Right so I was going to buy around 2-3 of these at first for 2 plants 20w=110w (x10 bulbs =1100w equivalent) 6500k, which you can get 10 of 20=110w them for same price as [SIZE=18.2857151031494px]200w CFL "Dual Spectrum" Grow & Flowering Light, [/SIZE]​but if I get the 200w I can only run 1 light between 2-3, do I really need 200w? or will equivalents do?
Your question is kinda confusing man. You wanna get a bunch of CFLs instead of the single 200watt? Rule of thumb is at least 100 actual watts per plant, not equivalent.
Let me explain to you, you can buy 10 x 20=110w, 6500k. if you add the equivalent of the 10 bulbs which would be 1100w equivalent between 10 bulbs or the same price as buying a 200w dual spectrum, but this way you get 5=6x more watts in the equivalent side, but I would only use 2-3 of the 20=110w between 2-plants. Hope you understand now. Also why cant you use equivalents what difference does it make? I mean if it says it's good as a 110w why not? also the 20=110w have 10000 hours minimum life expan when the full 200w only has 6000.
Go with the CFLs, you'll have better coverage. Had some long in depth response but the GC app crashed so fuck it. If you have a 23 watt bulb equivalent to a 100 watt, it's still a 23 watt bulb, that's all the energy it's putting out. It's been a long time since a seasoned blade explained it all to me but he made legitimate sense. If you don't believe me then grow a plant under a single little CFL and let me know how that goes lol. It'll get about 6 inches tall or so then be desperate for light because it only has so many actual watts, not the equivalent. The light might make us think it's just as bright but the plant knows what's up. Sorry I can't be more descriptive about that man.
Dude they're both CFL's one is pure 200w where the other one is equivalent let me send you a link http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-200w-CFL-Dual-Spectrum-Grow-Flowering-Light-Lamp-E40-Fitting-Hydroponics-/261402956999?pt=UK_Baby_Baby_Feeding_Bottle_Warmers_Coolers_LE&hash=item3cdcd494c7 vs http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Low-Energy-Saving-CFL-bulbs-Bright-White-Natural-Daylight-6500K-SAD-Day-Light-/331409700225?pt=UK_Light_Bulbs&var=&hash=item4d298eb581 from the drop down options select 20w base fitting Bayonet pack size x10
I know exactly what you're talking about. One is a big ass CFL easily breakable waste of money, but that's just my opinion. When I say CFL in my other post I'm talking the little ones that you use in a house. If you get 10 of those 20 watt (small) CFL bulbs then it will equal that one big CFL. I'm telling you that when using (small) CFL bulbs for how many watts you have you wanna go with actual what's it uses not the equivalent it says. Either way I'm saying go with the small ones lmao. Sorry we somehow got hung up in communication there haha
What? They're both 'pure' CFLs. I don't get what you mean? Eqiuvalent watts doesnt mean shit. Go for more smaller watt lights than fewer larger watt lights. More lumens/watt and better light penetration.
Don't even look at equivalent watts. Forget they exist. Thats equvalent to Incandescent which produces 90% heat
Yep, go with the better coverage using the smaller lights. CFLs aren't efficient when they get placed further away from a plant compared to something like an MH/HPS setup. So using the single 200 watt wouldn't be as effective as 10 of the 23 watt cfl bulbs (actual draw). Equivalent is just something for humans to understand in terms of what they will visually see lit up. It is comparing the new CFL to the old standard bulb (incandescent I think). Either way you just can't assume equivalent will mean shit for your plants, but the actual draw will
what do you mean 90% heat?, also so 3 x 20W is good enough for 2-3 crops rather than 1 200w cfl's?, but I still don't get it what is the equivalent used for then if they mark it why can't it be used accordingly as the information is delivered?
I mean 90% of the electricity they use is just heat from the actual creation of the light. I just told you. Its equivalent to the amount of light a 100w incandescent would put out. Thats it. And incandescent are shit so don't even look at it. And no, I assume you were going for equal wattage. Obviously you want to go with the 200w with 4x more wattage...
He means the old light bulb turned more of its watts drawn into heat rather than light. You will need about 100 watts of ACTUAL draw per plant for decent grow. Just stop thinking about equivalent, it's not put on the box for plants. It's just something to give you a visual representation that you are saving money by using more efficient lighting (again, for humans not for plants).
No dude, I wouldn't actually use 10 of them, 10 is way too much, I'd only use 3, I'm just saying the price is same as 10 small ones, I wouldn't have room to set them up and I'd have to invest in holders as I only have single holders which would require at least 10 wires going into extension, too much...
3 of the 23 watt bulbs? Or did I miss something, because that will barely grow you a single plant (and it won't finish heavy).
This is retarded... I was told it could read this 23/100 is a 100 watt CFL...uses 23 actual watts, matches a 100 watt incandescent in lumen production. You need a minimum of one 23/100 for each plant. MINIMUM. The OP statement was you planned to try to grow 2 plants under 1 23/100 and a handful of micros. The micros will add NOTHING. No intensity at all. Not enough for the plant to grow...might as well try to grow it under a 50 watt incandescent grow bulb in a ceiling fixture 5 feet away. As I said...plenty of folks make the "100 watts a plant" rule of thumb work, using CFLs....takes experience to make it work worth a shit, and it takes not skimping on everything else the plants need. I'm not talking your carbon filters and inline fans and such, I'm talking water, soil, nutes, minerals, testing products to know you have the right balances, anti-fungals, anti-pests. Do a CFL grow, you're shorting your girls on light. That's their power source. Want them to be at all healthy, anyhow? Then you damn well better make certain they get the BEST of everything else, so they can get the most out of what little light they get. Front to back, you're operating from a "I can't buy good soil, or lights, don't know shit about my water except it comes from the tap, have no testing equipment, no nutes, mineral supplements, don't know what the soil will be like because it'll be the cheapest shit I can find"....that from your own statements. It's a recipe for disaster...which means a waste of time to put the effort in. As is, in a first grow, you're gonna fuck up. Most of us usually fuck up pretty majorly the first time or two, and get miserable yield of questionable quality. That's simply because even what we DO research, we start out so ignorant, we fail to research a lot of things, they never even occur to us. Hell, half the people just starting don't even know what to ask to find out what it is they don't know. By your own OP, if you're not trolling, you are simply lining yourself up for a world of wasted effort and disappointment. If you're going to try a grow in less than ideal conditions (which is ANY indoor grow), then you have to know how to bring those conditions as close as you can TO ideal...and you have to pamper the girls to make up for where you have to short-change them if you want any real benefit.
Then go ahead, man. You clearly don't want to take our advice. You wouldnt get a half oz from one plant with 60w