What would the best option for me?

Ivory

Well-Known Member
I guess you need more info...

I plan on growing 5-15 plants, so i have alot to smoke this summer :).

I'm not completely new to growing, Have grown with cfl's but it was nothing special.

So please, I have read alot during the past few months and learned alot, But now I just want to make sure i have the proper equipment for my next grow.
 

NLXSK1

Well-Known Member
Go read the article in the 'General marijana' section of the site about lighting. It will tell you all you need to know.
 

BigBudBalls

Well-Known Member
I guess you need more info...

I plan on growing 5-15 plants, so i have alot to smoke this summer :).

I'm not completely new to growing, Have grown with cfl's but it was nothing special.

So please, I have read alot during the past few months and learned alot, But now I just want to make sure i have the proper equipment for my next grow.
I hope you are in the southern hemisphere. Summer in the northern is only 2 months away. Figure 4-6 months from seed to cured bud.


The light seems like a killer deal. My only concern is that the ballast is internal with the hood. So all the heat is in the grow room.

Best of luck in your grow!
 

sTOKEd

Well-Known Member
BigBudBalls is right (he usually is!) - 400w HPS lights put out a reasonable amount of heat so you're going to need to be able to vent hot air with some sort of exhaust fan and supply the room with fresh air - either with an intake fan or just a passive intake (a hole).

If there's no way of venting your closet then don't go with a HPS light - you may have to go down the CFL path.

also, you may get away with 4-5 plants in that space but not 15. you're better off growing fewer, bigger plants that lots of smaller ones - it's just easier to manage and on the off chance you got busted it would look a lot better if you only had a few.

Best of luck.
 

ganjagoddess

Well-Known Member
I hope you are in the southern hemisphere. Summer in the northern is only 2 months away. Figure 4-6 months from seed to cured bud.


The light seems like a killer deal. My only concern is that the ballast is internal with the hood. So all the heat is in the grow room.

Best of luck in your grow!
DUDE HE's Growing inside??? I can get a harvest from seed to cut and begin drying in 2.5 months if I want too?

Inside the seasons are complelty irrelavent...

BigBudBalls is right (he usually is!) - 400w HPS lights put out a reasonable amount of heat so you're going to need to be able to vent hot air with some sort of exhaust fan and supply the room with fresh air - either with an intake fan or just a passive intake (a hole).

If there's no way of venting your closet then don't go with a HPS light - you may have to go down the CFL path.

also, you may get away with 4-5 plants in that space but not 15. you're better off growing fewer, bigger plants that lots of smaller ones - it's just easier to manage and on the off chance you got busted it would look a lot better if you only had a few.

Best of luck.
4-5 plants??? have you ever heard of SCROG? you can put 15 plants in there just fine, scrog em..


Oh and Get a 600 watter you wont regret it, BUT your gonna need ventilation.... Tempature should stay at 72 ideally if your lucky...

I use the rule that you need 50 watts for every square foot of space...

For your 5X4 cab thats 20sq ft... which equals 1000 watts needed, BUT I dont reccomend it since a.) your new to growing and b.) I doubt you have the needed $$ for proper ventilation....

There you go...
 

BigBudBalls

Well-Known Member
DUDE HE's Growing inside??? I can get a harvest from seed to cut and begin drying in 2.5 months if I want too?

Inside the seasons are complelty irrelavent...

LOL.

Its May.
If he lives in Paris whats the first day of summer?
If he lives in Freemantle whats the first day of summer?

But good points otherwise
 

Ivory

Well-Known Member
In the States :-P East Georgia to be exact.


I'm sure i can eventually get around to the DIY forums to make a worthy exhaust system.

And i was planning on doing SoG And LST To fit the plants.


But i doubt i'm gonna grow for sometime cause Narcs just bused about 6 people in my neighborhood. So the heat is really high and i'm just gonna let it die down.. But thanks, Now i know i'm on the right path, When i get ON the path. lol :-)
 

WWgrower

Well-Known Member
Looks like a killer deal! As long as you can keep it cool, It gets hot in georgia. I always in the summer grow at night and off during day.Also I bought my lights a HTG. Over 3 years ago and still working great and switchable is the best way to go. You'll love the results! Good luck!
 

ganjagoddess

Well-Known Member
Flouresents do not save you on your electricity bill, that is absurd..

in fact you need more of them to equal a HID light, light output, so therefore the cost you more on electricity???

WTF people stop misleading newbies
 

BigBudBalls

Well-Known Member
Flouresents do not save you on your electricity bill, that is absurd..

in fact you need more of them to equal a HID light, light output, so therefore the cost you more on electricity???

WTF people stop misleading newbies
Well put!

But, and a *big but* (on both ends), The T5's do look promising for a veg/clone stage. Good light in right spectrum and low heat.

Flowering is a different story!

I see a lot of merit with floros in veg/cloning stages. (flowering? I wanna try a CFL/Floro, but thats down the road)

Heat vs Spectrum vs Elect all need to be considered for *that* setup. (add in availability of 'parts' for a locale)

A tool is only limited in the hands its in.
 

Isthisyourspecialbush

Well-Known Member
Flouresents do not save you on your electricity bill, that is absurd..

in fact you need more of them to equal a HID light, light output, so therefore the cost you more on electricity???

WTF people stop misleading newbies

My 330 watt t5 will out perform a 400 watt MH, they generate less heat allowing the light to be closer to th canopy. They also require less ventilation to keep the temps right, saving even more electricity. So WTF to you, stop misleading newbies:hump:
 

tusseltussel

Well-Known Member
i have a 3.5x5 room and the 400 works but a 600 would be better much better ive actually thought of just getting another 400 but not sure what ima do so my opinion is get a 600 watter if you can but a 400w will do fine
 

BigBudBalls

Well-Known Member
My 330 watt t5 will out perform a 400 watt MH, they generate less heat allowing the light to be closer to th canopy. They also require less ventilation to keep the temps right, saving even more electricity. So WTF to you, stop misleading newbies:hump:
*only* playing devil's advocate......

Define out preforms. Lumens per bulb? (or bank?)

Stuck a light meter under it?


(I'm just trying to understand this lighting stuff from an optic background)
 

Isthisyourspecialbush

Well-Known Member
No i never used a light meter. I'm comparing a 4ft 6 bulb(@56 wt apiece) t5 to a one bulb 400 wt mh. The lumens per watt on each light is about the same give or take a few. The t5 can be placed right on top of the canopy giving more usable light to the plants. You can also mix the spectrum 1/2 1/2 with the t5's so the plants aren't depribed of either spectrum. outperform may be more of an opinion but I have seen what both can do and I say the t5 is more effective. I'm talking about small to medium home operations, in a large scale grow op I don't think the t5 would suit being that you would have to cover the entire grow with 4' x 18" lights.
 

ganjagoddess

Well-Known Member
You have a bunch of single points of light that DO NOT as a whole put out 30,000 lumens.

You have individual banks of 5000Lumens points, whereas with a 400MH I have a single point of light putting out 40,000lumens or more....

Also if I wanted to Air cool a 400MH I could make my light touch the plants too if I want...

cant do that with 600's Im sure but then again I have never heard of anyone air cooling a 400...
 

nickfury510

Well-Known Member
My 330 watt t5 will out perform a 400 watt MH, they generate less heat allowing the light to be closer to th canopy. They also require less ventilation to keep the temps right, saving even more electricity. So WTF to you, stop misleading newbies:hump:
sorry dude.your wrong.......330w flouro will never out perform a 400w hid...you are really trippin on this one.....
 

Isthisyourspecialbush

Well-Known Member
You have a bunch of single points of light that DO NOT as a whole put out 30,000 lumens.

You have individual banks of 5000Lumens points, whereas with a 400MH I have a single point of light putting out 40,000lumens or more....

Also if I wanted to Air cool a 400MH I could make my light touch the plants too if I want...

cant do that with 600's Im sure but then again I have never heard of anyone air cooling a 400...

T5ho puts out around 90 lumens per watt at most mh puts about 100. I can put the light on the canopy no cooling nothing. If you air cool your mh that's more electricty therfore the t5 is more efficient. The individual banks are being reflected straight to the plants. They are not the best if you wanna grow 6 fters though. The arguement of t5 vs mh hps is not worth it though seeing no one will win, they all have there advantages. One of the t5's advantages is it does save some money on the power bill.
 
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