Thinking about Metal Halide...

Lol...welcome to GARDENING...ur lights are fine for what ur growing...sorry u had a cold reception. Thx Sunni for moving the thread to the right section:)
 
It's been a stressful past couple of weeks.

As for the box I made, I added the plexiglass cover and placed my two light fixtures up top. Temps inside are mid 90s, but humidity isn't as high as I'd like. If I could get it a little higher, the Ficus would really be in love.

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And a quick altered picture of one of my Ficus, hopefully in a few years...
trunk2.jpg
 
He didnt get a cold reception. He was given good, friendly advice right from the start. Unfortunately it just wasnt what he wanted to hear. So he decided to twist it around and put it on on us.
 
Another reason I'm kind of wanting a MH is due to the intensity of the light. I don't know whether T5's are nearly as powerful as MH. From what I hear, MH is better at penetrating the canopies of plants and is brighter overall. Just from what I've been told...
 
Ur right about that. But it's up to u. You're growing something that many people just place near a window. I've seen them in office buildings with no more than fluorescent light. I had a customer who grew her ficus tree that way and she summered it outside. It did really well.
 
i use T5s for supplemental lighting with 1000w HIDs and i don't think you'll get the 'better penetration' you're looking for unless you go for a 400+ watt unit.... and even with that, i still think a 4 bulb T5 offers better coverage in square feet without the excessive heat headache.
if you want to change up the available spectrum you can get aquarium tubes for your T5 unit (actinics (blue), red, purple, etc.) and fiddle around with that until you find a combination that works for you. probably cheaper than buying a new lamp too.

EDIT: in case you wanted more info about alternative T5 tubes and spectra: https://www.rollitup.org/indoor-growing/358190-led-without-leds-my-first.html
 
Trust me, I've been growing Ficus for a long time and know how much light they require. All I wanted to know is whether or not I'd see a difference in growth between the MH and T5s, which I have now learned that I won't unless I get a much higher wattage MH. Thank you all.
 
Alexander Supertramp said:
I know you dont believe me but using plexiglass is really diminishing the effectiveness of you light. I really am trying to help you out.
Click to expand...

I know I know, I just have to be off work for at least a month and can't really afford to go out and buy anything else right now. So for now, at least, I'll stick with the plexiglass. Once I'm back to work I'll take your advice and switch to something beneficial.
 
instead of plexiglass on the top use something you hang lights off that's reflective. next to the lights put an "exhaust hole" this is where your heat from the bulbs escapes.
if you have a small fan you could put it in there pointing outward
now on the bottom you get another hole, this is where the cool air comes in
the cool air is naturally at floor level and this is why we put the intake on the bottom
the heat rises up to the bulbs and goes out the hole, pulling cool air in

there isn't a problem growing them under plexi but if you want more intensity, the bulbs should be within 1 foot of the plant foliage and not have ANYTHING inbetween. your craftsmanship and cleanliness are great, but you need to understand the engineering concepts of making a grow box
 
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