I know nothing: please do the arithmetic and physics for me

[Felix the Dog]

I've never grown indoors, and I wish to do so (in durt) in either a 2 x 4 x 5 ft. or a 3 x 3 x 5 ft. tent. I wish to start plants, do clones, do Bonsai muthers, veg stuff in winter, grow seeds - in fact, just about everything except grow plants to produce quantity of buds, although perhaps that is a possibility for some day.

1) A 3 x 3 would be 1 sq. ft. larger, which is 12.5% larger, and is likewise in volume, 45 cu. ft. compared to 40 cu. ft. for the 2 x 4. However, it occurs to me that a slightly narrower configuration (2 x 4) might be better for putting things in rows, or for a bunch of clones..... or other stuff. If anyone would prefer one size/configuration over the other, please weigh in with opinions. I plan to use several T5s, standing vertically, with (probably) no overhead light.

2) Unfortunately, I will have to push the exhausted air about 55 feet, mostly quite straight after the initial overhead bend. How much smell-filter and fan do I need to do such a long push?

Thanks very much for any wisdom.

 

[Old Salt]

For a tent, I suggest a taller one. Get the maximum height that will fit where you wish to place it. You'll lose a foot in the bottom for the plant containers, and 18" from the top at a minimum for lights and ventilation. That leaves a maximum of 30" for your plants. Every grow in a tent that size resulted in the plants growing taller than they should, often extending into and above the light. As to a 2' X 4' or 3' X 3' tent, you need to consider two things. They are the space you want to place it, and access to the plants for maintenance. In a 3' X 3' tent you will need to move the plants for maintenance. You should be able to reach all the plants in a 2' X 4' tent for maintenance without moving them. My personal preference is 2' X 4' X 7'-8' tents, set up with a 7' height. Think about adding a second tent for males or sex reversed females to prevent pollinating all of your plants. a 2' X 2' X 5' tent would be ideal for one or two mature plants.

I'd re-think the lighting for your tent(s). The reason for top mounting them is so that their height or distance from the plants is adjustable allowing the intensity of light at the canopy to be varied. You will need at least eight 4' tubes to take a plant through flower in your tent. The tubes will need to be replaced annually as they degrade over time, as well as failing suddenly. You also mention having plants of varying sizes in the tent at the same time. I suggest two LED fixture such as the Mars-Hydro TS-1000 for a 2' X 4' tent. This will give you the flexibility of two independent light zones in the tent. I don't know of any combination of decent LEDs that can do this for a 3' X 3' tent. You'd need to move up to a 4' X 4' tent for similar flexibility. Consider both the purchase cost, and operating costs for your light. T5's require more power, and replacement tubes at least annually. You'll find T5's more expensive than LED lighting, possibly as soon as you purchase them.

There is little to no smell until your plants hit flower. My first few grows I used this:

6" Clip-on Fan Attached to a Reducer

Mounted 6" Clip-on Fan / Reducer​

I simply exhaust the tent into the room it sits in. Go oversized for ventilation if you need it. I recommend a 6" in-line fan, and filter. Note that if you mount a carbon filter above the light, you will lose at least a foot of growing space for your plants. A 5' tent will only have about 18" available for them.

 

[Felix the Dog]

Wow..... Thanks for all that. I think the 2 x 4 is best for me. Mammoth makes a 2 x 4 x 4' tall propagation tent, which is too short, so I am searching. Sun Hut Big Easy 80 - 4.3 ft x 2.8 ft x 6.5 ft should do it.

1) """I simply exhaust the tent into the room it sits in.""" Does it smell at all in the room?

2) I surfed a bit and some folks thought the Mars Hydro a bit hot. No?

 

[Old Salt]

1) """I simply exhaust the tent into the room it sits in.""" Does it smell at all in the room?

You may get a little odor, especially during flower with the really pungent strains. I don't notice it, but my wife does. She's got a pretty sensitive sniffer.

2) I surfed a bit and some folks thought the Mars Hydro a bit hot. No?

The Mars Hydro SP and TS series of lights are passively cooled. They have no fans, so the surface temperature of their drivers tends to be higher than the lights with cooling fans. They actually put out less heat energy than most lights, even those with fans due to the high efficiency of their drivers. My tent is actually cooler than when I used my first light that had the same draw from the wall, and had three fans cooling it. Don't forget that those cooling fans exist to keep the light cool, not your grow space. They take air from the grow space, cool the light, and blow it right back into the grow space. It's the efficiency of the electronics that determines how much heat is put into your tent, not the temperature of the drivers. The drivers for the TS and SP series of lights can be moved out of your grow space if you want to reduce the heat. @SmokeSara will be happy to tell you more.

 

[Mars Hydro]

2) I surfed a bit and some folks thought the Mars Hydro a bit hot. No?

Hi Felix,ppl think the new TS SP hot, because it is no fan design and no light case design, they can touch the driver directly. If they open the light case touch the traditional lights' driver inside, it is much hot actually. We have to lose something when we want something else. That is life, we want less complex parts and no fan deisgn, so we have to make some components out, and you can touch it. That is the negative side.

But other than that, the light itself won't increase a lot temperature for the grow space. usually without a fan, at most 5 C degrees, and with air flow normally, the temperature can be controlled as well.