Need help to optimize cabinet setup!

[Drozilla]

Hi All,

I'm new to growing and have switched from soil and am now trying ebb & flow setup but I have a problem with my lighting selection. I have a growing space (HxWxD) 30 inches x 25 inches x 17 inches approximately with maybe a few inches to spare here and there. I have a 4x 23w CFL + 1x 150w CFL in a fixed position setup. Starting near the lights, I would move the shelf down as the plants grew, but noticed my plants were not getting enough light as I believe they should. My grows have been decent but take a very long time to grow. I've tried growing 6 plants, 4 plants and 3 plants at one time, and I have figured out that 3-4 plants within this grow space is optimal for me.

Currently I have available to me:

Sungrip Lighting Fixture Hangers
Lumenaire 6
Digilux 600w HPS & MH Bulbs - Dimmable by 100%, 75% or 50%
CAP Nano Xtreme 600w Ballest
Note: I have no cooling option selected since this setup is not finalize.

I am open to other setups as the one above has not been installed yet.

Second thought: I was thinking of choosing LEDs for the low heat output, but they are very expensive and not a very cost effective choice for me.

The things I'm concerned about:

1. Spacing - Is the setup above too much for the space I have indicated.
2. Cooling - I want to make sure there is adequate air movement to cool the lamp.
2. Heat - I want to make sure the heat is not to issue as I will leave this unattended for several hours at a time.
3. Overkill - I want a light source that will leave me room for growth for a larger area but not by too much.

Thank you for your time and any information, opinions given.

 

[JoeyV]

you have aproximately 3.75 sq. ft. or 2.5' x 1.5'. a 250w hps/mh would be more than enough, if you can somehow keep the cab cool. a cool tube is probably your best bet, but they're kind of wide, ~ 24-26", very little room for ducting. with only 25" of height to work with, you're gonna lose roughly 10" for the light and space between the top of the canopy and the light.

I would suggest going with 3 24" T5 fixtures, 1 on top, 1 on either side. The don't run as hot, so it'll be easier to controll temps, with computer box fans.

 

[howl010]

you have aproximately 3.75 sq. ft. or 2.5' x 1.5'. a 250w hps/mh would be more than enough, if you can somehow keep the cab cool. a cool tube is probably your best bet, but they're kind of wide, ~ 24-26", very little room for ducting. with only 25" of height to work with, you're gonna lose roughly 10" for the light and space between the top of the canopy and the light.

I would suggest going with 3 24" T5 fixtures, 1 on top, 1 on either side. The don't run as hot, so it'll be easier to controll temps, with computer box fans.

I have a space with almost the exact same dimensions as Drozilla, but I'll be using a 400W HPS, but I'll also have 4 fans going, circulating about 270 cfm. I'm starting to think that even with this the space is too small, but maybe I can get away with having the lamp further away? Anyone know about this? Thanks!

 

[Drozilla]

I was thinking of a T5 setup but do not know much about it. My second choice was the 250w setup. Do you have a manufacturer and bulb choice for the T5? I'm a fan of the higher spectrum 5500K+