Is my setup worth it

[danksmoker555]

Hey guys just wanna say I enjoy the site and all the info on here is crazy good. I am planning a tent grow very soon and wanted some help with my setup..So far here's my list

Gorilla tent 2 x2.5 x5'7 all I have room for only need around 2 or 3 gem plants

Apollo 400 watt HPS/MH digital light with cool tube

For the fan I am lookin at a hurricane 4 inch inline fan 171CFM followed by a Phresh 200 carbon filter.

I have read a lot an this is the setup in my budget just wanted to know if it's good and what size ducting I should run for the fan and filter, call me dumb but I think it would be a 4 inch ductwork for the setup right?? Also if you have any tips or advice on anything at all I'm all ears..

 

[Granger2]

Sounds OK, except you might want to cut the 400w down because of the heat. That's 80w/sq ft., which is on the high side. If you don't have heat problems, go ahead and run it at 400w. With only 5'7", keep the plants short. Good luck. -granger

 

[danksmoker555]

Sounds OK, except you might want to cut the 400w down because of the heat. That's 80w/sq ft., which is on the high side. If you don't have heat problems, go ahead and run it at 400w. With only 5'7", keep the plants short. Good luck. -granger

Thanx granger..yeah I'm a little worried about the 400 light would a 250 get the same results as far as potency? I know I can expect a smaller yield with a 250 but I plan on LST maybe a SCROG method..If kind of prefer quality over quantity I'd at least like to get a Oz or 2 if possible..Also would a shorter wider tent be better for the 400 withtthe 4 inch fan or maybe a 6?

 

[matt11]

Sounds like its worth it. And hurricane fans are awesome. I have some 6" versions and their on point, 435cfm. Also a killer 5yr warranty

 

[chronosync]

danksmoker555 have you considered CFL's? that would give you about an extra 12"+ for vertical growth and heat wont be the issue for lights. cheaper too.

 

[danksmoker555]

No I'm kind of set on hid lighting if I had to I would downsize the light or maybe get a different tent that would support the heat and lighting..I feel like I'm at a dead end now lol

 

[thesloppy]

Get a dimmable 400 watt ballast, which will allow you to run at 200W, 300W, or 400W as space will allow, for only a couple bucks more than a regular digital ballast. That way you can adjust on the fly, rather than guessing beforehand and being stuck with the results.

 

[danksmoker555]

Never though about dimmable thanx bro I'll get a dimmable ballast and keep my same setup thanx for the input everybody..

 

[chronosync]

dont give up. i bet you could do it just fine with good ventilation. my tent is only 40cf. a 400w MH or HPS isnt hot in there at all. all i have right now is a couple of random mini fans. and like these guys said: if you got the bucks just get one with a dimmer. i'd get a good thermometer/hygrometer to go with it though. in case it gets sticky

IMO. if it was my tent i would only grow one plant in there. thats a good amount of space for one nice healthy female plant. IMO. my tent is 2'x4' and im having a hard time with three. they grow alot when theyre healthy

 

[theLumberjack]

go for 1 315 in that space imo. heat is very low. and i am sure you'll get more than a few zips

 

[theJointedOne]

I'd go with your initial setup, on a dimmable ballast.

Plant one plant per sq ft. In 3 gallon containers. Just veg for a few days then flip. You'd prob get half ounce per plant, maybe bit more

 

[PetFlora]

For $295 you can buy a kick ass Amare Technologies SS 100 (100w led). In that small space it's all you need and you'll only be burning 100w of electric. No need for cooling, though I recommend a small fan for air circulation

OR, for $395, their SS 150

 

[Lester Beans]

I would go with the 400 HP's. You will need 200cfm min of fan. Mount the carbon filter in the tent and run the duct through your hood and out of the tent.

One plant per square foot as someone above stated and with some training try to get an even canopy in the tent before you flip to flower. Just take into account the stretch on the strain you are growing. If you don't know assume the plant will stretch from half to double its size in flower.

I don't see any reason you can't pull 200 grams from that setup first time out.

Good luck!

 

[Phases]

Yeah I agree with Lester Beans - just get an air cooled hood and you should have no problem - buddie of mine did about same size as your taking but was in closet and used an air cooled hood with a 400w hps and pulled like 6 zips - had a good veg period I think 30-40 days maybe. But ya I think it sounds like it's worth it -
Warning: growing is addictive

 

[chronosync]

/sq ft?

/sq ft?

one plant/sqft. in a 2' x 2.5' that would be 5 plants. i cant see that working. maybe 4 if you really want to cram it. someone mentioned 3 gallon pots (if you use coco you can use smaller pots, 2 gal is great for coco) soil i would go with 3-5 gal. no less.

pics show a 2'L x 4'W x 5'H tent
3 plants
3 gal pots
400w MH/HPS
plants were topped 3 times and LST to a minimum
30 days veg. 18/6

i wanted to do 5 but decided to be more conservative. i dont want to deal with crowding, and the issues that arise from it. first grow here

so three plants in a space almost double yours and its getting crowded.

p.s. stick with one strain at a time if you decide to do more than one plant.

 

[jesbuds]

+1 on a dimmable ballast if you can afford it, fighting heat can get tiresome if you're on the edge all the time and no reason to try to push the limits as a new grower. You'll find your limits as you grow.

Also, worrying about potency and yield before you've planted your first plant is definitely putting the cart ahead of the horse, just grow. You will do things that are useless, you will fail in some grows and you will buy things that you think are useful that you never actually use (or use for 3 months and switch out), part of the hobby and learning.

 

[Jellyfish]

No I'm kind of set on hid lighting if I had to I would downsize the light or maybe get a different tent that would support the heat and lighting..I feel like I'm at a dead end now lol

That's because you have a closed mind, brother. You should open it up to CFL's, you'll thank me and the other guy who recommended them.

 

[mufinman]

here we go... watt for watt = heat, watt for watt = yield. Simple.

400, hood w filter, 4" exhst fan..

listen to Lester and phases..

I've done well with yield/potency from the 'cheeses' 2 plants in that tent will yield, if you get all the other shit right, 300-400 grams.
and theres a lot of 'other shit'.

 

[I wood]

Only you can know the right answer for you, it is up to you to filter out the useful information from this thread and go from there.
If the ambient temperature of the room involved can handle lots of extra heat I would say go with the 400 hps, dim able seems like a good idea but I have bad luck with electronic ballast and so avoid them.
LEDs and cfls have been improving for years and can work well, but still aren't worth the cost if you can deal with the heat from a hps, this is of course only my opinion.
That is a pretty small tent, you may outgrow it faster than you think. It would make a nice veg tent if you do expand though. Pot is not addictive, but growing it can be.
Potency should not be an issue with any decent genetics.
It isn't as hard as some would have you believe.
You will learn rapidly if you want to, like Nike says, just do it.

 

[dansbuds]

one thing , your not going to find a 4" cool tube . they're only made in 6" or 8" . go with the 6" tube , Fan & filter . it will make cooling that 400 watts in the small tent much easier . you can get a fan speed control to turn the fan speed down to control the temps & keep the noise down a little . make sure you have plenty of intake & air circulation in the tent & you'll be fine .