Serenade, damping off. Questions and photos

[Opie Yutts]

Any advice or comments concerning my problem children would be greatly appreciated. This link goes right to the part of my thread that shows the problems: http://boards.cannabis.com/indoor-growing/155879-sowed-my-wild-oats-8-new-ones-me.html#post1861728

[stinkyattic]

Drop your lights further. That will raise temps, which in turn will drop %RH in the area right close to the plants, and create conditions not conducive to pythium fungus. It will also solve your stretch problem. You should be within 2" of the canopy running tube flouros. Jsut keep an eye on vertical growth and watering- they should not touch the bulbs, especially T8s (T12s are cooler to the touch), and if they get totally dry they CAN scorch.
Find the happy medium!
Edit: make sure you have adequate air movement- they should be warm and dry-ish, not hot and arid. Again with the happy medium.

[Opie Yutts]

Thank you stinky, I'll try dropping the lights like you suggest. I guess I thought 6" would be close enough for a couple 54 watt T5's on some newly emerging babies. But it has been a few days and I'm sure they can handle more now. Most of them are growing out, instead of up quite nicely.

There is plenty of air movement, oscillating fan blowing on them. I think I'll move the problem ones to the heat mat. I wonder if it's coincidence that the heat mat spawned no problem children.

[Weedhound]

ok....maybe not the place but question....what the heck is the difference with all the T numbers....T5, T8, T12.......I know it refers to fluoros but is that a spectrum thing or what exactly?

[Opie Yutts]

Remember this from my mother thread? The fixture in the bottom of my mother area is not drawing 40 watts, itâ??s drawing 80, since it has 2 40 watt bulbs. So for 67% of the electricity, the T5 puts out about 21% more lumens, according to my light meter.

T12 are the older, bigger fluorescent tubes, T5 are the newest, smallest and most efficient, and T8 is somewhere in the middle. One of my 4 foot, 54 watt T5 bulbs is putting of 21% more lumens than a combination of 2 of my 40 watt T12 bulbs. The T12 combo costs 33% more in electricity. The downside is that (to my knowledge) T5 bulbs are not made in the proper color for vegging or budding, where as the T12 bulbs are, or are at least a lot closer. The proper color being 5700K and 2500K respectively.

Let me know if that doesn't clear it up.

[stinkyattic]

There are good sources of agricultural T5's, but I can't think of them offhand.
This may sound super Luddite, but I personally prefer working under T12s (I was running 'cool white' with great results and recently started on 'daylight' which is even BLUER) in almost all cases for one main reason: The tubes run cool to the touch and if you neglect to raise the fixture in time, no prob, the plants won't scorch.
T5's are simply AWESOME for seedlings if you have the time to monitor growth and maintain a nice 2" distance from canopy to light.

[Weedhound]

Remember this from my mother thread? The fixture in the bottom of my mother area is not drawing 40 watts, itâ??s drawing 80, since it has 2 40 watt bulbs. So for 67% of the electricity, the T5 puts out about 21% more lumens, according to my light meter.

T12 are the older, bigger fluorescent tubes, T5 are the newest, smallest and most efficient, and T8 is somewhere in the middle. One of my 4 foot, 54 watt T5 bulbs is putting of 21% more lumens than a combination of 2 of my 40 watt T12 bulbs. The T12 combo costs 33% more in electricity. The downside is that (to my knowledge) T5 bulbs are not made in the proper color for vegging or budding, where as the T12 bulbs are, or are at least a lot closer. The proper color being 5700K and 2500K respectively.

Let me know if that doesn't clear it up.


Uhhh Wow! Great info Opie. Thanks. :thumbsup:

[Opie Yutts]

There are good sources of agricultural T5's, but I can't think of them offhand.Perhaps I don't know how to search the web properly, but I couldn't find any. If anyone knows where I can get some T5's close to 2500, or even 2700K, please, please share.


super Luddite
Sorry for being dense, but what's this?


I personally prefer working under T12s ...The tubes run cool to the.
You got me curious so I whipped out the laser thermometer. The T12's are consistently 105 degrees, and the T5's are consistently 135 degrees. That's 29% warmer.

[Weedhound]

Interesting about the T5's....that's what we just bought but we're so used to the HID's that they seem really cool to me. Good light too...nice and bright!

Luddite...is that a type of plastic? Perhaps a rare breed of horse........hmmmmmmm
:D

[Opie Yutts]

Luddite...is that a type of plastic? Perhaps a rare breed of horse........hmmmmmmm
:D

You might be thinking of Lucite, a brand of plastics, I think.

[stinkyattic]

Luddite= Originally a group of textile workers from England who felt their livelihood threatened by the advent of mechanical looms and knitting machines. The current usage is pretty much descriptive of anyone who fears or dislikes mechanization of industry, or modern technology in general.

[Opie Yutts]

Ah, I see. That describes my mom to a tee. She has a computer, printer and internet, yet she always calls me to do anything computer related for her.

[stinkyattic]

It fits her only if she resents the presence of a computer in her home and cooks meals on a coal-fired hob...
I wish we had a Geico caveman smiley!

[MVP]

Hey all, anyone find a source for the 5700K t5 bulbs? I need to get my hands on some 2-footers...

[Opie Yutts]

What he said.