Grow Tent Ventilation Help

Hello OG,

I purchased a spider farmer Grow tent a few months ago. Never was able to get the intake to my liking. The diagram below is from Mars Hydro but both tents are set up the same. There are no port holes on the bottom sides. There is a 3” hole on the back and lower mesh vents. Never could get a good intake set up and pulling from behind the tent just isn’t working well. I know plenty of people buy these brands so how are your intake fans set up? I have 2 200 watt lights in my tent and I need the set up to be more efficient to keep temps down or I’ll have to ditch the second light.

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What are you looking for, being able to add an intake fan?
If you don’t mind cutting a hole in your tent

Yeah I’d prefer not to cut a hole, but I know there aren’t a lot of options. Hoping someone maybe had a creative work around. Probably just have to take the second light out next run.

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If you have a few inches in the tent to spare down a side and also an open vent. You could run a duct (4" or 6") from the top 6" vent port towards the bottom of the tent.

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I was thinking of trying that. I have plants in the way so I can’t play much in the moment but I guess that or cut a hole really are my options I’ll have to just play with it and see if it’ll work

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I’ve never had to setup an intake fan for tent growing. The passive intake openings with screens are all I’ve ever needed. I have the exhaust fan at the higher up port and it pulls the hot air out from the top and draws cool air in from the passive intake openings at the bottom. How big is the exhaust fan? 4" or 6". If it’s 4" you can upgrade it to 6" and really move some air in a 2x4 tent.

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This is only because of the two lights. I use 2 4 inch 200 cfm fans now, I previously used a 6” but it was causing too much pressure, with 1 light the tent cools no problem without an intake

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I just wanna push it as far as I can, I saw a noticeable yield increase with the second light

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What kind of temps are you hitting with the two lights?

@Naptown916 I gotta agree with @FirstCavApache64. Make use of the intake vents. If you are worried about light leaks, you should be fine…they are designed to block light. I think your only issue would be if you leave the exhaust fan on at night. If this is the case could you not build a blackout box?

:four_leaf_clover::four_leaf_clover::four_leaf_clover:

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It’s about 85. Not having an effect really on the plants, silica seems to be helping but not ideal as we come into summer

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Yeah I might play around with it again. When I started this run was deep in winter so wasn’t as big a deal but I don’t think it’s sustainable over summer. @VIVOSUN is the only big brand I see still putting lower portholes in their 2x4’s so that may be an option. I’ll have to see if I can set up the vents maybe in a way where they don’t leak

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Open up those bottom vents…if worried about light leaks, just use cereal boxes with velcro to adhere to outside of tent…like a periscope type deal, allowing air in but not light.
No cereal boxes?..cardboard and duct tape.
That’s what I would do anyway…I wouldn’t want to cut a hole either.

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Gorilla does. Mine is 6yrs old and going strong. Pin holes but the room it’s in is dark so doesn’t matter.

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Well despite my fear of leaks I took off one of the side vents, the one most covered. Ima keep the fan on or at least low and see if that helps knock it down a few degrees

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That is the one thing I didn’t like about mine. I just use it for veg. I have another for flower that has bottom 6/8 inch holes on the bottom. :green_heart: :seedling:

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I didn’t think about the light leak part as I have my tent in a blacked out grow room. I wonder if a couple layers of landscape felt would block the light out but still allow some extra air in.

I do this but mine are on the outside.

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I have the same kind of setup, my two tents are in my office but minus computer monitor light it’s blacked out as well. I usually work when the lights are on so not a huge concern.

I tried cracking the vents last night made no difference. I’m going to leave it open again today see if it makes any difference now that it’s cooled off completely.

@G-paS yeah I didn’t really think about it when I purchased it but weird everyone has cut these out, might just have to try a @VIVOSUN or remove the light