Ventilation for veg/clone chamber in grow cab

[The Fonz]

I've built a grow cab that is 7x4x4 and have allocated 2ft of space for the veg/clone/mother section and 5ft for the flower.

I have a 600w hps with a cooltube and will use a 6 in inline fan expelling air throught the carbon scrubber. I was thinking about adding another 6in inline on the opposite side of the cab with an additional scrubber. is this overkill?

My main concern is getting fresh air into the whole cab. Any recommendations on how I do that considering the flower and veg chambers will be separated. Should I create a separate intake and exhaust for the veg chamber and one for the flower chamber? Or, can someone recommend a simple way to solve the venting issue for both chambers.

Thanks

The Fonz Reviewed by The Fonz on 11-16-2006. Ventilation for veg/clone chamber in grow cab I've built a grow cab that is 7x4x4 and have allocated 2ft of space for the veg/clone/mother section and 5ft for the flower. I have a 600w hps with a cooltube and will use a 6 in inline fan expelling air throught the carbon scrubber. I was thinking about adding another 6in inline on the opposite side of the cab with an additional scrubber. is this overkill? My main concern is getting fresh air into the whole cab. Any recommendations on how I do that considering the flower and veg Rating: 5

[BlueBear]

Is the veg on top or bottom. I can help, but need to know that, also what CFM is the fan. I think you should be fine IMO. Don't trip.
Adieu

[907PokeSmot]

i have close to same setup. just cut like a 6"x6" passive intake in that and you should be fine. whats the cfm of the fan? thats probably the biggest concern.

the way i went about venting both veg and flower chamber is i got a 450ish cfm squirrel fan that pulled from both sides of the unit. i mounted it in veg chamber blowing out the side of the closet. drilled a 4" hole so one side of it could pull from the flower. and one side from the veg. then my cool tube has a separate 150 cfm fan exhausting air throe the chamber.. i have 8"x6" passive intake in both compartments with grills and filter on em. and small circulation fans in each chamber

[The Fonz]

The fan is a 6 in 440CFM inline fan. Should I get something to dial it down with? My veg/clone/mother chamber is at the bottom. It is very easy for me to move it to the top if that is more effective. Also I have 4 35W CFLs for the veg chamber. Is that enough for vegging, cloning and maintaining a mother?

[The Fonz]

907-that's an interesting way of venting. If you drilled a hole to pull air from the flower chamber wouldn't you cause a light leak between the veg and flower chamber?

[BlueBear]

Yes, that is enough light for mothers/clones/veg. I have used 6x23 watt cfl's and have no problems doing all 3. In your case I think that it is better that you have the veg cab on the bottom. Now, You are going to want the 6 in fan pulling from the top of the cab with your cool tube. On the shelf that separates the two chambers you are going to want to put about 4 to 5 2 1/2 inch holes if you have a 2 in or 3in hole bit that is fine to. At this point you are going to have those holes going from the veg chamber to the flower chamber so of coarse you will need to light proof them. You get black PVC piping if possible to fit the holes and get a 90 degree elbow for the fitting that will be in the bottom part of the cab. You get some black pantyhose and put it around both ends of the piping with tape or rubberbands. This is what happens, the black color of the PVC helps to smother the light reflection, and the elbow shuts down any more reflection trying to sneak threw and then finally the pantyhose tops it off with a dark fabric on both ends that will allow air in and yet smother more light.
In the bottom section of the cab, in the veg chamber you will do the same thing to the outside of the chamber. This will be the affect, your fan will be pulling the air out of the cab, from the holes coming from the bottom chamber, pulling that heat from the veg cab and also sucking in the fresh air from down in the holes you put in the veg cab up threw the top to the outside.
Hope that this isn't to confusing.
I think that the fan will be fine at full strength, the sound may annoy you, but I think you will need every CFM. Also, if the heat in the flower cab is still a little to high I would put an active intake fan in the flower chamber using a 90CFM Dayton fart fan, they only cost $30 and are nice just to have a few around.
Hope this helps
Adieu

[The Fonz]

For $30 I'll get the active intake regardless of heat. Couldn't hurt to keep things on the cooler side. Where would I install it? Does this fan vent out air or just circulate and cool the area above the canopy?

Also, I was thinking about installing two 8x8 darkroom louvers at the bottom of the veg chamber for the ventilation. Should I add a fan in the veg area as well or allow the blower from the flower cab to create a draft running upward from the vents in the veg cab.

[The Fonz]

Also, my veg chamber is currently set to 2 ft in height giving 5 ft for the flower chamber. Is 2 ft good space or should I lower it giving more room for the flower chamber.
Thanks

[BlueBear]

I think that you will need the 2ft in the veg chamber unless you can learn to train your mother plants to only grow about 8 inches high, I posted an article on it around here somewhere on Bonsai training for mothers I will try to find it, it was in the in door section I believe. If you can do that then you can take off about 6 or so inches off of your veg cab. Those fart fans can pull air in or push air out they are about as big as a bible, they are flat and do not have a big housing you mount them like a 6x9 speaker but smaller.
I think that you will have enough room with 5FT in the top, you are just going to have to know your strains. Remember when you establish a mother plant or 2 it will be allot easier because you can get much better results from a 2 or 3 ft flowered clone than a plant the same size grown from seed. A clone can have about 6 or 7 nodes and be only about 6 inches and a seedling may have only 4.
The dark room louvers are a great idea, just remember that they do restrict allot of air flow so get a bigger size than you may think will be suitable IMO.
Adieu

[The Fonz]

would you suggest that I put the fart fans next to the darkroom lourves at the bottom of the veg cab? Or place them over the 2.5 inch holes in the seperator of the flower and veg cab. I figure that might work best and keep it cool near the roots of the flower cab as well. I am going to put a fan to circulate air at the top of the canopy as well.

I've read a few posts where individuals put a few cfl's near the middle to bottom portion of the canopy to add light where is may be missing. I would use a red spectrum cfl of course.

I'll stay with the 2ft veg since I'll only gain 6 inches.

I was thinking about starting with grapefruit which is a sativa that does not grow as tall and either skywalker or white widow for my indicas. I like to have a mix to choose from. Any opinions on the strains? I would grow less plants and scog. At least that is what I think would provide the best results. I was thinking about a sog but thought I might get a larger yield with a scrog. Or just let them grow??? I have not yet ordered the seeds so I have a couple of weeks to decide.