2nd grow setup questions (htg tent)

Hey guys. Been a long time since I've been to RIU. My first grow came out as good as I could have asked for a first time thanks to the help of everyone here. That time I used a box that I found, put on a door and somehow made it work, was quite ghetto. Round 2 now I'm going for a grow tent and I want a much better outcome.

So first things first I'm getting everything from HTG Supply preferably.

http://htgsupply.com/Product-Grow-Tent---Size-Original-40-x-40-x78---Silver-Lined.asp
Or the one size bigger I'm not too picky although the smaller would probably be... much more manageable realistically.

Now from previous reads and first time, I'm happy with what an HPS can do all the way through but I'm tempted to try an MH. I'll decide that later as theres plenty of other post on that specific topic already.

I'm thinking I'll go with 600w. Not sure if I need more.

Now my questions. I guess these are more based towards people that have had a grow tent but suggestions and guess are just as much appreciated.

With these tents are people/you generally using just your say 600w HPS, or are you using CFLs and T5s along with the hps?

What kind of ventilation do these things REALLY need?
The site says
"FIVE 6" Vent Ports with Covers attached with Velcro
TWO 4" Vent Ports with Covers attached with Velcro"

That seems like loads of ports to me. Can anyone explain why you would need this many? I figure 2 6'' ports for the lighting w/ cooling tube. But what would the other be for?

Approximately how many plants could one do in this kind of space, for either size tent, just make sure you let me know which your talking about please. (What pot sizes too would be nice to know) And what do you guys would be the best way to utilize maximum yield. Probably just a one time grow I don't plan on cloning and keep going. After this is done I'll continue with another, but that's for later.

Thanks everybody for the read and the answers
Beastmann

There are lots of ports so you can set up your equipment different ways. And you could use 2 for a cooltube fan, one for exhaust and 2 for passive intake.

A 600W needs no additional side lighting unless you are growing really big plants.

You can look into a digital ballast swichable system that will let you use both metal halide and HPS bulbs depending on if you are growing or flowering.

Thanks for the info NLX.
Curious why you need two of the ports for a cooltube fan. Would it just be one? Or how can you split that?
When were talking exhaust and cooltube fans were talking about inline fans correct?
And to support my ducting I would need flanges to latch on to the tent ports? Does anyone know about this.

Any other suggestions from anyone? Or answers for any of the other questions?
Thanks again NLX and everybody else that took a read
Beastmann

In my 8x8x7 tent I run two 600w HPS in 6 inch cooltubes hooked to a 420CFM inline(what you call cooltube)fan and have 2 h150 Kessil Magenta LEDS for supplemental lighting.
Check my setup if you like https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/384835-swiftgrow-journal.html may give ya some ideas. I would really surf the Journals Area before setting up a grow room it really helped my setup.

Best of Luck
https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/384835-swiftgrow-journal.html

Thanks for the information swift. I looked through a good amount of journals but it's harder to find tents. I like to see exactly how people everything up like yours. The 8x8 one is a bit big but how is the 4x4 one working for you. How many full growns do you think you could get in the 4x4 and what would be the best way? I'm thinking either a bunch of 3 gallon smaller girls or possibly like... 6 7 gallon girls...
Beastman Out

Beastman420 said:

Thanks for the info NLX.
Curious why you need two of the ports for a cooltube fan. Would it just be one? Or how can you split that?
When were talking exhaust and cooltube fans were talking about inline fans correct?
And to support my ducting I would need flanges to latch on to the tent ports? Does anyone know about this.

Any other suggestions from anyone? Or answers for any of the other questions?
Thanks again NLX and everybody else that took a read
Beastmann

Click to expand...

A cool tube takes clean cool air from the exterior, draws it through the light in the tent and exhausts the warm clean air out of the tent without mixing it with the tent air. That takes care of the bulk of the heat. However, you still have radiant heat that builds up. That is why you need an additional exhaust fan connected to a carbon filter. This filters the air inside the tent and exhausts the filtered air. Those 2 setups take 3 6" ports ideally.

Perfect timing, I was just coming with an update an this kind of explains it. I just want to make sure now, I'm trying to get prices sorted out really.
So I'm looking at 6" or 8" cooltube with ducting and do I just need a duct fan for that and not inline? Then also have an inline fan in the tent with one side open and the other out a vent for exhaust, and that one for carbon filter. Swiftgrow mentioned he had inline attached to his 600s so. So does that mean I need an inline for that light or would those HTG duct fans be ok?

I forgot to mention earlier to that I'm planning on this being a soil grow.

Thanks NLX for checking back yet again. and everyone else whos viewed this. RIUs always been a huge help.
Beastman out

Beastman420 said:

Perfect timing, I was just coming with an update an this kind of explains it. I just want to make sure now, I'm trying to get prices sorted out really.
So I'm looking at 6" or 8" cooltube with ducting and do I just need a duct fan for that and not inline? Then also have an inline fan in the tent with one side open and the other out a vent for exhaust, and that one for carbon filter. Swiftgrow mentioned he had inline attached to his 600s so. So does that mean I need an inline for that light or would those HTG duct fans be ok?

I forgot to mention earlier to that I'm planning on this being a soil grow.

Thanks NLX for checking back yet again. and everyone else whos viewed this. RIUs always been a huge help.
Beastman out

Click to expand...

Since you have 6" ports into and out of the tent it would make sense to use a 6" cooltube. That way you dont have to use adapters to change the size of the vent piping and you dont have any chokepoints.

The fan connected to the filter inside the tent will definitely need to be an inline fan as there will be resistance to draw air through the filter. It might be possible to use an inline fan for the cool tube but typically you would use another inline fan. Depends on the temp of the airflow, how many bends you have in your ductwork, etc.

Ok so I'm taking it a inline fan in necessary for the light heat in a cool tube then. Just, it should be a second infline not the same one shared with the carbon filter?
I'm looking at pictures of these tent grows. What are people use to secure ducting up on the rails, and carbon filters? Also I can't find any pictures with an inline really.
Thanks
Beastman