Quote:
Originally Posted by runner's high
Considering how cheap and efficient fluoros are, too many people brush them off as inferior to mh and hps. They don't have to be.  |
Absolutely, but very few people setup that many flouros. Youd have to put them all around a plant. You can get expensive tube style formfactors that make setting up a surround light pattern easier, but like i said theyre expensive. CFLs are cheaper but its alot more work. The most efficient/easiet CFL system ive seen is the dual 200w Envirolites with reflector. But its not really cheap at 240, and its a hood so you still have to deal with penetration. Im not sure if they sell them in the US either. I really consider CFLs to be best used as supplemental lighting for an MH or HPS. Especially since you can use a different light spectrum from the main light, to give you a more complete lighting frequency. Because even though the plant prefers more red during flowering and blue during veg, in nature it would receive both.
Quote:
Originally Posted by runner's high
It could be a little too powerful--I've never tried them--but they would still be more efficient than using hps or mh.
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Yea UV-B tubes/CFLs are much more efficient than MH or HPS at delivering UV-B. Heres a good one ive come across
http://www.bigappleherp.com/Reptile_Supplies/Product/Reptisun_100_High_Output_UVB_Fluorescent_Light_Ser ies_262180.html
High penetration value with the 10.0 type lights. But you dont leave them on all the time during lights on. Just 2 hours or so, and even then you have to acclimate the plants by starting with less time.