CO2 help needed

Not sure if this is the right place to post this.
Got an 8 sq. ft bedroom closet I am growing in.
430w HPS with large non vented horizontal hood.
Earthbox using their soil and nutes.
150cfm duct fan drawing at the ceiling, exhausting outdoors. Make-up air comes from the bedroom through the door cracks. (loose door + over 1'' gap at bottom of door.

I don't have a CO2 meter. I have heard of misting with carbonated water helps.
I am not ready to do the CO2 tank thing yet.
Any suggestions?

dirtyoz said:

Not sure if this is the right place to post this.
Got an 8 sq. ft bedroom closet I am growing in.
430w HPS with large non vented horizontal hood.
Earthbox using their soil and nutes.
150cfm duct fan drawing at the ceiling, exhausting outdoors. Make-up air comes from the bedroom through the door cracks. (loose door + over 1'' gap at bottom of door.

I don't have a CO2 meter. I have heard of misting with carbonated water helps.
I am not ready to do the CO2 tank thing yet.
Any suggestions?

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Forget about CO2 enrichment for now is my suggestion. CO2 isnt going to significantly increase growth rates unless it is the photoinhibitor (the limiting factor of your grow) and with 430w it is very unlikely that the CO2 is the photoinhibitor. Once you've maxed out your lights, and everything else then worry about CO2.

Hubert said:

Forget about CO2 enrichment for now is my suggestion. CO2 isnt going to significantly increase growth rates unless it is the photoinhibitor (the limiting factor of your grow) and with 430w it is very unlikely that the CO2 is the photoinhibitor. Once you've maxed out your lights, and everything else then worry about CO2.

Click to expand...

Are you saying that the 430 is not enough light? I am lowering them a little each day and have mylar on all walls.
BTW I am getting pretty close to harvest time so it might be a little late for co2 anyway.
This is my 1st grow. In fact, up until a few days ago, my only light was a Aerogarden Deluxe hood (hanging) and a 70w MH flood lamp for three plants. Yeah I know, kind of a joke for lighting, but am having a blast doing and learning about this stuff.

dirtyoz said:

Are you saying that the 430 is not enough light? I am lowering them a little each day and have mylar on all walls.
BTW I am getting pretty close to harvest time so it might be a little late for co2 anyway.
This is my 1st grow. In fact, up until a few days ago, my only light was a Aerogarden Deluxe hood (hanging) and a 70w MH flood lamp for three plants. Yeah I know, kind of a joke for lighting, but am having a blast doing and learning about this stuff.

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No I don't mean to say that 430w isn't enough light, it's just unlikely that CO2 would be the limiting factor in such a grow. Generally CO2 is better used when you're running alot more light...like a few thousand watts.

400w is about right for 8sq ft, a 600 would be about as big as you could go in that space, but then you would practically need co2 enrichment so the plants could take the higher temps, or have an excellent vent system.
I think what Hubert is saying is that until everything else is perfect, ie; temps, feeding regime, humidity, and light, there is plenty of co2 in the air all around us, especially if you intake from a room in your house, as we enrich the air to some degree by respiring.
As a new grower there's not much point considering co2 enrichment, the only way to do it is to do it properly imho, which means having a ppm meter so that you control exactly how much co2 is released, and those cost several hundred dollars.
If you take my advice you'll keep doing what you are, having fun and learning about doing something you love. Once you have grown a few crops and are confident that you have figured out a method that works for you, and you know there's nothing more you can give them, then start experimenting with co2.

Yes, you guys are right. I have tons to learn before worrying about details and extras. Just trying to find out what is critical and what isn't.
Plus, using an EarthBox, there is limited info. So it can be a tough way to start (with limited resources for info). It's not like I can just bust out a big question about growin grass on the EarthBox forum! I mean I like tomatoes and everything............but they dont stay lit...hhahahaha.
Thanks for the help

dirtyoz said:

Yes, you guys are right. I have tons to learn before worrying about details and extras. Just trying to find out what is critical and what isn't.
Plus, using an EarthBox, there is limited info. So it can be a tough way to start (with limited resources for info). It's not like I can just bust out a big question about growin grass on the EarthBox forum! I mean I like tomatoes and everything............but they dont stay lit...hhahahaha.
Thanks for the help

Click to expand...

I wrote this ''overview'' a while ago for starting out...maybe it will help