JP's 400w HPS cool tube legit closet grow

Hey all,
I am trying this grow journal thing out for the first time. I just invested in an upgrade from a CFL setup to a HPS setup. My space is a closet that measures 2'x2.5'x8' tall. I have a 400w lumatek dimmable digi ballast with a cool tube reflector and a hortilux eye bulb. For ventilation I have a 200cfm inline fan pulling air through the cool tube then pushing it up the ducting and venting through the ceiling. I also have a small bathroom fan near the top of the room that taps into the main ducting and will get rid of the hot air in the top of the room. Also there is a small oscilating clip fan to circulate air through the space. The intake will be passive via a small opening at the bottom of the zipper. When the fans are on there is a bit of negative pressure but nothing too significant. The ballast is in a storage loft just above the closet to minimize heat. I ran the whole system for a few hours today and it never got above 80 so I think temps will not be an issue. I will be growing some jack flash ladies my caregiver is giving me on friday or saturday. This will be a soil grow because I have a random schedule and am not able to put in the time for hydro. I will use FFOF soil and FF gbig, bbloom, and tbloom. Jack flash is a short flower cycle at 6 weeks, but not an autoflower. Depending on how big the clones are i will veg for 2 or 3 weeks with the hps, as i dont feel like buy a MH bulb. Attached to this post will be pics of the setup described above. Any input is appreciated as I am not necessarily a noob but am not too too experienced with this.
Thanks everyone
P.S. These are a bunch of pics of the setup, including what it looks like with the doors shut so you can only see 2 exposed wires and the vent system ect. If anyone has input on more efficient setup or hazards or anything, please let me know
Thanks

Hey everyone,
I should be getting my clones in today, I'm a little behind schedule. I had a quick question about mh bulbs though. Home depot has a shitty mh bulb for about 20$ and I was wondering if that would be better than my hortilux eye hps bulb to veg with? Basically is a cheap mh bulb better than a good hps to veg with?
Thanks,
JP

Hey everyone,
I finally got the space somewhat dialed in and got the clones in there new home with a bit of veg growth beginning. It took a bit longer than anticipated because all I could get for free was some Island Sweet Skunk clippings from my buddies mother. These had a couple spider mites i had to take care of but they are gone now. I didnt have a humidifier or dome for a few days so that further delayed rooting. but they all rooted and are getting comfy now. I also added an intake fan because of the negative pressure caused by the exhaust. the two in the back of the closet rooted a couple of days before the one up front. today I noticed a tiny bit of leaf curling but i dont think its anything to worry about for now. Ill try to update 2 or 3 times a week. Please feel free to comment on anything in here. Any constructive input is always appreciated.
Thanks again
JP

Looking good so far. Are you trying to veg with the HPS? subbed + rep

ya I have the enhanced spectrum hortilux eye bulb which Ive read is alright for vegging. I was thinking about getting a MH bulb though. still playin with the idea if its really worth it

Either that or go back to your flo's if they are the right range. That light looks a little too yellow for good veg. If you can afford it and your ballast is switchable (don't bother with the conversion bulbs, they're EXPENSIVE), grab a MH bulb. Even a slightly cheaper one will be in a better range. Just my opinion of course. Good luck!

Also, do you have something filtering your air before it goes into the bulb? Those bulbs get hot and don't take to liquid or bugs too well, they can explode. I run the intake through my carbon filter just to keep it clean. Another opinion...

They can seriously explode?

Oh yeah, aside from over loading circuits and causing electrical fires, exploding bulbs cause a lot of fires. You can see a small scale experiment by turning on an incandescent bulb and spraying it with water after it's been on for a few minutes. It will blow to pieces.

It's because the bulb gets hot and expands a little, then you instantly cool it and it shrinks instantly, which is not good for glass. Inside a cool tube it's well protected, but still. Just be careful.

I have the lumatek digi ballast so ill go pick up a MH bulb tmrw if I have the time. Thats crazy they can explode like that, I had no idea. do you think some cheese cloth or common screen material would work as a "filter" of sorts, on the intake side of the cool tube. I dont really have the room, budget, or scent to justify a carbon filter because I live by myself. I did notice a bit of stretch out of one of the girls today, so I think a MH would hopefully help with that. ISS is a pretty heavy sativa so Im wondering how else to keep the stretch down. I was planning on topping them in a few days to help with it.
Thanks for the warning though cause i dont want to get off work and come home to a burnt down house.
JP

Yeah, cheesecloth might be good. That'll probably keep out bad stuff. Look for a DIY section, you can build your own filters for pretty cheap and your bud will start to smell in a few weeks. If you can't find one let me know and I'll find the link i used to have. I built my own sound muffler with some sheet metal parts and it works great, saved me a ton of cash. I'm pretty sure I saw a link on how to build your own filters.

And yeah, I bet if you get the MH and get it as closer as possible, you'll see much bushier plants.

As for stretch, maybe consider bending the branches, or tying them down? We had a pretty fast growing sativa and had to keep topping it, bending it, and breaking it and putting in crutches to keep it from taking over, and it was our first grow so we had no idea what we were doing. Maybe if you put your flo's back in during the transition phase, the extra lights will keep the stretch down?

I used Bushmaster and it hermied my plants, so I can't suggest that, although some people swear by it. I used Bud Igniter in my T-5 grow and it did seem to help pack on the flowers. I am going to try BudBlood next grow.

Hey you know what I would do? Go to the pet store and look for a sheet of carbon filter material for fishtanks. I would stretch that over the intake and zip tie it or use rubber bands, something that will survive the heat. That will give you a little filtration and keep things from flying in there. If you foliar feed, just be careful around the intake.

Just picked up a regular cheapo MH bulb and got it fired up. Im running late to work though so I gotta take off. Ill definately check out a carbon pad this week though. Thanks for the suggestions maximus youve been a big help so far. +++rep for all of it. Ill come back with some pics later tonight after work or maybe tmrw depending on how I feel afterwards.
JP

Hey there,
Happy thanksgiving to all,
I finally got time to upload some pics and give an update. All seems to be well, the MH bulb slowed the stretch a bit. I lollipopped the two larger plants just because i need to add a bit of soil and I want the growth to be above the lip of the pots their in. I am planning to top in a few days which brings me to a question. I want to get four colas and uncle bens topping method says cut above the second node thus strengthening the 4 branches below it. This will only work for a plant from seed however, because they grows symmetrically at first. If I want 4 colas from my clones that are growing A-symmetrically, should I top above the 4th node? this seems pretty intuitive, based on the concept of topping but I'm not sure. Any help/feedback would be appreciated. Below are some pics attached to show veg progress. Temp and humidity have been pretty steady b/t days and nights which is surprising because RH levels are pretty much 0 here and its been real cold.
Thanks
JP

I love how the one day everyone else is too busy dealing with crazy obnoxious relatives u somehow find the time to dedicate to the growing community! +rep for your devotion man

hahaha its my day off man..no need to deal with anything other than good food, good smoke and good wine

You are correct. Don't take the tutorial so much as gospel as it is an idea. You want to funnel your grow energy into a specific direction, so pick your strongest four branches and chop everything else. With clones, I let them grow, top them with about 5 or 6 shoots, see which react the best, and clean up the 2 weakest. Sometimes a sucker shoot will form after you do this. If it forms early and grows in a good direction, keep it, otherwise kill it too.

It feels wrong, like your hurting it, but it's designed to survive, and all your doing is making it grow how you want. I bend and shape my plants all the time. Along the way you will have to clip out extra leaves, suckers, and even bud sites. No biggie.

Thanks for the help maximus, Ill be back with an update in 5 or 6 days after I top them.
JP

Spreadin' the good karma. Keep it up!

hey everyone,
quick update, I topped the biggest of the 3 a couple days ago. Its looking good but today theres a little bit of spotting and discoloration in the biggest plant. I think its heat burn. I turned down the humidifier a few days ago to dry out the pots because I put them in oversized pots. The humidifier cools the room quite a bit so I think that turning it down made it hotter. its also the closest plant to the light. Just want to make sure its not a deficiency or bugs. checked for mites but didnt see anything. Its not nute burn cause I havent used any in a week or so. any help would be appreciated
Thanks
JP