MMJ patient needs a couple questions answered....please help!!!!

hello smokers, growers and all...i just recently got my medical marijuana card and i am starting to get a grow closet going for my meds.

one thing i am concerned about is getting my light...the internet is my best option i think...the nearest hydroponic store stocks HPS light systems but its pretty expensive even for a 400 watt. amazon has this air cooled tube hps with timer and hangers for a little over 200$ with shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Light-System-Cooled-Growing/dp/B003JJ1HJM/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1277697579&sr=1-7

i know i want an air cooled light because i will be growing in a closet, and i just want to have the light closer to the plants. would this light be a reliable option? i have also been to hydrowholesale.com but i am skeptical buying things on the net...especially when hundreds of dollars is involved. i know amazon would be a reliable site to order from, plus free hangers and timer!! i need both so i am leaning towards amazon.

thats all i have for know but i have a lot more questions but thats for another time. thanks!!!!!

I prefer ebay . Reason is there are top rate sellers there and you won't have to worry about slow shipping and such. The Best sellers have 100% positive feed back.

yeah but mostly everyone uses paypal on ebay and i dont have a paypal account...we have a prepaid credit card though i am not sure if anyone accepts them on ebay.

O I see. What state are you in ?

colorado...best meds in the states...in my opinion...

Right On. So if you watch Craigslist under you will see many people selling there equipment, including the hoods. And for super cheap.

SHREDDY KRUEGAR said:

colorado...best meds in the states...in my opinion...

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igrowhydro.com great website for all your gardening needs

Try AvantGarde'n there in estes park www.aghydroponics.com i just got my setup form them paid online and picked it up in store and saved almost $300 ill upload pics here soon. I also Have that tube and it is amazing i would recommend it highly just make sure you get a good inline fan to go with it i have a 170 cfm fan in mine hooked up to a gremlin filter

so it looks like aghydroponics.com ships their products too right? i was wondering a couple things about the tube too...how do you put in the bulb? does the outter glass covering come off some how errrrr?

and how do you hook up the inline fans? i browsed a little bit for inlines and most looked like you have to wire them yourself.

Your best be would be to find a trustworthy grower to set you up. That's what I do, set gardens up. But you are to far away.

SHREDDY KRUEGAR said:

so it looks like aghydroponics.com ships their products too right? i was wondering a couple things about the tube too...how do you put in the bulb? does the outter glass covering come off some how errrrr?

and how do you hook up the inline fans? i browsed a little bit for inlines and most looked like you have to wire them yourself.

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i am getting a little help from my buddy who helpled his uncle grow when he got the medical card...they just had a basic batwing reflector so they dont have any experience with these tubes or shit like running inlines fans and ducting to the light. but most if not all of the dispenseries in CO have growing seminars and stuff, i just wish they had more down on the plains i gotta drive around 100 miles to get to the neareset one.

See dat. Well ok let me break it down

Get a tent a 4x4x7 tent a 4 " inline fan (elicent are quite) a 600 MH/ hps bulbs and 600 Lumatex (best) ballast and will run mh /hps .Now the Reflector should be air tight so the glass will come out, some are made easy (new) and you just screw bulb in and wipe it down. Then plug into ballast and then plug into wall. Never turn off and on with out waiting 20 mins at least (blow bulb)
The fan attaches with 4" hose to a 4/6 adapter that attaches to one end of HOOD and sucks air through \/ filter and hot air is pulled off light and fresh and clean blown out of tent.

What he said, but I'd recommend a 6 inch fan. U want a cfm rated high enough to change the air in the room at least 3x a minut IMO so if u have 100sq ft I'd get at least a 300 cfm fan. Not to mention if you use that floppy dryer ven close to 60% of ur cfms are gone. Get rigid ducting and make the runs as short and straight as possible. If you get the inline fan home it will be very self explanitory how to hook it up. If they don't have a power cord its not ther right kind. You want an inline fan like can fan, wind tuneel, hydrofarm etc. Not an inline duct booster from wal-mart. It won't last too long in the face of a 600.
Cooltubes are good for small areas but I don't like they're footprint for big areas. The magnum series from sun systems is awesom. Its gasketed so u can run an independant circut of fresh air for the lights and gas the room without worryin about disrupting c02 levels. Just remeber airflow and rigid smooth ducting and temps should stay managable.

GoldenGanja13 said:

Get a tent a 4x4x7 tent a 4 " inline fan (elicent are quite) a 600 MH/ hps bulbs and 600 Lumatex (best) ballast and will run mh /hps .Now the Reflector should be air tight so the glass will come out, some are made easy (new) and you just screw bulb in and wipe it down. Then plug into ballast and then plug into wall. Never turn off and on with out waiting 20 mins at least (blow bulb)
The fan attaches with 4" hose to a 4/6 adapter that attaches to one end of HOOD and sucks air through \/ filter and hot air is pulled off light and fresh and clean blown out of tent.

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well i cant really afford a tent right now, i dont really think i need one really, i am not trying to be stealthy or anything my mom is actually my caretaker so thats not an issue... i cant even afford the light hardly but i am saving up and i am getting some help from family for equiptment. but i am going to use my closet, needs a door built for light proofing but thats later down the line. there is an unused window on the other side of the wall behind my closet that i was going to use for fresh air intake and then i was going to exhaust into the attic right above my closet.

i was also wondering about the ballast, it said somewhere that you can put the ballast on top off your light to save space, didnt sound like a good idea to me, do people do that?

Ballast runs hot, so I would not have it in closet. You can do everything you want for cheap just use your imagination. I went to home depot and bought a 4x2x7 foam board and used it for a door in my closet.

I would listen to Golden here he seems to have given the best advice. As to the fan to each his own but I would also go with a bigger fan just so you dont have to upgrade later if your not happy....but remember that with a bigger fan comes more noise to think about......

Ok here is your light situation im gonna show you how to set your self with a nice 400w system for cheap and from sites ive used and there both really good. Ok here is a 400w multivolt which means it can run 120 or 240v and it is Switchable so MH and HPS it is off brand but it is guarenteed by the company that sells them for 3 years if it fails they even pay to have it pickeup and a new one sent to ya ONLY 78.53 http://www.dchydro.com/product/3223/400--DIGITAL-BALLAST-120V240V/ next you need a bulb Dchydro has awsome prices on all there bulbs also the bulbs they sell are mostly Plantmax which is a hortaculture bulb so they do actually have a really good lumna output. Here is the link to the 400w HPS bulb it is $7.43 http://www.dchydro.com/product/2846/400-HPS-Plantmax/ here is the link to the MH bulb it is $18.75 http://www.dchydro.com/product/3169/400-MH-Blue--Plantmax/ from There we mover to www.Greners.com this website use to be really kick ass they had 9.99 shipping for your eitire order but that didnt last long lol there shipping is reasonable now cheaper than most. First item Xtra sun 6in air cooled hood these hoods a really grate i have 2 of them right now in my veg room they run nice an cool they have a sealed lense that is included and it includes the cordset which exits out the top which is also a nice feature, also to mention for the size of the hood it has a nice foot print good covrage. the hood comes in at $85.95 http://www.greners.com/xtrasun-6-air-coolable-reflector.html next on the list you need a power cord for the ballast because it dosent come with one its $9 heres the link http://www.greners.com/8-notched-ballast-power-cord-14-3-120v.html sorry its actually 8.50 ok next you need the adapted because the hood is hydrofarm set and the ballast is sun linght so u need a s to h adaptaer not to bad $8.96 http://www.greners.com/plug-adapter-brand-s.html next you need hangers something to move your light up an down so here is a the progrip ratchet hangers i love these guys becasue they feel nice and heavy duty and have really good movment to them even on my Grate whites these guys are nice and there the same price and the yo yo's. they ring in at $17.06 http://www.greners.com/progrip-ratchet-light-hanger.html . So for a grand total of 225.18 not including shipping but for what your paying its gonna last you awhile and give you lots of flexability also i forgot to mention that the 400w ballast is digital which means it is more energy efficent and is silent your dont hear it humming.

thanks a lot for all the info everybody...as soon as i get my light and get my babies going i will have a lot more questions.

First, let me pay tribute to the CFL haters out there....

I KNOW HPS lights provide for potentially better results!

However.....you can find MANY growers who are using CFLs and getting GREAT results. If your budget and resources are limited, it's a great way to get started - you have less of a heat issue to worry about, plus you don't face having to rush out to find another bulb when yours finally does die. CFLs can be found everywhere - Wal Mart, Home Depot, Menards......

Do yourself a favor and research it a little, especially if you're only growing for your personal MMJ use.