3 foot t5

[homegrown998]

my closit is 3 feet wide, so im having trouble finding a t5 setup. The only one i can find is only one bulb. Do i really need 2-4 bulbs or will a single bulb fixture be good enough? or would it be better to spend the 40$ on cfls? i plan on getting a 250 mh/hps as soon as i can but for now whats my best option?

 

[4u2sm0ke]

whats the width and hieth? you need min 3k lumes a square foot..but 5k is what most shoot for..if your going to spend money..spend it wisely now..IMO..use HD/HPS lighting..spend the money and get a air cooled hood and some good ventilation..to many people spend a little here (CFLs) and a few more ther..next your in hundreds when you could of spent that blown money on some good genetics..just my thaughts..take care and be safe

 

[homegrown998]

ya i know your right, I'm just trying to get two sections going in the same closet for a sog setup and i think a T5 would look better, and would probably be more affective than a bunch of cf ls for veg/ clones. I just can`t find a 36" on line. Ill get a 250 hps before i start anything. So, anybody still use t5s or is that a thing of the past?

 

[daf]

aint there 2' t5

 

[homegrown998]

ya but i have shelves in the closet and i want the whole shelf too be covered

 

[DomsChron]

I would veg with T5 but not flouros. I hope your going HID during flower

 

[King Bud]

I didn't think they made T5 fluorescents in those sizes.. but a quick google of "36" t5 fluorescent", and I found several places to buy them.

There are many growers here who use and recommend T5 fluorescents over MH, for veg.

The highest I've ever grown a plant under T5s, has been about 2 feet. Anything past two feet, and the lower leaves start dying out.

3000 lumens per square foot is plenty for veg

Cfls can work, but they're relatively expensive, and they're a real pain in the neck to wire.

Oh, and opt for a digital ballast, if only to spare yourself of the damn humming.

Goodluck!

 

[DomsChron]

If you have the ability to get 5000 lumens per square feet, I recommend it. Especially if your going to use CFLs or T5 or anything like this.

I would prefer MH over T5 though only because of light penetration. I understand heat is an issue for some people but if it's not then good. That is why the lower leaves die off, because the light penetration of CFL or T5 even aren't that great. With a MH this will never happen, as CFL light dies off mostly all after about 6 inches or so. The MH can provide full lumenage from even farther distances. Just my opinion.

 

[Hick]

I would veg with T5 but not flouros. I hope your going HID during flower

T5's ARE flourescents...

 

[andy52]

beat me to it Hick,lol i use the cfl's to veg. and they do a great job.i can see no difference from my 400 watt Mh for the vegin.i agree they are alot more cumbersome.but i just leave the small tent open,with a box fan blowing into the tent.24-7. works for me.when i go larger on my veg area,i will go back to the MH.

 

[mastersativa]

Im waaaayyyy into cfl's. And the price is dropping on them also. They are having sales on them right now for 99 cents a bulb. And yes they are expensive to buy up front, but in the long run i found they are cheaper to run. I use all warm bulbs in the 2700-3000 range for veg and flower with great results. So basically, it just depends on how you want to spend your money and on what.

 

[DomsChron]

LOL sorry Hick! Let me elaborate.

Don't use cfl's, use T5's. This is because you can buy a T5 fixture that will hold lots of flouro tubes to supply alot of lumens in one easy to raise/lower fixture

 

[homegrown998]

I want to use T5 for veg on the bottom, and a 250 hps to flower on top. But i don't really have allot of space to use 18"d, 36"w, 96"T. So ill have two 4' T, sections. I'm still in the planning stages now, but if i use a cool tube with the hps or a euro reflector i shouldn't have to worry about heat two much right? I should have room for 4 plants flowering, and a mother/clones.

 

[homegrown998]

LOL sorry Hick! Let me elaborate.

Don't use cfl's, use T5's. This is because you can buy a T5 fixture that will hold lots of flouro tubes to supply alot of lumens in one easy to raise/lower fixture

:yeahthat: thats was i was thinking too, why even bother with cfls

 

[DomsChron]

I know, every time I ever used cfl's I felt like I was "rigging" everything up.

With a T5 it seems more professional.