I already have the 400w hps but i am worried about the heat issue. my grow space will only have 3ft hx 1.5ft dx 2ft w "GROW" area so i was just wondering if i should use the hps or invest in a 2ft 4 bulb T5 Fluorescent setup instead. I could also invest in a cooltube for the hps but then i would have to get an extra fan for cooling of the hps versus no cooling for the T5 seems it wouldn't be near as hot. Any thoughts on this subject would help. Thanx
Hi... At the risk of starting a fight... IMHO ... HID lights will ALWAYS grow better bud than CFL's, Flourescents, or LEDs (with everything else being equal). I would put the money towards an air cooled refelctor/hood and a fan. Good Luck!
I agree that HIDs > CFLs. They just have better penetration. However, in this case the HID may not be practical. If the grower only has 3ft of height, he may not be able to use it regardless. even with an air cooled hood, you have to leave some distance between the light and the plants. That being said, it may just not be a practical grow area do to height restrictions regardless of the light. Good luck,
Especially when you consider that the ladies will double ( or triple) in size when they go into flower.
Wouldnt even consider a grow if it wanst for HID's (MH/HPS) Anything else is a waste of time IMO. Sort out some air extraction and moving fan. (or a 'cool reflector' if your fealing flush!)That will keep temps down. P
Yeah I hate anything other than my HID's...well i use others for clones and small vegging plants. But its very true that you have to have some distance between your HID and the canopy. How many plants do you want in there?...because like a 250 watt only needs to be like 6-8 inches from the canopy especially if cooled and even with a 400 watt you may be able to set up a screen or tie down your plants to keep em real low...like two feet tall when finished.
dude thats a really small space...you are going to have a heat problem with that 400w unless you have really good ventilation
I'm not familiar with T5 lighting, so what it does to help grow healthy cannabis, I can't really say. Your space provided is quite small and heat can play an issue no matter what choice you make in regards to lighting. I would say that an air-cooled hood may be in order, whether you go cool-tube or hood, just be sure you can exhaust heat from it. I would also invest in a decent exhaust fan that can exchange the air and cool the light at the same time. My choice would be the 400w hps over the T5. Good luck.
T-5 lighting can be hung at a vertical and a horizontal so you see very very good light penitration from the side. I Grow with my 4 foot 8 tube t-5 over my 1000 watt that is collecting dust.. I get a great finished product. but yeah you can mount the light to the wall like a painting if you want to.. most T-5 light decks are 2-3 inches thick and run very low temps. bad boy makes a 12 and a 16 tube t-5 they are just amazing. hope this helps
Thank you for all the input!!! i plan on doing 1 or 2 plants possibly scrog in a 10 gallon res. I understand i can get better bud with the hps but like i said i am just worried about the heat issue! i also have a couple 2ft fluors i could mount on the sides for side lighting if i use the T5 on the top. If i don't scrog i plan on putting into 12/12 asap to keep them small enuf to fit in the cab! Thanks again for all the input and feel free to keep posting your ideas!