need help with fluoro lights

I have a new setup with 2 "75" watt plant lights that i got from walmart. They said plant lights there in the lighting section with the black lights and under cabinet lights are. Well im wondering about the T4 T5 lighting thing. I dont know what they are. Is it the bulb thats T5 or the ballast that holds them? My buddy grew 2 plants with 2 0f these and 2 smaller pinkish colored lights. I am wondering what these are how I can find on the package if their T5 or what. I want the most bang for my buck. because his grow only netted a half ounce of bud and was wondering if different bulbs or what can get me better production without having to spring for HID or HPS lights.

T4 and T5 refer to sizing you don't really need to pay attention to. Search "cfl" that stands for compact flouresent light. It won't take yiou long to figure out about the 2 spectrums of lighting and the more the better. Flouros need to be very close to the plants so should be adjustable whenever possible. When you plug your "plant lights" in if they look red they are for vegatating and if they look blue the are for flowering. Often the spectrum is written on the bulb. Hope that helps some...

appleseed said:

When you plug your "plant lights" in if they look red they are for vegatating and if they look blue the are for flowering.

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What appleseed says is sound advice. Just one thing though, you have the red a blue the wrong way round. Blue light (around the 6000k mark on the kelvin light spectrum) is for Vegging and Red light (around the 2000k mark on the kelvin light spectrum) is for flowering.

Check kelvin chart attached

I am very impressed with T5 HO for the whole cycle. I am flowering now with T5s overhead and 75% red bulbs.

the fluro's normally have a colour on them like cool white warm white etc and there should be some info on the packaging about the rating in kelvin

OOPS. I did have the spectrums reversed. Red for flower...

thanks for the info will be looking into getting red for flowering