T5 light spectrum question

about to plant some seeds and i have a t5 now i need to know if i should go three grows bulbs one bloom or all four grow for veg ?

I use 4 t-5 bulbs for vegg. Works perfecto. Run it for 18-6 Make sure you have a small space, I grow 5 plants under my set up. I get clones so i only use the fixture for 2 weeks, then i use a 150watt HPS. 12-12

nice man all i have is a 2 foot t5 and leds for my mother i must say with the small space im using this t5 is great thanks for the input too four grows bulbs it is !

cannabis has 2 different chloroplasts that interact with light for photosynthesis, one that deals with the red side of the spectrum and one that deals with the blue side. Using only 1 spectrum is a waste imo.

i was thinking the same at first ,so 3 grow 1 bloom bulb i think ill this out because my last harvest i went all grow bulbs kinda want to switch it up test new stuff and get better at growing !

https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/403288-my-first-grow-5-strains.html check out my T-5 set up.
http://img214.imageshack.us/i/20110124140800.jpg/

you know people will tell you to do a 400 watt HPS. or use a different type of lighting for specific things. The best advice ive heard from a marine aquarist which in the hobby involves light and chemestry... "do whatever works for you"

best advice ive heard in my journey of trial and error

I would go with half and half

You want 6500k for veg and 2700k for flower

a mixed spectrum beats using only 6500k or only 2700k though...

My very first grow and harvest was with 4 2ft. T5's strung up about 3-4 inches off the top of my plants from veg to harvest and got over an oz. off of each of the 4 out of 8 plants that were females with huge huge cola's in my opinion it's a plant and is going to grow with what ever light you give them it's the fertilizer's and nute's thats going to make the difference in your plant's growth and production. since i've set up two 2ft. 4tube T5 racks side by side with some single t5's added for side lighting and business is booming!!

do what works for you wallet!!

darkdestruction420 said:

a mixed spectrum beats using only 6500k or only 2700k though...

Click to expand...

What most people do not realize when speaking in terms of color temperature(6500k, 2700k, etc.) is that these bulbs are NOT monochromatic. Under a spectroscope, a 6500k and 2700k bulb look strikingly similar, with each having a red, green, and blue peak. The difference between the two is which peak is bigger. So even if you use all 4 of the same tube, you're covering a roughly full spectrum with either 'bloom' or 'veg' type tubes.

To truly take advantage of the T5 fixture, You should choose a bulb with the largest red and blue peaks and smallest green peak. These bulbs appear pink to the eye, and are commonly sold for freshwater aquarium use. Not all are created equally however. Some, such as the AquaMedic Planta have a very desirable spectrum when viewed under a spectroscope, while others such as AquaticLife's freshwater bulb lack in some area(specifically far red in this case). Bulbs like these will outperform the usually recommended 6500k and 2700k tubes for both veg and flowering. The major problem with them is cost as they usually run $20-25 per tube. A few bucks more per tube is worth it to me if the plants can more effectively use the radiation supplied.

Either way, if you are going to use T5 fixtures, the best favor you can do for yourself is invest in parabolic reflectors. If your fixture has bulb spacing of 2" or more, replacement reflectors are available for ATI fixtures that are easy to retrofit into other brands.

Sorry to ramble on, but bottom line is T5's work best with pink tubes and individual reflectors for each bulb.

Happy Growing!