GreenMeter
Well-Known Member
I built a custom cfl grow cabinet a few years back and am finally getting back into the swing of things, and recently picked up 12 or so quality strains i intend to grow sometime in the near future. There's only one problem....i wish to switch over my cfl lighting to higher lumen output source (aka hps/mh). I currently run a 6" inline fine i bought from home depot (250cfms) and two exhaust pc fans (cfms unknown). For lighting i used 4 42W cfls 2700k, 2 26W cfls 2700k, and 2 26W cfls 6500k. The temps were near perfect, hitting a constant 78 degrees. I used ona gel for odor control which i don't intend on using when i switch the lighting source over.
My question is....given the dimensions of my grow cabinet (24"L x 12W x 36"H)
1.) What would be the best light source to use? 250W, 400W, etc.?
I plan to buy a dual ballast to interchange the hps and mh bulbs through their current cycles
2.) What's the best for of ventilation to cool these lights?
I'm leaning towards purchasing a cool tube light and run it through an inline fan through a carbon filter. The ona gel just wasn't cutting it for my standards for stealth purposes.
3.)Continuing from the question above, do i need both an intake and an exhaust? Or could i just get away with having a powerful intake to dispense the hot air and just have a small oscillating fan inside the cabinet?
Basically, i want to switch over the lights and find the proper lighting i need for my cab size, maintain optimal temps, and keep odor control to a minimum. *Keep in mind everything i have cut out previously can/will be patched up if need be for the new setup.
Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
Oh...and a pic of my cab
My question is....given the dimensions of my grow cabinet (24"L x 12W x 36"H)
1.) What would be the best light source to use? 250W, 400W, etc.?
I plan to buy a dual ballast to interchange the hps and mh bulbs through their current cycles
2.) What's the best for of ventilation to cool these lights?
I'm leaning towards purchasing a cool tube light and run it through an inline fan through a carbon filter. The ona gel just wasn't cutting it for my standards for stealth purposes.
3.)Continuing from the question above, do i need both an intake and an exhaust? Or could i just get away with having a powerful intake to dispense the hot air and just have a small oscillating fan inside the cabinet?
Basically, i want to switch over the lights and find the proper lighting i need for my cab size, maintain optimal temps, and keep odor control to a minimum. *Keep in mind everything i have cut out previously can/will be patched up if need be for the new setup.
Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
Oh...and a pic of my cab