Grow setup suggestions needed

Hi everyone, wanting to upgrade from my cab to a new grow area. I'm hoping to utilize a closet, but it isn't entirely necessary to be done in the closet. I'm currently doing a cfl grow in a cabinet that I made doing one plant. I want to do 2 my next time around and change things up a bit. I will be swapping to mh/hps and this is what im going to purchase..
http://www.amazon.com/Apollo-Horticulture-GLK400CT24E-Digital-Dimmable/dp/B00547I5I8/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1387941430&sr=8-6&keywords=hps+grow+light

Now I understand that I need to vent that cool tube and im going to need to make my own carbon scrubber, would like some more info on this as well.
Going to be using 5 gal buckets or smart pots not sure yet. Strain is undecided at the moment. Im hoping to do a duo scrog if possible?
And I'm uncertain if I should purchase a grow tent or frame up my own grow stand up cabinet. If I go grow tent this is what im gonna be shooting for.
http://www.amazon.com/Reflective-Mylar-Hydroponics-Plant-Growing/dp/B00E6CZPJO/ref=sr_1_800?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1387961610&sr=1-800&keywords=grow+tent

Do you think this tent will be sufficient for what I want to do? Any and all advice is more. than welcome
 

Slipon

Well-Known Member
yes, a HID bulb get pretty hot, so a cool tube with a prober ventilation in a small room is necessary IMO and a carbon filter is`t that expensive and last +1 year so I wouldn't bother making one myself

here is a pic of how the ventilation should be set up
vent.jpg


with a cool tube or hood you would place it between the filter and ventilation using some Alu ducting, so it pull air in trough the filter and over the hot bulb and out your grow space and that way remove smelly hot air, in a small closed/tent a few passive intake holes is plenty to make it replace the air fast enough to keep it cool and the plant`s with fresh air, keep the filter up high and hole`s down low so the air pass the plants on its way and keep a small fan in there as well for some air circulation, important to replace staled air (Co2) for the plant`s

A 400W like that should easily cover 3x3 ft and grow 2 very nice plant`s in a scrog or maybe 4 smaller once with out, or 12 small clones etc etc. your biggest enemy will be heat with a HID light compared to your CLFs a good 4 inch or maybe a budget 6" ventilation on the cool tube should do the job on a 400W in a small room, you want the CMF on the ventilation to match to room so to speak, so its strong enough to replace the air in a minute or two with a filter on, in bigger spaces with etc LED or Tube`s every 3-5 minutes is ok as its pure purpose is to provide fresh air for the plants, with a HID it also need to replace hot air
 
Thanks for the helpful info slipon. I have a 200 cfm fan at the moment that im using for an exhaust fan in my box. Is there a recommended filter? and the tent that im thinking about getting is 37.7 cubic feet. Do you think my 200cfm will be enough to push through the scrubber?
 

Slipon

Well-Known Member
Np. glad to help

dunno about your ventilation ? sounds big enough, but let it pull air out of your grow room/tent, physics will take care of the rest, as it pull air out it have to be replaced with sum thing, keep enough passive in take holes (normally 2-3x the size of your ventilation) for it to keep a slight under pressure, so you know all air is passing the filter (odor free)

about the size of the tent, if you go for a 400W go for a tent that match it or bigger (always nice to have room to work with) if you have the space, so a 3x3 or even a 4x4 tent will work, and for that and a 400W HPS I would go for a 4 inch ventilation as a minimum, a 5 or a 6 inch budget ventilation might cost around the same and with a HID light you won't regret it

sumthing liek this

400w_hpsmh_digital_ballast_air_cool_tube_grow_lights_set8.jpg51F9igKRR1L._SL500_AA300_.jpg
 

hazey grapes

Well-Known Member
SCROGing is always a good idea for maximum light and space efficiency, especially with mixed strain or stretchy saliva dominants. using lower output lighting virtually demands the tech.

i don't know where the thread is, but i came up with an idea for a "scruffier" box that lets you use cheap raw charcoal suspended on screen material at the bottom of a chamber sitting on top of another one with your fan inside. then, the box and carbon would not only scrub and move your air, but dampen fan noise too. if you have your own house, it's not an issue, but in my experience, pesky neighbors balk at the tines amount of fan noise. that's what caused my entire last grow to have to be shut down early the night i forgot to turn my fan on and my plants got fried with hot spot burns
 
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