LED Without LEDs -My First T5 Grow

[kpmarine]

I missed what your growing medium is, but you're looking at vegging those clones for 6 weeks minimum. That's alot of growth time for a clone. Hell, 15 days in dwc will get you a plant as big as a 5 gal bucket from a rooted 4" clone. Don't forget to keep that in mind.

 

[Isisyogi]

I have read most of this thread and by the end, I get a bit lost. Think the missing pages had info I was looking for. Forgive me if this is a repeat question but I want to be certain I have the most up to date info.

I recently purchased a 2', 4 bulb viavolt T5 (http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202985194/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=Viavolt&storeId=10051 ) so that I could keep a few mother plants in a 2x3 tent. I wasn't planning on changing the bulbs since they are decent for veg I'm told.

I just reconfigured my grow space, finding that it might be in my best interest to light a 2x3x4.5' flowering cab with t5s because the 600 hps really heats up my hydro reservoir.

Few Qs:

Flowering with a 4 bulb, which 4 bulbs would provide the spectrum needed for flower? Order?



Flowering with an 8 bulb, which 8 bulbs? And the order?

I realize the last one is discussed quite a bit, but Professor had managed to make an easy to read sequential list without all the techy info. I was planning on following that, but realize that in the 2 years since he posted it there have probably been some updates or advances on the matter.

The 4 bulb question is the most important and relevant to me. Your input is appreciated.

 

[Dr.J20]

5 plants go t5 keep em short....

beside when you run flouro you have to have a lot of internal air movement, average oscillating fan is 20w x3 which is the norm for flouro grow puts you 90 watts then you still need an ex...

so stop while your ahead these #s will only confuse you, either way is a great way to go, understanding the style is key, like i said the way your thinking i would go with T5 and add side lighting in the flower room, like the 8 bulb up top and a 4 bulb on the wall, the 6 bulb will be just fine for veg.

Thanks polyarcturus; perhaps knowing that this is all going to be taking place in an attic grow space will change things because what i'm really concerned about with an HID is all that heat; but if you're saying the badboys aren't gonna save on heat then i may as well invest the money in an HID and air cooled hood rather than multiple T5 fixtures

KPmarine, probably just gonna be dirty again--i like to grow in global bucket/earthbox modified containers but also just plain ole soil (of course, i guess there's also the few hempy's i've tried)...i would be bonsai growing those clones, and potentially keeping them suspended the first 4 weeks, that way my flower room wont get too crowded. I'm not really trying for a full perpetual, just a semi perpetual for a couple generations, shut down for a bit, then back up for another few.

let me know what yall think...im leaning hid plus cfl supplements for flower, t5 veg now
be easy

 

[AltarNation]

Just gonna throw this out there, T5's do produce a decent amount of heat but they don't really compare to HID heat. Air-cooled hoods are a nice addition but you lose a significant amount of light and UV to the glass barrier. I honestly think in an attic you are going to be requiring a separate air cooled exhaust line (which most likely means a second in-line fan if you want it to happen efficiently)

Just my 2 cents. Are you in a southern state? Even in a northern state I find that attics get unbearably hot. Is your attic insulated?

 

[PetFlora]

Depending on how big your attic grow is going to be they are finally making some pretty good LED fixtures- eshines Wall Washers or LEDgrow.eu - $500 gets you 2 fixtures @ 20 x 24. Design is ~ 3 years in R & D. He posted his own grows

 

[polyarcturus]

Thanks polyarcturus; perhaps knowing that this is all going to be taking place in an attic grow space will change things because what i'm really concerned about with an HID is all that heat; but if you're saying the badboys aren't gonna save on heat then i may as well invest the money in an HID and air cooled hood rather than multiple T5 fixtures

KPmarine, probably just gonna be dirty again--i like to grow in global bucket/earthbox modified containers but also just plain ole soil (of course, i guess there's also the few hempy's i've tried)...i would be bonsai growing those clones, and potentially keeping them suspended the first 4 weeks, that way my flower room wont get too crowded. I'm not really trying for a full perpetual, just a semi perpetual for a couple generations, shut down for a bit, then back up for another few.

let me know what yall think...im leaning hid plus cfl supplements for flower, t5 veg now
be easy

to be 100% with you money is not gonna matter either way i would spend he same amount on a 600w HID and fan as i would a 8 bulb and 4 bulb t5, maybe a little more for the t5. but money isnt really the problem here, remember that, having extra equip is the way of the game. and say you go t5 you might find a deal on a 600w later.

check CL for t5 fixtures. best deals straight up.

so what im saying is GO T5 you will have heat probs in the attic with HID. forget about how much your gonna spend and start just being a cheap bastard like me.(on most things at least, some things you just cant skimp on) T5 lights over soil beds in the attic, 5 plants bonzai style, 12 bulbs for flower 6 bulbs for veg, sounds like a game plan!

 

[Dr.J20]

so what im saying is GO T5 you will have heat probs in the attic with HID. forget about how much your gonna spend and start just being a cheap bastard like me.(on most things at least, some things you just cant skimp on) T5 lights over soil beds in the attic, 5 plants bonzai style, 12 bulbs for flower 6 bulbs for veg, sounds like a game plan!

Thanks man, this is what i was thinking too, probably should've included the attic part from the get-go --i'm looking forward to going t5 and seeing what i can produce,
be easy

 

[TenEmies]

Whats your dry weight? Off T5? I get 1.5 pounds off one thousand watt. Maybe good for small personal grower but probley no huge colas..

 

[polyarcturus]

Whats your dry weight? Off T5? I get 1.5 pounds off one thousand watt. Maybe good for small personal grower but probley no huge colas..

all that for one post? lol. well i doubt he is growing trees first off and second off, 1000watts of cfl i could grow the same amount of bud as 1000w HID just spread over a larger surface area. dont be a troll, i could outgrow you using the "state of the art" incandescent.

 

[Isisyogi]

I have read most of this thread and by the end, I get a bit lost. Think the missing pages had info I was looking for. Forgive me if this is a repeat question but I want to be certain I have the most up to date info.

I recently purchased a 2', 4 bulb viavolt T5 (http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202985194/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=Viavolt&storeId=10051 ) so that I could keep a few mother plants in a 2x3 tent. I wasn't planning on changing the bulbs since they are decent for veg I'm told.

I just reconfigured my grow space, finding that it might be in my best interest to light a 2x3x4.5' flowering cab with t5s because the 600 hps really heats up my hydro reservoir.

Few Qs:

Flowering with a 4 bulb, which 4 bulbs would provide the spectrum needed for flower? Order?



Flowering with an 8 bulb, which 8 bulbs? And the order?

I realize the last one is discussed quite a bit, but Professor had managed to make an easy to read sequential list without all the techy info. I was planning on following that, but realize that in the 2 years since he posted it there have probably been some updates or advances on the matter.

The 4 bulb question is the most important and relevant to me. Your input is appreciated.

4 bulb t5s, which 4 would you recommend? Any specific order?

 

[polyarcturus]

well if you go back a page or 2 flowering bulb discusion has taken place, plus there is a list of bulbs. but anyways here are the best bulbs again, UVL Aquasun UVL Redsun ZooMed Florasun 420/460 Actinic Wavepoint Coralwave any 6500k is a pretty good bulb, i prefer the 6700k myself so a good 4 bulb for veg would be x2 6500k and x2 aquasun, then when i switched to flower i would just switch this combo to x2 aquasun and x2 florasun or redsun. a good a 8 bulb setup for flower or veg would be a combo like this aquasun, redsun, florasun, 6500k, redsun 6500k, florasun, aquasun

 

[kpmarine]

Whats your dry weight? Off T5? I get 1.5 pounds off one thousand watt. Maybe good for small personal grower but probley no huge colas..

Or maybe you could actually read the thread, and you would see how it turns out. Nothing personal, but people asking questions without actually attempting to find info is annoying. Top that with a speculation that you don't really validate, and you have a recipe for getting flamed. Just a thought if you actually intend to post any more in the future. Also, where in this thread have you found anyone other than a "small personal grower"? I mean seriously, did you even try to read the thread?

That said, I haven't done enough grows to say personally how these really can yield. I can, however, bet that 1000w of flourescents will have alot less power consumption due to the fact that I highly doubt you will need anything other than your intake and exhaust fans. I have been hitting temps in the 80's already outside with no A/C inside; my res never overheats, I have lights damn near on the plants, all I use for cooling is a box fan that vents into an attic access. Aside from powering my lights, a hydro pump, and a box fan, I have no other electric draw in my flower room. This room is second story, south facing side, in a house that was last insulated in 1950. The temp has stayed nicely at 72F. If the root cellar was available for growing, I would need a heater to use it. My res temps already stay in the low 60's most days.

 

[MurshDawg]

4 bulb t5s, which 4 would you recommend? Any specific order?

if it's only 4 bulbs I'd say 1 3000k, 1 Red Life, 1 coral wave and UVL 454, imo

 

[PetFlora]

Give 'em hell kp!

Isis/MurshD, ^^^ I would replace the 454 with a FloraSun- which has ample blue + lots of 615-650 red.

If I didn't already have Red Lifes I would sub with FloraSuns. UVL AquaSun would be a stronger 3000

 

[polyarcturus]

tell em flora i tried...

 

[kpmarine]

Give 'em hell kp!

Isis/MurshD, ^^^ I would replace the 454 with a FloraSun- which has ample blue + lots of 615-650 red.

If I didn't already have Red Lifes I would sub with FloraSuns. UVL AquaSun would be a stronger 3000

I've been venturing forth into the dark corners of this site, and I think I have become bitter and angry as a result. lol

 

[polyarcturus]

GUYS im PISSSED! i just got janked for 20$ at the hydro store i swear i will never shop at a hydro store unless they have a better price on a product i can get online or im going to get co2. all i got for my 20$ was 20 connecters and 20 drpiemmiters and i need more, i could have got the whole kit an kaboodle at menards for like 10 more 10$ including a digital time and all the peices i need. needless to say if it doesnt come from manufacturer thats set the prices for the retailer im not buying it. just fucking stupid. i wen there to get cheap airstone and they didnt even have that! 2$ a airstone when im just plaing around, go them for 50 cents at a pet store a second later, i should have went to menards but i didnt know they had the shit in stock.

anyways just pissed and thought i would say order online, fuck hydro shops, and DIY everything because the manufactures of the products we buy are pretty shitty themselves.

 

[kpmarine]

GUYS im PISSSED! i just got janked for 20$ at the hydro store i swear i will never shop at a hydro store unless they have a better price on a product i can get online or im going to get co2. all i got for my 20$ was 20 connecters and 20 drpiemmiters and i need more, i could have got the whole kit an kaboodle at menards for like 10 more 10$ including a digital time and all the peices i need. needless to say if it doesnt come from manufacturer thats set the prices for the retailer im not buying it. just fucking stupid. i wen there to get cheap airstone and they didnt even have that! 2$ a airstone when im just plaing around, go them for 50 cents at a pet store a second later, i should have went to menards but i didnt know they had the shit in stock.

anyways just pissed and thought i would say order online, fuck hydro shops, and DIY everything because the manufactures of the products we buy are pretty shitty themselves.

Yeah, hydro shops are inherently shady. I've seen 300% markup plus in the past over other retailers. 15 bucks for a gallon of black strap at the hydro shop. Like $3 a gallon at the local feed store. Soil is also cheaper at the feed store. Even the fox farm line is cheaper there than at the hydro shop. lol

 

[jsamuel24]

I must be lucky. So many hydro stores in my area that they cant just mark up from hell or another one of the stores will put them out of buisness. Of course I have 7 hydro stores within 3 miles of my house. Sorry to hear that though poly, that allways sucks

Snoogins

 

[Isisyogi]

well if you go back a page or 2 flowering bulb discusion has taken place, plus there is a list of bulbs. but anyways here are the best bulbs again, UVL Aquasun UVL Redsun ZooMed Florasun 420/460 Actinic Wavepoint Coralwave any 6500k is a pretty good bulb, i prefer the 6700k myself so a good 4 bulb for veg would be x2 6500k and x2 aquasun, then when i switched to flower i would just switch this combo to x2 aquasun and x2 florasun or redsun. a good a 8 bulb setup for flower or veg would be a combo like this aquasun, redsun, florasun, 6500k, redsun 6500k, florasun, aquasun

Like I said, I did read the thread. But I didnt see anything that gave specifics to a 4 bulb setup with an order. Excuse me for asking for clarification. I appreciate you input, not your condescending tone. Thanks.