Cfl question!!

Y

yonig

Member
hey i have 3 clones about 1 month old that i have recenttly purchased.
they are in my enclosed growbox with a pc fan exhaust.

i am currently using 1 18w cfl tube 24/7 for vegging but i also have a 42 watt cfl...

please help me with lighting. is this enough light to see if i have the right growing conditions. i am afraid of cooking my plants as it has happened before with my seeds

hers a pic of whats going on
strains are pk and sour lemon skunk if your wondering
please help. any thoughts would be greatly appreciated


IMG-20110104-00216.jpgIMG-20110104-00223.jpgIMG-20110104-00221.jpg
 
justparanoid

justparanoid

Well-Known Member
three plants will need more light. For two plants i use (3) 42 watt bulbs and thats barely enough in my opinion. The older they get the more they can tolerate SOME heat. what is your temp looking like with both lights on? You will also want to add a fan to this grow space, point it away from the plants enough so they slightly vibrate. makes stronger stems!


JP
 
I

IDoNtKnOwWhY

Member
with CFL's you do the hand test. put your hand under the light, if its to hot for your hand its to hot for the plant. usually yoiu can have a cfl as close as an inch away, 2700 cfls are hotter than 6500. i suggest you get a thermometer with humidity and temp on it. keep temps between 70-90 degres, closer to 75 recommended. humidity is iffy, just make sure you have atleast 20% or higher, but not to high. keep a regular water routine. i also suggest getting more lights everntually
 
slowmo77

slowmo77

Active Member
when i use cfls i like to run 2 42watt bulbs per sq ft. however if you have the space insidesun.com has a great deal on 400watt HPS for $99.99 with the reflector and all. you can easily spend that much on cfl's, sockets, cords and power strips. good luck
 
Y

yonig

Member
ok guys thanks for the advice this is what i have come up with.
i did a hand test and it is not hot but im gonna see how it feels in a while.

i am using 42 watt pannasonic soft white cfls. whats the difference, should i buy a full spectrum cfl :s i have patience and im not waiting for a supergrow

heres pics!!
see if you can tell me how this clone got sick. it is only my 2nd day with these they came in rockwoolcubes and they looked very sad yesterday

IMG-20110104-00227.jpgIMG-20110104-00226.jpgIMG-20110104-00225.jpgIMG-20110104-00231.jpg
 
Goku97

Goku97

Member
1 - try using 2 exit fast and 2 intake fans if that doesn't keep the temps down to the sweet spot you might have to run a small vent tube to the CFL to help take some of the heat way
2 - Depending on your grow space size you might have it to small for the amount of light that you are using. You might have to go with a bigger space

by the way CFLs and tubes are 2 different things yonig. try not to call the tube lights CFLs because you might get people reading it wrong and you might get mislead if they don't get the proper info that they need to help you.
 
Y

yonig

Member
ok i have modified the box and i now have an exhaust.

how can i improve moisture?\

what can i do to be on the safe side
 
Y

yonig

Member
sorry for the double post, cant get edit to work. here are the pics
also i have 20-20-20 all purpose nutrients. when can i use them?
thanksIMG-20110105-00233.jpgIMG-20110105-00235.jpgIMG-20110105-00234.jpgIMG-20110105-00236.jpg
 
N

newatit2010

Well-Known Member
I am growing with CFLs And have about 300 watts on 2 plants. They are about 5 weeks in flower and the buds look fluffy if that will help you with how many lights you need. Looking good good luck
 
C

crackerblack

Member
You need to veg using a cfl with a 6500k rating, (marked as daylight on the package). Soft whites are 2500k-2700k those should be used for flowering!!
 
Y

yonig

Member
ok i have replaced my 42w soft white cfl with 2 23w daylight cfls.
the 2 lights together produce more lumens than the other so i might even buy a few more
 
justparanoid

justparanoid

Well-Known Member
use Y adapters to get more bulbs in there. they are like 2 dollars at home depot.

I made a light bar out of a vanity bar, lamp rewire kit and Y adapters.

gave me 6 bulbs

IMG_1996.jpgIMG_1680.jpg

JP
 
Y

yonig

Member
thanks JP i already have 1. but you have a very nice setup yourself there. what do you use to regulate moisture?, im forsure going to buy a few more y adapters, and a few more cfls, i have just added my 2 daylight cfls and i feel better about lighting
.23wcflupgrade.jpg
 
justparanoid

justparanoid

Well-Known Member
well i grow hydro, so the RH is never a problem. I leave one or more baskets open to allow water to enter the air.

are you in a really dry area? some try bowls of water or a humidifier.

JP
 
Goku97

Goku97

Member
I would hold off with giving your plants any food. Take off the dead leafs and the parts or leafs that make a crunch sound when touched those leafs are no good and will slowly hurt your plants even more.

Do the hand test have your hand on top of your plant with the back of your hand facing towards the light. If it feels to hot or little to warm back the light off.
 
I

IDoNtKnOwWhY

Member
yeah i dont use nutes untill flower and 20-20-20 aint a good combo in flowering. Those 6500k lights should have cooled your box off a bit i would imagine. And to get some humidity in there, just put a bowl of water in the corner, the lights and mother nature will turn it into humidity for you...evaporation!!!
 
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