Fluorescent Light 4 x 4 Veg area QUESTIONS!? +rep for help

quietguy420

quietguy420

Well-Known Member
So I'm thinking of adding a grow tent to veg in, was wondering if anyone knew about t5's and how much light you would need for this space? Would this be enough???? And the Lumen Output is per bulb correct????
Are there fixtures that I can rig together myself at lowes, homebase, homedepot etc???? New to t5s any help appreciated.

http://www.e-conolight.com/linear-fluorescent-high-bay/6-lamp-commercial/6-lamp-commercial-linear-fluorescent.html


Customization choices..
54w t5
5100k cool white
Specular reflector
No motion sensor.
No emergency ballast.
120v 3 wire cord.
$149.90

Commercial 6-lamp Linear Fluorescent fixture, 54W T5HO with specular aluminum reflectors. Lamps included.

Applications: Warehouses, industrial and retail sites. Comparable Performance: 400W Probe Start Metal Halide High Bay.

Dimensions: 3.3-in H x 24-in W x 48.8" L
Lamp Type: 54W T5HO, 5100K
Lamp Output: 4950 initial lumens | 4675 mean lumens """ per bulb/lamp """ ????
Lamp Color Rendition: 85 CRI

Thanks in advance
 
Medi 1

Medi 1

Well-Known Member
there is a diff in the high outputs to a reg T-5 in lumens. what you get at lowes or homo depot is a reg T-5
yes that will be the rating per tube not for the whole rack of em. may want to rethink the kelvin # if its just for veg or just for flower. ytou have a muiddle of the spectrum tube tyhere. should be in the 2000k range for flowering and 7000k range to veg. if you want to do both under this light then you are ok in the middle

the fixture is all same but tubes arent
 
wyteberrywidow

wyteberrywidow

Global
That will be good enough to veg with.The lumen output seems about right.
But if you are going to veg with this lamp why not get 5900-6500k that would be more toward the daylight specs that you need for veg.
i dont think lowes or home depot have t5s yet i know they have t8s and t12s that can be used for veg.So it is up to you.
With that amount of money i would get a 175 watt mh or a 250 mh.
 
quietguy420

quietguy420

Well-Known Member
the highest they offer is 5100. Sounds like I should pick up the fixture though?? And then just hit 1000 bulbs up?
I have extra mh and hps hooded fixtures lying around. I don't wanna deal with heat in a veg room though. I figured the whole drawing factor to fluorescents was their cool temps. Really dont want to run exhausting fans and tubing again lol. Its actualy for a 8x4 but i figure if it works for 1/2 just get 2.
 
Medi 1

Medi 1

Well-Known Member
not sure what the 1000 bulb thing means, and you should find the right tubes at a grow shop not a lowes is why they dont have the right k tubes
 
Medi 1

Medi 1

Well-Known Member
ah, ok. i know the place. can get just tubes at any hydro shop. we sell them at the one i work at.
 
quietguy420

quietguy420

Well-Known Member
The hydro shop bulbs aren't any more special than discount bulb dealers if you can find the right spectrum, except INSANE markups. I understand everyone has to make a living but 200%-400% markups at my local shop. I cant afford to be feeding their kids single handedly.

http://www.thehydrosource.com/Lighting/Fluorescent_Lighting/Plantmax_T5_Lamps/Plantmax_T5_4_Ft_54w_Fluorescent_Lamp_Warm_3000K hydro store 8-11$ per bulb I need 12 of em so at least $100

http://1000bulbs.com/product/4964/FHO-054T5830.html $120 for 50 bulbs =D thats allot of replacements.
Always get your bulbs from a dealer. Or your gonna pay an arm and a leg.
 
Medi 1

Medi 1

Well-Known Member
sure i9f anyione finds them cheeper elsewhere form a hydro shop get it done. i just suggest them as they have a better stock of what we need.
 
quietguy420

quietguy420

Well-Known Member
So true, I'm quick to knock them but when something happens and I need rooting solution or a replacement bulb for an unexpected blow out or ANYTHING, I'm at there door 10 minutes before opening wallet in hand =D Life saver having a place to get emergency supplies instead of waiting 3 days or longer for shipping. Also organic substrate pre mix, they have 50lb black cubes of it for like $40. It would cost me that much in shipping alone to get from a dealer lol.
 
bigv1976

bigv1976

Well-Known Member
I have seen many points made in this thread that I agree with and some I dont. I run a 2x4 tent with a 2x3 scrog and a 4 foot 6 bulb T5. I think T5's get a bad rap and I believe to be mostly because there is a place for every type of light and I dont see people using T5's efficiently start to finish. My opinion is not for the guy that uses T5's just for veg. It is also not for the guy that has a larger grow area. I am talking about using it start to finish in a small space (4x4 or smaller). I have grown with HID's in various configurations and have switched to a full time T5 grower and I will explain how I use them and why.
I use my light over a SCROG. I am a huge scrog fan and I do not have a large area to grow in for various reasons. I only grow in a 2x4 tent and I smoke about 1/2 oz. a week. So I am basically shooting for 8+ oz. per grow.
I decided to give T5 a shot and am glad I did!! I heard the T5 gives you small yields of fluffy buds. My light puts out 30,000 lumens and a 400 HPS puts out 50,000. So the HPS is better right? Not for me. Remember I have a small space and I SCROG. So why is T5 my choice? Due to my scrog my canopy stays flat and even. HID light has a small single source of light which radiates in an arced shape. This means that the cola that is in the middle of my screen is getting quite a bit more light that the cola in the corner of my screen. With my 6 bulb T5 the light source is flat and even just like my canopy so all my colas are receiving equal light. The second reason for my choice is the big one everyone talks about. Heat. I believe that there is a misconception that fluos put out less heat than HIDs and I would argue that. I think 400 watts of HID puts out generally the same heat as 400 watts of fluos. The point I would argue is the managability of the heat. My T5's heat is spread out over a 2x4 foot area reducing the heat intensity to any given spot on the canopy. Controlling heat in my tent is quite simple and I can tune it by using a fan controller. The less intense heat brings me to my final reason for using T5s. This is the most important part and I feel that it is sooooooo under rated. My light hovers 1" from my colas giving them as close to 100% light usage as possible. Light disipates very quickly relative to the distance from the source (see the attached chart). So I have to figure that 30,000 lumens at 1" is more efficient than 50,000 lumens at 12".
I am not trying to say "T5 is better than HID". Remember that I said in the beginning that each light has it's place. If you have a 10x10 grow room and you want to SOG sativas you would be an idiot for going with T5 lights but on the other hand I see hundreds of posts on how to control heat from guys trying to stuff HIDs in small enclosures. So I believe that for me a T5 is the way to go and I challenge the rest of you to figure out what is right for you rather than trying to stuff an HID in a small space because the guy sogging 40 plants told you it is the best light. Do some reasearch and post your own words rather than reiterating what the last guy said. I will answer any T5 question as best I can. Thanks for reading.
 
GoldenGanja13

GoldenGanja13

Well-Known Member
I have used HO T-5s till the end on Auto's to compare them with auto's flowered under a 600 hps. Well the T5 auto's came in small harvest, small buds and low resin. I did not switch the bulbs from blue to red so that was one reason why they where so crappy and under a 0. The ones done under the HPS was huge buds, extra coated and 2-3 oz per plant. SO if your going to use T5s all the way, make sure you change your bulbs with the light cycle.
 
bigv1976

bigv1976

Well-Known Member
I dont need advice really. My last grow was 3 plants under a 2x3 screen and yeilded 13 ozs. so I think I got it figured out on this end.
 
GoldenGanja13

GoldenGanja13

Well-Known Member
Sounds great. I had 4 plants in a 3.8 X 3.8 X 8 under one 600 and I harvested 23oz. And I personally still accept advice.
bigv1976 said:
I dont need advice really. My last grow was 3 plants under a 2x3 screen and yeilded 13 ozs. so I think I got it figured out on this end.
Click to expand...
 
bigv1976

bigv1976

Well-Known Member
Sorry maybe I came across wrong there. Wasnt trying to be disrespectful. I kinda figured out how to use a T5 efficiently on my own because most people here just repeat the last guy and talk about things like this with zero first hand knowledge.
 
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