Correct my planning please....

[boro]

still in the planning phase, but here's what I have/will have to work with.

box will be no more than 20"w x 20"d x 60"h

light will be 400w HPS

vent with twin computer case fans(?) to a carbon scrubber.

they'll be in soil, and I'll probably train it/them.

how many plants could I fit in this area? I dont plan on growing more than 2 at a time. the grow is for me only - I care about yield and quality only in regards to a better stone, not in terms of making $$.

let me know what I should consider changing...

box will be in a closet in a small room that wont exceed 72F.

[ConceptX9]

4 plants with lst will fit in that with that 400 hps and mylar you'll do perfect, although i suggest a better cooling unit to the carbon scrubber, btw if its for you i recommend ordering some $20 fem seeds, 4 in one pack, cuz imo i always want a decent amount to hold me over till next harvest

[boro]

without going overboard in price, what fan could I use that wouldnt be noisy?

how hot will the ballast get? would routing exhaust airflow over the ballast be a good idea?

[Anony]

how hot will the ballast get? would routing exhaust airflow over the ballast be a good idea?

Chances are the ballast will contribute to the heat, it is ideal to remove the ballast from the grow room completely, if this cannot be done, exhaust fan would certianly help.

I believe you will need more than just two computer fans for a 400 Watt, I would go a little bit larger, and unfortuntly unless you want to spend alot of money, theres no way to be sure how loud a fan is going to be unless you try it out.

Good luck.

[boro]

the ballast will be mounted outside of the box, but not outside of the closet. I'm hoping to maintain some level of 'stealth' with the setup. I still want to be able to use the rest of my closet... if that's unrealistic I'll have to consider another area.

[Anony]

Sounds like youll just have to see how it goes and adjust accordingly.

[toastybiz]

You are going to have heat problems in that box with a 400w HID in there, even with the ballast outside the box. You need much more than a couple of computer fans (and keep in mind the carbon scrubber will slow airflow). Get a good inline fan to pull your exhaust, or even better get a Stanley blower (over 1,000cfm and quiet)and rig it to vent the box. Be sure to provide lots of fresh air intake.