Finally Going To...

[williams2311]

Well its been a long process but its finally done im moving on friday and would like my grow set up by next week but now im a little strapped for cash and cant buy the things i had planned on so now i need your guys help its going to be a small closet grow probably 3 plants in veg and 3 in budding I have a 1000 watt hps light and bulb ballast i would like 2 separate rooms so i pretty much need everything still but looking for cheaper light for clone/veg fan carbon filter is a must so if you guys could give me some tips on how to get started with things to grow quality meds at a cheap price so if you guys have any used equipment or have been in my shoes and had to start a budget grow could you give me some help on what i have to do please and thank you 

[Celliach]

Get a 48" fluorescent shop light from Home Depot to start your veg.  When you have more money you can get something better.

[williams2311]

Get a 48" fluorescent shop light from Home Depot to start your veg.  When you have more money you can get something better.

I have been looking into fluorescence lights and is it ok to use that up until I put them into flowering?

Also whats the diff between t5 t12s? Which one would you recommend?

[Celliach]

If you're trying to save money, just get a normal shop light with normal bulbs.  All together it would be less than $20 at a warehouse-type hardware store.

 

In a few weeks/months when you get some cash invest in a 400w MH for veg, but save the money for now so you can get the MH sooner.

[williams2311]

I plan on getting a mh soon I just got to get something going for the time being. So it really dont matter what bulbs I get as far as fluorescent?

Edited May 7, 2013 by williams2311

[Celliach]

No, regular bulbs will work fine for a short period.  When I first started growing in another state almost 20 years ago, I used fluorescent bulbs that I bought at a Lowe's store.  (Do they have Lowe's in Michigan?  There are none in the UP, I know that.  It's like Home Depot or Menard's)  I got the fixture and two bulbs for about $12 at the time.  They were so cheap I bought two of them and used them in veg for almost a year until I was given a 400w Mh by a friend that had stopped growing.

[williams2311]

Yea they have a lower and alright I will definitely check them out and see what they have is there anything different I have to do as far as vegging with a fluorescent rather mh?

[Celliach]

No

[thanks2]

Yea they have a lower and alright I will definitely check them out and see what they have is there anything different I have to do as far as vegging with a fluorescent rather mh?

Do not get the soft light bulb.  You want to get one in the blue spectrum, so look for a cool light or day light.  Try to avoid the warm lights.  If you have different choices in cool lights compare the lumens and get the highest one.  The only difference from HID lighting is the distance the light can be to the plants.  You want the light to just about touch the plants.

[Hayduke]

t-5 bulbs far outstrip a basic fluorescent light (is that larger one a t-9) in my humble mind.  You can find them in many combinations:  2 foot or 4 foot, two different spectrums, and ganged together with 2, 4 or 8 bulbs.  

[Petyr]

Menards has 2 bulb 48" T8 fixtures for $18

 

http://www.menards.com/main/lighting-fans/indoor-lights/fluorescent/2-light-48-white-high-performance-fluorescent-plug-in-shoplight/p-1385009-c-6354.htm

 

Get some 32 watt T8 bulbs for it, 4000k + for the kelvin/color temp.

 

If you get 2 of those it should cover your 3 plants and if you upgrade later, the lamps are good for keeping mothers, cloning under, and other things.

 

If you want to go the CFL route, the cheap easy way is to buy a 3 bulb bathroom fixture like http://www.menards.com/main/lighting-fans/indoor-lights/vanity-lights/3-light-bath-bracket/p-1731068-c-6361.htm , buy 3 Y adapters

 

and then 6 daylight or cool white CFL bulbs.  23 watt bulbs are usually the best bang for the buck.

 

You might need 2 of those setups to fit 3 plants under, I dunno how big you plan on vegging.

 

You probably won't use these after you upgrade, but you can use the bulbs in your house.

 

Oh and the diff between the various floro bulbs (T5, T8, T12) is basically lumens per watt.  T5 are the strongest, but also the most expensive and the bulbs are not readily available like T8s and T12s.  If you were looking at something permanent, T5s would probably be worth it, but then you may as well get PL55s if you are going to have to order/go to the hydro store for the bulbs.  

 

 

 

[williams2311]

ok i got a 8 bulb 4 foot t5 fixture will that do for the 3 i want in veg?

[Dlo]

The "T" system is used to measure the diameter of the bulb. Each "T" represents one-eight of an inch. Therefore, a T5 would have a 5/8" diameter, a T8 would have a 1" diameter, and so forth. Fluorescent bulbs will come in three common sizes - T5, T8 and T12. T8 and T12 are normal-output fluorescent bulbs. They're the ones most people have. T5 are high-output fluorescent bulbs. They're more powerful than normal-output fluorescents, but also require a different ballast to power it, and cannot be used with the common fluorescent fixture.

[Dlo]

I can fit 8 plants under under my 8 bulb T5, shouldnt have a problem

[williams2311]

Thank you for explaining that I was unsure what it all stood for

[Celliach]

If you're trying to save money for just a couple of months until you get a better light, you're fine with regular bulbs.  There's no need to pay the extra money for a light you intend to replace in 8 to 10 weeks.

[williams2311]

Yes I'm trying to save money but I bought my light fixture used so I think I'll replace them I found 8 cool blues for 30

[Dlo]

I like my 8 bulb T5 better then 400w mh or hps in veg. Cant beat the footprint, you can have 8 big plants under it instead of 4. I think you get tighter node spacing also.

JMO

[Celliach]

I've tried every type of lighting in veg; fluorescent, LED, HPS and Mh over the years.  In my experience, the best that I've found was to use 400w HPS with a 400w Mh.  The plants grow twice as fast as any other lighting system.  LED was definitely the worst. I will not recommend them to anyone.  As far as I'm concerned, LEDs are just a waste of money.

[williams2311]

I would like to get a small mh can't find a good deal really maybe after I get it going

[Juicy]

The 8 bulb T5 light fixture you bought was an excellent purchase for Veg.

It gives off heat almost like a 400W MH so venting as always is needed.

The footprint is just beautiful. Can't beat that spread even with a naked MH.

 

What I really wish for in the realm of The Veg stage is a MH conversion bulb for a 600W HPS set up. It just sounds so yummy to me They have them and I'm itching to have a go at em'.

 

I Love the T5's, but I do long for the air cooled hood MH Love machine.

 

 

To do a nice mixed spectrum for your girls in Veg with the T5's - run 6 blue bulbs and 2 reds.

Under your hood the bulbs would look like this   I I I I I I I I 

~Enjoy

 

 

 

 

[Celliach]

I would like to get a small mh can't find a good deal really maybe after I get it going

 

Try eBay

[williams2311]

The 8 bulb T5 light fixture you bought was an excellent purchase for Veg.

It gives off heat almost like a 400W MH so venting as always is needed.

The footprint is just beautiful. Can't beat that spread even with a naked MH.

 

What I really wish for in the realm of The Veg stage is a MH conversion bulb for a 600W HPS set up. It just sounds so yummy to me They have them and I'm itching to have a go at em'.

 

I Love the T5's, but I do long for the air cooled hood MH Love machine.

 

 

To do a nice mixed spectrum for your girls in Veg with the T5's - run 6 blue bulbs and 2 reds.

Under your hood the bulbs would look like this I I I I I I I I

~Enjoy

What does the red lights do for the plants?

[pergamum362]

Just makes a full light spectrum for plants.lol don't worry about all this tech stuff.plug her In and get to growing.

[williams2311]

I just like to know why to do things them ways i woudnt have ever thought of putting two red bulbs in there