Worped
Well-Known Member
Because of space, visibility and being a n00b, I'm currently working my first small rubbermaid grow using CFLs, although I'm having a hard time with it. Mostly I'm using the project as a learning experience.
Based on what I've already learned and the addictive hold indoor growing has grasped me with, I'm going to start putting together a bigger, more formal grow room, with the intention of using it for experimenting with all sorts of growing (marijuana, herbs, flowers, veggies, etc). The idea behind the new room is that it needs to be flexible to allow for whatever I choose to work on.
I'm still in the planning stages, but the full room will likely be 10' x 5' (7.5' ceiling). I'm thinking of dividing the room into 2 5' sections, at least for now.
I've spent the last couple of weeks reading about lighting, but I haven't been able to put a complete picture together as to what I should use. I'm hoping that the smart folks here will help me come up with a good solution.
HID (HPS in particular) seems to be a heavy favorite, although I can find all kinds of threads here with people discussing their very satisfactory yields using fluorescents (tubes and CFLs). They're heavy on the power draw and heat generation, but the most efficient lighting. They're also expensive to purchase.
I've read LOTS of stuff about CFLs and while I've had problems with my current grow, when the plants were healthy they were growing like crazy. CFLs are cheap, come in a variety of spectrums, are easy to install, and generate little heat.
Tube fluorescents are a little more confusing to me. There's T5, T8, T12, HO, VHO, etc. T8 and T12 fixtures are readily available around me, but I'd likely have to order T5 stuff. Tube lights seem to be the coolest of all and the various lengths seems handy (although I'd want 4-ft fixtures).
I'm really not considering any sort of HID for vegging. The Mr. Green "I grow chronic" video series, which I'm drawing inspiration from, used 3 4-ft 2-bulb fixtures (they look like T8s) for the vegetative room. Each fixture had a blue and red spectrum bulb. It seemed to work for him.
Since I'm thinking only fluorescents, the question becomes, "which do I use - tube or CFL?"
Tubes are cooler and longer and I wouldn't have to build anything (except maybe a reflector if the fixture didn't have a good one). The bulbs are a little more difficult to handle at disposal time. T5 is smaller than T8 and (if I remember correctly) seems to produce a little more light (HO and VHO certainly do). T5 systems are more expensive, so is the cost difference worth it?
CFLs are smaller, really easy to use, lots of variety. I've got a couple of 3-socket fixtures now and a bunch of 43W bulbs, but I could easily buy larger fixtures. Throw in some Y-adapters, build some reflectors, and I could get some serious wattage. The smaller fixture sizes would give me more flexibility in room configuration as well.
I don't completely have a grasp of how lumens work, but one question that I'll need to answer is this - are 2 4-ft 34W tubes that generate 2600 lumens per bulb the same as 2 43W CFLs at 2600 lumens per bulb? From a power standpoint, the tubes are better, but does the length of the bulb affect the quality of the light (you know, something like lumens/length - remember, I'm a n00b)?
Any thoughts/advice/extra info would be welcome. I'll post more information as I find it.
Based on what I've already learned and the addictive hold indoor growing has grasped me with, I'm going to start putting together a bigger, more formal grow room, with the intention of using it for experimenting with all sorts of growing (marijuana, herbs, flowers, veggies, etc). The idea behind the new room is that it needs to be flexible to allow for whatever I choose to work on.
I'm still in the planning stages, but the full room will likely be 10' x 5' (7.5' ceiling). I'm thinking of dividing the room into 2 5' sections, at least for now.
I've spent the last couple of weeks reading about lighting, but I haven't been able to put a complete picture together as to what I should use. I'm hoping that the smart folks here will help me come up with a good solution.
HID (HPS in particular) seems to be a heavy favorite, although I can find all kinds of threads here with people discussing their very satisfactory yields using fluorescents (tubes and CFLs). They're heavy on the power draw and heat generation, but the most efficient lighting. They're also expensive to purchase.
I've read LOTS of stuff about CFLs and while I've had problems with my current grow, when the plants were healthy they were growing like crazy. CFLs are cheap, come in a variety of spectrums, are easy to install, and generate little heat.
Tube fluorescents are a little more confusing to me. There's T5, T8, T12, HO, VHO, etc. T8 and T12 fixtures are readily available around me, but I'd likely have to order T5 stuff. Tube lights seem to be the coolest of all and the various lengths seems handy (although I'd want 4-ft fixtures).
I'm really not considering any sort of HID for vegging. The Mr. Green "I grow chronic" video series, which I'm drawing inspiration from, used 3 4-ft 2-bulb fixtures (they look like T8s) for the vegetative room. Each fixture had a blue and red spectrum bulb. It seemed to work for him.
Since I'm thinking only fluorescents, the question becomes, "which do I use - tube or CFL?"
Tubes are cooler and longer and I wouldn't have to build anything (except maybe a reflector if the fixture didn't have a good one). The bulbs are a little more difficult to handle at disposal time. T5 is smaller than T8 and (if I remember correctly) seems to produce a little more light (HO and VHO certainly do). T5 systems are more expensive, so is the cost difference worth it?
CFLs are smaller, really easy to use, lots of variety. I've got a couple of 3-socket fixtures now and a bunch of 43W bulbs, but I could easily buy larger fixtures. Throw in some Y-adapters, build some reflectors, and I could get some serious wattage. The smaller fixture sizes would give me more flexibility in room configuration as well.
I don't completely have a grasp of how lumens work, but one question that I'll need to answer is this - are 2 4-ft 34W tubes that generate 2600 lumens per bulb the same as 2 43W CFLs at 2600 lumens per bulb? From a power standpoint, the tubes are better, but does the length of the bulb affect the quality of the light (you know, something like lumens/length - remember, I'm a n00b)?
Any thoughts/advice/extra info would be welcome. I'll post more information as I find it.