Tent size help

This will be my first grow, and I have just about everything else figured out but what size tent to go with, will use quantum boards from HLG, soil, and megacrop.
But I am north and it gets cold in my non heated basement, and outside can average 10 or below...
so I have space for a 5x5 and a 2x4. My question is would I be better off for heat sake since I am using LED’s to go with a 3x3 and a 2.5x2? Or can I stick with my original idea and get some sort of electric heater. Also will be using 5 gallon pots during flower and probably 4 to 5 plants in the 5x5.

Thanks!

You'll need a heater and likely a humidifier.

X6xsilverx6X said:

This will be my first grow, and I have just about everything else figured out but what size tent to go with, will use quantum boards from HLG, soil, and megacrop.
But I am north and it gets cold in my non heated basement, and outside can average 10 or below...
so I have space for a 5x5 and a 2x4. My question is would I be better off for heat sake since I am using LED’s to go with a 3x3 and a 2.5x2? Or can I stick with my original idea and get some sort of electric heater. Also will be using 5 gallon pots during flower and probably 4 to 5 plants in the 5x5.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

well how many lights are u running the light i sawl is 150w 11x6.8 inch (this would be a very small foot print even with 120degree lens)
2 of them would work in a 3x3 (4 for ideal)
4 of them would be good in a 4x4 (6 for ideal)
6 of them would be good in a 5x5 (8 for ideal)

as for your temps and all u have 2 issues
1 the heat i am sorry 10f or even 50f(10c) is to low u need the temps to be in upper 60s(17c) low 70s(23c) (to low it slows growth stunts plants) ....some strains can use lower temps
2 a tent system needs venting setting up a correct one will cause drafts to come in (since u are in basement Co2 lvls will be naturally high)

if u are really in a place where the temps are 50f i would tell u to get a 1000w hid system with a cool tube (use the heat from the light to heat up the basement IR heat in tent and thermal heat from the light itself ) .....u could set up a carbon filter in front/above the cool tube to control the temp in the tent and the air it dumps out back into the basement ....just make a path way for the CO2 in the house to leak down into that area and the Oxygen it has in there to pass up to the top ....if 10f then u are going to need to add a space heater

I was gonna use two of HLG’s 320W XL QB V2 LED KIT for a 5x5. I would prefer to not have to use HID, just make it work with LED insulation and a space heater. That’s why I am curious if a smaller tent with the LED would be hotter for the winter months? Or since the led are so efficient it doesn’t matter...?

For the same price you could make a 16x qb120 board fixture.

Instead of 864 x 301b diodes you have 1920 x 561c diodes.

I know which light density id like best.

Also in a 5x5 you'd probably like closer to 800-900 watts to smash imo.

Here is a 900w samsung strip fixture too for a 5x5 for under $600 too.

https://www.omegalight.net/product-page/900wx24

If you don't have ventilation then a smaller space heats up quicker than a big one.

But since your growing weed and didn't mention a sealed room with co2 then you will be running ventilation.

So a ventilated space 3x3 with X cfm fan and Y wattage light will be the same temp as a 5x5 with the same X cfm fan and Y wattage light.
The air is exchanged more times per hour in the smaller space keeping it the same temp.

Why not just run higher wattage lighting by adding more QB or strips or cmh or hps or mh and run lights a bit higher? Beats adding just a heater, at least at lights on period.

You can reduce your air exchange too, somewhere around 250m3h (not cfm) would give you a 10degree C rise from ambient using 640w
you can have your drivers in your tent, which they will be on QB kits unless you make them remote. That adds another 5% to your wattage and heat in your space.

You want to calculate your air exchange based on the required amount to keep co2 at a reasonable level for growing. There are many calculators online to do this.
Then compare that to this chart below, which is based on heat created above ambient temp using the airflow and wattage of everything in your tent.



Find the temp you need to be and the airflow needed to remain at that point above ambient. Cross reference that to your required air exchange needed to maintain co2 levels.
If your way under your required exchanges for the co2 then you need to add wattage so that when you increase airflow your temps still remain in a good range.

Im sure I would rather have some extra photons than be paying for a 400-1000w heater.

Ok so if I am doing th math right, a 5x5with 900watta from omega would allow me to stay at 70ish Fahrenheit with a lesser air flow, and at worst I could do a heater if it gets to cold...

You want to try to be high 70s low 80s with high efficacy leds. The leaf temps stay lower than with hid lighting and your photosynthesis rates go up at those temps.

But yeah, that's pretty much the run of things. Worst case you run a heater in the room on an auto setting. Humidifier if you need it too.

Ok then, just to make sure as now I am questioning my inline fan/carbon filter
Will a 6” hyper fan 315cfm and a phresh 6x12 450 cfm work for the 5x5?

I'd go with that if it were me, but my basement summer temps sit at 72f when it's 104f outside. Not sure how your summers are.

Summer is 85-95 outside
Around 75-78 basement summer temp
Outside winter -2 to 36
Basement probably 50-60 at best
I plan on getting some 2” insulation to put between the floor and the tent, I was going to build a box out of rigid insulation around the tent but I no that would help a lot...

Yeah, that fan and filter should be good for the area. Just know adjustments are always necessary for dialing it in for your personal space.

Raising the tent off the ground is a good idea, but if you are going to build an enclosure for the tent why not just build an enclosure and grow in that space? The rigid insulation with the shiny side and ducting tape works great.

If you took some pictures and measurements of the full space you want to use would be a great start to helping you out. That is if you wanted more suggestions on how your space could be ran.

Building a grow room is not really a option, want to keep things portable/non permanent.
Pretty much was looking at a 5x5 gorilla grow tent for my space with a small veg either a 3x3 2x4 or 2.5x2

X6xsilverx6X said:

Summer is 85-95 outside
Around 75-78 basement summer temp
Outside winter -2 to 36
Basement probably 50-60 at best
I plan on getting some 2” insulation to put between the floor and the tent, I was going to build a box out of rigid insulation around the tent but I no that would help a lot...

Click to expand...

You will need a heater during off hours or you will be dealing with slow growth
Just build a fishing shanty type room and spend the money on a thermostatic controlled oil heater/radiator

Meh... CMH in the flower room instead of LEDs, and a small, say 250 MH to veg... vent the veg room into the flower room 18/20 hours a day.... wont get too cold, promise.

Source: My Michigan basement grow rooms.

Just to throw it out there the op is really only trying to hit 2 oz a month personal. Or 8 oz in a 4 month cycle.