400w Closet grow design, need help (Pics)

Hello, this is my first post but I've been lurking for several months now. This is going to be my first grow, and I'm ordering the lighting from High Tech Garden Supply, specifically this.

http://www.htgsupply.com/viewproduct.asp?productID=47981

It comes with both 400 watt MH and HPS bulbs, I'm curious to if they will be adequate for producing a maximum of 6 decently large plants (preferably). Here is a couple of pictures of the closet I will be growing in.




I'm going to order the lights this weekend and once I figure out what to grow (probably going to go with White Widow) I'll order the seeds from Highgrade-seeds.com

My questions are the following.

The walls are flat white, what should I do about the floors? Mylar?

Is 400 watts sufficient for this amount of space if I hang the light from the shelf?

Should I get co2 cartridges and release them into the room about once a week?

This grow isn't extremely secretive, I live alone in my own house and when by myself (quite often) I could leave the door open for ventilation, I'm curious to if ventilation will be a problem.

Also, any idea of what kind of heat issue I would have?

How can I make this setup most effective using this closet and those lights.

I will be growing in soil, I intend to plant 6 plants from seed, create a clone of each, flower the seedlings around 5 weeks and kill the males, along with corresponding clones. From the batch of ladies I will attain 7 clones, at that point I will grow 6 of them to around 4 feet using the MH and then switch to HPS for flowering, whilst maintaining the vegetative clone under a flouroescent.

Anyone see anything wrong with what I'm doing, or have any better way to go about it, please post, I want to be up in growing within 2 weeks, at which point I will document every step of the way in the proper sub forum.

P.S. If you have any seed suggestions from high grade, please do tell.

Thank you everyone for the help.

without a fan youll get heat problems and beside your whole house will have a unique sweet smell very soon.

nine33 said:

My questions are the following.

The walls are flat white, what should I do about the floors? Mylar?

Click to expand...

Once light makes it below the surface of the pots, no reflective surface will bring it back up to the plants.

nine33 said:

Is 400 watts sufficient for this amount of space if I hang the light from the shelf?

Click to expand...

Yes, but height may become an issue. Consider a SOG.

nine33 said:

Should I get co2 cartridges and release them into the room about once a week?

Click to expand...

IMO, cartridges are a tremendous waste of money and once a week will likely have no noticable affect. If you don't want to spend the $ on a real tank setup, then just make sure you provide adequate ventilation with plenty of fresh air. Drawing air from low (even from the room/basement/crawlspace under the closet) will help increase available co2.

nine33 said:

This grow isn't extremely secretive, I live alone in my own house and when by myself (quite often) I could leave the door open for ventilation, I'm curious to if ventilation will be a problem.

Also, any idea of what kind of heat issue I would have?

Click to expand...

A 400w lamp creates plenty of heat.
Consider using an air cooled hood or cooltube.
The magnetic ballast will also generate a shitload of heat - Try to keep this outside of the grow area.
You can use a pair of strategically placed fans to create a constant exchange of air through the closet. In from the bottom, up and out.

nine33 said:

How can I make this setup most effective using this closet and those lights.

I will be growing in soil, I intend to plant 6 plants from seed, create a clone of each, flower the seedlings around 5 weeks and kill the males, along with corresponding clones. From the batch of ladies I will attain 7 clones, at that point I will grow 6 of them to around 4 feet using the MH and then switch to HPS for flowering, whilst maintaining the vegetative clone under a flouroescent.

Anyone see anything wrong with what I'm doing, or have any better way to go about it, please post

Click to expand...

If you can convert the top shelf to a light proof cabinet, you could install some floros up there to veg. I'd set up a perpetual system running maybe 2 plants every 2-3 weeks. Pick your strongest mother and eliminate the rest. Right before the largest veg go to flowering, take the clones from them.

Oh, and you won't be able to grow to 4 feet in that closet, nor will a 4oow lamp be adequate for a 4 foot tall plant. You'll want to go to flowering at about 8-10".

I've considered doing a SOG, in reality though I just want to grow a few big batches every year to keep myself well supplied, this will be strictly personal smoke for me, and a few close friends, I won't sell any of it. On the SOG subject though, whats a reasonable amount of plants I could have 1-2 feet tall? The setup I was looking at is HPS and a metal halide conversion, would I be better off going with just HPS and use Flouros for cloning/vegetative?

I have 2 closets right next to each other, I noticed the other one looks exactly the same, except there is a 1.5x1.5 square hole that's got a flimsy piece of board patched over it, which leads directly to the attic, I think I will use this as an out take air supply, and because of the negative pressure have air flowing into the room through various cracks and under the door.

After posting last night I watched Jorge Cerventes Ultimate Grow 1, and kind of refined what I'm going towards. Extremely helpful DVD if anyone reading this hasn't seen it. A+++

I'm going to mount the ballast outside of the closet if possible, or at the very least quite far from the plants to keep heat to a minimum. I think I'll mount a squirrel cage fan in the void once I remove that 1.5x1.5 board.

Also, I've decided to switch from getting seeds from Highgrade-seeds.com to Nirvana seeds, I think this is smart after further reading, since I'm in the states and security is an issue.

Thank you everyone for the help.

have you considered auto flowering strains?? check my grow!! smell is a great issue if you have such an air out seriously consider a carbon filter and an inline fan! imo you will def have heat issues so going cool tube is a must or ul have to leave the door open all day!! good air exchange is an essential part of any grow room!!

Dude, you could have a sweet set-up in that closet. If you need a cheap, simple, and neat cool tube click the link in my signature. Good Luck!