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Switching from t8's to 1k hps, what should i be keeping my eye on ?

afr0n0me

afr0n0me

Is there anything i should be doing different ?  maybe raise the light wayyyy higher ? more than likely heat ? and what would u guys recommend to isolating the grow space from the rest of the room, tent i'snt an answer this time around maybe next year ( i told the wifey i wouldn't spend anymore money on the plants lol )
 
thanks in advanced! 
 
Watch the nutrient demand.
 
I recently switched from T8's to HPS (1 400W over racks and 1 600W over the other growing area) and noticed with the incremental lighting and growth came deficiencies as I hadn't adjusted my fert routine.
 
It'll definitely add to the temperature. My grow room sits at around 20-21 Celcius with my 1,000w HPS off and with it on it raises the room temperature to around 24-26 Celcius. My grow room is in our basement and is around 14' 1/2 x 7' 1/2 feet and around 7' 1/2 feet high.
 
The plants will also be more inclined towards flowering, and less inclined towards stretching to reach the light - I find (depending on how far they are from the light, of course).
 
:)
 
 

Super Hots Canada said:
It'll definitely add to the temperature. My grow room sits at around 20-21 Celcius with my 1,000w HPS off and with it on it raises the room temperature to around 24-26 Celcius. My grow room is in our basement and is around 14' 1/2 x 7' 1/2 feet and around 7' 1/2 feet high.
 
The plants will also be more inclined towards flowering, and less inclined towards stretching to reach the light - I find (depending on how far they are from the light, of course).
 
:)

 
Click to expand...
 
My room is also in the basement, with cooler temps and i'm seeing 29ish at canopy level the last 2 hours the light is probably around 18-24 inches away from the canopy. The room is around 15x15 around 10ish high
 
afr0n0me said:
My room is also in the basement, with cooler temps and i'm seeing 29ish at canopy level the last 2 hours the light is probably around 18-24 inches away from the canopy. The room is around 15x15 around 10ish high
Click to expand...
 
Be careful about having the light too close to the plants.. With such a low ceiling as I have it does become rather challenging and quite often the leaves can end up drying out, curling or dropping. A foot or two might be a bit much - just keep a good idea on them.. Of course, that might be more about the heat output and less about the light - I don't have access to very good ventilation so I'm not able to disperse the heat very well.
 
able eye said:
Your watering frequency will probably have to increase.
Click to expand...
 
No soil here, all hydro  :D
 
 
Super Hots Canada said:
 
Be careful about having the light too close to the plants.. With such a low ceiling as I have it does become rather challenging and quite often the leaves can end up drying out, curling or dropping. A foot or two might be a bit much - just keep a good idea on them.. Of course, that might be more about the heat output and less about the light - I don't have access to very good ventilation so I'm not able to disperse the heat very well.
Click to expand...
 
Tonight i'm just running it for a few hours to keep an eye on the temperature, and 2morrow i will run the light 8/16 for a test and see how it goes. 
 
afr0n0me said:
 
No soil here, all hydro   :D
 
 
 
Tonight i'm just running it for a few hours to keep an eye on the temperature, and 2morrow i will run the light 8/16 for a test and see how it goes.
Click to expand...
 
I guess youll be watering the reservoir more often.
 
Ventilation.  The big difference is how you deal with the radiant heat of the 1000W HPS. In your basement it might work out to your advantage to keep the hot air in the grow room in the winter, but come summer you will have to vent outside.  Lot more fans to circulate the air is a must with HID.
 
Pepper Ridge Farm said:
Ventilation.  The big difference is how you deal with the radiant heat of the 1000W HPS. In your basement it might work out to your advantage to keep the hot air in the grow room in the winter, but come summer you will have to vent outside.  Lot more fans to circulate the air is a must with HID.
Click to expand...
 
I'm looking at the 30c mark right now, 86f or so. Only been on for about 3-4 hours about 22 inches from the canopy of the tallest plant.
 
Only things I dont see covered & thinking on the cheap:

I think a tent is overkill unless you are using CO2 or trying to keep the odor from the rest of the house.  Makes for more air circulation problems.  But you do want to reflect all the lateral light back at the plants.  You could hang something as simple as white sheets to help.  Then you lift them to get to the plants.

Use your flourescent for side lighting and to amend the spectrum.  HPS is not great for vegitative growth and lighting from above only is only really good when you are growing for a big collection of growth right at the top of the plant.  The cannopy tends to shade lower levels and hinder lateral growth.

Timing - You will have to experiment.  I get the best rate of growth at 16 hours using a combination of metal halide and high preasure sodium.  24 hours slows them to a crawl.  12 hours is good, but 16 seems better.  Maybe you can reduce your hours, add the flourescent back in, and wind up with the same electric bill but more growth.

One thing - If you are growing to the point of fruiting plants, I am probably way off on the light spectrum.
 
ajdrew said:
Only things I dont see covered & thinking on the cheap:

I think a tent is overkill unless you are using CO2 or trying to keep the odor from the rest of the house.  Makes for more air circulation problems.  But you do want to reflect all the lateral light back at the plants.  You could hang something as simple as white sheets to help.  Then you lift them to get to the plants.

Use your flourescent for side lighting and to amend the spectrum.  HPS is not great for vegitative growth and lighting from above only is only really good when you are growing for a big collection of growth right at the top of the plant.  The cannopy tends to shade lower levels and hinder lateral growth.

Timing - You will have to experiment.  I get the best rate of growth at 16 hours using a combination of metal halide and high preasure sodium.  24 hours slows them to a crawl.  12 hours is good, but 16 seems better.  Maybe you can reduce your hours, add the flourescent back in, and wind up with the same electric bill but more growth.

One thing - If you are growing to the point of fruiting plants, I am probably way off on the light spectrum.
Click to expand...
 
Yeah i was kind of thinking the same thing with the tent idea. But that wouldn't happen until next year anyways.
 
I'm planning on not using the fluoros anymore, just run the hps full time, timing i'm start at 8 hour on / rest off to start and see what happens for the first little while.
 
white sheets seem cheap and doable at this point, great idea. Might have to try this soon, but the wife will be scared of fire hazards at that point.
 
Most of my plants already have flower buds and a couple already have little baby pods.
 
Ed Currie says he gets x generations a year but have never read how he manages that.  Am willing to bet it is with a lot of light and CO2 in a tent or some other way to seal them up.  Makes for growing out cross breeds much faster.  So there is certainly cause for tents / sealed areas.  I am just not that rich.

What you said about fire.  Yep, I forget my blessing.  I live in a house that used to have a cistern.  Former owner drained it, cut a doorway into the basement wall, and installed a thick steel door.  Strangest thing, he also ran electric into the place and the door is in a closet.  I have to vent the hell out of it or it gets too humid, but I think I could have a bonfire in there and not worry about the house.
 
I use mylar sheets (emergency blankets that look like foil) to line the outside of my setup so that more light is reflected back onto the plants.  Got a bunch at walmart for a good price.  Only downside is that they can be pretty fragile so they rip and tear pretty easily.
 
Excellent: If not Walmart I am sure they are available at CheaperThanDirt.com and all the other prepper sites.
 
well i found this on the 5g reaper today, dont mind the aphids they should be dead by now haha
 
lnAiwoHl.jpg
 
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