Thanks guys I'm planning to use the box like an indoor grow with a top and reflective sides.Im trying to keep my light bill from spiking and causing suspicion so I think cfls would be my best bet for this grow if I'm right what type of cfl should I use? Any input would be helpful thanks
That is a misconception held by many new growers. CFLs individually are not that much money, but you need a whole bunch of them--you cannot just throw 5 or 6 26W bulbs in there and have it do the job. I believe that is the reason that some believe that CFLs are cheaper, they are way underlighting their spaces. While I realize that you are not "new" per se, growing has changed so much in the last 20 years that for all intended purposes, you are a new grower. So welcome to CFLs 101--THG style
CFLs are NOT cheaper than other lighting,
when you get as many as you need. This is because they produce less usable light (lumens) per watt than other types of lighting. And lighting needs are figured by lumens per sq ft.--3000 lumens per sq ft of blue light for vegging and 5000 lumens of red light for flowering. When talking of CFLs we will be using actual wattage as the equivalent wattage numbers are meaningless for growing. A 400W HPS is going to emit about 40-50,000 lumens, 400 actual watts of CFLs is going to emit about 26,000 lumens. So as you can see, it will take almost 800W of CFLs to equal the light from a single 400W HPS. And the light from the HPS is better, will produce more bud that is denser. CFL grows tend to produce light airy buds.
But it is not just paying double the money in electricity every single month. There is the initial setup. For 5 autos you are probably going to want at least a 3 x 3 space or 9 sq ft. (maybe more). Since you are running autos, you will be running flowering lights most of the grow (as a side note, while I am wondering why you picked autos that is a discussion for later). Nine sq ft requires a min of 45,000 lumens, but most of us like to run more. If you use 42W CFLs, they emit approx. 2700 lumens. So that is 17 bulbs @ $12 (or so) each, and reflectors, and cords. The bulbs alone will run more than a 400W MH/HPS setup with a cool tube [ame]http://www.amazon.com/Apollo-Horticulture-GLK400CTAC-Digital-Dimmable/dp/B00547RGI8/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1427038506&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=400W+HPS+cool+tube[/ame]. And when you get that many bulbs, they will run hotter and the heat will be harder to deal with than with a cool tube.
You will be absolutely amazed how things have changed over the years. While I do not like autos (consider it the 'watering down' of the genetics for supposed easier growing), it is just one of the changes we have seen. We have learned so much more about what the plant wants and needs and we have products specially formulated for growing. Strains bred for about every imaginable taste. No longer are we flying by the seat of our pants. Welcome to the new world of cannabis cultivation! It is an adventure for sure.