Good day all,

Does anyone have any tips on keeping a steady humidity level. What are the options from low budget to a gadget which can be bought?

Your comments are most appriciated :-)

Good ventilation ,properly set up, is key imo.

If you have specific issues post more details and I will try to help. Try to include as much detail about setup as possible.
Otherwise there is lots of general info around the net.
Cheers
Papa.

I currently got a grow tent 0.8mtr x 0.8mtr x 1.2mtr. This is housing 6 flowering plants, just under 4 week old. I've no air in/out take as of yet, just flaps up at side with a desk fan on 24hr on med speed. The main door I have left the bottom zips open so as to get a little more air. There is also a duct at the top which I leave open so hopefully the hot air can get out. I'm managing to keep humidity at around 50/60ish. is there anything I can do cheaply, is a cheap extracter work? I'm not too clued up on this as my first attempt at any grow whatsoever. your help/comments be most welcome.

Alright chap - I would suggest getting a proper extraction and carbon filter set-up. Plants need good airflow, and come flowering time you are going to need a CF to control the odour (unless you live 1/2 a mile from nearest neighbour and never have visitors). You are also gonna have to make sure your tent is light proof in the dark period when you come to flower unless you are growing an auto......(profile says you are...?)

Once you've got that sorted I'd be more concerned with maintaining a good temp range than humidity to be honest. We measure relative humidiity, which is directly related to temps - and as your temps rise and fall between lights on and lights off the humidity will go up and down too. (High temps = lower RH, low temps = high RH). As long as RH is in the range 40%ish to 70%ish in veg it's fine, and when you get to late flower 30%ish to 60%ish should be OK.

If you've got your airflow and temps sorted and RH is way out of wack then think about gadgets like dehumidifiers or minifoggers.

%60 rh in late flowering with no air exchange, is highly likely to cause you some problems, namely budrot, you gotta atleast get some kind of extraction going on in there also, the smell is going to be a problem.

Yes you will have to get air moving, also useless for growth with no venting.

Yep, growing auto's as its my first time so just want to get an idea. Do you have any suggestions as to what I can get as I don't want to go to shop and buy something which is unnecessary for the grow tent? If I get an CF extracter etc, what should i use as the intake?

For a 250w light in your tent a high-power 5inch Ruck, RVK or similar along with a matching Rhino/Phat filter should provide more than enough extraction.

Depending on where you dump your extracted air you'll probably get away with passive intakes (i.e the existing vents in your tent), although you should figure out a way to light-proof them. Alternatively for an active intake a 4inch fan would do the job.

Where is the tent located - in the house?

Its in a discreet part of a house upstairs, light is an issue as i dont want to advertise the fact (light coming from window etc) so am hoping to solve this prior to introducing the HPS.

In that case I would look to vent the extracted air away from the tent ideally into another room and go with passive intakes, as long as you can adequately light-proof them.

I'm not sure what is the best way to do that with a tent. I grow in a little wooden box and lightproof the passive intake with the aid of a couple of layers of black cooker hood filter and a staple gun.

your defo gonna need some extraction sooner rather than later bud

its just as important as the lighting !!

peppi

Sorry, didn't realise you were trying to reduce humidity.

Black cooker hood filter sounds the best way for me and try and cover the light this way. Where can I get this from as I wouldn't want to spend ages going in and out of certain places asking for it, your comments are much appriciated :-)

fleabay - although B+Q and Wickes both stock it at a silly price.

I ordered some off flea bay, came with in a few days and works perfect

Madness

Hi all,

ok so far I have now installed an extracter TD250 although I got it turned on its lowest setting and is relative at around 55ish +/- by a 5 or so. Passive intakes open , put a sunmaster 250w on although i think the ballast has gone as its making a buzzing sound and stopped working :-( , cripes, I have had to put the CFL back on and get anouther ballast :-( It was a crappy compact one? any good? Is my sunmaster sufficient does anyone know? Also I have my carbon filter on the outside, does this pose a problem? Extracter running into carbon? Your help would be most appriciated :-)

Is anyone able to recommend a good 250watt ballast?

cant recomend a good ballast mate but i have my cf on top of my tent (outside the tent) and seems to be working for me