Grow tent setup help

Discussion in 'Growing Marijuana Indoors' started by XxTheZombiezx, Aug 7, 2013.

  1. So, I'm still a little new to the whole idea of growing indoors. I'm having a few problems I can't find that specifically fit my questions. So, I'm going to be growing in a 4x4 tent.
     
    I did find out 400watt would work for a 4x4 tent. Not sure if that's the bare min. or if going up a little would be worth it. My biggest confusion is all these different light systems. I'm looking at MH/HPS setups. I don't understand these A/C reflectors, and cool tubes. What are the advantages of both? What are good brands and bad brands. How do these ballasts work with them? What's the difference between these normal and Digital ballasts? Light bulbs? Do you need a certain bulb to work with the ballast and reflector?
     
    Fans?
    Obvious question here is. How much CFM would i need? And what size Carbon scrubber? I wanna be as descrete as possible, so im thinking about having the scrubber hang inside, and run ducting through the light and out of the tent. I have a feeling if anyone sees the scrubber questions are gonna arise. and then run a fan down below that brings air in. Will you still get a smell with the air going through the reflector? Or is it sealed enough to where the air will cool off the light but won't bring odors inside of it?
     
    And for my last question, what size pots do you veg in? Obviously you start with solo cups and work you way up, but for a 4x4 I was thinking maybe letting them flower in 7gal pots, but idk if that's gonna be to small. Sorry if my questions are available already. I just can't find anything that has answers for a 4x4 tent.

     
  2. The best thing u can do right now is research. Alot

    To answer 1 or 2 of your questions (it will be much better for u if you research yourself then have me tell you everything, that u probably wont understand)

    I grow in a 4x4 box, i did a grow with no A/C reflector and the plants did good. But i would have done even better with lower temps, so im buying an A/C reflector and you probably should too

    400 watts isnt much light in a 4x4. Id use a 600w hps, but if you cant then try to have some cfls for side lighting

    For air flow/exhaust id use atleast a 120cfm fan JUST FOR THE TENT. Your going to need another 200cfm for the A/C reflector, maybe even some more for the carbon filter. I use a 6" vortex fan (400 cfm) for my 4x4 room but i may be getting another 4" (165 cfm) fan aswell. (Remember i use a 4x4 tent with a 600w hps)

    I used 7 gallon pots, and i grew bushes. 7 gallon pots indoors are NOT NEEDED unless u plan on growing monsters or keeping a mother plant

    Its 1 gallon per 1 month of life for the plant, if you plan on keeping the plants for 3 months get 3 gallon pots.


    I basically ended up answering alot of the questions anyways lol just started rambling. Sorry if im not being clear, just smoked a couple bowls
     
  3. Thank you, this really helped a lot. I mean, yes, i do have questions still, but you really narrowed my questions down to where they'll be a little easier to research.
     
  4. So are you running your 400cfm through your carbon scrubber/reflector? or is that the one actually pulling air in?
     
  5. #5 canadiankush19, Aug 7, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 10, 2013
    No problem glad to help :)

    Right now i dont have a A/C reflector so the 400cfm's are being pulled threw a carbon filter, straight out of the tent

    When i get my reflector (in about a week) ill have it set up like this

    Scrubber --> duct work -->reflector --> duct work --> fan --> duct work --> out the tent


    If i use 2 fans ill have the 165cfm (4" fan) scrubbing and exhausting the air. And the 400 cfm (6" fan) hooked up to the reflector to cool the light down (may get a fan speed controller aswell) The 4" fan pulling air is probably even too small


    You also asked what fan i have pulling air in, to answer that question

    You dont want any fan pushing air into the tent, you want to just cut a hole in the grow box and let the exhaust create negative pressure and pull air in. This is critical for the smell, it will leak everywhere i you dont have negative pressure. So when your exhaust fan turns on, it will naturally pull air threw the hole you cut

    If you have a grow tent, open up the bottom flaps dont cut a hole lol
     
  6. Oh okay, I gotcha. I was so confused their for a minute. XD but it all makes sense now about that part
     
  7. I too am growing in a 4x4 tent, so this answered a lot of my questions, I have been researching on here for about a month now and still don't have all my answers, there is just way to much info on the GC forums lol, but canadiankush19 had some really good info, so thanks for that, I am buying the rest of my equipment this weekend so hopefully by Monday I will be starting my first grow.
     
  8. Canadian, I might suggest you use your bigger fan pulling through the carbon scrubber, since there is resistance from the filter you will loose some efficiency on the 165, and you don't need too much to pull the heat out from the fan. Up to you but if running 2 fans I would do. The fan cooling the light will have the least resistance. 
     
    165 cfm fan:
    vent -> ducting -> cool tube -> ducting -> fan -> exhaust
     
    400 cfm fan(with speed control):
    Scrubber -> ducting -> fan -> exhaust
     
    This way your bigger fan is actually pulling through the scrubber and is doing all of the air recycling, and the smaller one is basically just pulling in cool air over the bulb and exhausting the hot air from the light. You could even just do cool tube -> ducting -> fan -> exhaust and put the smaller fan on a thermostat (make sure you have one that has a bit of a delay to prevent it from cycling too frequently).
     
  9. I actually really like this idea, im even getting some new supplies in a week or 2 to prepare for flowering again. Maybe ill pick up a new fan, a 6" 400cfm fan to pull the air and exhaust it. The fan is rated higher then the filter ill be using though, so id need a fan speed controller

    Do you know if the fan speed controllers are bad for the fans? if i just want to turn it down like 1/4 the way

    Thanks for the good advice
     
  10. This is what I use, and shouldn't damage most fans:
     
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Variable-AC-Transformer-500VA-variac-0-130v-ship-from-Chicago-/161083203262
     

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