T5 vs. T8 floro's

I know this question has probably been asked before but all this lighting stuff is really starting to confuse me!! I really need some lights for my veg room but am kinda on a slight budget right now. I have been thinking about getting a couple of 4' 4 bulb T8 fluorescent lights and then maybe adding some cfl's around it. Will T8 electronic type ballast fluorescents work for a veg room or not? And if so what type of T8 bulbs will work? Most of the time all I see on the bulb descriptions are things like white, soft white, etc. Also will any type of CFL work as well, as long as I have enough of them?? The reason I want to use T8's so bad is because I can get these fixtures given to me!!!

Again I know everyone is sick of these questions but I am desperate for some type of straight answer. The problem with all this intense description of light spectrums and such is that the description on the lights themselves at a hardware store or somewhere doesn't tell u this. Sorry for the lame question again!

I don't know what a T8 tube is. A 4' shoplight is usually the cheapest fixture that you can buy, and the T12 tubes for it are cheapest too. You can use those just fine, as many have for years. Now the T5 tubes are being used in growing, being much smaller in diameter they can be closer together.

For spectrums, the blue end for veg, it's called cool white, and the red end for flowering, called warm white.

HTH

T8's are small in diameter as well as T5's. That's why I'm wondering what the difference is. Thanks for the info on the soft and cool white thing. That's what i was lookin for!

pot roast is awesome i have been looking for the same no nonsence answer and you gave it to me thanx man!!