Only CFL and Fluorescent Spoken Here!

[Ghostwolf]

Thanks Ghostwolf! Mean mr.mustard said that using two ballasts (two lower watt bulbs to achieve the same watts as one larger watt bulb) would actually produce more heat than using the single bulb. So, I decided to go the route of the single bulb. I may also consider installing a small computer fan (I think I've got one laying around somewhere... just have to find it!) to vent it like you said. Again, thanks for the input!!

No tribble a tall, aye lad.

 

[ninja1]

Nice set up, Mixing your bulb's gives your plants a broad color spectrum. I'm trying to use daylight 6500k to veg and solfwhite 2700k flowering just to see how to turns out at the moment. I'll probably try something else next time.

Thanks! I had some problems at first and maybe still, I am losing the original fan leaves on these little guys, they just curl under at the tips and droop? no yellowing or spots or anything
BUT - the plants are producing new leaves/stems like crazy still. All my secondary leaves at the main stem are suddenly taking off! they are growing stems and sticking out of the main stem. All the new ones are small but look healthy.
The plants seem to really like the broad spectrum of lights, I notice they are reaching right up to them, and halfway through the day I have been experimanting with shutting off the 550k's and going only 2700k like itsw dusk, I notice this is working pretty well. The plants turn right towards the warm whites in a few hours , then "morning" hits and I fire up the 3500k and 5500k's . Its all experimantal for now and I will take some pics tonight.

 

[Ghostwolf]

Thanks! I had some problems at first and maybe still, I am losing the original fan leaves on these little guys, they just curl under at the tips and droop? no yellowing or spots or anything
BUT - the plants are producing new leaves/stems like crazy still. All my secondary leaves at the main stem are suddenly taking off! they are growing stems and sticking out of the main stem. All the new ones are small but look healthy.
The plants seem to really like the broad spectrum of lights, I notice they are reaching right up to them, and halfway through the day I have been experimanting with shutting off the 550k's and going only 2700k like itsw dusk, I notice this is working pretty well. The plants turn right towards the warm whites in a few hours , then "morning" hits and I fire up the 3500k and 5500k's . Its all experimantal for now and I will take some pics tonight.

That's good to hear. Keep up the good work.

 

[Ghostwolf]

Happy Thanksgiving all of you grower's and toker's out there.

 

[inpain0013]

Happy Thanksgiving all of you grower's and toker's out there.

Once again... the same to you and yours, Ghostwolf!!

IP

 

[W.P.]

Quick question: I'm new to fluorescents and i just acquired a 36 inch Current USA 6x39W Nova Extreme Pro T5HO 3-10k/3-460nm Actinics and I know the blue actinic bulbs are useless because of their UVA but what of the 10k bulbs? Am i just better to get 6 6500k bulbs or mix the 10k in?

 

[inpain0013]

W.P., I wish I could help you out. But, I am still new enough to all of this that I can't answer your question. I'm sure someone with a lot more knowledge and experience than me will be along shortly!!

BTW, Happy Thanksgiving to you and all!!!

IP

 

[b00m]

Quick question: I'm new to fluorescents and i just acquired a 36 inch Current USA 6x39W Nova Extreme Pro T5HO 3-10k/3-460nm Actinics and I know the blue actinic bulbs are useless because of their UVA but what of the 10k bulbs? Am i just better to get 6 6500k bulbs or mix the 10k in?

Hey W.P. if it was me I would mix that 10k bulbs in with the 6500k ones, the 10k's will help with tighter internodal spacing on the plant plus denser buds imo . I have found in my flower cab that a mixture of bulbs (warm and cool white CFL's) have helped produce some dank buds. Some one else might be able to chime in and help you with a more explanatory answer. Make sure you have good ventilation and crank those bulbs down close to your plants and watch the show, hope this helps.
Happy Gardening All.
Peace.

 

[ScrubNinja]

10k all the way

10k all the way

I use an Aquarelle 10,000k fluoro with great results. I use a cheap 4000k beside it, each is 18w t8.



Also got a 10k pl-l but not used it much. (added bulb just before pic)



They throw a nice glow. You should totally mix it in.

Edit: I would even mix in an actinic but I'm an experimental kinda guy, lol.

 

[W.P.]

Thanks for all the replies. This six bulb t-5 is just for my cloner, so i don't need any "red' spectrum. And i guess the uva would be good late in flower but again this is just for clones and veg. ( so i guess i'll be selling these expensive reef lights or try to trade them for 6500k ones?!)

Great thread!! It inspired me to build some pll lights!

After much searching i got: 2x workhorse 8
8x 2G11 Base (sweet locking ones)
8x metal clips
8x 55w 6500 k bulbs (a steal they can be found for under 7$) normally 15$+

193.55 shipped !!! thats 440 watts total between 8 bulbs !!

Ps This is not a micro grow im just revamping my mom room and really wanted to save some power and heat, and i figured you Micro guys would know your stuff when it came down to Fluorescents.

Thanks IC

 

[Ghostwolf]

I thought it was about time I posted my latest efforts in this thread, instead of just talking about it. I wish the pictures were better, I had to use my web cam and it's not the best but it works. I'll post more pictures later. The larger plant is sativa and is working on a cola as you can see & has a good smell, and frosting up nicely. The smaller one is a younger indica/sativa but for her size is really frosting up hard and smells very good. Because of the photo quality it's a little hard to see the frost on them. I pollinated both of them from the males of the Indica/sativa so I should have some good seeds, there is one more girl, she is a late bloomer and is making up for lost time, she is flowering up nicely. I'll show her later on. They have at least 4 or more weeks left to go. They are in my first PC Grow Case shown here, with 2x100w CFL's inside. I also will take more pictures of it later. I just wanted to get something out here for all to see.

 

[ScrubNinja]

Nice work, Ghostwolf 200w is a lot!

 

[Ghostwolf]

Nice work, Ghostwolf 200w is a lot!

Thanks, Scrubninja your approval means a lot to me. The CFL's are 26w/100w each. Once again Thanks.

 

[inpain0013]

Looking good, Ghostwolf!! Keep up the great work!!!!

IP

 

[Ghostwolf]

Looking good, Ghostwolf!! Keep up the great work!!!!

IP

Thank's man, I still have aways to, but all is lookin good so far.

 

[b00m]

Looks like they are coming along nicely Ghostwolf, great work bro keep it up.

Happy Gardening All.
Peace.

 

[Ghostwolf]

Looks like they are coming along nicely Ghostwolf, great work bro keep it up.

Happy Gardening All.
Peace.

Thanks man, I'm doin what I can with the bag seed I've got. It's always come out good for me, this time it's out doing it's self. I can hardly wait till it's finished.

 

[BC Chronic]

Great job Ghostwolf!! Its pretty cool with what you can do with cfl's..never would have thought of it till I came to IC..
I have 6 cfl's in my pc totalling 161 watts...not an issue with heat except when my fan controller blew..
Do you, or anyone else, think I could use 1 200 watt? Or maybe 1- 150 watt?
Thanks and keep up the good work!

 

[Ghostwolf]

Great job Ghostwolf!! Its pretty cool with what you can do with cfl's..never would have thought of it till I came to IC..
I have 6 cfl's in my pc totalling 161 watts...not an issue with heat except when my fan controller blew..
Do you, or anyone else, think I could use 1 200 watt? Or maybe 1- 150 watt?
Thanks and keep up the good work!

I don't see why you couldn't. I'm using 2 26w/100w CFL's and my temp stays about 82 degrees Fahrenheit. I use the basic old PC case & light set up I saw on "The Cheap Vegetable Gardener" site (How to Make a PC Grow Case for Under $20) I made my own additions to it that I wanted but it's still basic, the case is old so it's unsuspecting to look at. And I run two 80mm PC fans, 1 at the bottom in front, and 1 up at the top in the back, with an AC adapter from a old Braun shaver it's big enough to handle them and it only gets warm so I should get a lot of use out of it, no fan speed controller. They come on and off with the lights on a multi setting timer. I first learned about using CFL's to grow with at the "High Times" site. Year's ago when I started out growing indoors I used 2 4ft 40watt grow tubes totaling 80watts and I grew good smoke but not a lot of bud and the plants were stretchy. I really wouldn't use less than 150watts. I use what I use at the moment because where I live I have to use as little power as possible and still be able to grow enough to make it worth the trouble. Now later on when I have a better situation I can use more lights and grow bigger. But for now this good enough.

 

[Ghostwolf]

Hope everyone's stays warm with your plants tonight!