ZTELTHY :- CO2 T.V CAB H-E-L-P !! ....please :)

Hi, I'am still in the throws of building my 'mini-cab' .. and still need to get some 3.7" Aluminium Ducting (getting some is much harder than I thought) ..to connect up the DIY 3.7" Cool-Tube. Basically and in short : I have 2 air-rigs.. 1) cooling the cool-tube , 2) venting the cab connected to the Carbon Filter - main exhaust...

I've figured that I should be able to run CO2 in here.. I also have a 250w Lumatek Dimmable Ballast in there so if when I shut the main exhaust off the temps get that bit too high I can run the 250w Lamp at either 175w or 150w (if necessary) ..



^ I have this mini-CO2 fish tank canister, and am unsure if it'll be enough for the size of this cab...or for how long it will last ???






***** ANYONE WHO'S CLUED UP ON "CO2" ETC.. PLEASE HELP !!! *****






I like to make my cabs as professional as possible...So I really want to do this properly despite the small size of this unit, I'll have 1X Scrogged & lST'd plant in a 5L Res.. I'll find out the exact measurements of the Cab...cos no doubt I'll need to work out PPM etc..

I also help this thread becomes useful to other on RIU members that wish to try their hand at a professional install (no matter what size)

Hope ya'll like the pics so far.... Below I've added a LINK to my thread where the above Cab. is made more or less from scratch! Please feel free to take a look and add any productive comments etc....



https://www.rollitup.org/grow-room-design-setup/551472-ztelthys-100w-hps-tv-cabinet.html



As always +REP for all the best answers and most helpful/useful comments etc.. - ZTELTHY

Sorry I'm not able to help, I think trying to balance air flow/heat control with co2 saturation is a foo'ls errand. I'm not calling you a fool, but more like we've all been fooled. I have a cabinet twice your size with Co2 injection I bought as an option and it has never proven to be anything more than a massive PITA, returning little for the investment in money and time. I've probably spent 200 hours and $300 trying to get that damn thing right. To be fair, I was working with an air cooled 600HPS in 60 cubic feet of space, but I switched down to a 400 and still couldn't control things.

Anyway, good luck to you with it. I hope you discover the sweet spot that eluded me.

Bump.

smokinrav said:

Sorry I'm not able to help, I think trying to balance air flow/heat control with co2 saturation is a foo'ls errand. I'm not calling you a fool, but more like we've all been fooled. I have a cabinet twice your size with Co2 injection I bought as an option and it has never proven to be anything more than a massive PITA, returning little for the investment in money and time. I've probably spent 200 hours and $300 trying to get that damn thing right. To be fair, I was working with an air cooled 600HPS in 60 cubic feet of space, but I switched down to a 400 and still couldn't control things.

Anyway, good luck to you with it. I hope you discover the sweet spot that eluded me.

Bump.

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If I do, I'll let you know - ZTELTHY

Well here is the thing. You will be wasting time and money running co2 in there. You have it all setup to be changing alot of air. Exhausting the hot air and pulling in cool outside air. Your co2 ppm will never go up much more then the outside ppm of around 300. Only real way to use co2 is sealing the room. But this brings on many other problems. How to cool and how to keep humidity down. It's a good idea but I feel you will only be wasting money for no real gain. The cab is coming along very well. Been watching your thread.

Warlock1369 said:

Well here is the thing. You will be wasting time and money running co2 in there. You have it all setup to be changing alot of air. Exhausting the hot air and pulling in cool outside air. Your co2 ppm will never go up much more then the outside ppm of around 300. Only real way to use co2 is sealing the room. But this brings on many other problems. How to cool and how to keep humidity down. It's a good idea but I feel you will only be wasting money for no real gain. The cab is coming along very well. Been watching your thread.

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Cheers dude, Ok...I'll hold up on CO2 for now then .. Glad you like my Cab and my progress with it! I can't wait to have it up n running - ZTELTHY

Have you thought about UVB?

cues said:

Have you thought about UVB?

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Yes! indeed I have .. I have an 18" fixture, but need to down size it so the cab can accomodate it... I do need to work out just how much UV-B light will be needed for the area it needs to cover...and I am guessing the "10.0" are the strength UV-B lamps that I'll need. I will focus on this topic soon... But - Yes! I will defo be running UV-B - ZTELTHY

As far as I know, the UV-B tubes are available in 2.0 , 6.0 , 10.0 , and now I have learn't of a 12.0 tube as well... I have used a 10.0 before in my old Cab.. but if anyone can tell me exactly how much UV-B (wattage) I should be using and the at what strength etc... that'd be great and really start the wheels in motion - ZTELTHY

Great idea here.
Watercool it.
Get a res a chiller and a pump and circulate cold water throu the cab. Itll soak up the heat. You could even water cool the light. Wouldnt be stealthy thou..
BUT haha just thought of this (sorry im high) if you had some fish, just put the tank atop the cab and you could cycle the fish water through...so it didnt look suspicious?...or something...i dont know. Sounded good before i typed it >.>
Oh well

whats up zhealthy still asking questions in my arena? lol

shoot away, but i must first ask whether you are in the UK or US, pretty sure UK anyways line up the questions and ill do my best to fill you in.

wattage and strength and those #s dont really apply, but what you want is between 100mw(microwatts of light) to 500mw

different bulbs will put this off at different distances. the 10.0 UVB florescents 10.0 mean 10% UVB light output. 5.0 5% and 12.0 12% made by "Arcadia" which is what i recommend if you are in the UK
http://www.arcadia-uk.info/product.php?pid=66&mid=12&lan=fr
there are downsides to using the UVB fluorescent bulbs mainly being they will only provide optimal results for about 6 month because the glass will "polarize"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polarization

as far as what style of flouro you should use, you shoul use linear in a vertical fashion if possible.
because UVB is best absorbed through the side (less floilage to block light from buds) and has a limited distance (about 6-12") where the power of UV is at a level where it will be strong enough to have effect.


these are some reptile videos from Exoterra that help just explain UVB in general
http://www.exo-terra.com/en/exo_terra_tv/light_movie.php

another excellent video explaining the relationship between UVB and THC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfiI78uN3Ks

i would mention MVB(mercury vapor or metal halide) from here http://www.reptileuv.com/megaray-products.php since you in the UK but since you not naturall apirated its not feasible i use one but i keep it air cooled. the upside about using HID SPECIFICALLY MADE FOR REPTILES(regular HID blocks almost all UVB, they use different glass) is they last for ever(couple years of good output) if they are air cooled.

that was a sick link on the other thread why dont you post that up here for zelthy that is exactly what he needs!! then he can just buy those cfls and take them apart and build and enclosure. in fact i can think of a simple way to modify that process already by leaving the ballast in the base and just removing the bulb. but thats definitly an easy way to get the ballast for the UV bulbs that would work best in his setup.

ready for some more inventive thinking zelthy?

http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/383131-cheap-diy-light-buildretrofit/
http://www.petmountain.com/product/reptile-fluorescent-bulbs/11442-501566/exo-terra-repti-glo-10-0-uvb-desert-terrarium-lamp.html
this way you can by CFL bulbs in pretty much whatever wattage and power pretty much whatever wattage9so long as it is equal to or less wattage than the ballast.) bulb you want.

the way i would wire them is just by removing the bulb, keeping the screw in base of the bulb and i would build my enclosure around those types of sockeds(just seems like it would A) keep the wiring more secure and B) keep the ballasts from moving around.

his end caps are a great idea an i actually plan on using the end cap idea for some independant T5 bulbs

but what you can do with this (remember th UV lifespan of the bulb is very short so, overdriving the bulb is useful with these bulbs since it will increase light from bulbs(and UV) but shorten the lifespan. the bulb will still last a long time, but not as long as if it was run normally, but the uv output will be degraded long before even an overdriven bulb bulb is dead.

so if it where me and i wanted to go about this the cheapest and best way. i would use x2 26w CFL bulb ballast, wired up in some enclosure remote from the bulbs, outside of box even. then i would run my wired from the "ballast enclosure" to the x2 14w 10.0 bulbs mounted vertically inside the box. possible even figure out a way to enclose the end caps. but i spray my t12 and t5 on accident and ive only had one or 2 instances where something undesirable happened. but that was because the water had built a bridge to ground the end cap on the bulb not just because the end cap was wet. but putting some type of higher temp rubber hose on the end could make some nice makeshift covers.

I've got tons of UVB bulbs laying around I used on my monitor lizards, been meaning to try them out for a while actually. Does it make that big of a difference running with UVB?

Love the look of the build, nicely done.

i didnt buil it hell i didint even find the link just re-posting. but yeah UVB makes a difference you can look in my journal, plants are already 3-4 weeks in flower and very frosty and it only gets better.
if i can ever find this pic of a kush i had i would post it everytime some asked me that. cause it was one of my first tests with UV and it was stupid frosty.

polyarcturus said:

i didnt buil it hell i didint even find the link just re-posting. but yeah UVB makes a difference you can look in my journal, plants are already 3-4 weeks in flower and very frosty and it only gets better.
if i can ever find this pic of a kush i had i would post it everytime some asked me that. cause it was one of my first tests with UV and it was stupid frosty.

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Sorry I was referring to Ztelthy's cab

Thats good to know, bud is pretty dank here already so who can moan about more when I have bulbs laying around

Think I will do me a test with them once I'm done with my current cycle, cheers.

Nice. Cheers Poly! Sorry I didnt post link here yet but nice to see you got my back covered!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110918134438?var=410125585282&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110918174804?var=410125590474&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
^ Here is a LINK to the 25.0 UVB I have just bought (from a different web-site ..that's cheaper) I figured this is pretty much my only option cos space is so limited, somethings better than nothing and at 25.0 UV-B rating its gotta be good..(I hope) - ZTELTHY

^ Here is a LINK to the 25.0 UVB I have just bought (from a different web-site ..that's cheaper) I figured this is pretty much my only option cos space is so limited, somethings better than nothing and at 25.0 UV-B rating its gotta be good..(I hope) - ZTELTHY

Ztelthy said:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110918134438?var=410125585282&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110918174804?var=410125590474&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
^ Here is a LINK to the 25.0 UVB I have just bought (from a different web-site ..that's cheaper) I figured this is pretty much my only option cos space is so limited, somethings better than nothing and at 25.0 UV-B rating its gotta be good..(I hope) - ZTELTHY

^ Here is a LINK to the 25.0 UVB I have just bought (from a different web-site ..that's cheaper) I figured this is pretty much my only option cos space is so limited, somethings better than nothing and at 25.0 UV-B rating its gotta be good..(I hope) - ZTELTHY

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Upon closer inspection ..I think its only a 10.0 ...but never mind, it still stands 'something is better than nothing' ...and I can always upgrade later - ZTELTHY