I have a 3x3x6 tent. I plan on using a 250 watt hps with a cool tube in it. I am really ignorant as to setting up ventillation and could really use some help. These are the supplies im looking to get, let me know if this is enough or correct? Any suggestions are more than welcome. Keep in mind this question is just regarding the "cooling" aspect of the setup. The Fan HTG Supply - 6" Inline Duct Fan The ducting HTG Supply - 6" Flexible Ducting - 8 Feet Im guessing I need 2 of these as well? http://www.htgsupply.com/Product-6-Inch-Flange-and-Coupler.asp Do I need these things? HTG Supply - 6" Worm Gear Clamp (pair) Do I need anything else? Am I doing too little? too much? Am I in the right ballpark at all? I could really use a mentor here lol. Thanks Blades!
focus on the fan.. and the carbon filter.. if you get the connectors and flanges... you can also find them at local home depots and lowes... so if you don't get them online.. look there
I would try to get a 400W for that sized tent. You might kick yourself for not getting the 400W right away. Keep in mind that the ducting isn't really going to be 8 feet. Maybe if you really stretch it out it might be but in a normal application (relaxed) it won't be. I would buy more then you need so you have some more for later or if you decide to expand or configure things differently or what have you. Usually they have 25' for $20 or so. Yeah, you'll need some of those flanges if your tent didn't come with any. Some people use those clamps, some people just duct tape everything together. Some people like me do both, just in case. The clamps are cheap I would buy them from your local hardware, Home Improvement store though. You'd get the same clamp for about $0.50 or so. Don't pay the huge markup if you can avoid it. Grab a decent carbon scrubber as well if odour will be an issue for you. Remember one plant in flower can easily stink up a 6,000 sq. ft. house. Don't think it can't. Also don't forget to have something to hang everything with. Lights, filters, fans all need to be suspended from your tent somehow. Easily overlooked until you get everything out of the boxes hehehe, I've done it.
I agree with these comments. You can get the flex pipe and clamps at Home Depot etc. Looks like you'll need some sort of flange to connect the venting to the tent. Keep in mind that you will need to light-trap the intake. A 250w is underpowered if you want to cover the entire 3x3 footprint.
Guys, thanks all for the tips! Loving the help I got here. Im gonna head over to home depot today and look for some of that ducting stuff on the cheap. I usually try to avoid buying grow room stuff in person if I can, I just feel paranoid lol. I suppose there isnt much suspicious about ducting though lol. Also is a 400 watt really a way better option for my space? It's a little intimidating considering my first 2 grows were done with about 150 watts of CFL haha! I was more leaning towards the 250 with some supplemental CFL's if needed. The 400 does sound sexy though LOL.
Exactly, if Home Depot carries it then it's an "everyday" item, no worries about buying it in person, fine to use a credit card or other traceable means of payment. If you are air-cooling the light then I definitely would step up to the 400w. I run one in a smaller space than you have, no worries. More plant coverage, more intense light, and typically the same price as buying the 250w -- the only thing about it you won't like is your power bill, but even then the differential between 250w vs. 400w should be only a few bucks a month.
The OP had a few more questions that came PM, I think it's best to have grow discussions out here on the open forum, makes for a better discussion with everyone participating... @OP, you say you want to grow maybe 1-2 plants at a time so are wondering if you need the 400w. You also were wondering about my comment about using a 400w in a smaller space. The short answer to the first Q is that yes, a 250w is fine for a 1-2 plant grow. I don't know if I would call a 400w overkill, but certainly would be a very healthy light prescription. But...you need to ask yourself if you really will grow only 1-2 at a time, not just now but look ahead a couple of years (I assume you will be growing at least that long to make the investment), and ask yourself whether you could see yourself thinking "OK, I've done 2 at a time now no problem, but next time I want to do more -- some different strains, try topping one and LSTing another, blah blah", things like that, then you are better to get the 400w now. Believe me, most of us have done it the wrong way: think to start small, equip ourselves for that, then realize we really want to grow a bit more than we originally planned, and what started as 1-2 becomes 3-6, so you end up buying equipment all over again. So if you really are confident that 1-2 is all you will want to be growing at a time then the 250w is fine. But, if you could see yourself down the road wanting to fill out that tent with a few more plants then you are better to get the 400w now rather than buy your lights twice. If you do stick with 1-2 then keep in mind you have a 3x3 footprint so may want to make some "walls" to pen in your light inside the tent. You could do that out of pvc pipe and white shower curtains or something like that. As for me, current setup is a 2.5x2.5x4 box, 400w cooltube, 4 plants at a time in 5 gallon kitty litter bins (rectangular so they fit better), always a mix of strains, LST and a little topping, mylar on the walls, Stanley blower pulling through 6" pipe the whole way. I get 4-6 oz per plant usually, could pull more if I had more space (and used to) but that's plenty for personal use IMO. G'luck. Interested in anyone else's thoughts on all this.
another suggestion would be to buy a ballast that supports both a 250w and 400w setup within the same ballast just by the switch of a knob. the Lumatek ballasts work great and gives you some room to expand to a 400w if need be. personally for a 3x3 grow space i would go with the 400w, you want the POWA!
Guys back to my original question about setting up the ventillation to cool the light. Im not very savy with this kind of stuff so could use some help. Is this a way it can be set up? Inlinefan-ducting-Light -ducting- out of the tent???? I think putting it together wont be a problem for me, its the figuring out the blueprint part that makes me feel brain dead
I have a 2x4x5 ft tent with a 400w cool tube. The way I set mine up is carbon filter inside the tent suspended up in the top corner of the tent. Then, duct work to the cool tube, duct work out of the tent to the fan, then about 10 feet of duct work that blows the air out right under a window. The longer strech of duct work keeps the noise of the fan at a minimum. Also I wrapped my fan in a old sleeping bag to muffle the noise the fan makes. I also have heard that you can put the carbon filter at the end of your duct work , rather then at the beginning. I have not tried this, but The guy at the shop i bought it from said it will work just as good.
Sup Smokinj quick ? do you think a 6inch inline duct fan such as HTG Supply - 6" Inline Duct Fan is enough to cover a tent like HTG Supply - Grow Tent | Original Grow Tent | Silver Lined Grow Tent im thinking of the 400 watt hps........