Using cfls, need help..

[McIriee]

Hey everyone. New to the forums.
Got a small closet setup with 6, 2 weeks in.
Im using cfls. I have a 200w ecobulb cfl white daylight, and a 150w red spectrum (warm white). Got a nice reflector as well. Trying to figure out which to use when. Planning on using cfls for entire process. Any advice?? :hubba:

 

[bho_expertz]

Try to have both. The white/blue is better for veg and the red for flowering. But i think that u can have both.

 

[Locked]

youll need a HPS or something. i doubt youll be able to flower 6 plants with those lights.

:yeahthat:

 

[Hushpuppy]

Welcome to The Passion. We love growing and talking about MJ, so ask any questions and we will try to help. I don't know about those lights but the most important thing about lights is the amount of lumens that they are putting out versus the amount of grow space that you have. In order to have any kind of decent yeild, you need to have a minimum of 3000lumens per square foot of grow space for vegging, and a minimum of 5000lumens per sqft for flowering.

Also remember that if you have plants in a large room with lights directly over them, you are steadily losing light energy(lumens) to the bigger room. Having plants in a 2'x4' space with enough lumens for 8sqft will fail to be enough if they are open to an area that is 8'x10', as the light energy will escape out into the open room and be lost. So it is best to enclose the plants within a reflective space to utilize all of the light for the plants.

As for Bulbs; The white light in the blue end of the spectrum (the Kelvin rating is around 6500K) is best for vegging plants. The yellow/orenge/red in the 2000-2700K range is best for flower...Be careful with regular CFL bulbs that say 300w but are really only 1/4 of that and are a replacement for an incandescent of 300 watts.

If you want to use CFL(I recommend not using them myself as they are not as cost effective as other options) You need to look at the really big ones that put out 3900-5000lumens each. you will need enough of them to surround your plants and stay within a few inches of the plants (as the light from floros doesn't penetrate very far).

You will need enough of them to equal the amount of lumens needed for the space you have. That is why so many on here will tell you to not use CFL and go with HID instead, as they are far more cost efficient, and their light penetrates much farther. However, not everyone has the setup to accomodate HID. In that case, you do what you have to do.

Don't forget that your plants like and need to breath cool fresh air, so good ventilation will be rewarded with good bud. Good grow mojo to ya. I hope you enjoy growing as much as we do

 

[vic777]

Just a note about CFL's from a noob: my first grow was done using only CFL's - I used big 85W 5100 LM bulbs. Although I got a nice yield that was very smokeable, the buds were very loose and airy.

Initially I decided to go with CFL's as I thought heat would be less of an issue with them, but I still had a problem with heat.

 

[Lemon Jack]

CFL actually put out more heat per watt that than a hps light

You can grow with cfl's but I just wonder why your trying to steer from a hps.
You would have tenfold the yield of better compacter stickier buds IMO.

 

[McIriee]

Wow, thanks for all the quick responses guys!! I love mj as well, did a bit of outdoor growing back in the day, but first time doing the tent job.

Heres the bulb im using, got a high quality reflector as well.
hXXp://www.a-zeehydro.co.uk/index.p...ght-blue-6400k-built-in-ballast-cfl-lamp.html

I downsized to 4 plants, there a lowrider strain that says they will flower in 9-12 weeks. Plan on growing these to flower n clone.. Im really trying to figure out how many lumens this 200w is pumping out. Im thinking of getting a double reflector and get 2 of those bulbs in there.

Im just trying to figure out how many of these cfls i need to have 4 of these plants going well.

 

[Locked]

That bulb is good for anywhere from 8,000-10,000 lumens....or about 3 sqr feet in veg or 2 sqr feet in flower. You will be better off getting an HPS in my opinion. I mean 2 of those bulbs will cost more then a HPS set up.

Here is a 400w HPS setup in a cool tube digi ballast for 145 amazon.com/LED-Wholesalers-GYO2009-3-Piece-Hydroponic/dp/B004HNPGKA

 

[Growdude]

I downsized to 4 plants, there a lowrider strain that says they will flower in 9-12 weeks. Plan on growing these to flower n clone..

You cant clone an auto strain. Isn't Lowrider an auto?

 

[McIriee]

Yeah lowrider is an auto.
I had a plan to stay away from hps bulbs cause of the risks such as 50 thermal scans. Im in a top floor apt, so the only place i can vent the tent to would be somewhere else in the room/house Would is be safe enough?

 

[Locked]

You cant clone an auto strain. Isn't Lowrider an auto?

Yep....right on both counts.

I wld regroup and come up with a new plan. Autos are not a good choice if you want to clone and keep moms.

 

[McIriee]

Yeahh, i know whatcha mean. This first set was to test to see if the cfls would produce enough light to veg and flower 4 plants. Was going to step up the second grow fer sure. But back to the hps inside question. If i have a hps inside in a tent, and i had the tent vented to somewhere else in the room, would that be safe enough.?

 

[Locked]

I honestly wld worry more about odor or nosey neighbors then FLIR....I doubt they wld be able to pick out the heat sig on a small HPS. If you run a filter you shld be able to vent the air out a window.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Yeah lowrider is an auto.
I had a plan to stay away from hps bulbs cause of the risks such as 50 thermal scans. Im in a top floor apt, so the only place i can vent the tent to would be somewhere else in the room/house Would is be safe enough?

CFLs are NOT cooler than HPS lights. It is a misconception that CFLs are cooler than HPS. When you get enough lumens in there to do the job, it is going to be hotter than if you were running a HPS. In addition, they will cost you more to run every single month, you will get les bud, it will be airier and CFLs are harder to cool, as you can put a HPS in a cool tube or air cooled hood--something you cannot do with multiple CFLs.

 

[Growdude]

I honestly wld worry more about odor or nosey neighbors then FLIR....I doubt they wld be able to pick out the heat sig on a small HPS. If you run a filter you shld be able to vent the air out a window.

I seen a show on FLIR and this is how they get you.

They cant see thru your roof or walls, what they "see" is the heat of the exhaust vent.

 

[Sol]

i looked into IR singatures too, said that 400&600 watters dont really heat up too much the ones their lookin for are 1000 and up where alot of heat is involved. Think about it ppl buy portable a/c units that must vent somewhere, and gas & water heaters goin all over the world they can't send helicopters or planes over every little heat bloom they might see. I think they look for the obvious ones, who have big hoses blowin heat, or windows on a cool night that show 85 degrees or something. What about winter?
I wouldnt think you need to worry , and if so get that ir blocker film for added protection.

 

[Hushpuppy]

Yeah, heat is the least of yer security problems. If you have a washer and dryer in your home, the vent from the dryer will create as much or more of a heat plume as the exaust from 2 600 watt HPS lights tied in series(I know this from personal experience). As far as heat within the house? your stove and oven will create a bigger heat signature if they can even see through the roof.

If you want to use a couple CFLs for veg that's fine, but if you have the space, save the money and get the HPS and you will not regret it.