questions about lighting?

braxpage2009

Active Member
right now im starting out using three 20 watt T12 plant and aquarium flourescent grow lights...i was wondering if i was to switch it to a 400 watt MH light set up would that be better and would it save time when i want to bud my plants? would i need another light to do the budding or could i do the whole thing with one 400 watt MH light set up? i grow in my closet and i have 6 plants that are two weeks old. they look like i have burned them in a few spots...can i fix that as well? give me some advice.
i have regular potting soil for the soil , a fan for air, i don't use nutes, aluminum foil on the walls for reflection, i have my lights about 2 and a half inches from the top of the plant? what would be the best set up for what i got?
 

MurderAlley

Well-Known Member
right now im starting out using three 20 watt T12 plant and aquarium flourescent grow lights...i was wondering if i was to switch it to a 400 watt MH light set up would that be better and would it save time when i want to bud my plants? would i need another light to do the budding or could i do the whole thing with one 400 watt MH light set up? i grow in my closet and i have 6 plants that are two weeks old. they look like i have burned them in a few spots...can i fix that as well? give me some advice.
i have regular potting soil for the soil , a fan for air, i don't use nutes, aluminum foil on the walls for reflection, i have my lights about 2 and a half inches from the top of the plant? what would be the best set up for what i got?
Loose the foil, causes heat buildup and can burn plants, u can probably get those t12 within 1 inch with no problems for max light penetration too. U can def go from seed to harvest with a 400mh although an hps is better for flowering. If im not mistaken you can purchase a hps conversion bulb that enables u to run an hps bulb off a mh ballast. Good luck:blsmoke:
 

crzywhboy6669

Well-Known Member
right now im starting out using three 20 watt T12 plant and aquarium flourescent grow lights...i was wondering if i was to switch it to a 400 watt MH light set up would that be better and would it save time when i want to bud my plants? would i need another light to do the budding or could i do the whole thing with one 400 watt MH light set up? i grow in my closet and i have 6 plants that are two weeks old. they look like i have burned them in a few spots...can i fix that as well? give me some advice.
i have regular potting soil for the soil , a fan for air, i don't use nutes, aluminum foil on the walls for reflection, i have my lights about 2 and a half inches from the top of the plant? what would be the best set up for what i got?
the Mh would be alittle better most likely for your plants. if its burning ur plants move the light away. keep it about 4" away from ur plants.get rid of the foil and just paint the walls flat white. aHPS would be best for flower. please post pix for better help on problems. how many hours a day are you running the lights?
 

braxpage2009

Active Member
the Mh would be alittle better most likely for your plants. if its burning ur plants move the light away. keep it about 4" away from ur plants.get rid of the foil and just paint the walls flat white. aHPS would be best for flower. please post pix for better help on problems. how many hours a day are you running the lights?
i was trying to save money so i could get the hps later but i guess im gonna have to go ahead and get the set up, i found a ballast that can convert from mh to hps so i might get that and start out with the mh and change to the hps when it is flowering time. i moved the lights that i have now up. and got rid of the foil, my walls are white in there, i was trying to get more reflection but i will stick with the walls for now, the stems were wilting over but now the are standing on their own, well two of the plants were, i turned up the fan so i guess it helped. also, i am not using any nutes right now, do you think it would be better if i did?
 

crzywhboy6669

Well-Known Member
i was trying to save money so i could get the hps later but i guess im gonna have to go ahead and get the set up, i found a ballast that can convert from mh to hps so i might get that and start out with the mh and change to the hps when it is flowering time. i moved the lights that i have now up. and got rid of the foil, my walls are white in there, i was trying to get more reflection but i will stick with the walls for now, the stems were wilting over but now the are standing on their own, well two of the plants were, i turned up the fan so i guess it helped. also, i am not using any nutes right now, do you think it would be better if i did?
if u want more reflection use mylar or just keep the flat white paint. what kind of soil are you using? most soils have enough nutes to last 3-4 weeks. when u do start using nutes start at 1/4 of what it says to and then bump it up every week till ur at full nutes.
 

braxpage2009

Active Member
if u want more reflection use mylar or just keep the flat white paint. what kind of soil are you using? most soils have enough nutes to last 3-4 weeks. when u do start using nutes start at 1/4 of what it says to and then bump it up every week till ur at full nutes.
im using perfect mix potting soil from walmart...they seem to be strong but i am concerned with the height, this is my first grow so im kinda experimenting, it's off bag seeds. will they survive through the burn? here is some pics. do you have any advice on a fail proof set up?
 

crzywhboy6669

Well-Known Member
im using perfect mix potting soil from walmart...they seem to be strong but i am concerned with the height, this is my first grow so im kinda experimenting, it's off bag seeds. will they survive through the burn? here is some pics. do you have any advice on a fail proof set up?
first off nothing in the is fail proof.is that foil i see if so i would get rid of it. paint the walls flat white or use mylar. i know a setup that the guy harvests 1 pound every 3 weeks if u want. its an areoponic setup. and u need sum room for the setup. it cost sum money to set up tho. i'll post the link on ur tread if u want. and bag seeds are the best to experiment with. i forgot what lights are you using and how far away are they?
 

braxpage2009

Active Member
first off nothing in the is fail proof.is that foil i see if so i would get rid of it. paint the walls flat white or use mylar. i know a setup that the guy harvests 1 pound every 3 weeks if u want. its an areoponic setup. and u need sum room for the setup. it cost sum money to set up tho. i'll post the link on ur tread if u want. and bag seeds are the best to experiment with. i forgot what lights are you using and how far away are they?
yea man, it is, i took it down right after i found out it was a bad idea, those pics were taken earlier today, right now its just plain white walls, im using three 20 wat T12 plant and aquarium flourescent lights...everyone was telling me that flourescent was a waste of time but i was trying to do it as cheap as possible, i have two places set up , i sprouted them outside in my utility shed and moved them inside after about a week, i only have my close which is about 4 1/2 ft be412 ft space to use. my plants are growing everyday but it being my first time i'm just being really picky about every little thing i see. what advice do you have. i wanted to get a ballast that i could use a 400 watt mh and when it was budding time i was gonna change the bulb to a 400 watt hps. i found a ballast online that converts the two but is that a good idea or do you got something better in mind?
 

crzywhboy6669

Well-Known Member
yea man, it is, i took it down right after i found out it was a bad idea, those pics were taken earlier today, right now its just plain white walls, im using three 20 wat T12 plant and aquarium flourescent lights...everyone was telling me that flourescent was a waste of time but i was trying to do it as cheap as possible, i have two places set up , i sprouted them outside in my utility shed and moved them inside after about a week, i only have my close which is about 4 1/2 ft be412 ft space to use. my plants are growing everyday but it being my first time i'm just being really picky about every little thing i see. what advice do you have. i wanted to get a ballast that i could use a 400 watt mh and when it was budding time i was gonna change the bulb to a 400 watt hps. i found a ballast online that converts the two but is that a good idea or do you got something better in mind?
dont listen to them about the florors. u can grow the whole thing on them. just make sure u use the 6500K for veg and 2700-3000K for flower. yeild wont be as much but it will still grow good. ive been looking into 1 of the MH/HPS ballasts myself. you will have 1 before i will i bet. becuase im broke as hell right now. if you do buy one pm me and let me know please how they are. dont let other people tell u how do grow ur own plant. its urs not theres. im here to help if i can. and rep the people that give me info i can use. if you dont know how to rep people its the + button on there post. sum one had to tell me where it was.
heres the link i was telling u about take a look. im going aeroponic system when i get the money to becuase of this guy.
https://www.rollitup.org/hydroponics-aeroponics/116859-harvest-pound-every-three-weeks.html
 

braxpage2009

Active Member
dont listen to them about the florors. u can grow the whole thing on them. just make sure u use the 6500K for veg and 2700-3000K for flower. yeild wont be as much but it will still grow good. ive been looking into 1 of the MH/HPS ballasts myself. you will have 1 before i will i bet. becuase im broke as hell right now. if you do buy one pm me and let me know please how they are. dont let other people tell u how do grow ur own plant. its urs not theres. im here to help if i can. and rep the people that give me info i can use. if you dont know how to rep people its the + button on there post. sum one had to tell me where it was.
heres the link i was telling u about take a look. im going aeroponic system when i get the money to becuase of this guy.
https://www.rollitup.org/hydroponics-aeroponics/116859-harvest-pound-every-three-weeks.html
yea i am gonna get that ballast set up in the next couple of weeks and set one closet up with it and the other up with the floro. lights. i want see which is better for me. i don't use nutes or nothing yet...that is they have almost everything you need for really good prices on htgsupply.com. you can get do it yourself stuff for almost half the price of it regularly. it's a good site.
 

crzywhboy6669

Well-Known Member
ya they do have good prises on there. thats where ive been looking and other places. but most likely i will just keep going to my local hydro shop.i would test the two ways of growing with clones from 1 plant and have them marked so u know what clones came from what plant.
 
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