cool tubes or vented hoods

ok so im doing some thinking. i wonder whats better a cool tube or a vented hood. i use a hood right now but was thinking of adding a light. so if i add a light should i use another hood or get some cool tubes? i also am considering going from a 1000w to 2-600w hps lights . so please give me some feedback thanks.

rezo said:

ok so im doing some thinking. i wonder whats better a cool tube or a vented hood. i use a hood right now but was thinking of adding a light. so if i add a light should i use another hood or get some cool tubes? i also am considering going from a 1000w to 2-600w hps lights . so please give me some feedback thanks.

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i sure there are alot of differences but i think it really comes down to the space your growing in and personal preference, like i would say hoods is just as good but my buddy would get cool tubes in a minute

i grow in a 10x12 room so i got space i have issues with different strains. my ak is way taller than my hindu . the cool tube claims to be able to get closer to the plants so if i had 2 i could have them at different levels and still produce light for all the plants not just 1 light per each half of the grow if i had two hoods at different levels

grow tubes are good for small spaces and co2 setups. this is because you can vent right from outside your room to the light and then out again without disturbing the co2 levles. the bad thing about tubes is that they are kind of inefficient and are known to creat hot spots on plants. if it were me i would go with a cooled reflector, less hotspots, more efficient, covers more ground area.

and if you get one with a glass lense on it you can vent into and out of it just like a cool tube and not disturbe co2 lvls while still being more efficient.

good luck!

GlassFreak said:

grow tubes are good for small spaces and co2 setups. this is because you can vent right from outside your room to the light and then out again without disturbing the co2 levles. the bad thing about tubes is that they are kind of inefficient and are known to creat hot spots on plants. if it were me i would go with a cooled reflector, less hotspots, more efficient, covers more ground area.

and if you get one with a glass lense on it you can vent into and out of it just like a cool tube and not disturbe co2 lvls while still being more efficient.

good luck!

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I agree 100%

GlassFreak said:

grow tubes are good for small spaces and co2 setups. this is because you can vent right from outside your room to the light and then out again without disturbing the co2 levles. the bad thing about tubes is that they are kind of inefficient and are known to creat hot spots on plants. if it were me i would go with a cooled reflector, less hotspots, more efficient, covers more ground area.

and if you get one with a glass lense on it you can vent into and out of it just like a cool tube and not disturbe co2 lvls while still being more efficient.

good luck!

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thats some good info right there. i have never heard that but maybe ill just get a vented hood insted of a cool tube.

Get the biggest reflector you can find.

i just made my own reflector with glass. It's on the DIY thread section. It was simple and cheap. a lot less than buying. Or its on my journal at the bottom of this.

vented reflectors are great but if there were no cool tubes i wouldn't be able to do this...Look at pics inserted below....



I personally like a vertical grow...with cool tubes all the light can be concentrated on 4-6 plants....as long as you rotate the girls they will be very happy like this....but that is just my expiereance.....to each his own...i will soon be adding a vented hood so that ill be gettin light from both the top and sides.....

Last week I found this article over at ICMag since I am also in the market for a reflector. This is the type of objective testing that we need more of.

I run a 600 HPS in a cool tube...
I also have a 600 HPS in an easy 8 reflector...

They both work wonderful...!!!

I can put my face to the glass ON BOTH and not be bothered by heat... a bit bright... but deff. cool to the touch...

Now... when it is time to do anything around the op. it is so much EASIER to get around the cooltube than it is to get around the HUGE reflector, that it is not even funny....

I will say that a stock cool tube will not compare in foot print with the bog honking reflector... but...

As Al B. Fuct illustrated, if you remove the internal reflector on the cooltube and mount it to a BATWING style reflector, you actually have a BETTER reflector....

I would go with cooltubes ANY DAY.... and if doing multiple lights in a row, I would really consider the big tubes... I have seen up to 3 lights in ONE tube... as well as the shortys in sequence with ducting...

My 2 cents... one of thse WITH THE COOLTUBE....

http://www.gchydro.com/Adjust-A-Wing+Reflector+Kits.html

http://www.homegrown-hydroponics.com/904545.html

http://www.specialty-lights.com/adjust-a-wing-reflector.html

TOKEMASTERFLEX said:

vented reflectors are great but if there were no cool tubes i wouldn't be able to do this...Look at pics inserted below....



I personally like a vertical grow...with cool tubes all the light can be concentrated on 4-6 plants....as long as you rotate the girls they will be very happy like this....but that is just my expiereance.....to each his own...i will soon be adding a vented hood so that ill be gettin light from both the top and sides.....

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This oughta interest you eh?! having both lights on the same glass...

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.gardenindoorsllc.com/prodpix/dualCoolTube.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.gardenindoorsllc.com/reflectors.html&usg=__6mflDxbAdT6ck6Lnufa3RZKSTNY=&h=117&w=300&sz=5&hl=en&start=12&um=1&tbnid=YniKFsWoCL4keM:&tbnh=45&tbnw=116&prev=/images?q=cool+tube+reflector+48%22+long&um=1&hl=en&safe=off&sa=G

This on is 60" long/tall...

mindphuk said:

Last week I found this article over at ICMag since I am also in the market for a reflector. This is the type of objective testing that we need more of.

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deffinitely. opinions are nice short of any real evidence / proof. but the proof is in the pudding.

I've never used a cool tube, so can't offer any opinion there. But, I just switched from 1000w to 2x600W and I am sold! You can get the lights much closer so the lumens and coverage area is actually better w/the 2x600. 4x6 trays are perfect with 2x600w setup.

thanks for all the feedback