ADVICE: My very 1st (closet) grow room setup

[tiiiimmmy]

First my grow box dimensions:
16" deep
29" width
52" height

• 85% of the cabinet is lined with mylar paper
• Using a new 400W HPS
• 400w HPS light is exactly 12" away from the tops of my plants.
• Standard fan on a low setting blowing up from the bottom towards the HPS light to help cool it.

What I am looking for is thoughts of my setup and input on what I can do to improve it or what I might be doing wrong.

How do I avoid catching my entire apt on fire as it seems it gets pretty hot in that growbox which is currently @ 32º C?

As you can see from the pictures I have a fan between the two plants pointing up towards the HPS light to help cool the grow area and to keep the air circulating.

Some of the leaves look a tad droopy and sad and there is some indication of a light yellowing on a leaf or two.

Any and all input is greatly appreciated.

thanks


Oh and of course these pictures were found off the web and anything I say or do here is for entertainment and humor purposes only.

 

[kawehio]

How far along are they?

 

[tiiiimmmy]

1 month under CFLs just moved them to the 400w HPS and my leaves are getting yellow spots on them almost overnight. grrrrr

 

[johndoh610]

my setup looks almost exactly like yours. What I did to combat the temp problem is put a short fan blowing cool fresh air in and a tall fan blow that warm stale air out. My temps stay about 75-80F. Maybe this could help. Next time I'll definetly setup a proper ventalation system. If you can afford to, that would be the best solution.

 

[email468]

i would recommend getting some fresh air in and out of the closet. you're going to need ventilation - which should reduce or eliminate the heat issue - and don't forget a plan for odor control.

 

[shenagen]

And tighten up that mylar. Get rid of the bends and folds, make it as smooth as possible to reduce hot spots, and give your plants more light.

 

[email468]

And tighten up that mylar. Get rid of the bends and folds, make it as smooth as possible to reduce hot spots, and give your plants more light.

i was thinking on mentioning that but - i didn't want to be too critical/picky and more importantly - my own mylar could do with a little pressing!
But you are right of course - wrinkly mylar is no better (and possibly worse) than plain old flat white paint. but at least it is mylar!

 

[shenagen]

Exactly...if your mylar isn't done right, one may as well use white paint. I'm a black and white poly man myself. I like it because I can make an air tight seal easier and it's harder to poke holes in it(though still plenty easy to put holes in).

 

[email468]

Exactly...if your mylar isn't done right, one may as well use white paint. I'm a black and white poly man myself. I like it because I can make an air tight seal easier and it's harder to poke holes in it(though still plenty easy to put holes in).

if/when i do a do-over, i'll most likely be replacing my mylar with panda plastic (or i did see some new stuff that is supposed to be "better than mylar" - but we'll have to see). Not so much for the ease of use and hanging - which is a plus, but replacing the mylar with plastic should make the walls easier to clean too.

 

[shenagen]

Yeah I just spray mine with a bleach solution and wipe em down. The panda plastic is good also because whenever I do puncture it I use white duct tape to cover the hole...all smooth and white

 

[tiiiimmmy]

Ahhh it's the mylar then.. Yea, I didn't realize this was an issue.. thanks guys. I still think it's a bit hot in there...

 

[email468]

Ahhh it's the mylar then.. Yea, I didn't realize this was an issue.. thanks guys. I still think it's a bit hot in there...

mylar does reflect a lot of heat but i would say lack of adequate ventilation is the issue.

 

[shenagen]

I agree...needs more air.

 

[tiiiimmmy]

Idiot question - What is Panda Plastic?

Also, that 400w light kept my temps up 2 104º so I'll have to wait till I get a bigger house with a basement to do this right. I am moving over to CFL lights for the moment.

 

[GrnMan]

Yea, you definitely need to work on the air circulation.

 

[email468]

Idiot question - What is Panda Plastic?

Also, that 400w light kept my temps up 2 104º so I'll have to wait till I get a bigger house with a basement to do this right. I am moving over to CFL lights for the moment.

Panda plastic is thick and heavy plastic than is white on one side and black on the other. It is perfect to use as wall covering or even the walls themselves.