i am a first time growing excited about my soon to be new hobby! =) i was wondering if t-5' lights would be an OK source of light since i already have them and wouldn't have to spend any money.. t-5 are comparable to Metal Halide excpet they are cfl and are used for saltwater reef aquariums(my other hobby). there would two 2foot bulbs w/ reflectors at 24w a piece. any advice would be appreciated. thanx
I would follow kamel's guide on cfl's and make sure you get the right color of T-5's Here's a color guide I found for those lights. What are the common trade names for T5 lamps? | What are T5 Lamps? | T5 Fluorescent Systems | Lighting Answers | NLPIP
t-5 are sweet for vegging plants and are very costs effective.. 6500kelvin are vegging and 2700kelvin are for flowering but your 6700Kelvin will works just as well as 6500k....200kelvin isn't much difference.. how many you got and how long???
I currently am using three 2 foot T-5's at 6500k, and they are kick ass for vegetative growth. The link in my sig doesn't exactly show the lights themselves, but the growth from the lamps is perfection personified. Using t-5's helps eliminate burning your plants because they emit a very "cool" light. They emit low heat compared to other lighting sources.
theres 2 of them..2ft long. they are t-5HO (high output) which is different from just regular t-5's. i guess ill go ahead and try them then..=0
Definitely try them out man. The first time out of the gate is supposed to be a learning experience anyways! So if it works splendidly, then it's a success! If not, then at least you're one step closer to what works best for you!
I was reading over the grow guide in high times and they recommend using t-5's or t-8's so there's some added support.
I use my T5 HO rigs to veg to a foot and a half. after that height they don't have the penitration. Good luck and good growing.