im on the verge of setting up my Hydro and choosing a lamp is vital just hoping to get opinions on it Experienced opinions. Ive been looking at a 250W HPS i only want two plants going at once would it be okay? How big should the area be to that size lamp?
You can get on craigslist and most of the time find old HPS systems that are coming out of old warehouses. I bought my 400 watter for 25 bucks with a bulb. A 250 watter will have limitations, it's a really small light. I feel like 400 is a really small light too.
Just concerned about power, I'm in Australia and they've upped the power cost recently. Just concerned because its a small house I don't want a big spike.
You can offset some of the "spike" by reducing your usage in other areas of the house. Unplug anything that uses a remote or has a clock display when ever it's not in use. Try to reduce your electric usage in anyway you can, especially things that use electric to make heat, ie water heater, stove/oven, home heating. Lots of little savings can add up over time if enough are combined. You will probably end up using more electric than just the lamp as you get going. You'll want a fan, possibly some way to filter or vent the smell.Hydro pump, possibly an air pump, etc. As suggested above, you can get used lamps out of commercial buildings for cheap. I converted mine to a remote ballast so the heat of the ballast can be kept out of the grow room.
Look at it like this. MJ plants evolved under the sun. They grow best in the intense light from the sun. No light you are going to use in the grow room will come close to replicating the amount of light the sun can provide a plant. So it would seem more is better - however, as you increase the amount of light in the grow room you increase the amount of heat and energy usage. Your plants will grow with a 250W light. They will grow better with a 400W light. They will grow better with a 1000W light, if you can deal with the heat, etc. It is always a compromise.