Beginner auto flower grow advice needed

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pookiepal

Member
Hi Everyone,

A couple of years ago I bought a 2x4x5 tent, for autos, but family stuff interrupted my plans.
After reading, I guess I should have looked for a taller tent.

I'm looking to get things started and need some advice on lighting and ventilation choices.
I'm not sure how much light I need for such a small space. Would one or two of those spider lights, be a good choice?
There are people living above me, so odor control, and noise are important. Can anyone suggest good choices for a quite exhaust fan and appropriate carbon scrubber?

Thanks for your advice!
 
Johiem

Johiem

Well-Known Member
With a tent that size, in those dimensions, If the whole thing is on the same light cycle, 2 600w LEDs. Don't be fooled by the bs cheap ones that amazon sells. You mentioned "those spider lights", spider farmer is a good brand from what I've heard. I've recently upgraded to a ts600 by Mars hydro(it was the cheaper if the two) and I'm shocked by the difference. The one Mars Hydro out performs 2 of the 40.00 amazon blurples. In about to get a second for my flower tent.
 
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chronnie49

Well-Known Member
1200 watts of led in 2x4 is way too much light. Johiem must be talking about the lights that say 600w but are really 200w. You want around 250w for that size tent if you're using quality lights.

As for fans and filter, I like the Can Max Fan pro with a Can or Mountain air filter.
 
go go kid

go go kid

Well-Known Member
chronnie49 said:
1200 watts of led in 2x4 is way too much light. Johiem must be talking about the lights that say 600w but are really 200w. You want around 250w for that size tent if you're using quality lights.

As for fans and filter, I like the Can Max Fan pro with a Can or Mountain air filter.
Click to expand...
great reply, you only need one in there, you will get amazing results with 600
 
coreywebster

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
One of my tents is 2x4x5, the height is an issue , especially since I run 8" filters.
For me I could of gone with a 260w light with two boards but it means I have to limit plant height to maintain the 18" I need from light to top of plants.
So I use 6 boards on a 240w driver and that means I can run the light 4" above plants without issue.
Makes it more expensive to set up though. But I was lucky to get the at a very good price at the time.

That aside if you want a quiet fan ac infinity is very quiet , if your in the states, if your in Europe then search for silent box fans and look for the one that has data sheet showing 22db , its what I use and they are nearly silent. But you will struggle to find them in US.
 
CannaOnerStar

CannaOnerStar

Well-Known Member
If your grow space can handle heat from HPS, i suggest getting a 1000w HPS with cooltube unless you want to spend tons of money on leds or DIY. Or maybe 600w HPS and 315w CMH and only use the CMH on vegging and then turn on the HPS also for flowering.

LEDs are good if you need to keep your temperatures down. But you might need an extra heater and using LEDs makes you need a dehumidifier easier and then maybe also a humifier, and perhaps a heater if it gets a bit too cold at times.

HPS sends out more infrared, which heats up the tent and dries it, so a little too cold and humid balances out easier and you will need to keep the temperatures in check and most likely will only have to rely on humifier if it gets too dry in the winter. Ofc you might need a dehumidifier with HPS also depending on whee you live, but not as easily as with LEDs and you might not need as powerful dehumidifier with HPS than with LED even if you would need one with HPS where you live.

HPS is simpler that simply works great. With LEDs you need to know thyat you dont buy some shitty LEDs and while you do get more control on the environment, you might also need more control over the environment, which makes the whole thing a step more complex.

Ventilation with LEDs on the other hand is one step simpler, unless you take the easy and less effective(in reducing heat) route with HPS.

If you have a cooltube on HPS, you can run the exhaust air through it, but it wont cool the bulb as well as running cooler air directly from outside of tent. Hooking the cooltube on exhaust air can work if you are not battling with too much heat. But ideally with cooltube you want an exhaust from tent to go directly from tent(through carbon filter) and then have a second inline fan for blowing air from outside of tent through cooltube and back out(so that its insulated form tent air and thus does not leak out smells even tho there is n o carbon filter here.

With LEDs you dont need to worry about the cooltube stuff and can just simply run exhaust through filter directly out.
 
C

chronnie49

Well-Known Member
CannaOnerStar said:
If your grow space can handle heat from HPS, i suggest getting a 1000w HPS with cooltube unless you want to spend tons of money on leds or DIY. Or maybe 600w HPS and 315w CMH and only use the CMH on vegging and then turn on the HPS also for flowering.

LEDs are good if you need to keep your temperatures down. But you might need an extra heater and using LEDs makes you need a dehumidifier easier and then maybe also a humifier, and perhaps a heater if it gets a bit too cold at times.

HPS sends out more infrared, which heats up the tent and dries it, so a little too cold and humid balances out easier and you will need to keep the temperatures in check and most likely will only have to rely on humifier if it gets too dry in the winter. Ofc you might need a dehumidifier with HPS also depending on whee you live, but not as easily as with LEDs and you might not need as powerful dehumidifier with HPS than with LED even if you would need one with HPS where you live.

HPS is simpler that simply works great. With LEDs you need to know thyat you dont buy some shitty LEDs and while you do get more control on the environment, you might also need more control over the environment, which makes the whole thing a step more complex.

Ventilation with LEDs on the other hand is one step simpler, unless you take the easy and less effective(in reducing heat) route with HPS.

If you have a cooltube on HPS, you can run the exhaust air through it, but it wont cool the bulb as well as running cooler air directly from outside of tent. Hooking the cooltube on exhaust air can work if you are not battling with too much heat. But ideally with cooltube you want an exhaust from tent to go directly from tent(through carbon filter) and then have a second inline fan for blowing air from outside of tent through cooltube and back out(so that its insulated form tent air and thus does not leak out smells even tho there is n o carbon filter here.

With LEDs you dont need to worry about the cooltube stuff and can just simply run exhaust through filter directly out.
Click to expand...

1000 watts hps in a 2x4x5? Even in a 4x4 that would be difficult to keep cool for some people.

400 watt hps would be a better choice in my opinion.
 
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Macncheesehaze

Macncheesehaze

Well-Known Member
I have 2 mars hydro ts 600s In my 2x4 and I’m adding a 3rd. Ran the two in my 32x32x63 and had pretty good results. Figure a 3rd will boost my numbers and they fit pretty much perfect in there.
 
P

pookiepal

Member
Johiem said:
With a tent that size, in those dimensions, If the whole thing is on the same light cycle, 2 600w LEDs. Don't be fooled by the bs cheap ones that amazon sells. You mentioned "those spider lights", spider farmer is a good brand from what I've heard. I've recently upgraded to a ts600 by Mars hydro(it was the cheaper if the two) and I'm shocked by the difference. The one Mars Hydro out performs 2 of the 40.00 amazon blurples. In about to get a second for my flower tent.
Click to expand...
I'm glad to hear the Mars Hydros are doing good for you. They are closer to my budget than the spider farmer lights. I bet those real cheap lights are drop shipped from aliexpress.
 
P

pookiepal

Member
chronnie49 said:
1200 watts of led in 2x4 is way too much light. Johiem must be talking about the lights that say 600w but are really 200w. You want around 250w for that size tent if you're using quality lights.

As for fans and filter, I like the Can Max Fan pro with a Can or Mountain air filter.
Click to expand...
Yes, the different watt numbers help make this even more confusing. Thanks for the fan and filter recommendation, I'll check them out!
 
C

chronnie49

Well-Known Member
pookiepal said:
I'm glad to hear the Mars Hydros are doing good for you. They are closer to my budget than the spider farmer lights. I bet those real cheap lights are drop shipped from aliexpress.
Click to expand...

I've never ordered from Aliexpress but you can get the same light Spider Farmer sells on Alibaba for much cheaper. I paid €285 for two 220 watt quantum boards.
 
P

pookiepal

Member
coreywebster said:
One of my tents is 2x4x5, the height is an issue , especially since I run 8" filters.
For me I could of gone with a 260w light with two boards but it means I have to limit plant height to maintain the 18" I need from light to top of plants.
So I use 6 boards on a 240w driver and that means I can run the light 4" above plants without issue.
Makes it more expensive to set up though. But I was lucky to get the at a very good price at the time.

That aside if you want a quiet fan ac infinity is very quiet , if your in the states, if your in Europe then search for silent box fans and look for the one that has data sheet showing 22db , its what I use and they are nearly silent. But you will struggle to find them in US.
Click to expand...
Wow, 22db is really quiet, ... too bad I am in the states, that would be great! I will search around for them, and see if I get lucky.
Thanks for sharing your set up info.
 
C

chronnie49

Well-Known Member
pookiepal said:
Wow, 22db is really quiet, ... too bad I am in the states, that would be great! I will search around for them, and see if I get lucky.
Thanks for sharing your set up info.
Click to expand...
You can always get a bigger fan than you need and put it on a speed controller. I use a 8 inch 750 cfm fan in a 5x5 and turn the controller down to 40 percent and its almost silent.
 
P

pookiepal

Member
CannaOnerStar said:
If your grow space can handle heat from HPS, i suggest getting a 1000w HPS with cooltube unless you want to spend tons of money on leds or DIY. Or maybe 600w HPS and 315w CMH and only use the CMH on vegging and then turn on the HPS also for flowering.

LEDs are good if you need to keep your temperatures down. But you might need an extra heater and using LEDs makes you need a dehumidifier easier and then maybe also a humifier, and perhaps a heater if it gets a bit too cold at times.

HPS sends out more infrared, which heats up the tent and dries it, so a little too cold and humid balances out easier and you will need to keep the temperatures in check and most likely will only have to rely on humifier if it gets too dry in the winter. Ofc you might need a dehumidifier with HPS also depending on whee you live, but not as easily as with LEDs and you might not need as powerful dehumidifier with HPS than with LED even if you would need one with HPS where you live.

HPS is simpler that simply works great. With LEDs you need to know thyat you dont buy some shitty LEDs and while you do get more control on the environment, you might also need more control over the environment, which makes the whole thing a step more complex.

Ventilation with LEDs on the other hand is one step simpler, unless you take the easy and less effective(in reducing heat) route with HPS.

If you have a cooltube on HPS, you can run the exhaust air through it, but it wont cool the bulb as well as running cooler air directly from outside of tent. Hooking the cooltube on exhaust air can work if you are not battling with too much heat. But ideally with cooltube you want an exhaust from tent to go directly from tent(through carbon filter) and then have a second inline fan for blowing air from outside of tent through cooltube and back out(so that its insulated form tent air and thus does not leak out smells even tho there is n o carbon filter here.

With LEDs you dont need to worry about the cooltube stuff and can just simply run exhaust through filter directly out.
Click to expand...
I can understand the appeal of HPS, but a lot of factors make LEDs the best choice for me.
The first is noise, HPS means a lot more fan.
Second is economy, our rates are among the highest in the country, I'm constantly trying to conserve energy.
Third is simplicity, as a beginner I want to keep it as simple as possible.
I could be wrong about some of these assumptions, as I have no experience.
 
P

pookiepal

Member
chronnie49 said:
I've never ordered from Aliexpress but you can get the same light Spider Farmer sells on Alibaba for much cheaper. I paid €285 for two 220 watt quantum boards.
Click to expand...
Great price, but I gotta tell you, I'm a little nervous about buying chinese brands. They are notorious for cutting quality. How long have you had them?
 
Macncheesehaze

Macncheesehaze

Well-Known Member
pookiepal said:
That sounds really good, how many plants do you fit in there?
Click to expand...
In the 2x4? I just set it up but I’m only gonna do 2 plants. In the 32x32 I’ve done 2,3,4 and 40 lol just filled it with square 2.6 liter pots, pulled 179.6 gs out of it so not too bad. Hoping adding another light and my new autopot set up will help me pull more.
 
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