400$ hps stealth grow

for a 400w indoor grow, is it possible?

What would be the best most economical way for venting?

cool tube - exhaust fan - to the carbon filter?

cool tube - exhaust fan to the ceiling?



Would an 8 inch fan be better than a 6 or 4 inch fan?

how loud are fans? Would it be better to get the 8 inch and dim the speed vs having smaller one spin faster.?



whats an economical way to vegetate enough plants for the 400watt hps enclosure? What is the best amount of plants? / container size

would a t5 be better than a metal halide?

(I'm guessing yes but more expensive)

Now I know that there is all kinds of threads already on these subjects, but are there any definite answers on these questions? There are all kinds of debate, or maybe I'm incorrect here. Please help me out.

biochem1l said:

for a 400w indoor grow, is it possible?

What would be the best most economical way for venting?

cool tube - exhaust fan - to the carbon filter?

cool tube - exhaust fan to the ceiling?



Would an 8 inch fan be better than a 6 or 4 inch fan?

how loud are fans? Would it be better to get the 8 inch and dim the speed vs having smaller one spin faster.?



whats an economical way to vegetate enough plants for the 400watt hps enclosure? What is the best amount of plants? / container size

would a t5 be better than a metal halide?

(I'm guessing yes but more expensive)

Now I know that there is all kinds of threads already on these subjects, but are there any definite answers on these questions? There are all kinds of debate, or maybe I'm incorrect here. Please help me out.

Click to expand...

OK there is a thread specifically for 400 watters. Also the stickys at the top? Read those. They are there for a reason. Not being a smart ass but trying to help. No fluorescent beats an HID lamp whether it is a T5 or a CFL. If just one light make it the highest wattage HPS you can handle in your growing room.

Don't listen to the halide guys on this one. HPS for better overall usable spectrum from sprout-to-bud hands down.

Containers? Biggest you can put in your grow room under your light pattern. This crap of pot won't grow until the roots touch the sides is bullshit. I planted outside for 40+ years and the roots don't touch the sides of shit while they grow high. Believe what you will on that one.

Nothing better than the T5 for sprouting and seedlings. But I just mine at the edge of my HPS and move it toward center quickly. Within a week of placing it there it is in full light 18/6. So the T5 is unnecessary. Nice but unneeded.

Get going. The carbon filter can wait because they won't smell for a while. Consider ventilation extremely important for a complete air exchange at least every 10 minutes.

do you mean is a $400 budget possible for a indoor grow ? if yes then yes.
lowest cost for venting is through the ceiling otherwise you will be paying to cool the heat you are removing directly from the grow. Though unless you are pulling air from a different area you will still want a carbon filter.
fans are loud....8 inch fans are louder but cost more and even more if you buy a speed control. I would go with a 6 and a speed control.
are you planning on vegging and flowering at the same time ? if not I would get a MH bulb instead of a T5 and veg in the same spot. Though I would personally get a T5 to start them and a MH to prep them. but really you don't need a MH HPS will veg just fine.
The number of plants will depend on actual space you have from square footage to height. Figure a foot print of 3x3ft so with 1 gallon pots thats about 9 plants grown small and with a 400 watt smaller will be better.
you could also (if you want to really save money) start to finish go with T5 and later on upgrade to a HID system there by giving you a chance to work into it and save money for more as time goes on.

personally I contemplated going small to start but ultimately I jumped in the deep end with a 1k but it sounds like I have more room than you.
you are right there are lots of topics covering this stuff and getting a definite answer is hard but that is because everyones individual situation is there own so choices have to be made in accordance to what you are really working with as far as space and budget.

ther are many ways to Rome .. and if your Rome is to provide yourself with enough smoke .. a 400W MH/HPS would be a good choise ..
one I mostlikely would make .. LED is to expensiv and only CLFs is`t the best choise if you want dense buds and good smoke ..


I would invest the most money in a digital MH/HPS ballast kit with a cool tube .. wont regret it .. them lamps get realy hot and in a small place it can realy be a strugle .. and why not use the littel extra cash now .. on one that can run MH for Veg. and HPS for flowering .. then you dont need to buy and fit a T5HO fixture in ther either ..

beside that a good ventilation .. and of course a carbon filter to fit .. but as Hotrod said .. filter can wait a littel .. maybe untill next pay check if money is a isue .. plant realy wont smell mouch untill they begin to flower .. atlest not fist 4 weeks of veg.

if you do choose a 400W with a cool tube I would go with the 6" ventilation .. if its a question of pocket money to get one with a speed controle I would for sure .. once they flower and stink you want to keep just a bit of negativ/under presure in ther .. so your sure all air going out is through the filter ..

for a set up like that I would grow 4 plants in 5 gallon pots (start em in cups then 3 gallon) in coco or a good organic soil
(atlest to start with .. can allways go hydro later on if you like and when you have more experiance)

I reccon a 3x3 room would do (4x4 if space is`t a problem) .. in hight I would go with 4-5 feet .. if you have space go with 5 .. plants and pots will take up atlest 3 and lamp will also need a feet or so even with a cool tube and with 5 feet you wont have problems fitting the ventilation and filter in ther aswell ..

I guess thats about my 2€

tho if you can get the box/room close to a window and run some tubeing from the passiv intake it wouldnt hurt ..
not just for tempetures .. but also for fresh air/co2 for the plants .. sumtimes sucks to have windows open all the time atlest for me .. a pice of tubeing you can remove if you have visitors can fix that ..

hotrodharley said:

OK there is a thread specifically for 400 watters. Also the stickys at the top? Read those. They are there for a reason. Not being a smart ass but trying to help. No fluorescent beats an HID lamp whether it is a T5 or a CFL. If just one light make it the highest wattage HPS you can handle in your growing room.

Don't listen to the halide guys on this one. HPS for better overall usable spectrum from sprout-to-bud hands down.

Containers? Biggest you can put in your grow room under your light pattern. This crap of pot won't grow until the roots touch the sides is bullshit. I planted outside for 40+ years and the roots don't touch the sides of shit while they grow high. Believe what you will on that one.

Nothing better than the T5 for sprouting and seedlings. But I just mine at the edge of my HPS and move it toward center quickly. Within a week of placing it there it is in full light 18/6. So the T5 is unnecessary. Nice but unneeded.

Get going. The carbon filter can wait because they won't smell for a while. Consider ventilation extremely important for a complete air exchange at least every 10 minutes.

Click to expand...

so your saying don't use metal halide/ t5 but go from HPS the whole way?

what are you saying about roots not touching the sides of the pot? Are you saying plants don't get rootbound? are you saying small pots are beneficial? The biggest containers may not be better than having more smaller containers, but I may be wrong here.

why are you saying the t5 is unnecessary, how do you vegetate your plants? I thought t5 was even better then similar wattage of hid metal halide?


I dont understand " this crap of pot won't grow untill the roots touch the sides is bullshit"

I'm totally clueless here

HiUpThere said:

do you mean is a $400 budget possible for a indoor grow ? if yes then yes.
lowest cost for venting is through the ceiling otherwise you will be paying to cool the heat you are removing directly from the grow. Though unless you are pulling air from a different area you will still want a carbon filter.
fans are loud....8 inch fans are louder but cost more and even more if you buy a speed control. I would go with a 6 and a speed control.
are you planning on vegging and flowering at the same time ? if not I would get a MH bulb instead of a T5 and veg in the same spot. Though I would personally get a T5 to start them and a MH to prep them. but really you don't need a MH HPS will veg just fine.
The number of plants will depend on actual space you have from square footage to height. Figure a foot print of 3x3ft so with 1 gallon pots thats about 9 plants grown small and with a 400 watt smaller will be better.
you could also (if you want to really save money) start to finish go with T5 and later on upgrade to a HID system there by giving you a chance to work into it and save money for more as time goes on.

personally I contemplated going small to start but ultimately I jumped in the deep end with a 1k but it sounds like I have more room than you.
you are right there are lots of topics covering this stuff and getting a definite answer is hard but that is because everyones individual situation is there own so choices have to be made in accordance to what you are really working with as far as space and budget.

Click to expand...

what do you mean a t5 to start them and the metal halide to prep them, can you explain this?

its is my understanding that the t5 is better

you're saying that high pressure sodium will vegetate just fine without the blue spectrums that the t5/metal halide gives??

what do you mean with a 400watter smaller will be better?

I don't want to really save money, I want to do what is most effective with the 400$ cash. Light/tube/fan can all be had for this price. coir and nutrients are cheap also, and a little bit does go a long way with these.

so I do don't want to downgrade and go from start to finish with a t5 if I could easily do better with a little more knowledge

this one will work ..



147$

here:

http://www.hpsgrowlightsonline.com/400w-hpsmh-digital-ballast-air-cool-tube-grow-lights-set.html



that is a 400W HPS/MH kit .. its 45$ more then with out cool tube .. but I would invest them money for sure .. will make your life/grow mouch more easy and the need of ventilation less ..


it can runn boath MH for Veg and HPS for flowering ..

MH provide the same color/kelvin as T5 or CLF in 5000-6500K .. mostly blue ..

and will work perfect for seedlings and veg ..

pross: you only need one lamp .. so less money spend .. and you dont need to fit a big T5 fixture in your grow room .. it will also do a better job then even a good 6 tube T5HO fixture so your Veg time will be less ..

cons: it use more power ..



and the HPS is perfect for flowering .. it will be mostly red/yellow color/kelvin (2700-3000K)

so this lamp will give you the best of boath worlds and cover all your needs and one more pros .. when you only runn one bulb at the time they will last you longer .. bulbs need to be changes yearly or after 3-4 grows .. I reccon you could runn 6 useing 2 diffrent bulbs ..


beside that you will need a 6" ventilation/filter .. sumthing like this:



119$


here:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0052ZPMAG/ref=asc_df_B0052ZPMAG2132427?smid=A2OXLGVVBZQSKW&tag=nextagusmp0395553-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395105&creativeASIN=B0052ZPMAG



beside that some maylor (20$) .. a clip on fan or two (20$).. 4 cups 4x3gallon pots and 4x5gallon pots (20$) a bag of coco and some coco nutriens (50$) and a pack of 5 femi seeds (50$) and your on your way .. for around 427$

biochem1l said:

what do you mean a t5 to start them and the metal halide to prep them, can you explain this?

its is my understanding that the t5 is better

you're saying that high pressure sodium will vegetate just fine without the blue spectrums that the t5/metal halide gives??

what do you mean with a 400watter smaller will be better?

I don't want to really save money, I want to do what is most effective with the 400$ cash. Light/tube/fan can all be had for this price. coir and nutrients are cheap also, and a little bit does go a long way with these.

so I do don't want to downgrade and go from start to finish with a t5 if I could easily do better with a little more knowledge

Click to expand...

start as in germinating/starting seeds or clones ,,, prep them as in veg them to the size you want before flowering.
yes most HPS have plenty of Blue in them to veg, there are many people from what I have read/seen that dont even mess with MH ( I chose to use them though)
400 watts are not going to penetrate very far into the plant so smaller plants and more of them with a 400 is better than bigger and fewer.