Basic Setup: Is This Enough Ventilation?

i have a 4x4x6.5 grow tent from growtents.com, looking to grow 5 blackjack from nirvanashop.com (or however many germinate) just about to make my last bulk purchase and just wondering if this should be good to get started



total setup will look like this-

- grow tent (4x4x6.5) with 3 passive intake flaps on bottom and 1 4" side vent hole... really annoying because it was advertised as a 6" vent but it is actually 4 so im worried about temp control
- 1000w cool tube hps/mh system (http://www.thelashop.com/cool-tube-hps-mh-grow-light-kit-250w-400w-600w-1000w.html?utm_source=googlepla&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=CNeUsfu08rICFcV7QgodanwAYQ)
- 6" fan for light
- oscillating tower fan for breeze inside tent
- 4" inline fan from hgtsupply.com.. yeah i know it sucks its 4" but thats all i can do right now
- 6" exhaust/carbon filter from hgtsupply.com (purchased seperate so i can space things out.. will purchase fan 1st then filter closer to budding)
- ducting to run out of the window to intake cooler air and ducting running inside for exhaust to heat my room that will be freezing because the windows open

have i done enough to offset the fact that the fan i want to get is only 80cfm? there is passive intakes and with the cool tube and digital ballast i was hoping it would help keep the temps down. i want to start next week so i will be looking to upgrade some fans etc in the future but right now im looking for just enough to slide by to start with.

your thoughts on this would be much appreciated

Are you running two 6" fans? One for the light and one for the CF? If so, you could use just one. Is the 80CFM the 4" for intake air? That should be fine unless your pulling air from a long twisty route otherwise you may even be able get away with the passive intake if the room is cold.

if you have a dimmable ballast dim it down a bit down to 75% or upgrade the 8 inch inline to cool the 1000w. the 1000 would produce to much heat for the size of the tent. if you have an option of a 600w would be better. a passive intake will be enough but the 4 inch doesnt hurt.

insan is right, man those tents get hot. is that 80cfm from the filter or fan? seems like your not going to be pushing enough air through your ref. I would get a higher cfm fan. also you need to make a dedicated intake. for some reason having many holes open does not work as well as 1-2. Good luck ol chap!

insan3 said:

if you have a dimmable ballast dim it down a bit down to 75% or upgrade the 8 inch inline to cool the 1000w. the 1000 would produce to much heat for the size of the tent. if you have an option of a 600w would be better. a passive intake will be enough but the 4 inch doesnt hurt.

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What this person said!

Also, your thinking on going cool tube is a good idea... You might be able to stay with 100% with a high (450 cfm or greater)4" inline fan on the cool tube. good luck, cause your tent is exactly what I am working with (dimensions not tent) and I am going to get a 600 watt cool tube so I can get that light closest to the canopy as possible. I am only going 4 plants though, all should stay female if feminized seeds and no over stress or light leaks...

You may want to compare the tubes to cool hoods. The tubes tend to concentrate the light more in the centre, hoods spread it out more evenly.
I use tubes, but it suits my space as it's 2 x 6 ft.
I'm thinking a 1000w in a tube in a 4x4 might concentrate it too much?

sworth said:

You may want to compare the tubes to cool hoods. The tubes tend to concentrate the light more in the centre, hoods spread it out more evenly.
I use tubes, but it suits my space as it's 2 x 6 ft.
I'm thinking a 1000w in a tube in a 4x4 might concentrate it too much?

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I was looking at the 'cheap' ipower setup with 600 digital/dimable/switchable ballast, they come with a cool tube with reflector...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/COOL-TUBE-XL-WING-iPower-DIMM-600w-600-watt-HPS-MH-Grow-Light-System-Kit-/160722062856?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item6b1cfb8974
The only thing that I am not sure of is the ballast itself... (have heard Chinese made products are not as good... well some products I know for sure) but I have seen good enough reviews to maybe get this... there is a thread here about the ipowers and light bulbs blowing... but probably bad bulbs to begin with (granted blowing consecutive bulbs will cause me to think of the ballast as the issue)

oh, would like to see what you think of the 6" reflector (xl is out of stock... but maybe in when I can purchase this kit)

Nice reflector in that link. I forgot, and should have said, you can take the inner reflector out and use it like this.

I sold my digi ballast cos it had a little cooling fan. It may have been little, but it made a bloody noise!
But if it says it's silent, then it's good I reckon...

that light system is exactly what im looking for and its an awesome price.. i think im gonna go 600w for now since that seems to be what everyones suggesting and this will work perfect. I wanted to go with the passive intakes open and a 4" inline fan rated at 80 cfm.. up top i will have a 6" inline fan/carbon filter rated at 424 cfm for exhaust with a 6" fan rated at 250 cfm for the cool tube. also the tower fan will be running. with all that should it be enough to keep temps somewhat stable for the 600w?

side note how should i run the lights during veg, i assumed 24 hours but i see some people that say 18/6, 20/4 etc is there any downside to running 24/7? (aside from the difference in electric bill of course)

18/6 or 20/4 has always been good for me, 24 hrs just doesn't feel right.
A Lady needs her beauty sleep after all...

well... 250 would pull air out... but would probably keep the bulb hotter than a 400 cfm or greater. I would not go bellow 400 though.. then you can practically rest the light on the tops
also with a 6" tube the higher CFM will pull greater air with the larger than 4" diameter.

I am probably going to regret this... since there is only 7 left but they will be gone by the time I get the cash for both fan and light system. I would rather someone here get it instead of anyone else ... but this is a great price for a 6" inline
http://www.amazon.com/Inch-ValuLine-Centrifugal-Inline-Fan/dp/B0033BONPQ?SubscriptionId=AKIAJFY43YPLJM7ZTVBQ&tag=sniper01-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B0033BONPQ

I have same tent dimensions .1000 watt cool hood.like sworth said it spreads perfect in these dimension.exhaust fan went out.rigged couple 12 volts fans on hood and its keeping tents heat in check.new fan scheduled for delivery 10th .

Thanks for the link to the fan that's a great price.. i want grab that for the light and use the 250 6" for exhaust to start for budet purposes. By the time I'm ready to flower so I will have to upgrade for a fan compatible with a carbon filter and use the cheaper fan for some extra airflow somewhere else.

So ill be running a 4" inline at 80cfm on the bottom with passive intakes, then a 6" 400+cfm for the cooltube with a 6" 250cfm exhaust which will eventually be upraded for another 400+ with carbon filter. Do I have my bases covered?

Wish iseen that before i ordered my new fan

4 inch sunleaves supply whisper inline fan, with same dimensions as your tent, pushing a 600watt cooltube and yeah i can imagine a 1000watt will need to have a constant kool air pulled thru it. Boy am i gonna start shopping for an enclosed hood too! The center throwing of light by the tubes isnt using that tents space as much as a hood might im thinking.

Do most of your guys hoods not have an opening on the bulb side of the fixture to pull through the hot air in the room as well? Mine has a full opening on one side of the light to hook the fan, and on the other side where the light screws in it has open sections of the hood to pull air through. I went with a 530CFM for mine. I found it on amazon for a pretty good deal too. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002EC01XS/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00 Also got a speed dial to go with it. I like the idea of being able to turn it down some depending on everything.

yeah im ordering the cool tube posted earlier i assume it has an exhaust that im going to run through the other side fan with a cheap inline fan. basically im ordering the light system with the fans i need to cool it and a cheap 4" inline fan and see how it does. depending on how that works out im going to decide how much i need for my main exhaust/filter.. also i got a little tower fan im hoping will do some work.

side notes amazon is the shit all these fans are way less expensive than ive been seeing anywhere

growVA said:

yeah im ordering the cool tube posted earlier i assume it has an exhaust that im going to run through the other side fan with a cheap inline fan. basically im ordering the light system with the fans i need to cool it and a cheap 4" inline fan and see how it does. depending on how that works out im going to decide how much i need for my main exhaust/filter.. also i got a little tower fan im hoping will do some work.

side notes amazon is the shit all these fans are way less expensive than ive been seeing anywhere

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Keep in mind that you get what you pay for sometimes with lighting and equipment! I would suggest you invest in a good fan and not skimp on any of your lighting, soil, air ventiliation, or genetics! you'll be happier in the long run, also look for an inline fan with internal ballbearings kinda like one of these either new or used -
they are worth every damn penny!