2 600 W HPS or 1000W HPS for 10-12 plants

ambedexteras

ambedexteras

Well-Known Member
hey guys,

please help with this, i just bought my 5x5x84 inch tent and am very torn between which lights to buy.
hoping to start 10-12 plants in soil . i realize 1000W will not light the whole tent but about 80% of it
and im gonna keep the free space for now for moving around.

and im worried about Temp issues as i want to be able to take care of it with clip on fans
aimed @ the hood without spending 100$ on an ac unit. will 1000W HPS get hotter than 2 600W hps?
and will 600W grow 10-12 plants or too weak?
 
D

dogman11

Member
Hey I have a similar tent and just posted re getting more light on my crop. From what I have heard a 5 x 5 is covered well enough with a 1000 W. I use an air cooled hood on my 600 with a 470 cfm exhaust fan and it's been fine. I hear 1000 watters pump out allot more heat. I would need an intake fan as well I think. I have been doing 6-8 plants under a scrog and my light is not as strong as I would like at the edges.

Is your hood cooled other than possible clip-ons. I am fairly new to this but you definitely need good air flow. Not just for cooling. A 5x5 is tight to get circulation fans into. When I began this I put 4 clip-ons, one at each corner and thought that would do it. nonono. Save the clip-ons for the clone, veg and mother areas. I even rigged an air king 12 inch wall fan inside a fabric tend (support 1x4's). This was nice air but took 15% of the grow area!

So what ever you do. Duct the hot air out of the area and blow the heck out of the plants circulation wise. AC would be a drag. If you can go with two 600's and put them in inline air ducted hoods, do that.

Have fun!
 
Ou8aCracker2

Ou8aCracker2

Well-Known Member
Lights on temps in the tent will always be warmer than the ambient temperature (temp of air in the room the tent intakes it's fresh air from)...how much warmer depends on your ventilation system.

I can tell you that my 4" 170cfm exhaust fan (not hokked up to a scrubber) keeps my 3x3x6 tent with 400w vertical bare bulb right at 10°F above the ambient room temp.So in summer I try to keep the room my tent draws it's intake air from between 65°F & 70°F so lights on temps in the tent will stay at 75°F to 80°F.

Figure out what your ambient temp is/will be (if you can keep it a constant,that much better),how much lighting you'll use in the tent and I can help with what size exhaust fan to buy and if you'll need air conditioning or not in order to keep lights on temps manageable while keeping lights off temps 10°F cooler than lights on.

If using an aircooled hood(s) be sure to have a seperate fan that draws cool air through ducting connected to the hood,out ducting,and dumping that hot air into the attic,another room,or out a window via a simple window exhaust box,and a seperate fan jyst for ventilation of the tent for fresh air intake...again dumping hot air into the attic,another room,or out a window exhaust box.If you dump either of the hot airs back into the room the tent draws it's fresh intake air from,you'll only be heating up that room thus raising temps in the tent.
 
ambedexteras

ambedexteras

Well-Known Member
Ou8aCracker2 said:
Lights on temps in the tent will always be warmer than the ambient temperature (temp of air in the room the tent intakes it's fresh air from)...how much warmer depends on your ventilation system.

I can tell you that my 4" 170cfm exhaust fan (not hokked up to a scrubber) keeps my 3x3x6 tent with 400w vertical bare bulb right at 10°F above the ambient room temp.So in summer I try to keep the room my tent draws it's intake air from between 65°F & 70°F so lights on temps in the tent will stay at 75°F to 80°F.

Figure out what your ambient temp is/will be (if you can keep it a constant,that much better),how much lighting you'll use in the tent and I can help with what size exhaust fan to buy and if you'll need air conditioning or not in order to keep lights on temps manageable while keeping lights off temps 10°F cooler than lights on.

If using an aircooled hood(s) be sure to have a seperate fan that draws cool air through ducting connected to the hood,out ducting,and dumping that hot air into the attic,another room,or out a window via a simple window exhaust box,and a seperate fan jyst for ventilation of the tent for fresh air intake...again dumping hot air into the attic,another room,or out a window exhaust box.If you dump either of the hot airs back into the room the tent draws it's fresh intake air from,you'll only be heating up that room thus raising temps in the tent.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the input guys, you both are running similiar tents so your input is very helpful, im now thinking a 600WMH @ 100% out put for veg
and a 600WHPS @ 100% for flower with a possible T5 on the lower side of the wall for bottom/side of plants. what size fan you think?
what size Exhaust fan you think and what do they go for on average? and so you think to stand up fans for the space will be good on the plants themselves
and then like you said have a duct from the hood to the outside window? im buying a Lighting Pack so im not sure what hood comes with the light.
or would you guys recommend a cooling tube instead of a hood. for example i could buy this set. http://www.amazon.com/Grow-Light-hydroponic-Dimmable-Hydrofarm/dp/B0076RDRUK/ref=sr_1_6?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1369582008&sr=1-6&keywords=600+W+HPS really good price. or i could look for a Hood.
thanks again guys i fucking love this site so helpful. cant wait to post my grow journal on here and return the favor for newbies
 
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