Too much light/heat?

[dgsgandalf]

Hi guys. I am currently running a 400w MH in my 2'x3'x5' box with a vented hood and a fan pulling air out of the box/room. I am planning on buying a 600w HPS instead of the MH because the MH just isn't putting out enough light.

My question is this: with 2 1/2 - 3 foot tall SOG flowering clones, is a 600w HPS going to be too much for my box? Is there such thing as too much light (lumens/square ft)? How much more heat will a 600w HPS produce than a 400w MH?

Thanks!

[dgsgandalf]

up.

Anyone have any ideas? The buds come out kinda small with the MH. Is 600W too much for a 2'x3' area?

[bigtopsfinn]

600w will put out a good deal of heat, and you may need to upgrade your ventilation if you want to put one of those in such a small space. I think a 400w hps would suit that space much better. MH's are only good for vegging.

[Roughrider]

I'd try switching bulbs first. There's no way that a 400w MH should have a problem with a 2' x 3' area. If your bulb is really old, it may be running low efficiency and not putting out enough lumens. A decent 400w MH should be putting over 35,000 lumens. Since you've got six square feet of floor space, that's well over the 5000 lumens/sq. ft. standard.

Are you using an MH for flowering? I've never done that myself, but I've heard others say you get more stretch and less dense buds. If you've got a switchable ballast, you might want to try a CMH (Cermaic Metal Halide) bulb. They seem like the best "one bulb fits all" answer.

[dgsgandalf]

Thanks for the input. The MH bulb was a bit old and i was using it for flowering. The good news is that i just got a 400 hps for flowering. As it turns out, the 400hps is quite a bit hotter than the 400MH.

I think the 400HPS was the right choice for my setup.

Thanks!