2 lights v 1 flowering

Discussion in 'Lighting' started by 1sttimegrower, Nov 10, 2011.

  1. Hey GC,
    Originally posted this in indoor, suppose it should be here instead,
    So I just picked up my lights and am really excited to start growing under them. Also got my Co2 tank filled; will be available to the plants now [​IMG]
    So this is my dillema; I got 3 lights. Two are adjust-a-wings with 400 watt switchable MH/HPS ballasts. One is an air cooled reflector hood, with glass, with a 600 watt switchable ballast. My grow space is a 4 foot by 3.5 foot enclosure lined with aluminum sheeting; open top. I'm planning on scrogging it. I plan on haveing 4-5 plants inside, scrogged. The grow space is inside of a 6 foot by 10 foot by 6 foot hut.

    I picked up a 600 watt MH bulb, "growlite" 6500k tru blu for vege; has anyone heard of this bulb? If its bad I'd want to bring it back to swap it out. It seems to peak at 590 575 550 510 470 460 420.

    So I have a couple of questions, and would like your opinions/comments/critique.

    First, what flowering bulbs would you recomend? Hortilux was expensive compared to the growlite HPS(100 vs 20), but if the hortilux works much better I'd pick it up.

    I was planning on veging 2.5 week old seedlings and a month old LSTd clone under an 8 bulb T5, using only 2 tubes, 6500k. (and some extra CFLs on the clone, temp 5000k). About when would it be worth switching over to the MH, dimmed down to 50%?~300watts

    As for flowering, what should I do!? I don't think heat would be a major issue, but I'd like someone to weigh in who has experience. The enclosure is open topped so heat can just rise out and disperse, and the general grow area is pretty big. Its exposed outside, and fall atm. Should I pick up a good 600 watt HPS and flower with the reflector hood? I can have it damn close to the plants, but I'd also need it to illuminate at least a 3.5 ft by 3.5 foot area. Its reflection sideways looks good, but I dunno along the vents; can the vent side spread up to 4 feet?
    Or should I flower with two 400 watters? I don't care too much about the 200 watt difference; my focus is on quality, quantity, and ease.
    Would heat be an issue with the two adjust a wings?

    minimized:
    When will 300 watt MH be better, and not waste too much light, than fluoros/CFLs for 12 seedlings and 1 LST'd clone?

    For a 4-5 plant scrog in a MAX 4 by 4 area, would a air cooled 600W reflector hood work better than 2 400 watt adjust a wings; would heat be an issue?
     
  2. i do the same on a 4x4 scrog the single 600 is the most efficient. those 400s will run you double. for your seedlings the mh would sizzle them. keep em under the t5 or weak cfl's like a few or even a couple of the little blue 10w's. i do a six plant medi-grow under a 600w with some cfls in the mid and final stages to fill in w/extra from the sides. my only concern is foil which can actually create heat intense reflectivity and compound heat and damage the foliage. watch for this! but considering an open top it should dissipate well. i actually quit the mh stage all together and go from the t5 to the hps and keep on 24/7 till im big enough to flower. usually 12-14 " the scrog will fill during the first couple weeks then expect some more during flower so dont over-do the hps veg or your jungle will block out your light, as stretch will continue some during flower weeks one and two (generally) now keep in mind that if your plants auto flower things could be different regarding stretch. good luck! -D-

    :smoke:
     
  3. Thanks Dewey, I decided to go with the single 600 watter. Your help and an opinion from a second hydro store cemented my decision. What did you mean by the MH sizzling them? Do you mean light intensity overload, or heat? I threw my plants under there to see what happens; I wanted them to stretch to the screen anyways, and the fluroros woulda done it too. The seedlings are about a foot and a half away from the glass and the clone a foot away. Lights dimmed to 300 watts, and the inline is taking care of the heat and stuff looks wonderful! Had to adjust CO2 levels because the plants seemed to hate it.

    Can anyone tell me if this is too much? The new rate is
    15 minutes on 45 minutes off .66 CFH; its hooked up to my other 18/6 timer. From when lights come on CO2 can start right away, or in 45 minutes. The grow space is 4 by 3, with an open face and open top; height is about 5 feet though. Entire room is about a 10 by 6 by 6.
     

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