400 Watt Switchable grow... needs help!

[Navigator330]

hey all,

semi rookie grower here....
The room....
4'w x 4' d x 6.5' h
stud framed
plywood walls
2 mil. poly doubled for protective floor
2 vents one at floor protected by hardware cloth for intake
one vent at ceiling on opp. side for exhaust
Exhaust vent is powered by a modified stanley blower fan (approx 265 cfm)


The lights....
1 - 400 W MH/HPS switchable ballast
Bulbs....
400 w MH bulb.... problem with bulb or ballast see below.
400 w HPS EYE Hortilux bulb


2 Gallon containers
B'Cuzz Coco & Perlite

Fox Farm
Liquid Karma
Gravity



****** ANY suggestions on time tables with nutes or additions? ******

I have 14 plants in Veg. hoping for at least a 50/50 ratio M/F
4 - Sensi Star (Sensi Seeds)
2 - Blue Cheese Big Buddha x Blueberry (local grower)
the other 18 plants are from my previous stock of breeding skunks
Temp remains 76- 78 during light hours... 18/6


BALLAST PROBLEM PROMPTLY FIXED BY THE FOLKS AT SUNLEAVES! THANKS ANDY! 2-4-2008

Also i am looking for a great DIY carbon Scrubber idea.......


Pics to follow soon!

Thanks all!

********************
Edited on Feb 6th... problems fixed!

 

[bugbud63]

I would replace the bulb,i would talk to the company that sold it to me to see if they will replace it,they should if they want more of your money.On your holes in the cab,is your bottom hole(intake)11/2 times the size of your top hole(exhaust)it should be.Example a 4''exhaust should have a 6'' intake hole.I still would look into a 250mh light right now you have 12sqft with a 400watt light that olny gives you 33watt/sqft,should try to get up around 50watts/sqft for flowering.If you can add a 250mh plus your400 will give you 54watts per sqare foot.But if you need the mh for veg at the same time this wont be possible.Stay Safe!Good Luck!

 

[Navigator330]

Thanks bugbud63! I guess i should say the actual area is 3.5 x 3.5 considering the 2 x 4 studs. How cost effective would a 250 MH be against the total yield?

 

[shovelhead]

Personally,I put young plants directly into the flower room,4x4,same as yours,and veg them for 4-6 weeks under the 400HPS. They stall for the first week or ten days and then take off. Switch to 12/12 when screens look semi full.

 

[Navigator330]

Here's a update! the pics from babies to the room til today.....

The babies are now 2 weeks past germination in the room for 5 days

 

[FreezerBoy]

If you're thinking of switching between bulbs You may want to consider CMH (bluer than MH AND redder than HPS) But, you'd need a new ballast. CMH doesn't do digital
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=72215

Cost effective is a bit vague but, there are people here who get incredible results with 150's. With a 250, you'll probably need some friends to go through it all.

 

[bugbud63]

Navagator im noy sure of tour question,what do tou mean by cost affective?Are you plan on using olny one room,Veg and flower in the same room?Stay Safe!

 

[Navigator330]

Freezer boy: I have decided to add another 175 watts MH to my existing 400 Watt Mh/HPS switchable. soooo hopefully i will get better results!

BugBud63: I have a small 125 watt cfl cab that i use for clone/seed purpose, then they go str8 into large closet with the 400 watts to veg and flower.


Today i went and got a new MH bulb and tried it.... seems to be fine guess the bulb WAS bad!

I am also going to order a nice lil' 175 watt MH digi setup from HTG. Hopefully adding this exxtra wattage will improve my yield and keep my plants a bit more compact.

So... the room totals for veg is 575 watts MH and 400 HPS/175MH for flower!

 

[Navigator330]

Come on people! I was on OG for years.... i know there is alot of helpful people out there! Throw me a bone ya'll!

 

[NorCalNiceGuy]

Honestly navi, you should just buy a 600 and use your 400 for veg thats what me and my buddy are doing over at his house, it works great bro! It would just make more sense since your pushing for about 600 watts with the 175 and 400 combined..just goahead and buy the 600!
niceguy

 

[bugbud63]

Navigator330,thats awesome about the added light,IMO it will make a huge difference in your total yeild and help keep the strech down,just watch your temps.Good Luck & Stay Safe!

 

[Navigator330]

Nice Guy & BugBud63

Thanks for your input. The more info i get the more comfortable i am with my choices! thank you all!

 

[Navigator330]

Hello everyone who is tuned in to my grow diary....
Tonight the ladies got a nice transplant and a light feeding.........

8" containers
w/
60% B'cuzz Coco Coir
20% Perlite
10% Peat Moss (Spaghnum Canadian)
5 - 7% SunLeaves Silica Stone
Mexican and Jamaican Bat Guano (Sunleaves) 1Tbsp per gallon of soil

I used a 1/2 nutrient solution (Botanicare Tri - Flex)
SuperThrive B-1
Sweet
CalMag
Gravity
Liquid Karma
Hydrogen Peroxide

Pics to follow!

 

[Military]

very nice man im liking what I see

Nice pics and very healthy youngens

 

[YwouldntI]

i thoughtyou werent supposed ton use gravity until the last 3-4 weeks of flower?thats what my bottles directions say im pretty sure.ill have to double check

 

[Navigator330]

YwouldntI: I use the gravity in place of molasses. It doesnt hurt so i just use it all the way through!

 

[Poker_Toker]

Wow i just gotta saw i am excited to follow this one. I love 400 grows. I dont know a thing about coco mixes so its sure gonna be good to watch and definately something i will try in a few years.

If i were you id try to get a free bulb replacement, or repair the ballast, but that could be a hassle for you, if not then try it out.

Id pick up a 250mh to go with the 400hps anyway in that space. It will give you 53 watts per square feet which is good.

I would start vegging with the 250 to save on power, then as they get bigger and require more square feet flower move up to the 400 hps, then hit them with the 400+250 in the final couple weeks. Try getting a cheap security light 250 mh to save on cash. Hell buy a 400mh instead of a 250 seeing how they are pretty much the same price as 400's these days anyway. 2 400s will give you 65watts per square foot, but you can get wicked buds with 650w in your 3.5x3.5 space.
Good luck bro on your grow with whatever you try to do

 

[Navigator330]

Toker: Thanks for the visit bro! I stated last weekend that i had got a bulb to replace the old one.... well it blew out a day later... So I'm veggin on a EYE hortilux Super HPS 400 still.....

I contacted my shop where the light was bought... unfortunately they will do anything to sell their products but nothing to back them up! So i got ahold of Sunleaves and they are going to replace the entire system.... only catch, im in the middle of a grow.

More than likely i will just pick up a digi 250 or 400 after this run and go big!

2x 400 HPS/MH would be wicked! Now i need a local electrician lol!



Thanks for bumpin the thread... i hope the next few months will be my most impressive ever! I have never had big yields and always tons of problems... I got most things hammered out now!


PICTURE UPDATE!!!!

Today I started my LST:

 

[kindred1]

looking great, im interested in the LST methods, ill be watching your progress

 

[Navigator330]

Update time!
I have officially decided not to use Botanicare Tri Flex anymore.... its junk! Back to Fox Farm Organics for us here!
The past few grows the botanicare stuff has given me so much trouble.... Troubles i have never had before, plus my yields with fox farms were always bigger.... indoors and out.

LST is going great! Them side branches are going straight up! about ten more days of that and i will let them bush out and flower.

Pics soon, thanks for tuning in