Need help choosing, light or try hydro

Hey guys, just wondering if I could get some people's opinion. It's black Friday so my grow shops are doing cool deals. I have a budget and there's two things I wanna try/get. My 2 choices are a 8 bulb t5 light(currently using flouresent for seedlings 400w hortilux blue for veg) or...try hydro! Never tried hydro before and would do a bubble ponics type setup for my small tent. Idk what do you guys think? Around $80 for light and around $80 for hydro...cant make up mind! Give me some pro and cons!

A light will start working for you right away. $80 might get you a starter kit for a bubble bucket but the additional costs will add up pretty quickly. I'd say get the 400W - you'll get more bang for the buck than a T5.

FennarioMike said:

A light will start working for you right away. $80 might get you a starter kit for a bubble bucket but the additional costs will add up pretty quickly. I'd say get the 400W - you'll get more bang for the buck than a T5.

Click to expand...

Oh I'm currently using the 400w for veg! T5 would just be for seedlings of possibly a mom. The bubble setup is for a pump, bucket, net, and 3 part advanced nutrient ph perfect line. Cost would still climb after that? 0 clue about hydro lol

Bloom, micro, and grow from advanced nutrients. Bucket, net to fit bucket, air pump, bubble stone. Is the kit. I do have a water pump and bigger air stones and air pumps if needed. Light is a virtual sun 8 bulb 2ft for $80, or agrobrite 2ft 8 bulb for $113.

8-Bucket DWC complete systems with 5-gallon buckets on eBay for $169 free shipping. CMH315 (LEC315 clone) lighting systems with bulb are about the same price.

Hippie hipper said:

Oh I'm currently using the 400w for veg! T5 would just be for seedlings of possibly a mom. The bubble setup is for a pump, bucket, net, and 3 part advanced nutrient ph perfect line. Cost would still climb after that? 0 clue about hydro lol

Click to expand...

Yep. Nutes, ca/mg, silica, other additives like cannazyme, rooting stimulators like rhizotonic. Then you need to pick a strategy for keeping root rot at bay: Sterile or beneficials. Either way you'll either be adding a sterilant every couple of days or beneficials at every rez change. Then there's your meters - if you are doing DWC/RDWC it's imperative to use a decent PPM and pH meter and the calibration solutions that go with it.

I use the Agrobrite t5 8 lamp fixture for vegging. I like it a lot for my setup. I have another T5 2' 2 lamp for seedlings/clones.

Well I got the agrobrite 2ft 2 tube for $31 bucks! Perfect considering I just got some seeds. So got a seedling t5 light, 400w hortilux blue for veg and 600w super hps(got that Friday too $40) for flower. Starting to feel like a real grower lol