Will i need a new tent?

Hey there guys,

I'm currently approaching the end of my first grow... I'm really looking forward to getting this one all finished and starting a fresh as my cuurrent grow has been a bit slap dash lol. I'm using cfl's but would really like to upgrade to HID lighting. I have a 600w hps but just cant use it as of the temps. For my next grow in looking to get a dimable ballast and a cool tube.
my current tent is 80x80 x 160cm.. Its all I have room for. Do you guys reccomend a 400 or 600 hps for this size space with 4 plants? I currently have 400 watts of cfl and 4 plants... So I think 4 plants is about right unless I go for 2 plants and super crop them a sgrog net for an even canopie.
anyways... The reason I'm thinking of needing a new tent is because the tent in already using gas 2 inlets at opposite sides very low level and 1 exhausts vent at the top.
I am wanting to run mu ducting from out side the tent... Through my cool tube and out the other... If I was to do this using my bottom inlets then I would be using up my both holes.. Therfore no hole for air intake into tent.
I was thinking I could maybe useone of the bottom inlets to run to the cool tube ant taking it out of the exaust hole.. But then I have no exaust for the tent lol. Id it possible to create new holes in the tent as ideally I could do with two holes, one opisot the other about 3/4 the way up the tent so my ducting runs basically strait through the cool tube and I can lower it to suit my plant hights... It would also keep the 6" ducting frob taking up valuble space lower down.
hopefully you are still following what I'm trying to explain lol.
I also have some other questions to ask about joining exaust outlets so it runs on one fan.
I'm gonna draw some simple diagrams quickly now as a picture paints a thousand words lol.
once iv uploaded diagrams maybe I could get some input on fan size and best way to run it all.

thanks in advance for any input.

peace

the second picture is what I would like to do. Is there any way of doing this with my current tent? Is joining the exhaust into the outlet from the cool tube so I can use 1 fan possible or is the fan just gonna pull air the easiest route and not pull enough air from my cool tube?

This is what you can use to join your ducting.

i

Min8040 said:

This is what you can use to join your ducting.

Click to expand...

cool cheers... I was gonna make one from something else.... Make sense that they actually make one tho lol.

Just pull through the hood and out. No need for two. IMO

crap nevermind....I looked at it wrong. I thought you were pulling from within the tent...that is what I do. Filter/light/exhaust..with passive intake and then some fans for circulation inside. good luck

Instead of making new holes you could just put duct from hood out the top to fan outside of tent. Then when flowering add a filter on either end. By that I mean, before hood inside tent or outside after fan. Blowing into filter.
Just ideas for ya.

Antman15 said:

crap nevermind....I looked at it wrong. I thought you were pulling from within the tent...that is what I do. Filter/light/exhaust..with passive intake and then some fans for circulation inside. good luck

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well I was thinking if doing it your way... I just wasn't sure if it would drop temps low enough? How are your temps and what size light/ fan/ tent you using?

cheers

Min8040 said:

Instead of making new holes you could just put duct from hood out the top to fan outside of tent. Then when flowering add a filter on either end. By that I mean, before hood inside tent or outside after fan. Blowing into filter.
Just ideas for ya.

Click to expand...

yeah that's cool... I get your idea... Would it maybe pull the hot air from the light and let some escapeback into the tent... If ya get what I mean? I have found a pretty cheap easy way of making holes for ducting in a tent... So will prob give it a go. Unless I come up with another wat.. Cheers

It should suck the hot air out of your light. Also if you have a duct coming in from the bottom, it should force suck cooler air into the tent.

labratlee said:

well I was thinking if doing it your way... I just wasn't sure if it would drop temps low enough? How are your temps and what size light/ fan/ tent you using?

cheers

Click to expand...

Hey man...I use a 600w hps with a 4x12 phresh filter sucked out by a hurricane 4" inline fan. When I'm forced to go to a 6 or 8" I will have a 5x5 and a 1000 watt. My temps are fine...sometimes a little warm, but not for long as the intake is next to the central air. by a little warm I mean 85-87 at canopy level when the plants are large and I'm out of vertical space.

Antman15 said:

Hey man...I use a 600w hps with a 4x12 phresh filter sucked out by a hurricane 4" inline fan. When I'm forced to go to a 6 or 8" I will have a 5x5 and a 1000 watt. My temps are fine...sometimes a little warm, but not for long as the intake is next to the central air. by a little warm I mean 85-87 at canopy level when the plants are large and I'm out of vertical space.

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That's not to bad at. All really mate. Especially for a 600 w with only 4" fan. That sounds quite promising. As soon as this grow is out of the way I will get a couple of add ons and rig it up to see what I'm working with. Its getting hot here now. UK summertime. My tent is running really hot today. The winter here should be awsome lol. Gonna need a 600 w bare bulbjust to get temps high enough lol.

cheers
ah... Also.. Wat kinda yeild do ya get with your 600 w from how many plants?

cheers

I'm sure a 6" fan would do better, but I am tight and still use my old 4" vented hood. I will upgrade one day when something dies and I need a new one. Yield depends on strain of course, but about 400 of grade A on 6-9 plants, depending on veg time...I'm working on getting that number up all of the time though.....aren't we all?

Antman15 said:

I'm sure a 6" fan would do better, but I am tight and still use my old 4" vented hood. I will upgrade one day when something dies and I need a new one. Yield depends on strain of course, but about 400 of grade A on 6-9 plants, depending on veg time...I'm working on getting that number up all of the time though.....aren't we all?

Click to expand...

awesome

that's awesome mate. That's a decent amount. How long do you vege for? I'm using autoflowers so didn't have that option obviously. Not sure weather or not to go for autos or photo period on my next crop. How long is your total grow cycle.. From seed to harvest? It sound like the 4 inch is keeping your temps just fine. I do know that 1x 6 inch duct set up can move twice the amount of 2x 4 inch side by side. You would have thought it was the other eay round eh lol. 400 is a good amount. Id be happy with that. You grow in soil? Wat do u use nunrient wise etc.. Quite intrested. Lol

cheers pal

Just got things lined out on the 600 watt so I'm still tweeking things. I have never used autos. And I haven't bought seeds in a few years. I just keep 4 or 5 mother plants clone from them and then rotate what I'm growing....I guess I veg for about 6 weeks. I'm learning that 8- I start clones right before harvest and grow them in one tent while I'm flowering in another.....so grow cycle is however long I flower.... 8-10 weeks

I recently switched from the 3 part General Hydro flora series to using the dry maxigro and maxibloom. I am really happy with the switch....easier to use/cheaper and the buds burn clean with no flush.....that is a whole other discussion though lol

Forgot to answer that I'm hydro...I'm in flood trays on top of reservoirs....that is why my vertical height is limited. I use hydroton in 3 gal pots....my tent is 4x4 but the tray is 3x3. Nice to work with....clean. No hauling dirt in and out. ......I also use some other additives....mainly General Hydro products. floranectar/florablend/flouralicious plus....also silica during veg