Need some wise advice on closet design.

M

mamba

Active Member
Hey guys! I need some conceptual help. I want to custom build a cabinet box for SOG with two compartments: one for flowering with 70w hsp and the other with mothers and clones with four 24"CFL. The cabinet box base must be 2'x2' or very close to that (i'm restricted by size i have to fit it in). I want to use 8" standard clay pots. The flowierng chamber will host 7 plants.
So my questions are:
1) are 8" pots be fine for SOG plants? What size would be best?

2) what would be the optimum height of the flowering chamber? my preliminary calculations give the following results:
pot height - 8"
Expected height of the plants - 20"
Minimum distance from plant's top to the tip of 70w hsp lamp - 20"
The lamp structure - 6"
total: 54" or 4.5 ft
Could Any of these estimations be improved? I'm a first time grower so I really have no reference point.

3) what would be the optimum height for the mothers and clones chamber?
Would 1.5 ft suffice to host both the mother and the host? Can I even keep mothers and clones in the same chamber?

The help from the wise would be greatly appreciated!
 

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Cr8z13

Cr8z13

Well-Known Member
I don't know how many plants you plan to flower at once, but I can assure you that a 70W HPS will not be enough light for a single plant. You will need at least a 250W lamp(maybe even 400). Some vertically mounted fluoros would be nice too(for side lighting). As for height of the flowering chamber, your blueprint seems perfectly sound.
 
M

mamba

Active Member
Thanks for getting back! Hm... your comment about 70w saddened me. What if I put four 48" floros (+8k lumens) and substitue 70w by 150 w? So far i'm just interested in being about to grow. I can improve on the light later.
 
Cr8z13

Cr8z13

Well-Known Member
mamba said:
Thanks for getting back! Hm... your comment about 70w saddened me. What if I put four 48" floros (+8k lumens) and substitue 70w by 150 w? So far i'm just interested in being about to grow. I can improve on the light later.
Click to expand...
Maybe you don't have as much time as you think. 70W is fine for the seedling stage(first two weeks), but you're not going to get decent growth beyond that. Your plants will end up weak and stretched. I still say you go with side fluoros and a 250W overhead HPS, or you could simplify matters and get a 400W lamp. Shouldn't run you more than around $130 if you buy from HTG. Even cheaper if you're able to buy used from craigslist.

Have you looked at some of the turn-key systems that are available? I don't recommend buying one, but I just want to point out that you rarely see a decent system configured for a anything less than a 400W lamp.
 
doogleef

doogleef

Well-Known Member
Yea, 70W is a bit small. THere has been nice bud grown with 150-250w HPS though. The 400W light kit at HTG linked above is a great deal.
 
M

mamba

Active Member
Cr8z13 said:
Maybe you don't have as much time as you think. 70W is fine for the seedling stage(first two weeks), but you're not going to get decent growth beyond that. Your plants will end up weak and stretched. I still say you go with side fluoros and a 250W overhead HPS, or you could simplify matters and get a 400W lamp. Shouldn't run you more than around $130 if you buy from HTG. Even cheaper if you're able to buy used from craigslist.

Have you looked at some of the turn-key systems that are available? I don't recommend buying one, but I just want to point out that you rarely see a decent system configured for a anything less than a 400W lamp.
Click to expand...

Thanks! Yes, I've looked at a couple of systems and what people did under similar restrictions. Many have reported using 70w for one plant. the thing is they don't report the quality of the product. though i'm no botanist, i assume the lower lm/sq.ft results in a lower THC content. I would most probably get myself 250 or 400, but would 2X2X4 dimensions be a bit small to handle 1)the height of the plants under 400W and 2) the heat of the lamp, even provided the cooling system?
 
M

mamba

Active Member
Cr8z13 said:
Maybe you don't have as much time as you think. 70W is fine for the seedling stage(first two weeks), but you're not going to get decent growth beyond that. Your plants will end up weak and stretched. I still say you go with side fluoros and a 250W overhead HPS, or you could simplify matters and get a 400W lamp. Shouldn't run you more than around $130 if you buy from HTG. Even cheaper if you're able to buy used from craigslist.

Have you looked at some of the turn-key systems that are available? I don't recommend buying one, but I just want to point out that you rarely see a decent system configured for a anything less than a 400W lamp.
Click to expand...
My desire, actually, is to create such system myself. It makes a very nice hobby and i like doing things with my hands. I figure i'll be using it for a very long time, so I'd rather take the time to think this through. I'm very much persuaded in favor of a stronger HPS, besides, the difference in price between 250 and 400 at HTG is negligible. but would the difference in power consumption translate into the quality of the bud? Also, with 400w i'll be getting 13.5k lumen per square foot. wouldn't that be an overkill?
 
Cr8z13

Cr8z13

Well-Known Member
mamba said:
Thanks! Yes, I've looked at a couple of systems and what people did under similar restrictions. Many have reported using 70w for one plant. the thing is they don't report the quality of the product. though i'm no botanist, i assume the lower lm/sq.ft results in a lower THC content. I would most probably get myself 250 or 400, but would 2X2X4 dimensions be a bit small to handle 1)the height of the plants under 400W and 2) the heat of the lamp, even provided the cooling system?
Click to expand...
Here's the deal, if you want to grow one decent plant, use the 70w and maybe some CFL's on the side. If you want to grow 2-3 decent plants, go with a 250w light. For 4-6 nice plants, go with a 400.

I think the 400 might be too hot for your space, though I can't say for sure because I don't know what your room's ambient temp is. It has been my experience that a 400-600 lamp will cause your grow area to heat up by as much as 10 degrees if your room temp is 72 degrees and up. This is using a basic hood that is not air-cooled.

A nice air-cooled reflector like a Cool Tube will pretty much eliminate heat issues, plus you can get that light within a few inches of your canopy, which will make for some dense and fat buds.

The Cool Tube runs about $100, but you also need a 6" inline fan($50-$200) and some ducting to vent the heat away. Of course you'll need somewhere to vent to like a wall or ceiling, or maybe even a window(not very stealthy).

Consider your budget, as well as your desired results and get the best gear you can afford. If you decide to go with a 400w light, be prepared address heat issues. Hopefully you won't have to worry about that. As long as you can run your light without pushing the heat beyond 80 or so degrees, a simple and cheap reflector will do just fine.

By the way, I think you should consider going with a 2x2x5 space if at all possible.
 
Eharmony420

Eharmony420

Well-Known Member
get a tent. get a 600. get a cool tube. get an inline fan. get a charcoal filter. get growing! Lol, your money is fun to spend. hehe. Get a green machine aero nft system, yeah. Jack herrer!
 
doogleef

doogleef

Well-Known Member
Cr8z13 said:
Here's the deal, if you want to grow one decent plant, use the 70w and maybe some CFL's on the side. If you want to grow 2-3 decent plants, go with a 250w light. For 4-6 nice plants, go with a 400.

I think the 400 might be too hot for your space, though I can't say for sure because I don't know what your room's ambient temp is. It has been my experience that a 400-600 lamp will cause your grow area to heat up by as much as 10 degrees if your room temp is 72 degrees and up. This is using a basic hood that is not air-cooled.

A nice air-cooled reflector like a Cool Tube will pretty much eliminate heat issues, plus you can get that light within a few inches of your canopy, which will make for some dense and fat buds.

The Cool Tube runs about $100, but you also need a 6" inline fan($50-$200) and some ducting to vent the heat away. Of course you'll need somewhere to vent to like a wall or ceiling, or maybe even a window(not very stealthy).

Consider your budget, as well as your desired results and get the best gear you can afford. If you decide to go with a 400w light, be prepared address heat issues. Hopefully you won't have to worry about that. As long as you can run your light without pushing the heat beyond 80 or so degrees, a simple and cheap reflector will do just fine.

By the way, I think you should consider going with a 2x2x5 space if at all possible.
Click to expand...
Well put! Rep+ for you and this is not even my thread!

You can put a lot more plants under a single 400 if you go SOG with no veg time clones. 4 per sq ft. :hump:
 
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