Filtering grow tent air intakes

I have a DR60 Secret Jardin grow tent, and I saw these "Dust Shrooms" for sale which are meant to filter your air intake of fungus spores, dust, and insects. I like the idea, because all three of those things have been a problem in the past. However, those things are expensive at over $100 for the small 4" version. Does anyone know of any cheaper solutions that accomplish the same thing?

Also, I assume I would need a booster fan to use one of these dust shrooms, right? If I elect to use the flaps on the side of the tent, is there anything I can do about filtering the air?

Yeah good air filters are very expensive. I got some 8 inch ones and they were almost 200 MSRP a piece but worth it imo. But I need to pull a lot of air and I got them on sale for 100 each so I went for them. They are washable and re usable.

But you can get what you need without spending a bunch of money.

Try this:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xgt/R-100037657/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

You can get more expensive versions of it but it's basically going to do the same thing. Try to get one that advertises good air flow and maximum particle reduction.

Spend the money you saved on some intake/exhaust fans; ventilation is key.

The only draw back is their rated life of 3 months, but I wouldn't be shy about using them longer.

Mold and fungus are usually a problem as a result of high humidity or poor ventilation.

A lot of grow gear is marketed very well and over priced. Just butt one of these flat filters against the tent and let your fan push air/suck air through it depending on how you have it set up. You will need an intake fan. You can get cheap intake/exhaust fans @ home depot or radio shack.

Cool, thanks, just what I was looking for.

Would it make sense for my intake and exhaust fans to be the same type, or should one be more powerful? Will 1 intake fan and 1 exhaust fan be sufficient?

Depends on the number of plants you have, the space, and the average temp of the room.

I run different size fans, my exhaust is 1300 cfm and my intake is around 700 cfm. I can control the speed of both and I have a lot of headroom with my fans. I could use a larger space if I wanted to and still be fine.

Basically more airflow is better in almost all cases as long as you maintain the right temps.

Ventilation and airflow are 2 of the most important components of indoor growing.

Simple inline fans from lowes might be enough for you, but they can back up easily, meaning that they might not pull or push enough air through your filter. They are cheap: around 30 bucks at lowes.

Here's what I would get for a small grow on a budget:

http://www.wormsway.com/detail.aspx?sku=SIDF600&AC=1

Grab two of those and maybe a speed control device like this so you can control either your intake, exhaust, or both:

http://www.amazon.com/Speedster-variable-Fan-speed-control/dp/B000HQAVNI


For around 130$ all your ventilation issued will be addressed.

If you have extra money, you might get these fans instead:

http://www.wormsway.com/detail.aspx?sku=SW604&AC=1

They are very quiet and they move a very good amount of air. More expensive but they will last longer and also allow you to expand the size of your grow and give you greater control over temperature.