Flourecent lighting

Ello , I am looking for advice on floro tubes,
i have a bank of 32 4foot t8 tubes , vertically mounted like a stand up tanning booth. these tubes are 6500K, with a total of 89,600 lumes at 1024 watts, if I change to t8 5000k tubes I get an additional 4800 lumes at the same watts. So do I switch these out or maybe half of them and run both kelvin spectrums to help the grow in general , I know an additional 4800 lumes isnt the factor it's the spectrum but hell I dont know. Also planning running 6 t5 two footers as the top lights, prolly not neccesary it is freaky bright, but as plants gain height I would like to be shure I am covered. So I can do whatever with the tubes spectrums , should I stick with the 6500 or switch to 5000k or mix in match, also at flowering time should I switch all the bulbs , half , or none. to a 3000k

Thanks

Confused

ibuild4u said:

should I stick with the 6500 or switch to 5000k or mix in match, also at flowering time should I switch all the bulbs , half , or none. to a 3000k

Click to expand...

get rid of the 5000 K they're worthless, yes add some 3000 K for flowering 50 % max.
https://www.rollitup.org/attachments/cfl-growing/240662d1226605588-5000k-vs-6500k-hortgraph2.gif

idk start out with a mixed spectrum and as harvest get closer switch to most 3000k to promote buds

frmrboi said:

get rid of the 5000 K they're worthless, yes add some 3000 K for flowering 50 % max.
https://www.rollitup.org/attachments/cfl-growing/240662d1226605588-5000k-vs-6500k-hortgraph2.gif

Click to expand...

Yeah, the 5000k light is basically ALL in the green spectrum which plants don't even use.

Might look bright but does not do jack shit for your plants.

I really like my fluoro tubes because I think they are great for vegging but not so much for flowering.

Thanks for the advice, the room when finished today if I get off my ass will push around 120,000 lume at 1200 watts test fired last night and ran with no vent for twelve hours was about 85 f is all, and that was what I was looking for cool running room, going away from the hid lights lights is chancy i guess never trying it b4, anything else I should watch out for please school me.

How big is the grow area and how many plants are you growing?

I know with my fluoro tubes, it is crucial that you get the light as close to the plants as you possible can. My lights run really cool but the ballasts can get fairly hot. I have had leaves grow past the bulbs and singed on the ballast so watch out for that!

Got any Pics?

do you think its the lumes or spectrum of tubes at flowering that are most important, i was going to compensate wit 8 2 foot t5 fixtures 4 and 4 respectivly screwed together as a tray , moveable to follow tops up do you think I will get good results just flooding the top of the tray with these at flowering or maybe shut the tubes down or half and switch to a lower power m/h on tops , two trays stacked 2x4,drip system, rockwool an clay, Im startin with seeds, mids no less, bummer I know but only option, dont trust mail order and my friends are cats

room is 2.5 foot x 4 foot 7.5 foot tall all sides and door you shut are fixtures evreything just fits, tubes are about 2 iiches from all sides of trays making the center of first baskets about 6in away then 8 in then 10 max but its on all four sides so its getting dumped on and the moveable t5 tray tops should compensate if necessary, for the center baskets witch is 10 in max away from all four sides,you walk into the space and all four walls are 4 foot t8, 26 baskets divided to two trays, I did notice the ballasts were warmer , thx I will watch for foilage spoliage

I will post some pics later today , and will be looking for some advice, it can be changeg easily now upon such advice, and I want it to be right before the opps. I took pics on my camera to the hydro store the hydro guy said holy shit and recomended me to continue with this venue instead of buying some dig ballast and hid lights from him, I have built a few for others mainly large never w floro, but I go in this little space and smile/laugh like on shrooms when I was 20. and it's empty, must be 6500k i hear its used in hospitols for depression

I think that the spectrum of the light is most important but that is not to say that lumens are not.

You can have high lumen rating but if the light that is being emitted is in the green spectrum then you are not really doing anything besides wasting energy. So looking for bulbs with a 2700k - 3000k rating is key to get that red/ orange spectrum that plants need for flowering is key.

If you are planning on buying more lights and fluoro ballast for the top then I would suggest researching HO (high output) and VHO (very high output) lights. They will give you not only the spectrum that you are looking for but also have a MUCH higher penetrating power than a standard tube.

Fluorescent lights are great in the fact that they can put out the right color spectrum that plants need but the farther the plants are away from that light the less they will receive.

Check out this link: http://www.envirolites.co.uk/lightinfo.html

They talk about CFL's a bit but will give you a basic understanding on how all fluorescents will work. There are just so many things to consider like PAR watts, spectrum, lumens, etc. and that site can explain it much better than I can.