Ford Racing
Well-Known Member
What is my best tent and light option for growing 2-4 plants in SOIL??
What size tent and light setup for 2-4 plants in SOIL??
- Thread starter Ford Racing
- Start date
Michael Huntherz
Well-Known Member
I'd go with a 48"x48"x80" tent and a 400W HID System, one MH bulb and one HPS, if I could start over again.
If I had a better budget I would have built my own COB panel already, but if you're not an electrical engineering nerd or a moneyed gentleman I'd go the HID way. My 4'x2'x5'' tent is too small for four plants so I'm upgrading already, only bought it last month.
Others will surely have differing opinions, but I think the majority will agree. You could get a 3' square tent, but it doesn't leave you a lot of wiggle room. Make sure it is significantly taller than 60", either way.
If I had a better budget I would have built my own COB panel already, but if you're not an electrical engineering nerd or a moneyed gentleman I'd go the HID way. My 4'x2'x5'' tent is too small for four plants so I'm upgrading already, only bought it last month.
Others will surely have differing opinions, but I think the majority will agree. You could get a 3' square tent, but it doesn't leave you a lot of wiggle room. Make sure it is significantly taller than 60", either way.
Flaming Pie
Well-Known Member
4x4 as tall as will fit it your space. 600w hps. 400 cfm fan and a can filter. The can light six inch is superb.
Get yourself two fans for above canopy and two for below.
Get yourself two fans for above canopy and two for below.
Flaming Pie
Well-Known Member
pro series six inch max fan is as quiet as you can get for large fans.
Ford Racing
Well-Known Member
What brand light setup should I use?
Flaming Pie
Well-Known Member
I use Gotham hydroponics ballast and bulb. I replace bulbs every three grows.
Wing reflector.
Wing reflector.
Sire Killem All
Well-Known Member
I have done 3x3x6.5 with a 400, 4x4x7 with 2 400w, and tried a 1000 in it last time. 400 in the 3x3 did good. 2x400 better, the 1000 was great but horrible to control temps... 4x4 with 600 would work best imo but never tried it. All tents were ran with 400cfm inline wit 6" can-lite
Ford Racing
Well-Known Member
Ok I just bought the Apollo 600 watt kit with hps and mh bulbs
Bought the Apollo 48x48x80 tent
2 6inch fans
25ft of duct
Apollo 1/8 hangers
Ok now is this gonna be ok?
Bought the Apollo 48x48x80 tent
2 6inch fans
25ft of duct
Apollo 1/8 hangers
Ok now is this gonna be ok?
Michael Huntherz
Well-Known Member
Are you going for the gold, or just trying it out?
I think you're going to be very happy. I only said 400W because you said 4 plants, a 600W is going to grow some sticky icky for you.
One thing about those tents, though, inspect and repair the stitching immediately after standing it up, there's usually some real shitty needle-work on them. I use my limited sewing skills and UV clear cure goo, it is an acrylic resin that cures with UV, many brands available, I use Loon Outdoor UV Wader Repair for fishing, works great to hold a crappy stitch or tie-off in place, and for a million other things. By a cheap 400nm UV flashlight off amazon, not the overpriced one they sell with it. I'm ramblin', I guess the THC content is good in this smoke...
Not trying to scare you, it will work fine, but if you want it to last a while fix the stitching right away.
And they stink when they show up, Chinese plastic factory smell, it airs out in a day or two.
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Ford Racing
Well-Known Member
Man that's good to hear. I heard some horror stories on these tents but it will give me something to do and I enjoy upgrading stuff
Ford Racing
Well-Known Member
I was gonna buy a led light setup but all GOOD brands were out of my range. Actually turned out to be a good thing because tried and true beats shiny and new.
Michael Huntherz
Well-Known Member
I went with shit LEDs first and I wish I had the money back to buy the tried and true stuff. However, I am still an LED believer, I just have to build my own stuff. In the meantime I'm buying the same setup you got except I'll have a dimmable 400W supplemented by mostly blurple LEDs and a couple big CFLs. Even bad LEDs can produce some nice bud, but you're better off going this direction, you're all set now. I learned the hard way.
Flaming Pie
Well-Known Member
When I get home Ill lay it all out for you.
Flaming Pie
Well-Known Member
After getting proper lights, filter and exhaust fan, the next most important thing is air circulation.
Your exhaust fan's purpose is to remove hot air at the top of the tent and draw in cooler co2 rich air from the bottom. The air will move straight from the vents to the exhaust leaving large sections of your tent with humid, co2 spent, hot air. Generally the corners and middle underside of canopy will become very humid and the leaves there will not be able to breathe effectively because the air movement is minimal to nonexistant.
Why is that bad? High humidity leads to mold. So those pockets of still humid air is a perfect spot for powdery mildew to take hold. Plants are constantly releasing water vapor when they breathe and raise the surrounding relative humidity. Still air deprives the leaf of carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. The leaf can only absorb the gases within a very thin air layer surrounding itself. Reduction in photosynthesis means less growth. Even shaded leaves contribute to growth.
So how do we fix this? A 9 inch fan will circulate under the canopy nicely and force air currents into the middle of the tent. Air flow not only replenishes co2 but evens out the humidity of the lower canopy. You wont have dangerous pockets of 55% and up RH. Another benefit is fungus gnats are very weak flyers and will not like an environment with constant air turbulence.
I point my fan towards the door because there are no vents on that side of the tent. I placed it above the top of the pots.
I also have two smaller clip fans blowing air in a clockwise fashion. They blow along the sides of the tent at opposing corners.
Now lets talk about the top of the canopy. The intense lights give off alot of heat and there are still corners at the top of the tent that have still air.
I use two powerful fans placed to create a circular clockwise airflow. They are powerful and have three settings. It reduces the surface temperature of the leaves and protects the buds by whipping away humid pockets of air. It is also good to provide vibrations to the stems of your plants to encourage them to thicken their stems.
Your exhaust fan's purpose is to remove hot air at the top of the tent and draw in cooler co2 rich air from the bottom. The air will move straight from the vents to the exhaust leaving large sections of your tent with humid, co2 spent, hot air. Generally the corners and middle underside of canopy will become very humid and the leaves there will not be able to breathe effectively because the air movement is minimal to nonexistant.
Why is that bad? High humidity leads to mold. So those pockets of still humid air is a perfect spot for powdery mildew to take hold. Plants are constantly releasing water vapor when they breathe and raise the surrounding relative humidity. Still air deprives the leaf of carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. The leaf can only absorb the gases within a very thin air layer surrounding itself. Reduction in photosynthesis means less growth. Even shaded leaves contribute to growth.
So how do we fix this? A 9 inch fan will circulate under the canopy nicely and force air currents into the middle of the tent. Air flow not only replenishes co2 but evens out the humidity of the lower canopy. You wont have dangerous pockets of 55% and up RH. Another benefit is fungus gnats are very weak flyers and will not like an environment with constant air turbulence.
I point my fan towards the door because there are no vents on that side of the tent. I placed it above the top of the pots.
I also have two smaller clip fans blowing air in a clockwise fashion. They blow along the sides of the tent at opposing corners.
Now lets talk about the top of the canopy. The intense lights give off alot of heat and there are still corners at the top of the tent that have still air.
I use two powerful fans placed to create a circular clockwise airflow. They are powerful and have three settings. It reduces the surface temperature of the leaves and protects the buds by whipping away humid pockets of air. It is also good to provide vibrations to the stems of your plants to encourage them to thicken their stems.
Flaming Pie
Well-Known Member
When the plants are small you put a single fan between them and the lights. As they grow, you add more fans to provide airflow to all parts of the plant.
If your relative humidity is low (20-30%) you will want to run your circulation fans on the lowest setting. If your humidity is 50% you can get away with stronger air currents.
Btw buy yourself a thermometer with a hygrometer. Acurite is 10 bucks on amazon and you can also find them at WalMart and home depot.
Place it in the center of your tent. It will help you keep an eye on the humidity.
All these purchases may seem like "extras" but it is a protective measure for your crop. It would really suck to get through 2 months of growing and your flowering plants start to develop botrytis or powdery mildew and you get nothing for your time and money.
If your relative humidity is low (20-30%) you will want to run your circulation fans on the lowest setting. If your humidity is 50% you can get away with stronger air currents.
Btw buy yourself a thermometer with a hygrometer. Acurite is 10 bucks on amazon and you can also find them at WalMart and home depot.
Place it in the center of your tent. It will help you keep an eye on the humidity.
All these purchases may seem like "extras" but it is a protective measure for your crop. It would really suck to get through 2 months of growing and your flowering plants start to develop botrytis or powdery mildew and you get nothing for your time and money.
Flaming Pie
Well-Known Member
Here was my set up near the end of my last grow.
Here is another grow. I'm just trying to show you how I place my fans.
Another grow.
Here is another grow. I'm just trying to show you how I place my fans.
Another grow.
Flaming Pie
Well-Known Member
Another thing you should look for or make yourself is some type of platform or sturdy crate. Even canopies yield the most. Sometimes you will get one plant that is 6-8 inches shorter than the others. Then you put the platform underneath and bam! even canopy.
I also had my husband make me a shelf. A board on top of a 2x4 frame. Super easy. Can't find a picture tho. I have a couple milk crates as well.
I also had my husband make me a shelf. A board on top of a 2x4 frame. Super easy. Can't find a picture tho. I have a couple milk crates as well.
Flaming Pie
Well-Known Member
You can hang your top of the canopy fans with ratcheting hangars. This way you can move the fans up as your canopy goes up.
A set for your two canopy fans and a set for your light.
Buy yourself some zip ties to tie up your cords to your fans. I use these
To supply power to my fans. I run them across the top of the tent and let the plugs hang in the corners.
A set for your two canopy fans and a set for your light.
Buy yourself some zip ties to tie up your cords to your fans. I use these
To supply power to my fans. I run them across the top of the tent and let the plugs hang in the corners.
Flaming Pie
Well-Known Member
Once you get your set up for controlling your environment, you will need to figure out which soil and nutes/organic amendments you will be using.
Ford Racing
Well-Known Member
That is the best answered I've ever recieved. Thank you