Hi
I have been scouring this forum for a lot of info and want to say thanks.

On to my question...
I am a total noob at this and I plan on testing the waters by making a small grow box out of cardboard.
The dimensions are. 2.4 'L x 1.7'w x 2.4' H

I have 4-100 watt 5k cfl's I plan on using for veg.
For flowering I was wondering if a 150 watt hps like the link below would suffice for growing 1 or 2 plants at the most.
Would 250K hps be too much for this small space?
Thanks in advance
-Z

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sun-System-HPS-150-Grow-Light-With-Bulb-BEST-PRICE_W0QQitemZ350305564229QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item518fd6b645

Hey whats up man Maybe I can help you out a bit....to start off with man I would really not recommended you use a cardboard box or any relativity small grow space...this can cause a LONG list of problems that I wont even get into....as for the lights....I use almost the same light set up and so far so good(quite impressive, actually) but remember those light are only gonna do a few plants like you mentioned...also depends on how well you reflect the light..when using small wattage lights I like to make it at reflective as possible because ANY neutral or dull color will absorb light ( Dont go too crazy though ahahaha) also your gonna want to make sure It dont get too hot...my 150 HPS will very easily turn my grow closet from a nice 23C., to a plant scorching 30C if I don't take time to cool it off in there...remember the plants will take all the light you wanna give them just don't burn them and do NOT let the area get to hot!!!

Happy Growin

Ahh I see,
I have some panda film already and I just need some fans and to decide on
if a 150 W HPS would be good enough. I wanted to stay away from 2700k cfl's
if I could.

Would cardboard work for a short time until I am able to upgrade it to some kind of wooden box?

in a pinch yes Its will....but again your REALLY gonna need to get a decent grow area happing....but as long as all the plants needs are met I believe a marijuana plant will grow anywhere JMO.....as for a cardboard box though I personally would worry about how well I would be able to preserve a good environment for the plants ( Humidity, Temp.Etc)...dont be discouraged though....it sounds to me your RIGHT on track....but if an adequate space is NOT available you may want to find someone on here who is good with low ryders and small plants in general ( not my expertise)...if theres anymore I can help with lemme know and good luck

I'll try it anyway and see how I can control the growing conditions.
For all I know it may be a really good way to control temp and humidity.
Time wil tell.

I mainly wanted to see what would be better 150w vs the 250w HPS for my growing needs.

After I joined the forums I "found" the search button which pretty much answered my question.

I will start out with the 150w and if I ever need to upgrade I can do so when necessary.

It's like buying a big screen and feeling like its too small... you'll always want a bigger light to start out with you'll thank yourself later and save money in the long run...

Mystic,
I couldn't agree with you more.

I have been doing lots of reading and searching and I've
come to the conclusion that I can always upgrade at a later time
after I get a grasp on what I'm going.
After all I'm doing a McGyver type grow box.
So, the small price for a 150 hps Isn't too bad.
Anyway thanks for the help and advice.

If it were me.. I'd ditch the cardboard and go with some big Sterlite or Rubbermaid bins. they ain't that expensive and you won't get all the nasties you may get with your cardboard. Just make sure to drill some holes on the bottom for drainage,

Thanks for the advice.
I didn't realize how bad cardboard is.
I've seen some that seemed to work on you tube.
I guess I'll get some plywood and make something to grow in
or look for a dresser and convert it to a grow box.

But just for the hell of it i wanna see what will happen with
this cardboard thing. lol

The worst scenario is it totally sucks and i trash it.

....or it ignites and subsequently burns your house/apartment/dorm/barracks down.