What size HPS and MH bulbs for this space?

Hi everyone,

I've used CFLs in the past, and may step up to something better suited to the later stages of growing...now that I've got my sea legs, so to speak, I think it's time to not be so cheap with my setup.

The grow space, if uncluttered, is 5' wide, 2.5' deep, and about 8' tall. It is ventilated pretty well and my intake/exhaust fans have had no trouble doing their job to date.

What size HPS bulb(s) would work well here, set up in a digital ballast (which I understand runs much cooler than magnetic)? I am considering 250 or 400w, but I really have no reference point for that.

Second, while I could keep going with the CFLs for the earlier stages, I see that Lumatek makes ballasts that can run either HPS or MH bulbs. What size MH might be suitable for the same space? I figure it couldn't hurt to run that alongside my CFLs in any case.

Third, and I understand this is subjective, but what brands have a good reputation for cool-running, quiet, non-interfering, energy-efficient, reliable ballasts? I've seen both some very good and some pretty disturbing things about Lumatek's quality. They certainly seem to have the lower-end market cornered, and I've had difficulty finding out much more about alternatives. At this point I'm only really considering digital ballasts, mostly based on opinions I have read, and comparisons of weight, noise, etc.

Thanks!

Also, I'm all ears if anybody knows of a good "system" deal, the sort that includes the ballast, reflector, and a couple matching bulbs (one HPS, one MH).

these guys usually have good deals http://www.htgsupply.com/

yo look at the link in my sig.
Same idea as your.
i use the 400w digi

400 watt all the way but get it aircooled so you can put it closer to your canopy

if you think you can handle the heat then a 600 watt hps/400 watt mh combo light would be ideal. at 600 watts you have 7,600 lumens per square foot (the recommended light is 7,000 - 10,000 lumens per square foot). yield pretty much goes up directly as wattage does so you should be able to get a 50% greater harvest than the 400 watt hps light.

BeautifulNW said:

400 watt all the way but get it aircooled so you can put it closer to your canopy

Click to expand...

What are my cooling options for this sort of thing? I've seen the "cool tube" setup that others have used, but I might prefer something prefabricated.