noobish lighting question

This may sound noobish to you but I did some research for better lighting for my plants. Currently im using (12) 26w cfl's putting out 19,200 lumens.. and i spent maybe 80 to build the whole thing..

I found a website to a place I want to see if it still is there but if it is which light would you suggest and would the heat be a problem? I don't know the output of heat of anythign other then incandescent and cfl..

Five Point Gardens - Indiana

They have MH and HPS lights. I currently am in vegging stage right now. I see some nice HPS lights with over 140,000 lumens.. and some MH lights with around 90,000 lumens.. would this considerably help speed up growth? Also possibility of more bud? I can't but them just yet because I don't have the funds to do so but I hope to soon check it out..

Here are some other places im gonna check out too..

SuperPages.com: Map

it gives u a map of the city I live in and garden shops... nice

How large is your grow area? Would this be for a vegging or flowering area? Do you adquate venting? Is an air cooled hood a must? What size of light are you lookig for? HPS?

Well waht ever I could use. the space is 54 inches widw by i think 20 inches deep.. and about 80 inches tall.. the 20 inches is a guess the rest i measured... if i can do both veg and flowering with 1 light that would be what i want.. but if its betetr to switch then i need to get both.. xD

okay I've asked the same question and what I came up with is CFLs are better for vegging (because of how close you can put the lights, its supposed to speed up the growth significantly compared to HID) and HID for flowering. For flowering, the best possible bulb you can get is the dual spectrum type. There's a bulb you can get that has both a 400w MH and a 600w HPS in it, you easily just use that the whole grow if you wanted. But yeah, using one of those, the plants absorb about 12% more light and you get 1 Liter bottle size kolas, and they're a lot more compact. My situation is I am a closet grower, with big ambitions. Figuring out how to get insane yields in a small space is what I'm all about. Also you might wanna look into Low Stress Training for max yields. Here's an AWESOME link: How-To : LST (Low Stress Training) - Grasscity.com Forums

Basically bending the plant over to grow horizontally so that the branches grow vertically and are tricked into thinking they're all main stems and become King Kolas I hope that helped! Now gimme my rep biatch lol

Well my 12 CFL's are putting off enormas heat for a meer 19,200 lumens I get temps reaching 112 degrees.. so i had to buy an air conditonerr and leave door kinda opened.. as for venting i do not have any yet but air circulates.. i can build a vent system fairly easy by drillign 2 holes in my wall.. 1 at top blowing air out and at bottom blowing in.. that way cool air is blown in not the hot air.. i have a fan in the closet blowing directly on my 10 plants.. yeah didnt mean to germinate 10 .. x-x oh well

iwir3d
The lights you have will work nicely for veg. ( blue light spectrum )
They would work better with a few cfl's from the other end of the spectrum.
A full spectrum is always preferable.

You will want more of a red spectrum for your flowering cycle..


For twelve 26w cfl's I would say you have enough light for 6 plants.
Remember to keep them as close as possible to the plants without burning them. (2")

You need an intake and exhaust fan and probably an ocilating fan too.


Happy growing

Go to FAQ and read getting started. There is a lot of info about lighting.

Well I read those already. My question is should I.. my lights can be closer then 2 inches tho.. but 112F is way to hot.. i dont know wha tthe output in heat for the other lights but maybe they will be less? My a/c is workign its ass off just to keep a 93F temperature in my room.. thats a bit high unless i wanna use co2 which I dont have unless soda water counts.. that i have an unlimited supply of for free.. lol from my work

Check out the yeast and sugar co2 in growfaq.

You need fans and lots of them.

Exhaust and intake..
If you have any old computers jack the fans out and hook up to a 12v power cord.
I used an old electric razor power cord. (they are 12v)

Or an old cellphone charger can be wired to a pc fan too. MidGrade gave you great advice...Venting is gonna be key...fresh air in and hot air out. Gotta have it with any light. Those you're asking about are gonna make alot more heat than your cfls.

But since you seem to have the $$$...go buy some good fans meant for venting a growroom.

okay.. thats what i needed to knwo if they put off more heat.. because im gonna need better ventalation when i switch to flowering (better lights).. because buying 12 (150w equiv cfls) redish orange glow will probably put off more hat yet but at least be equiv to 150*12 watts.. lol consumption is like 42*12 tho for them..

Quick question. looking online at a store near me's website. I see this. Now I have a decent question. How do I determin the Lumens/Spectrum of this light?

Lithonia Lighting* TFR 400S TA TB LPI - $199.78 at The Home Depot

I would like to check the website but every time I try to on a product I find it does not list nor does HD list it.. has anyone used this light or know anything more then I do about it? Forgot to add.. would this work? if so would it be better then using my 12 26w CFL Daylights (19k lumens about).. Cost to run is not a problem tho if you know which is cheaper.. lol

Lithonia Lighting  TFR 400S TA TB LPI - $199.78 at The Home Depot


Hello, anyone? I will be stopping by the store probably tomorrow to get this if it will work.. Just need to know before I wast my money.

400W HPS (not sure lumens or spectrum, it doesnt list...)

Hi-Tech Garden Supply $119.95
HTGSupply 400 watt High Pressure Sodium Grow Light

this will be much better................imo

Problem is
a) nothign can be shipped to my house.. im either not home or its impossible to find.. my house is the only house way the fuck off the road.. lol
b) is there any BETTER solution then my stupid light setup thats not very powerfull at all and probaby wasting my money as we speak.

Grrr.. i think this might be an online only item from home depot .. . grr im gonna have to go there and figure it out but unfortunatly i was there looking and nothing listed on the boxes even hinted any of the information i need so ill have to call a friend to try and look it up... =[

ups drops mine off and im good.............lol

the htg lights are ment for growing and have a better light spectrum

the flood light will work,but good luck with the wiring and ballast 120/240v

also the htg light is plug in and grow, no hassel................good luck

o yeh..........how do you get your mail...................lol ;->-"

My mail is in a mail box.. not on the house but on the road.. my house has a drivway about a quarter of a mile long.. and it kinda curves back.. so if you drive vy you miss my house.. we always had to have ups deliver to my grandmas and id really like to not draw attention to myself.. as for wiring goes thats very easy to do.. my current 12 bulb setup my brother and i wired using an extension cord and some housing electrical wire (very thick) .. works nicely. well grow lights would be prefered. I think actually walmart has some "grow lights" but there the bulbs themself and I don;t remember the details of them.. i think very low wattage tho.. like 25 or 30..

As of now I have a shitty light setup.. designed for about 6 plants.. I currently have 10 plants.. (4 to many) and I need either a better light setup or to chuck some plants outside and pray they live because out here they will probably die...

I found a place I am gonan check out.. given the choice of MH and HPS I need to determin which is better...

http://fivepointgardens.com/pics/lamp/standardhpsbig.JPG - HPS Lights
http://fivepointgardens.com/pics/lamp/standardmh2big.JPG - MH Lights

good luck these are bulbs only, no ballast

mh for veg

hps for flower

They also have balasts tho.. Would these work good? Here is the site..

Five Point Gardens indoor gardening, hydropinics, grow lights - South Bend Indiana

I would also be looking for a MH/HPS switchable balast.. maybe 1000w one? Then 1 of each.. Also it looked like they have MH ones that are veg and mh ones for flower.. would it be better to use a MH only and do the 2 diff mh bulb types? or suggestions?