newbie needs help

i got a limited amount of space to work with about 3x3 would i be better off with a 400w hps or t5?

You could do a 400w/250w ballast MH/HPS. That way you could turn it down if 400w is too hot. I have a 3x6 tray for the canopy and use 1 600w and 1 1000w.

But I will say that T-5 is cheaper and doesn't run so hot.

3x3 is a decent growing space. get a good strain and a 400hps and a decent extractor fan and you will be laughing...... i can see the dank already

Use 400w/600w MH/HPS for best results. I am running a 600 in the same space you have and i have no problems, temps are around 22c. You will need a passive intake and at least a 5" 250 CFM Inline Fan.

thanks i've got some autoflower seeds waiting to be germed but I cant debate what to get. Ive got a 3x3 secret closet that i plan to use but i eventually want to buy a tent and heat might be a problem. Im really wanting to find a good 2 foot t5 fixture that i can grow 2 fully mature autos at a time, can someone point me in the right direction? but on the other hand the 400w is pretty cheap and i can only imagine what 2 small autos will look like under there. I was looking at the floralux 400w hps with built in ballast is this a good choice if i went this route?

im in about a 1.5-2 x 3.5 and on a 250 red cfl. it gets v warm in there indeed, i got one fan but no extraction lol got ona gel in my room which helps alot with the smell but i wanna make a hole in the ceiling and chuck a 5 inch extractor in there for my next grow. u might find it gets too hot with a 400w....only from what i can imagine that my 250 gives off, and thats an eco light lol u NEED very good ventilation in there or dont bother starting with ur 400

cfl's are low wattage and they are 'cool running' i got my 250w for about £45 (about $35-$40 im guessing off the top my head) i dont know why ud need anythhing mroe for two auto's i got 10 autos under my 250 - its a bit crowded lol but they all buddin nicely, if i had just 4 or 5, they would be even bigger. i think thats what im gonna do next time, coz when its too crowded u dont get good side branches anyway so its just a waste of seed money. still got a nice variety of flavour smoke tho gd luck !!

so you think 1 250w cfl will grow 2 plants? eventually i will add more light but im new to growing and dont want to spend an ass of money on something im not even sure i can do should i get the bloom or multi spectrum

yes no doubt mate, two autos right ? 100% sure, and for the fact u can put the bulb about 5 inches from the plant and it still not be too hot is a bonus, and u wont have to go super mad on ventilation. obviously the more watts the better, but a 250 will give them mroe than enough light anyway, plus with hotter bulbs u got loads more shit to deal with. and whats more, u can always get the 400 the next time if u dont like the cfl, but im sure u wont b disappointed. im glad i got mine i got a 125w blue spectrum to start with and got them to about week 3 and they were gettin big (i was originally gonna put them outside at this point but i thought NO lol i didnt wanna risk them gettin nicked by anyone) so i got the 250 red spectrum to flower them. u can do the whole thing on the red spectrum coz theyre auto's

400w all the way

im going to try and get a 2x2 tent not really big but im growing for myself would this light be ok?
http://www.htgsupply.com/Product-HTG-Supply-2-Foot-4-Lamp-PL-55-Tek-Lamp.asp
20000 lumens for a 2x2 area over 2 plants

a 250w cfl will grow 2 plants but they won't yield anywhere near as much as a 400w or 600w HPS. Why spend 2-3 months on something you know could be better. You get out what you put in...

i'd get a 400 or 600 if i had a powerful enough extraction. if u got the ability to get the heat out, then do it but if not ull want a cooler bulb. all depends on ur set up. good luck !

600w MH/HPS dimmable ballast with a 6in exhaust and 4inch intake. Pop them on a fan speed controller and your done. Good luck. If you can go HPS it's much worth the investment in my opinion.

yea i would like to go that route but im on a budget. so would it even be worth using cfl's? or should i just wait till i get enough money to get something better. I originally wanted a blackstar 240

Based on your specifications and set up I'd go Cfl....Especially if heat is gonna be an issue. Depending on what I'm growing and where I'm growing I use MH/HPS or CFLs. I usually change up depending on quantity of plants because a MH/HPS lamp will cover a larger area when compared by wattage with CFLs. MH/HPS lamps put out way more lumens then CFLs. Check out the site below:

http://www.weedfarmer.com/cannabis/

Check out the light section link.