T5 vs CFL

I'm no light expert so I figured I'd ask here...I have a 4' 4 bulb T5 panel light..I was planning lining the room with Mylar. If I were to have CFLs pumping out the same wattage would that use less electricity?

Same wattage, same amount of electricity used.

Heres some info from another forum that might also be helpful:

" The real difference between a CFL bulb and a T5, or any fluorescent tube, really, is the area covered and the light intensity dispersed through that area. Simply put, a CFL bulb will really "light up" a one foot area or so. A T5 fixture will take the same light and spread it out over four feet - more area is covered, but the light level is lower over any one part of that area. There are other differences - a CFL is more flexible, since you can move it wherever you want to accommodate whichever plants you want, whereas a T5 is straight, all plants under it get more or less the same amount of light (a bit more light in the center, less at the ends), if you bring it up because of one tall plant, you're bringing it up for all other plants. You can more easily move a CFL aside, whereas a T5 will require more permanent installation."

The bulbs on my light say blue spectrum. I read that the plants like red spectrum mixed in during flowering (using fluorescent the entire grow)..what color T5 bulbs would allow me to expose them to the red spectrum?

HO T5 has more PAR per watt than CFL. I am using both on my grow so far good results. 6500K for veg and 2700-3000K for flower.

Do they make 4' t5 2700k bulbs? I'm finding them difficult to locate so far even online.

My T5HO system pushed out some grand heat compaird to my LED system of the same watts. Burning watts is burning watts but damn those T5's can push some heat.

215roller said:

Do they make 4' t5 2700k bulbs? I'm finding them difficult to locate so far even online.

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They do but you'd be better off just getting a small HPS.

Check out bulbs.com

I would really rather find the correct t5 bulbs..but I did look into a 150 watt HPS. Would that be sufficient to flower up to 3 plants in a room lined with mylar? Also would that use more electricity than my t5 which happens to be 216 watts?

Also...should the entire flower be done with 2700k bulbs or should they be mixed in with the 6500k bulbs for maximum results?

Id go with the 150w HPS, but if the space allows it then go right for the 250w HPS.
150w HPS would use less electricity than 216w T5s and give better light. 150w HPS wont be enough for a room (depends on what size your talking about) but the T5 wont be enough either. Both would be ok for a "small" growspace.

I'd go with the T5 over CFL, but that's just my 2 cents...

My space is like 6 x 4 feet..would the 150 watt HPS be sufficient if I have 2, no more than 3 plants? The walls are lined with mylar too btw..

intenseneal said:

HO T5 has more PAR per watt than CFL. I am using both on my grow so far good results. 6500K for veg and 2700-3000K for flower.

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What's the par/watt ratio of a T5 vs CFL?