How Dark Should the Dark Cycle be?

How dark is dark enough?

For my closet grow, I'm trying to find a middle-ground between well-ventilated and well-sealed. The more I seal my closet, the less ventilated it becomes. The more I try to ventilate my closet, the more light leaks that occur during the dark cycle.

Should I seal my closet really well and just rely on the cracks that are under and over the door for ventilation and stick an oscillating fan inside?

Or should I open the door slightly and place a fan at the opening, bearing the risk of light being emitted from my desk lamp on the other side of the room ruining my dark cycles? Keep in mind the decreased darkness resulting from this leak is extremely minute and I can barely see anything inside, but it's not pitch-black like a well-sealed closet.

Grow Information: I'm using three 42-watt CFL's on four Ganja Dwarf plants inside a closet that is 5 feet wide, 2 feet long, and 9 feet high. The closet is located in a bedroom that is extremely well-ventilated due to its windows remaining open at all times. The temperature and humidity are both rather moderate (early fall New Jersey weather).

My question in a nutshell:
Which aspect of growing holds priority: a very dark dark cycle or a well-ventilated grow space?

Unfortunately, I must settle this trade-off.

I'd say dark cycle, but you also need ventilation..... You need both.

Both, my man. lol

That is the challenge I had. You have to find a way to do both.

I suggest using aluminum duct

If you could keep a small fan going. just to keep air moving in the dark time you woud be ok. you don't so much need fresh air when it's dark. but you would want fresh air when your lights are on.

Yeah, I think closing it during dark cycles and opening it during light cycles would work well.

Close during dark pd, and keep all windows covered, keep all lights off, keep fan in c,set, ventilate via any cracks, and you'll b good...just remember, dark pd means DARK...only light such as a full moon on a cloudy night...any more and you'll screw your ladies up...

total darkness inside for the first 3-4 weeks after they are going, a little light wont hurt them. Outside the plants start flowering at 13hr of light and haven't had any issues with light at all. inside rooms need it dark 100% to get them going.