noobie lighting question

so i started my grow, i will move to outdoor but there indoors for the first two weeks. i have one seed germinated and planted and other still waiting to be germinated but for my first seed i planted it in a cup about 1/2 inch down. i have a bearded dragon and in its cage is a UVA/UVB bulb and i put it about 2 inches under that light the only thing is that its not on 24 hours its on for about a 12 hour cycle give or take an hour or half hour, i also have a 15 watt CFL ge bulb and i was wondering would it be better to just use the cfl bulb i have and put the cup under there cuz i can leave that one on for 24 hours. and anything i have to do with the seed thats planted? how much do i water it do i have to feed it anything etc.

you haven't gotten a response, i would bet, because your question is so simple and has been asked and answered so many times already that people just ignore it and figure maybe you'll be smart enough to look in the FAQ

i didnt find anything in the FAQ section that answered my question. i didnt know a lot of people have lizards with UVA/UVB bulbs on this forum. i just wantt to kno if its better to leave it in there on a 12/12 cycle or just use a 15 watt cfl bulb for 24 hours i dont know if 15 watt is enough. i will keep looking in the FAQ section but can someone just answer me? im just lookin for some guidance no need to be a d**k about it cuz i kno this specific question hasnt been answered.

sorry i offended you man but after 2 years you should know more, shit, you should know way more than i do!
for example, that light you have for your lizard is an incandescent bulb i believe and as such is terribly inefficient. you're right that 15 watts of CFL isn't much and if you want to actually grow something, you should add some more CFL's. although you don't need them now, that 15 watter will do fine for your seedling.
here's some info i got on another forum, i know it's way more info than you were looking for but maybe, if you read it, you will learn something about lights, 6 months ago i didn't know jack about lights.
if it doesn't help you, maybe it will help someone else. don't give up and don't stop asking for help, just try to be sure the answer you seek isn't already available if only you would look deep enough.

---Below are some tables compiled from data about various lamps so that you can compare and contrast different lamps yourself. Things to remember! Different sources of light have different light spectrums some better for plant growth and some not so good such as incandescent bulbs. Plant growth is heavily influenced by the amount and colour of the available light. Blue light at about 450nm favours root growth and intense photosynthesis. Red colours at 600 to 700nm stimulate rapid stem growth, intense flowing and chlorophyll production.

An interesting note about PAR watts and lumens for MH and HPS lamps is that the correlation between the two is over 97%. Meaning that for HPS and MH lights (remember the very restricted sample used here) on average there is less than 3% variance when estimating PAR watts from lumens. But remember that is an average and some lamps the difference may be much more.

If you have more information to add to the tables below PM Nietzsche.
Lamp Efficiency In PAR WATTS

BRAND MAKE CATEGORY WATTS INITIAL LUMENS PAR WATTS CCT
Argosun Classic MH 1000 117000 581 ~3K
Hortilux Super HPS TM EN HPS 1000 145000 535 ~2K
Sunmaster Warm Deluxe MH 1100 133000 505 ~3K
Sunmaster Warm Deluxe MH 1000 117000 470 ~3K
Sunmaster Warm Deluxe MH 1000 117000 470 ~3K
Sunmaster Natural Deluxe MH 1000 117000 442 ~4K
Sunmaster Warm Deluxe MH 1000 110000 441 ~3K
Sunmaster Natural Deluxe MH 1000 110000 416 ~4K
Sunmaster Cool Deluxe MH 1000 80000 340 ~5K
Hortilux Super HPSTM EN HPS 430 58500 220 ~2K
Sunmaster Super HPS Deluxe HPS 600 85000 205 ~2K
Hortilux Super HPSTM EN HPS 400 55000 205 ~2K
Sunmaster Warm Deluxe MH 400 40000 159 ~3K
Sunmaster Natural Deluxe MH 400 40000 151 ~4K
Sunmaster Cool Deluxe MH 400 32500 138 ~5K
Sunmaster Natural Deluxe MH 400 36000 136 ~4K
Sunmaster Super HPS Deluxe HPS 400 55000 132 ~2K
Sunmaster Warm Deluxe MH 250 22000 87 ~3K
Sunmaster Natural Deluxe MH 250 23000 87 ~4K
Sunmaster Warm Deluxe MH 250 21500 85 ~3K
Sunmaster Cool Deluxe MH 250 19000 81 ~5K
Sunmaster Natural Deluxe MH 250 21000 80 ~4K
Hortilux Super HPS Deluxe HPS 250 32000 77 ~2K

Lamp Efficiency In LUMENS
BRAND MAKE CATEGORY WATTS INITIAL LUMENS PAR WATTS CCT
Hortilux Super HPS TM EN HPS 1000 145000 535 ~2K
GE Lucalox® Standard HPS 1000 140000 ~2.1
Sunmaster Warm Deluxe MH 1100 133000 505 ~3K
Philips Son Standard HPS 1000 130000 ~1.95K
Philips Son T HPS 1000 130000 ~1.95K
Osram Sylvania Lumalux® Standby HPS 1000 127000 ~2.1K
Sunmaster Warm Deluxe MH 1000 117000 470 ~3K
Sunmaster Warm Deluxe MH 1000 117000 470 ~3K
Sunmaster Natural Deluxe MH 1000 117000 442 ~4K
ArgoSun MS MH 1000 117000 581 ~3.2K
GE High Output (HO) MH 1000 115000 ~3.8K
Osram Sylvania Super Metalarc® MH 1000 115000 ~4K
Sunmaster Warm Deluxe MH 1000 110000 441 ~3K
Sunmaster Natural Deluxe MH 1000 110000 416 ~4K
GE High Output (HO) MH 1000 110000 ~3.4K
GE Multi-Vapor® Standard MH 1000 105000 ~4K
Philips Son T Plus HPS 600 90000 ~1.95K
Sunmaster Super HPS Deluxe HPS 600 85000 205 ~2K
Sunmaster Cool Deluxe MH 1000 80000 340 ~5K
Hortilux Super HPSTM EN HPS 430 58500 220 ~2K
Hortilux Super HPSTM EN HPS 400 55000 205 ~2K
Sunmaster Super HPS Deluxe HPS 400 55000 132 ~2K
Philips Son T Agro HPS 400 55000 ~2.05K
Philips Son T Plus HPS 400 55000 ~1.95K
Philips Son Plus HPS 400 54000 ~1.95K
GE Lucalox® Standard HPS 400 51000 ~2.2
Philips Son Standard HPS 400 48000 ~1.95K
Philips Son T HPS 400 48000 ~1.95K
Osram Sylvania Lumalux® Standby HPS 400 47500 ~2.1K
GE Extra High Output (XHO) MH 400 44000 ~4K
GE High Output (HO) MH 400 41000 ~4K
Osram Sylvania Compact Super Metalarc® MH 400 41000 ~3.8K
Sunmaster Warm Deluxe MH 400 40000 159 ~3K
Sunmaster Natural Deluxe MH 400 40000 151 ~4K
ArgoSun MS MH 400 40000 ~3.2K
Sunmaster Natural Deluxe MH 400 36000 136 ~4K
GE Multi-Vapor® Metal Halide Standard MH 400 36000 ~4K
Sunmaster Cool Deluxe MH 400 32500 138 ~5K
Hortilux Super HPS Deluxe HPS 250 32000 77 ~2K
Sunmaster Natural Deluxe MH 250 23000 87 ~4K
Sunmaster Warm Deluxe MH 250 22000 87 ~3K
Sunmaster Warm Deluxe MH 250 21500 85 ~3K
Sunmaster Natural Deluxe MH 250 21000 80 ~4K
Sunmaster Cool Deluxe MH 250 19000 81 ~5K

Lamp Efficiency for MH & HPS
BRAND MAKE CATEGORY WATTS INITIAL LUMENS PAR WATTS CCT
Argosun Classic MH 1000 117000 581 ~3K
Sunmaster Warm Deluxe MH 1100 133000 505 ~3K
Sunmaster Warm Deluxe MH 1000 117000 470 ~3K
Sunmaster Natural Deluxe MH 1000 117000 442 ~4K
ArgoSun MS MH 1000 117000 ~3.2K
GE High Output (HO) MH 1000 115000 ~3.8K
Osram Sylvania Super Metalarc® MH 1000 115000 ~4K
Sunmaster Warm Deluxe MH 1000 110000 441 ~3K
Sunmaster Natural Deluxe MH 1000 110000 416 ~4K
GE High Output (HO) MH 1000 110000 ~3.4K
GE Multi-Vapor® Standard MH 1000 105000 ~4K
Sunmaster Cool Deluxe MH 1000 80000 340 ~5K
GE Extra High Output (XHO) MH 400 44000 ~4K
GE High Output (HO) MH 400 41000 ~4K
Osram Sylvania Compact Super Metalarc® MH 400 41000 ~3.8K
Sunmaster Warm Deluxe MH 400 40000 159 ~3K
Sunmaster Natural Deluxe MH 400 40000 151 ~4K
ArgoSun MS MH 400 40000 ~3.2K
Sunmaster Natural Deluxe MH 400 36000 136 ~4K
GE Multi-Vapor® Standard MH 400 36000 ~4K
Sunmaster Cool Deluxe MH 400 32500 138 ~5K
Sunmaster Natural Deluxe MH 250 23000 87 ~4K
Sunmaster Warm Deluxe MH 250 22000 87 ~3K
Sunmaster Warm Deluxe MH 250 21500 85 ~3K
Sunmaster Natural Deluxe MH 250 21000 80 ~4K
Sunmaster Cool Deluxe MH 250 19000 81 ~5K
Hortilux Super HPS TM EN HPS 1000 145000 535 ~2K
GE Lucalox® Standard HPS 1000 140000 ~2.1
Philips Son Standard HPS 1000 130000 ~1.95K
Philips Son T HPS 1000 130000 ~1.95K
Osram Sylvania Lumalux® Standby HPS 1000 127000 ~2.1K
Philips Son T Plus HPS 600 90000 ~1.95K
Sunmaster Super HPS Deluxe HPS 600 85000 205 ~2K
Hortilux Super HPSTM EN HPS 430 58500 220 ~2K
Hortilux Super HPSTM EN HPS 400 55000 205 ~2K
Sunmaster Super HPS Deluxe HPS 400 55000 132 ~2K
Philips Son T Agro HPS 400 55000 ~2.05K
Philips Son T Plus HPS 400 55000 ~1.95K
Philips Son Plus HPS 400 54000 ~1.95K
GE Lucalox® Standard HPS 400 51000 ~2.2
Philips Son Standard HPS 400 48000 ~1.95K
Philips Son T HPS 400 48000 ~1.95K
Osram Sylvania Lumalux® Standby HPS 400 47500 ~2.1K
Hortilux Super HPS Deluxe HPS 250 32000 77 ~2K

thanks man no worries i kinda got pissed and turned into a dick myself lol but anyways yea ive been a member for 2 years but never grew just a recreational smoker haha but thanks for the info i appreciate it so i guess ur saying even though its a 15 watt bulb it would be ok now for seeding at 24 hours? also should i keep that 15 watt on it untill i plan to put it outside? and yes i do try to search the forums before i ask. thanks for the help.

no problem man and i don't mean to rain on your parade but my first attempt i started 30 seeds and they all sprouted, grew for a month and died, my second attempt i again started 30 seeds but only 5 survived, fortunately, 4 were girls so i was able to get some smokeable bud, now i'm teaching myself hydro and it's easier and harder too. my point is, to make it work, you can't be lazy, you have to search and search and research until you find what you need, and go to a book store or online and get yourself a copy of Jorge Cervantes latest book, he really knows his shit.

yea ive been researching. for some reason i just couldnt find anything that related to my question and was just stuck on it. i already changed my plant over to the CFL and wen iw as takingit out of my lizards cage i could see a little green comming from the dirt good sign i hope.

yes, green is good but don't get all bummed out if your 1 or 2 plantlets die, it happens, especially with noobies (like you and me kid) the thing to remember is that your trying, that's a good thing, it's only failure if you don't try again.

more info freely shared with me and i freely share it with you (and you lurkers too)

rotflmao

i should never try to advise while smoking

here it is this time

Grow Light Guide

Horticultural lighting systems allow you to extend the growing season by providing your plants with an indoor equivalent to sunlight. This is a great advantage for those of you who appreciate having a year-round supply of fresh flowers, veggies and herbs. Artificial lighting is also a great way to jump-start spring by starting your seedlings months ahead of the last frost. There are three main types of horticultural lighting systems.
HID (High Intensity Discharge) Lighting
HID lighting is the most efficient way to convert electricity into light that is available to the consumer. There are two types of HID grow lights used for horticultural lighting:
HID Light Efficiency


One 1000 watt HPS bulb
puts out as much light as
111 incandescent 100 watt bulbs. One 400 watt MH bulb
puts out as much light as
20 fluorescent 40 watt tubes.
Metal Halide - MH
Metal halide bulbs produce an abundance of light in the blue spectrum. This color of light promotes plant growth and is excellent for green leafy growth and keeping plants compact. It is the best type of light to be used as a primary light source (if no or little natural sunlight is available). The average lifespan is about 10,000 cumulative hours. The bulb will light up beyond this time but due to the gradual decline of light, it is not worth your while to wait for the bulb to finally burn out. If you compare their lumen (brightness) per unit of energy consumed, metal halides produce up to 125 lumens per watt compared to 39 lumens per watt with fluorescent lights and 18 lumens per watt for standard incandescent bulbs.
High Pressure Sodium - HPS
High pressure sodium bulbs emit an orange-red glow. This band of light triggers hormones in plants to increase flowering/budding in plants. They are the best lights available for secondary or supplemental lighting (used in conjunction with natural sunlight). This is ideal for greenhouse growing applications.

Not only is this a great flowering light, it has two features that make it a more economical choice. Their average lifespan is twice that of metal halides, but after 18,000 hours of use, they will start to draw more electricity than their rated watts while gradually producing less light. HPS bulbs are very efficient. They produce up to 140 lumens per watt. Their disadvantage is they are deficient in the blue spectrum. If a gardener were to start a young plant under a HPS bulb, she/he would see impressive vertical growth. In fact, probably too impressive. Most plants would grow up thin and lanky and in no time you will have to prune your plant back before it grows into the light fixture. The exception to this is using a HPS light in a greenhouse. Sunlight is high in the blue spectrum which would offset any stretching caused by HPS bulbs.

HID Light Output Primary Growing Area Supplemental Growing Area
100 watts 2' x 2' 3' x 3'
250 watts 3' x 3' 4' x 4'
400 watts 4' x 4' 6' x 6'
600 watts 6' x 6' 8' x 8'
1000 watts 8' x 8' 12' x 12'
HID Lighting Helpful Tips
. Hanging height: Due to the heat that is emitted from these types of fixtures, you should hang them according to size. Smaller wattage systems (100 and 250) should be hung about 2 to 3 feet from the top of the plants. Medium wattage systems (400 and 600) should be hung around 4 feet from the top of the plants. High wattage systems (1000 and up) should be placed at least 4 to 6 feet from the plant tops.
. How long should lights run? This depends on the type of plant. Most plants and vegetables need about 10 to 12 hours of light to promote growth. Plants that produce fruits or flowers will show improvement with up to 16 hours a day of supplemental light.
Fluorescent Lighting
This type of light is perfect for starts and seedlings. They are also popular for growing low-light plants like herbs and African violets. Fluorescent lights are low intensity and need to be placed within 8" (up to 15" for shade loving plants) of the plants to be effective. They are a poor light source for flowering and budding primarily because of their low lumen output.
Incandescent Lighting
These lights are also good for starts and seedlings and provide an inexpensive alternative to HID lights, because they do not require a ballast. These lights are only good for individual plants or small groups of plants because of their low lumen output and limited range.

The Cost to Run a Lighting System
To get the operating cost per hour for a light, take the lights combined wattage, and divide it by 1000 to get the kilowatts used. Then multiply that number by the amount your electric company charges per kilowatt hour. HID lights will use the number of watts it emits per hour, ie; 600w system will use 600 watts per hour (regardless of spectrum).
(light wattage output / 1000) x electricity cost per kilowatt hour = Operating cost per hour
operating cost per hour x hours used per month = Operating cost per month

How the Sunlight Effects Plant Growth

200 - 280 nm UVC ultraviolet range which is extremely harmful to plants because it is highly toxic.
280 - 315 nm Includes harmful UVB ultraviolet light which causes plants colors to fade.
315 - 380 nm Range of UVA ultraviolet light which is neither harmful nor beneficial to plant growth.
380 - 400 nm Start of visible light spectrum. Process of chlorophyll absorption begins. UV protected plastics ideally block out any light below this range.
400 - 520 nm This range includes violet, blue, and green bands. Peak absorption by chlorophyll occurs, and a strong influence on photosynthesis. (promotes vegetative growth)
520 - 610 nm This range includes the green, yellow, and orange bands and has less absorption by pigments.
610 - 720 nm This is the red band. Large amount of absorption by chlorophyll occurs, and most significant influence on photosynthesis. (promotes flowering and budding)
720 - 1000 nm There is little absorption by chlorophyll here. Flowering and germination is influenced. At the high end of the band is infrared, which is heat.
1000+ nm


CANNABIS LIGHT GUIDE