Metal Halide VS. CFL's

Discussion in 'Growing Marijuana Indoors' started by crawfordcoty41, Jan 21, 2009.

  1. Ok I'm torn between getting either metal halide or cfls. I was wondering if I could get some thoughts on what might be better. I'm lookin to only veg my plants inside then put them outside to flower. 400w MH or CFL's of equal wattage? 1000w MH or CFL's of equal wattage?
     
  2. Well, it really depends. MH will give you better penetration, but CFLs are cheaper to purchase and to run.

    Since you are only vegging for a few weeks and then putting them outside I am going to recommend CFLs. You don't really need the penetration of MH for the first couple of weeks. Also, since it doesn't sound like you have a 'grow room' setup, with CFLs you won't have to worry as much about ventelation and other environmental variables.

    Now, if you were going to continue to veg and even flower indoors I would highly recommend MH and HPS. But, in your case CFLs are probably just easier and cheaper for your needs.

    Hope this helps.

    Good luck.
     
  3. thanks for the help.
    I was looking to veg them for up to two months before putting them outside, would that be alright? and if i did that would you recommend MH. Do i need venting for MH or Fans? Also does anyone know if mylar is infrared proof? just wondering if its worth the extra money. Thanks in advance
     
  4. You should have venting for any HID light room. Those lights put out a lot of heat. Not just the bulbs themselves, but the ballasts as well.
     
  5. Thanks for that info lobsters. I appreciate it.
     
  6. Btw, what have you expirenced indoor growers found to be the best way to divide up the wattage for CFL's - say i want 400w of CFL light should i get 10 x 40w bulbs or................
    Also do you guys know any good websites for CFL's and Reflcor/Lamp Fixtures
    Thanks in advance for all the info, i really appreciate all the help on here.
     
  7. I noticed that you failed to mention how many plants. If you're going to veg them for 2 months, you might as well get a MH bulb. Could come in handy in the future anyway.

    I wouldn't veg more than 6 of them for 2 months under a MH bulb.

    And how, may I ask, do you plan on transporting these large plants to the grow spot?
     

  8. Thanks for the input HighOnTheHill, why would it be bad to veg more than 6 under the MH for 2 months, would it just be a space issue? Or? As for transporting them it shouldn't be a problem since i live in the middle of bum-fuck Egypt and if i do it at night it should work. If i were to go with the MH and tried to do it without the venting or fans would this be a big issue with heat or fumes? Do the MH lamps put of a certain smell? Noise is the biggest issue for me and i cant afford to have a fan running. Thanks for the help
     
  9. If noise is the biggest issue then go with CFLs. HID lights hum just like a fan does.

    Doing an HID without venting or fans isn't going to likely work. I'm doing without venting for the time being, but without the tiny little fan I got my plants would be fried.
     
  10. Does your fan make a lot of noise? if i get a couple little quiet computer fans would that be sufficient? I really like the idea of MH, it sound like it does a better job veging than cfl's is that true? will i get good veging with cfl's for 2 months? I know its a lot of questions, just want to get it cleared up so i can make my selection. Thanks for the help!
     
  11. #11 theonlypunker, Feb 17, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 17, 2011
    i just use a 110vac 120mm fan i got from a vending machine. it isnt that loud and is made out of metal. you can try a portable heater and tear it apart, they have a nice fan in them. i have tried a 12vdc 120mm pc fan and it did not pull enough air out of the grow box... i am growing in a bar fridge so i need crap loads of ventalition. i am using a 150w MH light after converting from 6 23watt cfls 6500k and they worked ok. i find the cfls were hotter then the MH light (distance wise) i can keep the MH light a bit further from the plants and get more light on them then the cfls being so close and being to hot. i shoved the ballast and igniter in a pc power supply case and run it outside the fridge and it seems to keep cool enough in there about 75-80f

    not sure it this helps but good luck
     
  12. whoa shit i guess i should have looked at the date before posting lol. by now your plants must be the size of palm trees haha, my bad...;)
     

  13. mh or hps lights,the ballast generally hums and puts out some noise.but its generally to each his own.there are neg. & pos.issues on all of them really.what suits you best might not be best for the next guy.good luck.
     

  14. lol.yep prolly are.my bad too.:D
     
  15. #15 HighOnTheHill, Feb 17, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 17, 2011
    Wow. 2 years and many grows later.

    I gotta say, that grow did turn out alright. It was totally a budget grow and I just happened to forget about the need for a fan/filter. I had some serious heat stress, and ended up losing 1/4 of my crop to some bud mold. Started the next round immediately after and invested in a $40 stanley blower from walmart. That kept my 400w cool.

    Looking back here's how I remember my grows:

    Few years of outdoor.
    350-ish watts of CFL
    400w HPS w/o ventilation
    400W HPS w/ ventilation
    800W hps/CMH
    1200w vert CMH (800)/HPS(400)

    This year I'll be doing something different. One cab, multiple chambers all organic. 800w (CMH/HPS) bushes. SOG under PL-L's, and mother/clone under CFL's. Bushes will be at the bottom, I'm gonna give 'em about 4' of vertical space in a 2x4 floor plan. On top of that will be 2.5' vertical space for side by side SOG and mother/clones. 2x3' SOG will house 96 - yes 96 clones. 3x3x8" square pots wall to wall. 1x2' mother/clone will house bonsai mums and supply clones perpetually. How many depends on strain finishing time. (96 clones/8 week strain = 12 clones per week, etc.)
     

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