New 4x4 Area - Need help on a choice.

gsusvideo

Member
I am looking to set up a new grow tent. I had been planning to do a 1000w HPS light in a 5x5 area. I then read a bunch that a 1000w will perform better in a 4x4 due to loosing a lot of light on the edges of a 5x5.

Then I was setting up a shopping cart on greners.com (side question, anyone dealt with this site?) and came across the Growzilla Dual Bulb reflector. I thought, hey for a couple hundred bucks more I could just run 2 600w in that reflector instead of a 1000w.

Anyway my questions is; What do people hear think 1000w or 2 600w, and 4x4 or 5x5? Also do you think it would be much hotter running the 2 600 then the 1000?

Thanks.
 

tyke1973

Well-Known Member
Get shut of the 1000 hps and get two 600's,these are far better for the reason that a 600 will run far cooler,this lets you have the light far closer to the plant tops.Also in the size of the grow area you have mentioned you will cook the plants been there done it,i had a tent the same size for years.If you have the money then go for sun master cool hoods,not cool tubes cool tubes we have tested at work and a 600 hps ends up the same has a 400 hps,where has a 600 hps only loses a very little lumans.you will still get away with 2 600 in a 5 x 5 space belive me mate i have done the same grow you are talking about and 600's are the way forward for you,but make sure that you buy a decent exaust fan i use a 8 ince running from the filter to the lights then out into the room the tents is in with a window open when lights are on,then i use a 6 ince in let fan that brings cool air from a void in the loft space,if you do not have a void then try to bring air into the room from a cool part of the house.In summer when its hot get a couple of ossalating fans in the room you are venting the hot air into,to cool it down and bring in this cool air.This is better than bringing in hot air from out side in summmer dont forget that if the temps are 28/30 out side in summer this is what is been brought into a all ready hot room.You should produce a good crop with the equipment you have mentioned,but don't over do it on the amount max of 2 plants per 600 hps light.Also get a ec or ppm pen these are has important has the rest of the stuff,Also if poss go for a hydroponic system if money is a bit tight,after shelling out on all the stuff said above then you could still get good results from a soil for your 1st grow but then defo flip to hydro once you get some cash back from yr first invest.....................tyke
 

Gastanker

Well-Known Member
You're better off with separate hoods if you go with 2x600s - allows to better coverage and you can adjust the height separately. 2x600 is way overkill in a 4x4 area imo - I grow in a 4x4 tent and I tossed my 1kW in favor of a single 600w. 2x600s in a 5x5 however would work great - that extra 1 foot by 1 foot might seem like a small increase but when it comes to canopy area it's an increase of 56% - volume wise an even large difference which helps dramatically with heat.
 

monkeybones

Well-Known Member
jeez man if it were me 1 ballast would sound way more appealing than two. so if that's the wattage you're shooting for i vouch for simplicity
 
From my experience in that size tent 1 600 watt is perfect 2 would be overkill I use 2 in a 4x8 and its perfect and 1000 watts run to hot in my opinion for the tents but that's my preference
 
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