For Vegging I want to use fluorescent since they are cheaper, should I use both 2700k/3000k and 6400k or just one of them?
If you break it down to lumens per dollar fluoros aren't really cheaper than HID lighting. There are reasons for using fluoro over HID, but price is not one of them imo.
i get you mate, but one CFL you can get in the supermarket. HPS not necesarily. Also you can get as small as 5 watt CFL, good luck grwowing with that.... but you cant get such a small HPS. Plus you need a ballast. its bit easier and cheaper setting a small system using CFL´s. IMHO
Did you use the DIY ballast kits? That's the only way I can see how the prices would be comparable at all... Do those kits work well as a replacement for magnetic/digital? This may be a another noobish assumption, correct me if i am wrong, but a HID light doesn't seem to be able to shine their light equally and adequately on all the plants. I just cant see how one light could be hit up to 6-12 plants at once well even with reflective walling. What are the advantages you think that there are of using Fluoro over HID?
No that's including ballast and hood. From HTG a 400 watt MH bulb/ballast/hood is about $150 total with S&H and produces 38,000 lumens. The cheapest 8 bulb T5 setup is $240 and produces 40,000 lumens. They aren't cheaper. I do use fluoros, but only for specific things. Never for primary veg and definitely not for flowering (other than the occasional CFL to help out shaded areas). The main advantage they have is that tubes can spread light very evenly in a diffused pattern, and CFLs can concentrate light onto a really small area without using up a lot of energy. Tubes are perfect for freshly cut clones because new clones can't handle a lot of light. In the first couple weeks you don't want them to grow rapidly. You simply want them to create a root system since they have none at all. Tubes are great for that. They are also good for slow controlled vegetative growth. If you have a veg room that is separate from your flowering room sometimes it's good to keep your vegging plants going at a slower rate so that when you move them to the flowering room they aren't too tall. CFLs, since they can concentrate light on a small area, are good for seed starting. They are also nice for adding ancillary lighting to flowering rooms to hit areas that get less intense light.
Thanks! What ligh spectrum CFL's would suggest for new clones? And what spectrum for additional lighting on flowering plants? Also is do MH conversion lights work as well MH lights?
I use 6500k daylight for both clones and flowering. My main flowering light is obviously a HPS lamp, but for adding a little bit of additional lighting I use the 6500k CFL for a couple reasons. For one it just makes it easy having all the same type of CFL bulbs, and it's good for the plants to get a little extra blue spectrum during flowering to compliment the red/yellow spectrum of HPS. It's the same reason why horticultural HPS bulbs are enhanced with extra blue/violet. Conversion bulbs should work the same as normal ones AFAIK.
HO T5 floros are great for clones, seedlings and short term vegging before going in my main grow room where I have a 1k MH/HPS light set up. I paid $197 out the door for my Hydrofarm 2 foot wide 4 foot long 8 bulb T5 light. I bought mine several months ago and the hydro store has them on sale again. T5 4Ft/8-Tube Designer System w/ Bulbs - $189.99 : Good Nature Garden Supply, The Art of Hydroponics
I did floro for the exact same reason and it was ok, but once i switched to MH/HPS, I was kicking myself for even going Floro. Floro did NOT turn out to be cheaper, about the same IMO. Go MH. you can do amazing things with a 400 w