Need advice for future grow.

I've done a few small grows before. One was 5x Nirvana Bubblelicious under some CFLs, and the other was 2 Amnesia Autos in an outdoor grow. I am about to move into a new apartment and did some measurements on the closet where I want to grow at. I can fit a 2x4x4 Grow tent in there no problem, and am looking into a pearlite/soil mixture for the medium. What I'm stuck on decision wise is nutrients and lighting.

I've got a budget of about $200 for the lighting and have my eye on a 600W MH/HPS interchangeable ballast system. The 600W ballast comes with a wing fixture, or can be upgraded to an air cooled tube fixture. If I decide to go with the 600W will the wing fixture create to much heat or will I have to shell out for a second duct & fan system for the air cooled tube model? If I dont go with the 600W, what are my options? I've done CFL before and wasn't too happy with the results (I was only doing a few bulbs per plant though so its probably my fault)
I'm planning on growing 4 plants in the tent and wonder if a 600W is enough for all 4 of them?

And now onto nutrients. I'm going with pearlite and fox farm ocean floor soil as the medium and want to know what nutrients are best for a Northern Lights grow?

Just my opinion.

600w is probably way too much for a 2x2 tent. 400w should be more than enough for 4 plants.

Even that will put out a shit load of heat. I say that you will need a charcoal filter/fan/cool tube set-up.

A 400w cool tube kit will cost around $200.00, and a 4inch fand and filter kit will be another $170.00 or so.

Good luck.

Alright so I'm going with the 400w and with some extra cooling duct and an inline fan Its only gonna cost me about $260 for the whole thing (I have a separate order of a fan with a carbon scrubber that's gonna filter air out of the grow tent) All in all I'm looking at $700 for everything, including the soil. I should have it by the time I move next month. Might make a grow journal when it comes time.

But I'm still wondering about nutrients. Any advice?

Hugo Phurst said:

Just my opinion.

600w is probably way too much for a 2x2 tent. 400w should be more than enough for 4 plants.

Even that will put out a shit load of heat. I say that you will need a charcoal filter/fan/cool tube set-up.

A 400w cool tube kit will cost around $200.00, and a 4inch fand and filter kit will be another $170.00 or so.

Good luck.

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I see your point, and you are right, but I think a switchable ballast would be optimal, that way you could bump It to 600 when he gets a good high quality air cooled reflector.
600 w in that space would make some nicer nugs, and with a good air cooled system I don't think it't get too hot

GaryTheCactus said:

Alright so I'm going with the 400w and with some extra cooling duct and an inline fan Its only gonna cost me about $260 for the whole thing (I have a separate order of a fan with a carbon scrubber that's gonna filter air out of the grow tent) All in all I'm looking at $700 for everything, including the soil. I should have it by the time I move next month. Might make a grow journal when it comes time.

But I'm still wondering about nutrients. Any advice?

Click to expand...

2X4X4 i'd use a 600w.
that's 8 squarefeet, 50 w a sq foot with a 400, and 75w with a 600w.
The prices for the ballasts and bulbs are almost the same, it'd be a shame to want to upgrade to a 600w and have to shell out 200 bucks again.
get the switchable and try the 600w setting, if its too much, get the 400w bulb.
You'll WANT the 600w later....

I guess that makes more sense. Ill get the 600w with the air cooled mount. Now all I need is nutrient info.

My first grow I used a 600W light in a 4X4X7, that was ideal. Go dimmable and upgrade to 600 when you have more space. You need more height with that much power too, you will bleach the crap out of your top flowers if they are too close to the light source. Heres a good reference to the ideal distance from bulb



Just my 2c Best of luck.