you had it right the first time. lumens per watt hid actually loses, however watt for watt they win (though this is really a bastardization of them being point sources
)To the OP, as a primary light, hps has disadvantages in veg. Supplementing them with blues in the 6000k range is ideal. Which is better between hid and t5's is going to depend on height, but the size most people grow to the t5's won't be able to keep up on penetration in flower.
