Ok so I know your suppose to use a hood but i cant afford one now im running a 1000 watt mh 11000 lumens on a 4x4'grow space the light is about 4ft away and the room is 10x11x8. This is the 15th day from germination there doing good but when i put my hand down where the plants are there is not much heat also on my light meter its reading more into the dark than light. So I guess my question is can I move my light down another 1/2 a ft or so? all feed back is appreciated. Ps i HEARD NOT HAVING A HOOD CAUSES YOU TO LOSE LUMENS IF THATS THE CASE SHOULDINT YOU BE ABLE TO GET THE LIGHT CLOSER ?

I would think that moving it down another 1/2 ft or so would be ok. I would think about putting up another fan blowing directy below the light and across the tops of your plants.... but an easy solution would be a hood. If your hand isnt burning your plants should not ethier.

Well bud i got a 1000 mwatt light also and my light was to close and i was told to put the light 3 feet above the little ones.why can't you put aloumin foil over it and let it drap or the sides about 4or 5 inches?I hope i helped you so let me no how you make out.

IMO as a noob aluminum foil would cause hot spots, i would suggest to build a "roof like structure" that doesn't cover the whole box and line that with mylar or paint it or something... Just something that will be over where the light hangs, but make sure its NOT made from flammable materials...

sorry bud if he had money he would have a reflector for his light but by the way is alumin foil good for around the walls

Thanx for all the feedback.

wait till u switch to a 1000w HPS, much hotter, this is the reason 600w's are similar price , less heat plus better lighting spread if you use 2 spaced apart, i have a 1000w in a 3x6 and it doesnt get good performance at the 5-6 foot , another thing is i have an air cooled hood 450cfm fan on it and it keep the room in the low 80's, with that said i can bring the light down to about 6-8inches, this always give me light bleaching....i have a few 1k's and so far it was not a good investment, whats the point of having an air cooled hood if i cant put the lamp inches away right>? my HPS gives off 150,000 lumens in an 18 sqft space, they say 6500 lumens per sqft is ideal, im around 9200 and its a waste of lumens on the plants directly underneath...so the moral of the story is even if you had an a/c to control temps or air cooled hood you will get bleached plants if our not carfeful, every 12inches in distance cuts the lumens in half////i believe the distance your looking for is 16-20 inches, just hope the heat is ok....good think your running MH , they are so much cooler burning

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SOL: It's the Russian. AVI:A Russian? SOL:To be technical hes Uzbekistanian?AVI:I been dealing with those Russian dogs. AVI:give me a name.SOL:Urinov,Boris TONY:BORIS the BLADE? as in BORIS THE BULLET DODGER?AVI:why do they call him the bullet dodger?TONY: bcus he dodges Bullets Avi

yo whats a hood????????????

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sup my name is jimmy. i like to smoke allot.iam from los angels ca.

as long as its below 85 by your ladies your okay man...

you have a bare bulb hanging? not even the cheap batwing most sets come with? if your a lil handy go to home depot and get a roll of aluminum , it looks like stainless steel and go look up al b fuct's batwing homemade reflector....do not hang anything on your lamp, tin foil is no good unless its on your wall, and still sucks

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SOL: It's the Russian. AVI:A Russian? SOL:To be technical hes Uzbekistanian?AVI:I been dealing with those Russian dogs. AVI:give me a name.SOL:Urinov,Boris TONY:BORIS the BLADE? as in BORIS THE BULLET DODGER?AVI:why do they call him the bullet dodger?TONY: bcus he dodges Bullets Avi