Hey my issue right now is whether my setup is going to work or not. I'm currently scrapping my old setup (mainly all cfl's) for t5's. That was a huge improvement. However, i'm only vegging right now and i'm unsure whether or not anything is going to come out of it. What can I expect?
t5 vs other forms of lighting
- Thread starter ben dover
- Start date
crashcourse
Active Member
i just got off the internet lookn at the different cfls.im going to use the t8s to start my plants but the fixture im going to use going holds 6 tubes and im going to put 2 fixtures in a homemade box.grow them,sex them and move them outside.but im sure youll get buds but your going to need a lot of tubes to get really dense buds.there is some info outthere.go to internet and type growing under flourescent lights.youll find your answer there
you can certainly do it, and it's not a waste of time. it's more a question of economics. 8 bulbs at 10 bucks a crack, and 8 reflectors at 20 bucks a crack is $240 before considering the fixture itself. To do it right with T5's the equipment is a bit pricy. 440w of T5 costs a lot more to put together than a 400w hps. unless you have limited vertical space and need the more even heat dispersal of tubes, the hps is better bang for buck.
OB Cron Kenobi
Well-Known Member
I have a 400watt hps and a 4 foot 6 bulb T5 hanging side by side in my flower room right now.
The T5 is normally a veg light, but on these slow cutting sativa's when i go without anything in the veg room for a period (8 weeks or so) I move the T5 in to the flowering room to supplement the 400watt hps.
It makes a huge difference! Almost double. For one it gives me a fuller spectrum, since it has veg bulbs in it, and it really helps penetrate deeper into the plant.
An hps's power diminishes exponentially, all light does- but my argument is that it does so faster than the T5 which seems to really reach deep into the plants and keep them lush.
I've found that with my slow cutting sativa's they need a full spectrum and they need deep penetration. The T5 in combination with the hps is great for that.
Your idea of going T5's exclusively or perhaps with supplemental CFL's is doable. But again expensive.
You should aim for a perpetuating system along the lines of this little diagram:
The T5 is normally a veg light, but on these slow cutting sativa's when i go without anything in the veg room for a period (8 weeks or so) I move the T5 in to the flowering room to supplement the 400watt hps.
It makes a huge difference! Almost double. For one it gives me a fuller spectrum, since it has veg bulbs in it, and it really helps penetrate deeper into the plant.
An hps's power diminishes exponentially, all light does- but my argument is that it does so faster than the T5 which seems to really reach deep into the plants and keep them lush.
I've found that with my slow cutting sativa's they need a full spectrum and they need deep penetration. The T5 in combination with the hps is great for that.
Your idea of going T5's exclusively or perhaps with supplemental CFL's is doable. But again expensive.
You should aim for a perpetuating system along the lines of this little diagram:
Attachments
my reasoning behind not wanting to go with an hps is that i feel like if i do so i now have to invest in much bigger fans, reflectors and all the other environmental controls that go along with that. In addition the t5s all run together so almost no electricity is used at all. I feel a lot more confident though about the situation, thanks everyone!
At the moment, I'm using T5's in my cabinets for veg and flower. I was using hps, but I prefer the more even heat distribution of the T5s. I was able to get the fixture closer to the plants and make the cabinets shorter, Since I grow in my furniture, it made it look a little more natural. Make no mistake tho, T5s do produce a good amount of heat. maybe not quite as much as hps of same wattage, but pretty close. It's just not coming out of a single point.
And regarding power, 400w is 400w. The T5s are about as efficient as hps. Not going to save any money there.
And if you truly want to get yield like a hps, those reflectors are a must. expensive, but your plants will get 250% more light than a flat polished reflector.
Not trying to discourage you, as said, I use them myself. Just giving as much info as I can.
And regarding power, 400w is 400w. The T5s are about as efficient as hps. Not going to save any money there.
And if you truly want to get yield like a hps, those reflectors are a must. expensive, but your plants will get 250% more light than a flat polished reflector.
Not trying to discourage you, as said, I use them myself. Just giving as much info as I can.