use. Then i took a spare network cabinet fan. Looks like a pc fan but larger, also 4". Was loud as hell and POS. So I finally decided to spend decent cash and picked up a soler & palau td-silent 250. Keeps my temps under 28C (its winter now so temps avg 22C). and I can barely hear it. like a very faint hum in the distance. Done cheap out on the fan. CFL's are hot. I now use LED's and its good.
 
Stonedvegan666

Stonedvegan666

Member
Smokenpassout said:
Mine in a 170 cfm carbon scrubber 4" for a 2X2.5X6'11"
That is maybe enough light for 2 plants but not near enough to flower 4. You said your 8 cfl's are 800 watts equivalent? No you add the actual watts, so 25x8=200watts equivalant. They are not putting out 100 watts each only 25. So You have about 380 watts total if you get those CFL's right down on thar foilage 1-3". Two plants might squeak by if there are small to medium size. Are you planning on any odor control, cause they will smell a house up.
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I have a 4 inch carbon scrubber and 4 inch 100cfm inline fan. Plus I just added a 120 mm pc fan as an intake. Still having heat issues with just 4 x 25w cfls on. Thinking I need a more powerful exhaust fan. Didn't realize cfls were so warm in confined areas.

You don't think with the led and 8 cfls it would be good for 4 small plants?. I originally only had 4 cfls with the led but some said to double them. It's so hot in there. I can probably max 8 in that tent. But what type of exhaust would I need. A 6 inch?
 
Stonedvegan666

Stonedvegan666

Member
Update. I got 4 cfls and ufo to be stable at 85 degrees. Perfect to start and I got my seeds today.. I think my exhaust can be set up a little better because it's heating up the room a bit. But originally planned to just have an led. Just need to buy some more ducting to pull the air completely out of my house.
 
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Smokenpassout

Well-Known Member
Stonedvegan666 said:
I have a 4 inch carbon scrubber and 4 inch 100cfm inline fan. Plus I just added a 120 mm pc fan as an intake. Still having heat issues with just 4 x 25w cfls on. Thinking I need a more powerful exhaust fan. Didn't realize cfls were so warm in confined areas.

You don't think with the led and 8 cfls it would be good for 4 small plants?. I originally only had 4 cfls with the led but some said to double them. It's so hot in there. I can probably max 8 in that tent. But what type of exhaust would I need. A 6 inch?
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I think you should start with a plant or two with that amount of light. No need to waste your seeds. Your seem to be battling the same issues I had as a newb....you need a bunch of cfl's but when you close them up it gets too hot. My solution to this was to buy more LED, and take out any cfl's. Now I battle the opposite....I have temps of 65-68.....So I add a cfl or two to raise temps to 72. 80 is a bit high by the way ideal is 72. Because its winter. By the way 80 is a tad high, but you are close so congrats! Anyway you'll only need one cfl 2" over those sprouts for week or so....then gradually add a few more. I like to bring in the big guns when she's three weeks old, Then I lst and start give 1/4 strength nutrients. A month veg is all I do, cause even then the blooming makes them three times the size.
 
Cpappa27

Cpappa27

Well-Known Member
100 cfm is not enough without a fan kicking on to blow fresh air in at the same time. try to get something around 200 cfm and that will solve your problems.
 
twobyetoo

twobyetoo

Member
i was using a similar setup until today. i have a 2x2x4 tent with also 8 cfls at the moment and had a 100CFM fan as my exhaust and a smaller fan for the intake and couldnt get it below 84. Got my 190CFM inline and carbon filter today and put in on top of the tent as exhaust obviously and use the 100CFM as my intake and it leveled out at 79 at about half speed on the big fan. I also have a small oscillating fan blowing the plant and the bulbs simultaneously. Still dialing it but its helped ALOT and i still have plenty of room to dial it up
 
Stonedvegan666

Stonedvegan666

Member
twobyetoo said:
i was using a similar setup until today. i have a 2x2x4 tent with also 8 cfls at the moment and had a 100CFM fan as my exhaust and a smaller fan for the intake and couldnt get it below 84. Got my 190CFM inline and carbon filter today and put in on top of the tent as exhaust obviously and use the 100CFM as my intake and it leveled out at 79 at about half speed on the big fan. I also have a small oscillating fan blowing the plant and the bulbs simultaneously. Still dialing it but its helped ALOT and i still have plenty of room to dial it up
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That's good to know. I'm going to have to get one for flowering. Sounds like the exact same problem.
 
Stonedvegan666

Stonedvegan666

Member
So far, I have a nice little blue berry sprout pushing out it's first fan leaves. Germinated 1/18 placed in jiffy pots 1/19. The other germinated but it's not taking root as fast. Hopefully soon. Right now they are under 24 hour light of 2 x 24w cfl and my led ufo. Is this enough/too much light? What can cause hermies? I'm now reading that they can mutate if stressed too hard. What does that entail?
 
whitebb2727

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
Stonedvegan666 said:
I have a 4 inch carbon scrubber and 4 inch 100cfm inline fan. Plus I just added a 120 mm pc fan as an intake. Still having heat issues with just 4 x 25w cfls on. Thinking I need a more powerful exhaust fan. Didn't realize cfls were so warm in confined areas.

You don't think with the led and 8 cfls it would be good for 4 small plants?. I originally only had 4 cfls with the led but some said to double them. It's so hot in there. I can probably max 8 in that tent. But what type of exhaust would I need. A 6 inch?
Click to expand...
Then something is wrong. I can turn on over 400 actual watts in a 2 x 4 and hit 90 with fans off.

You have more than enough to cool it.
 
Stonedvegan666

Stonedvegan666

Member
whitebb2727 said:
Then something is wrong. I can turn on over 400 actual watts in a 2 x 4 and hit 90 with fans off.

You have more than enough to cool it.
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You'd think it would be. But it isnt. Pulling through carbon scrubber and 20 feet of ducting is not easy for that ittle guy. I wasted 25 bucks on it. Oh well.
 
Stonedvegan666

Stonedvegan666

Member
I just bought a 190 cfm. Someone else had the same issue in the the same size space. So I'm content for now.
 
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whitebb2727

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
Stonedvegan666 said:
Trust me, I tried everything. I'm not as incompetent as you think. Ha! I was pulling my hair out. The 8 cfls heated that thing up faster than it could pull the air.
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I didn't mean it like that. 190 is what I have on my 2x4x6.

That 100 must not be a true 100.

Save it though if smell gets bad you can build a mini scrubber for the room.
 
whitebb2727

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
Stonedvegan666 said:
Thanks for the advise. I might do that. My exhaust is going straight outside for now. I was going to use it for a clone or veg tent once I upgrade a little more.
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That works to. Good luck.
I don't claim to be a pro but am involved in all kinds of horticulture.

I have never bought a tent. I have went through several renditions of home built cabs. I learned from mistakes.

Best way to learn.
 
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