Need some help with building grow box #4

Sup guys,

I don't think this forum has ever failed me when it comes to needing idea's because some of your ideas are f*cking brilliant!
But anyway, you probably haven't seen my grow box's, partly because they were shit mainly because the lights were fixed, and I was forever moving my plants closer to the CFLs.

I have bought myself a HPS and MH ballast finally, but realised these bulbs get SO hot. I haven't got the money to afford a cooltube or the skill to build my own.
I have 1 150W HPS and 1 150W MH. I will veg and flower with both so totalling 300W, and also suplimentary CFLs for smaller lower Cola's so all together around 450W of power.
I am going to be growing 3 strains;
- Kushberry DNA Genetics
- G13 Haze Barney's Farm
- UFO #1 (Freebie)
I will be using the 4-Way Topping method on all 3 for a shorter high yielding plant
I won't be using nute's much. I have ordered some Azosperillium Braseline which is a Bacteria which fixes to the roots of the plants and feeds them Nitrogen from the air.
I also use fish tank water since the water is FULL of nitrogen and it is impossible for the plants to get too much nitrogen from such a natural source.
I want it completely organic.

In the flowering stages I will definitely use Molasses.

So... my question, how big of a cabinet should I build?
What size pots?
and how should I keep my lights from burning my house down?
OO nearly forgot, A good DIY light dropping mechanism of some sort.

I appreciate ANY critisism and thoughts and idea's, all is welcome.


I appreciate any of those who chose to reply to this thread and let me know what to do!


Thanks guys!

If you dont have money for a cool tube and heat is going to be an issue, why even use a cabinet? I'd say screw topping and build a scrog screen instead of a cab but thats just my personal preference. I dont like to chop the most mature budsite with the thickest stem for creating and supporting the fattest nugs. That just seems dumb when you think about it simply put. I've made cool tubes before, not that hard, but also not completely necessary. I just don't exactly know your area you have to set it up. I exchange air through a door I bought and bored holes in. Air intake comes from the central ac though. If you don't have central air you can pull air from a common room or window. If it need light blockers for the flowering period a simple tarp staple gunned to the ceiling and rolled up when not in use would work fine. So to check all your questions off.... No cabinet if you dont have cool tubes. Will get hot and making area smaller just makes it hotter. Pot size just how ever big you want to veg them but 3 gal pots at least if you dont need to keep them small. Just hanging them vertically down shouldn't cause any fire problems. My brother even uses bare ballasts and hes never has any issues. A hook in the ceiling is the simple way I hang my t5. Easily adjustable, but if you go the scrog way you barely have to move the lights.

bostoner said:

If you dont have money for a cool tube and heat is going to be an issue, why even use a cabinet? I'd say screw topping and build a scrog screen instead of a cab but thats just my personal preference. I dont like to chop the most mature budsite with the thickest stem for creating and supporting the fattest nugs. That just seems dumb when you think about it simply put. I've made cool tubes before, not that hard, but also not completely necessary. I just don't exactly know your area you have to set it up. I exchange air through a door I bought and bored holes in. Air intake comes from the central ac though. If you don't have central air you can pull air from a common room or window. If it need light blockers for the flowering period a simple tarp staple gunned to the ceiling and rolled up when not in use would work fine. So to check all your questions off.... No cabinet if you dont have cool tubes. Will get hot and making area smaller just makes it hotter. Pot size just how ever big you want to veg them but 3 gal pots at least if you dont need to keep them small. Just hanging them vertically down shouldn't cause any fire problems. My brother even uses bare ballasts and hes never has any issues. A hook in the ceiling is the simple way I hang my t5. Easily adjustable, but if you go the scrog way you barely have to move the lights.

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Thanks. I appreciate the reply and thoughts. I was thinking about hanging the lights but I just thought the wire would get hot and possibly set on fire or melt or something stupid if I hung them? I will struggle getting if I had an AC unit. I was thinking it could be okay with the two bulbs if I had a big fan blowing around in there and also create a intake from a cold low area. I need a cabinet so it doesn't look too obvious. Thanks again!

No problem. Yea I didn't really know what you had and need so I just wrote what I'd do. The wires wont get hot at all. The only time that happens is when you dont have a big enough gauge wire for the current. If you dont expel the the hot air outside or far into another room from the cabinet its just going to intake the hot air and the heat it up more and more and get worse and worse. So if you need a cabinet, exhausting away from the intakes reach is key. You dont have to cool the air coming in necessarily, and it can just be passive intake, but the exhaust needs to get rid of the hot air completely away if you don't want to battle the heat.

bostoner said:

No problem. Yea I didn't really know what you had and need so I just wrote what I'd do. The wires wont get hot at all. The only time that happens is when you dont have a big enough gauge wire for the current. If you dont expel the the hot air outside or far into another room from the cabinet its just going to intake the hot air and the heat it up more and more and get worse and worse. So if you need a cabinet, exhausting away from the intakes reach is key. You dont have to cool the air coming in necessarily, and it can just be passive intake, but the exhaust needs to get rid of the hot air completely away if you don't want to battle the heat.

Click to expand...

I have found a room to use. I will post some pictures and maybe you can tell me if it's suffiecent? i am yet to line the sides with reflective stuff, but at the moment I have my HPS hanging in there on a hook and I will hang up my MH tomorrow, I'll post the pictures then cheers bud

I totally agree with bostoner (go Celt's by the way!) on the scrog...you can bend the main cola instead of chopping it and making mini colas. The buds you'll get on the main stem are FAR better than the lower, weaker branches. Though it should be noted that some strains need to be topped to maximize their yield.

The key to cooling your grow is removing the hot air, not just blowing it around inside. If you don't remove/exhaust the air, the temp will continue to rise. The bulbs are like mini radiators. Heat rises, so like bostoner implied, keep your intake (passive or otherwise) at the bottom of your grow room/cabinet and exhaust the air out of your grow from the top, near the lights. Intake/exhaust placement alone will help a TON with heat issues.