New Closet Grower - Suggestions?

Ok guys, I am looking for recommendations. I know the standard answer is always more lights are always better, but I do have heat concerns. So...

I have moved my grow to a closet that is approximately 3' wide x 2.5' deep x 5' high. I have never grown in a space so large, so this seems cavernous to me. I want so much to fill this space with large, beautiful plants (2) that produce some mouth watering buds.

Supplies I have on hand:
23w CFL bulbs
1 175w MH (10K)
panda film
4' exhaust fan
various other 'junk' that can be re-purposed as needed

I started both girls in a small cabinet under 8-23w CFL lights and switched them to flower at 5 days. I did this because I have such limited space in the cabinet I was growing in. Then I started looking around and decided to turn a closet into a grow space, what the heck.

So I am now in the closet. I have the 175w MH over them, with 8 23w CFL 2700K bulbs scattered around. I created a door of sorts with the panda film by attaching it to the inside of the door frame, and then slitting it down the center and adding a tarp zipper. This allows me access into and out of the space.

I have also cut a 4" hole in the ceiling (later to become a light for the closet), and attached a dryer hose to the hole mounting the fan itself in the attic and running 24 hours. Temps are a little higher than I would like (~90), but the plants don't seem any worse the wear. I do have a small clip on fan blowing across both plants and circulating air.

I am considering buying an HPS light since this MH is very old (>10 years) and was actually used on my saltwater aquarium years ago.

It looks like the best bang for the buck is a 250 or 400 HPS system.

Will a single 250 or 400 generate as much heat or more than I am generating now with the 175 MH and 8 CFL bulbs?

If I bought a 250 HPS, should I chuck the MH, or keep it and run both?

Should I just forget about the 250, and go for the 400 and run only that one light? (I guess if I went with this option, my grows would start with the MH in veg, and then i would move them to the HPS 400 when I went to flower?)

What about the CFL bulbs, should I keep them in the mix as well?

I really want to get as much out of this setup as I can without spending too much more money. If I do buy something else I want to make it count...

Sorry for all the questions at once, and thanks for your time in advance.

I'd go with the 400w/hps-175w/mh combo. I think the 175 would do wonders for the little ones.

I've never run HPS but I think you'd be fine with either one in a closet that size and decent airflow. For that size closet, I think 250 HPS would be a good start for a new grower.

Plants need different light for different growth stages. Bright white lights are good for vegetative growth. (You should be using CFL's listed at 6500K or Metal Hallide) Yellow light is good for flower (2700k CFL's and HPS)



If I were you, I'd buy a 250 with a proper fan and scrubber. Then I'd run the metal hallide for veg and the hps for flower. Depending on whether your CFL's are 2700 or 6500, I'd run those during the optimal light cycle if I wasn't finding heat to be a problem.

If money isn't really an issue, pick up a 400hps. You might run in to cooling issues, but if you have money to spend on the right fans, you'll be fine. More light means more fun mean more money means more time.

So if I went with a 250 HPS asap (this weekend), do you think I would get any real benefit from it on this grow?

add a serious exhaust fan and some odor control...sooner than later.

make sure the entire grow space is sealed>>no light leaks.

get your setup fine tuned with your current setup with the future goal of adding more wattage in mind.

next time veg the plants for 4-5 weeks and you will fill in that 5 foot vertical space.

Ok, so I have probably missed the boat on this grow then...?

I bought one of the cheap 4" inline exhaust fans (80cfm) like you can get at your local home improvement store trying to save some money. It is obviously not going to be enough since my temps are hitting the low 90's in there near the end of the light cycle. And it is loud too...

Any recommendations on a quiet fan? I can easily build a speed controller if needed. I obviously need more than 80cfm to vent this space. Maybe I can use it to cool my future HPS light in a cool tube configuration?

I already have most of the light leaks taken care of, except for the ones I am creating to allow cooler air in to keep the temps down as much as possible. I am going to need to vent air into this space longer term as well.

Odor control is not such a concern for me, I only intend to grow 2 plants at a time max, and I live out in the sticks. No close by neighbors or anything like that to worry about. I can't imagine 2 plants creating enough smell to be of concern, maybe I am wrong...?

panasonic makes quiet fans. Called whisper quiet or something. They're expensive though. Stanley makes a fan/blower thats like 40-60 bucks at home improvement stores that work really well and are very inexpensive for the product. kinda loud though.

smell isn't going to cause you any problem at all, unless you've got visitors coming. you'll be used to the smell but they'll know something is up.

Get a hold of some PC fans to vent air away from your bulb. 90 is hot. iIf you're not concerned about other people, why cant you just leave the door open when the lights are on?

I don't want the kids to know dad is growing weed in the office...

They have seen me suffer tremendously and we have even discussed it as a family that MJ is worth 'trying' for my chronic pain. I have 2 daughters 17 and 24. I even had my 17 year old suggest it to me a few times over the last two years.

I don't know, i guess I just don't want them to know, for my own reasons...

Cant argue with that.

Good luck man. I grow for sport; if i grew for a clinical or financial real reason I imagine it would be all the more satisfying. You'll have a new skill in no time.