Grow Room Planning Stages!Opinions!

400w lighting came in today. I have it mounted on the left side of the room. My seedlings are on the right under a T5 FLoro. I tested both bulbs prior to install and both worked great. Problem I found that I will need to address though. I ran the light for an hour in the lab with no fan. The room stayed a comfortable 75 degrees but 1 and a half feet under the light spiked to 100 degrees. I'm hoping a couple 12" fans can drop the temp enough for my plants to be comfortable under it. I'm thinking 1 fan directed at the light itself and another blowing through foliage. It's my only option at this point as I've sunk the rest of my money into a 4" inline with a carbon filter. My paranoia got the best of me and I went ahead and ordered the scrubber. $120 vs 1-5 years. I'll pay the $120

I had the same issue with my box and my 400w light, I had high 90's-100's temps. My solution was to buy a 4" inline hook it to a light hood and pull air through the hood and out of your grow space. With only 6 flowering plants you dont really need a scrubber, especially since the scrubber blocks some airflow and you will need all you can get to keep your temps down.

You should pull air through the scrubber, through the hood, then vent outside the room. If your getting temps that high 1.5' under the light, an oscillating fan is only going to work for a little bit. Eventually, the whole room is going to be that temp, especially at the end of a 12 hour light cycle. Vent the air into your bedroom, then just leave a window cracked open. If your getting odor in your bedroom, then try using the ONA. Not sure what XStation is growing, but 6 plants will definitely stink your place up big time. I have my own house, and 2 plants before harvest will kick you in the face when you walk inside without a scrubber going.

Thanks for the info Xstation and welcome Earlymorninghigh. With the scrubber going I could prolly leave the walkin door open slightly to vent air from the scrubber out. It's getting cold here and there isn't much foot traffic around the condo's so opening the window slightly would be ok as long as the air is scrubbed before entering the bedroom and there is an ONA bucket in the room as well. Here's the only issue with venting the lighting through the scrubber though.

Here is the light system I have (I know it's cheap but I was on a $500 budget for the grow lab)

Seedling/clone propagation (my 6 seedlings are currently under this for the next week or so)
http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-2-Foot-Start-Light-System/dp/B0006856EQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1288449545&sr=8-2

Veg/Flowering light system
http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Switchable-Ballast-Reflector-GYO-2002/dp/B003810CVA/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1288449620&sr=1-1

The hood is open and there is no way to connect the 4' inline fan to it for exhaust. Do you think if I mount the scrubber fan close to the hood and vent the air out of the room and use oscillating fans this will help cool the room? The room is 6'x6'x8' with a regular sized door (mid-sized walk in closet) The seedlings are making amazing progress under the T5 (very healthy coloring and perky) but will definately need transplanting under the 400w within the next 7 days. I'll be experimenting with an 18/6 light cycle for veg to help reduce temps. They are currently 24/0 under the T5 at about 1 and a half inches under the light. There is little to no stretch in them at all.

Again thanks to all for the constructive opinions/information

In case anyone is wondering about my grow mediums. Seedlings are currently flourishing in a 1 part sterile top soil (unfertilized) and 1 part MG lightly fertilized perlite, they are being givin PH adjusted water (6.0) with no nutrients. At the 2 week mark they will be transplanted into 1 part sterile top soil, 1 part FF Ocean Forest, 20% lightly fertilized MG Perlite mix. They will begin 1/4 strength Jack's Classic 20-20-20 nute blend, and work up to 1/2 str before the end of veg where they will be switched to Jack's Bloomer 1/2 strength nute blend for flower.

I have pre-planned and documented everything so that I can make adjustments when I begin my second grow (in case something goes wrong with this grow) So far I think it's a good solid first grow plan and I'm satisfied with results thus far.

These plants will be FIM topped once only and scrogged under some trellis netting. Though the closet is 8' high, I only have about 5' to work with as the upper 3' is shelved and used for storage (soils, ferts, etc) Everything is locked up in the lab. I understand White Widow is mostly sativa so I've opted for the top/scrog method to control height.

If anyone lurking this thread knows alot about liquid PH testers please chime in as I have a question about mine. I am using the liquid PH test solution to balance my water, I have tryed testing soil just to get an idea. Tell me if this is right please. I ran some of my ph adjusted water through my soil medium into the tube and added the testing solution. The water came out just slightly Alkaline according to my test (I mean very slightly as it doesn't seem to be bothering my plants. Is this the proper way to test relative (I say relative because I know it's not as accurate as a meter) soil PH with a liquid test kit?

Alright so now I'm in the brainstorming and tweaking phase of my lab grow. Everything is set up and ready to go. My 4" inline and carbon filter kit will be here in about a week. I have a little time before my 6 plants become an odor issue. I've come up with an idea and would like to hear yall's opinions on it. Right now I'm considering my exhaust/ventilation options. I'm not spending the money on a ventilated hood so I'm going with a workaround. I've been reading about other people's issues and fixes but majority of them have much smaller rooms to deal with. Heat buildup will be more gradual since my room has a higher ceiling than most grow cabs/closets etc.

I am going to try the common since approach and will mount my scrubber about 6' - 7' off the grow room floor and vent the scrubbed air into the wall itself. The heated air will rise, hot air will then enter the carbon filter as it's rising and be moved into the crawl space between the walls. Two oscillating fans, one blowing at the bulb itself and one to move air through the canopy/stems. The little negative pressure by the 4" inline should be enough to pull some ambient (cool) air from under and around the door since the door is not air sealed (essentially the crack under and between the door acts as a passive intake) the air coming from the bedroom will be ambient air conditioned air (around 70-73 degrees)

This will allow me to continue to keep the closet self sufficient and I shouldn't have to keep the door cracked while I'm at work (I want the lab and bedroom locked at all times) ESPECIALLY while I'm at work.

Sound like a decent plan?

Please note: (There is cool airflow inside the crawlspace behind the drywall, the air is very cool which leads me to believe there is a draft coming through from outside the condo) So should be no worries of back pressure if I can feel a draft through there, hopefully the carbon scrubbed grow room air will just get swept along with it.

Edit: Condo upstairs just got rented out, off topic. Looks like some wet behind the ears college kid. How do I know this? Easy, his mom and dad are helping him move in....... I think this is going to work out. Young college kids don't tend to ask questions =-) Hopefully he smokes pot up there (if his place always smells like dope, nobody is going to think twice about me) We'll see though =)

Earlymorninghigh said:

You should pull air through the scrubber, through the hood, then vent outside the room. If your getting temps that high 1.5' under the light, an oscillating fan is only going to work for a little bit. Eventually, the whole room is going to be that temp, especially at the end of a 12 hour light cycle. Vent the air into your bedroom, then just leave a window cracked open. If your getting odor in your bedroom, then try using the ONA. Not sure what XStation is growing, but 6 plants will definitely stink your place up big time. I have my own house, and 2 plants before harvest will kick you in the face when you walk inside without a scrubber going.

Click to expand...

I'm 9 days from harvest and I'm growing Dutch passion white widow. When I check my plants after the light turns on its pretty dank in the cabinet, but I pull air through my hood and out without a scrubber. I have one its just I had the same temp problem and I use all the airflow I can get. Temps are in the 70's now. I have two oscillating fans in the cabinet and one in the room blowing near my exhaust to disperse hot air. I guess it depends on your particular set up.

xstation420 said:

I'm 9 days from harvest and I'm growing Dutch passion white widow. When I check my plants after the light turns on its pretty dank in the cabinet, but I pull air through my hood and out without a scrubber. I have one its just I had the same temp problem and I use all the airflow I can get. Temps are in the 70's now. I have two oscillating fans in the cabinet and one in the room blowing near my exhaust to disperse hot air. I guess it depends on your particular set up.

Click to expand...

What size is your scrubber X? Are you using a home made one or did you purchase an inline and filter? Here's the one I ordered.

http://www.htgsupply.com/viewproduct.asp?productID=52531

I know people say HTG stuff is shitty, but I've seriously over extended my budget on this. It was this or pretty much nothing. Child support is a mother fucker! I'm eating Ramen noodles and my WW seedlings are living the life of luxury at this point. If I don't get at least 4-5 ounces off this grow I'll be thoroughly pissed. I pay close to $300 an ounce for good smoke down here I NEED this first grow to pay for itself and leave me enough for my use until the next harvest (I smoke about an ounce a month)