Building A Grow Box. Need Lighting Advice

I am planning on building a grow box as soon as we move and need some advice...

The box will be 4'x4'x8' tall with an air-cooled lighting tube going down the middle similar to the grow barrels that are available...all the plants wiil be on shelves on the box walls...we are calling it the "WOG4" -Wall of green X4.

My plan is to use 2 600W HPS in the tube and was wondering if that would be enough light...what do ya think??

yeah that would be plenty of light! i've got a grow box thats basically the same size as what you described and i only have a 400 hps and my plants are doing awsome! thats a great idea about the shelves around all 4 walls! how far apart will you space the shelves to allow for growth? good luck man!

Thanks for the rsponse 702..
Still workin on the spacing, live in the southeast and moving to the northwest around July so I am trying to buy all the stuff I need before I get there...Do ya have any pics of your setup??

i got a few pics of my plants in there but not of the grow box itself. if you search my past posts and look at the one titled-400hps 43rd day flowering-getting top heavy, you can sorta see it but not that well. i'll try to post some pics of the box itself soon for you.

I agree...that will be plenty of light.

as long as you can keep it at the right temp.you will have an amazing grow with that much light! especially with all the walls loaded up.

Get some CMH lights. 400W is the highest you can go at the moment and it produces less heat. No digital ballasts. Use an HPS 400W ballast w/ a CMH 400w bulb for great results.

Notable quotes from another forum:

[FONT=&quot]I encourage everyone who reads this thread to setup a CMH grow and see for yourself.
an unsolicited plug: I highly recommend Advancedtechlighting . They have the best prices I've been able to get are quick to reply to any questions.

[/FONT]

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potency.. with CMH is a Guaranteed Increase over HPS.. as hps emits very lil UV and CMH does..
UV doesnt Increase the Number of trichnome sites (thats genetic primarily, then enviro/nute)
however the plant does needs UV to Fully Fill the Trich's.. IE the Round Head..

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As far as spacing, I thought about setting up window boxes like this
36" White ,brown,green alum window box w/Hardware!!! - eBay (item 350021285529 end time Feb-08-08 06:13:15 PST)
at least figure out how to make my own...36-40 inches, 6 boxes per wall, 5 plants per box, have to figure out a way to keep the roots seperated...if I did it right I figure that it might be possible to harvest 1 wall every 2 weeks.

Still trying to figure out exactly what kind of tube to put the lights in, or where to even buy such an item, any suggestions??

vbp6us said:

Get some CMH lights. 400W is the highest you can go at the moment and it produces less heat. No digital ballasts. Use an HPS 400W ballast w/ a CMH 400w bulb for great results.

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Although RIU is my grow site of preference, I do visit other sites, got a link to the forum??

I had to read all 45 pages.

International Cannagraphic Magazine Forums - Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH)

Tomorrow is the end of week #1 flowering. All is well, 3 WW plants.
Much better than my 400HPS Hortilux so far. (I wish I had a camera, maybe Santa will bring me one in time before harvest).

Well i've had my 400w Retro white CMH bulb running for over a week now. There are some noticable advantages at this point, the change in temps for one. I am able to get the light as close to the plant as i want, honestly withen 6"! The close proximity of the light to the plant has also had noticable advantages!!

[FONT=&quot]I have been using my 400 watt CMH bulb now for awhile. I have been really impressed. VERY tight inter nodes and almost no stretch 2 weeks into 12/12.

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vbp6us said:

I had to read all 45 pages.

International Cannagraphic Magazine Forums - Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH)

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thanks vbp6us...never seen that site, will look it over...any thoughts on a tube for the lights??

No problem. Tubes are considered a waste for these lights because the glass blocks useful UV/B rays that help increase the potency in buds.

what are u gna use for ventilation? i want to build a grow box as well for a 1000w hps but dont know what kind of vent. to use maybe a blower???????

wdldtoker said:

what are u gna use for ventilation? i want to build a grow box as well for a 1000w hps but dont know what kind of vent. to use maybe a blower???????

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I'm gonna use alot of the same stuff that I am using now. I have a couple of inline fans...one to pull the air in, probably from the bottom of the box and another pushing air out the top through a charcoal filter. And with any luck, the air that would flow through the tube that the lights are in would come in from the outside of the box and exit outside the box (probably from bottom to top, air from the ground is generally cooler) which would require a 3rd fan....

I also thought about attaching a inline fan to the top of the light tube, with a filter at the at the bottom, but I dont know if the filter would decrease the flow of air so much that it wouldnt keep the lights cool enough...If I do it this I might think about 2 400w lamps instead of 600w, but what fun would that be?

I have spent so much on my current setup, I am trying to reuse as much as possible without having to spend a whole lot more. If all I have to do is build the box, and reuse all of my current equipment, I should be able to do this for about $150.

gotdamunchies: I would go with two 400watt CMH lights. You will not regret it. I am waiting on mine to come in. People that are using them on other forums seem to be happier than their HPS setup.

vbp6us said:

gotdamunchies: I would go with two 400watt CMH lights. You will not regret it. I am waiting on mine to come in. People that are using them on other forums seem to be happier than their HPS setup.

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I am for sure looking in to itstill in the middle of readin those 45 pages....am I right in understanding that you can use a standard HPS ballast for those??

Yes you are understanding just fine.