CMH v Eye Hortilux Blue MH (vegging only)

[Geoffrey Boycot]

Hello!

atm i run 4x54w T5 for mums & babies; 8x54w T5 for vegging and 2x600hps for 12/12

I'm thinking of expanding the vegging operation. I'm not sure the 8xT5 unit is doing the necessary damage after they reach a certain height. They certainly dont produce the "1-2inches of overnight growth" i hear others talk of... So the new plan is:

4x54w T5 for mums & babies
8x54w T5 for 1gal vegging (3-4weeks)
1x400w CMH/blue MH for 3gal vegging (3weeks)
2x600w HPS for 12/12 (8wks)

So what would be the best unit to introduce/buy for this extra vegging stage? The CMH only has higher lumens output (34k lums) because it puts out more red/yellow light than the hortilux Blue MH (29k lums). [the blue photons are harder to move around apparantly]

The CMH has a colour temp of 4500; the eye hortilux blue has a color temp of 6500. (the same as the T5's)

I don't think an extra T5 unit is going to cut it, nice as it is to get close to the plants, i dont think its going to be ideal for the purposes of filling out the roots when i move from 1g->3g for the final 3 weeks of vegging. I'm hoping this extra stage will get them really keen for the 12/12 action.


I can't see how the CMH is going to win for this particular use. surely the extra red/yellow at that stage of vegging is a bad idea?
I don't care about the extra cost of the hortilux eye-blue...i just want the best results. CMH seems more suited to a 'one-lamp' grow from reading 200 pages of the thread about it.


Any thoughts? Please correct me where I might be out of touch.

Cheers,
Geoff

 

[magiccannabus]

Tough choices! The Hortilux Blue is an incredibly good bulb, but the CMH runs cooler and is only weaker in the blue spectra. Hortilux Blue should run on digi ballasts and the CMH likely never will. Either would make your life happier.

 

[sparkjumper]

I ran expensive horticultiral lamps in veg for a few years until I started using commercial halides.I see know difference and am paying less than half what I was paying.I still use hortilux to flower of course but I dont feel the need to use expensive veg lamps anymore

 

[Geoffrey Boycot]

Yeah i could spend the extra $40 on the switchable sun system 10 and then just play about and see what happens.

horti blue: 12,000 hours. 29,000 initial/20,000 mean ($64)
CMH: 15,000 hours. 34,000 initial/30,000 mean ($41.50)

defo think i should write off trying to veg with T5's then?

 

[Geoffrey Boycot]

no-one uses MH to veg anymore??

 

[globel]

I use MH when i move them in my flower room for the first week to get them acclimated. I use t-5 in my veg though... on my mothers i also use t-5's....

 

[mexilandrace]

I run cheapo dual spectrum bulbs off ebay and am ridiculously happy I did it.