t5 talk

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mslady_1983

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I am going to purchase a t5. The thing is i would like some replies on how about building my vegg room to get the best lumens for my girls. i plan on only having up to 8 plants at a time. what size room and how many lumens of t5 would i need. what size fixture should i get.
 
I have a 2'8"x5' veg room with a 4' 8bulb t5 setup. I have the light centered in the room and it lights the whole room up very good.
 
The 4ft 8 bulb fixture is the way to go for sure :) Just that one fixture will give you 40K lumens which will light sufficiently a 12sqft area. That would be a 2'x6', or 4'x3', or you could even get away with a 6'long by 30inch deep setup, which should be plenty of space to veg 8 plants for several weeks. I use a 4'x30"deep cabinet so that I don't have to reach so far in to get to my plants. Make sure when you get it to get all 6500k bulbs, not mixed bulbs as in veg you do not need the 3000k bulbs. Also remember that you want to keep the fixture within 6inches of the top of the plants at all times to get the best results. I have mine suspended so that I can raise and lower them as I need to to match my plants. Others like Goddess use milk crates and such to raise the plants to the fixed lights, which has its advantages over hanging the lights to the plants :)
 
great info i appreciate the info looks like im going with the 4 ft 8 bulbs thanks everyone
 
I run 2 of them and a 400w hps lol. my hydrofarm is like dual socket, unplug one bulb and two shut off.

My cheapo is single which I prefer.

Amazon has cheap 4.8
 
I run a 4 bulb 4 foot HO T5 in my 2x4 veg tent...It is hung by ProGrip hangers and I also use crates, buckets, dvd's and anything else I can stack under my pots to achieve a uniform canopy. Since buying the T%'s I hve not looked back for veg. They hve been an awesome purchase for sure. I got mine off ebay.
 
The 4ft 8 bulb fixture is the way to go for sure Just that one fixture will give you 40K lumens which will light sufficiently a 12sqft area. That would be a 2'x6', or 4'x3', or you could even get away with a 6'long by 30inch deep setup, which should be plenty of space to veg 8 plants for several weeks.

This of course depends on how big you plan to veg the gals imhe! For me, I could only get 6 gals vegging in a 6'x30" space, unless at the beginning of veg...but I would still need more room by the end. I also like to keep my gals as much under the light as possible, the light as low as possible. The 8 bulb is 26" wide (or mine is, at least), so mine wouldn't fit in a 6'x2'.
 
Yeah Roddy you are correct. I forget that you have to keep the fixture pretty close to the canopy so vegging 8 plants would have to be for only as long as they can all fit beneath the fixture.

I have been vegging 2 sets of 4 plants in my cabinets which are both 30"x4'. In one cab I have 2 MH250watt lights, and in the other cab I have 8 4'T5HO with 6500k bulbs. Here's where it gets interesting. They have been vegging the exact same length of time. The MH lighted are several inches taller and bushier than the plants under the T5s. But the node count is the same and the plants under the T5s are very tight and bushy as well.
 
Hushpuppy, that is interesting--I love controlled experiments like this. However, you have a few more watts and lumens in the MH room--500W of MH compared to 432W of T5--around 15% more light. Does the MH room require more ventilation? My MH lights run lots hotter than my T5s.
 
Yes It does run considerably warmer with the MH than the T5s. I have my exaust fans on both cabs set to thermostats that sit at the top of the canopies in both cabs, and both are set to 75*. The HIDs keep the fan running twice as long as the T5s easy.
 

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