Lighting choices!

High everyone,

I've been using cfl's so far in my cabinet grow, which measures 60 inches tall, 48 inches wide, and 2 feet deep. I'm looking at an HPS light at a local hydro shop, a 600 watt and a 1000 watt. I plan to use the CFL's to veg and start seedlings and clones, but am starting to think that for thicker, healthier, bigger buds and greater yield I should use the HPS lighting.

Here are the links and I hope I'm not breaking any forum rules:

Texas Hydroponics &...

Texas Hydroponics &...

The 1000 watt is actually cheaper than the 600 watt, however I wanted to run it by you experts first. In that confined of a space, would you run a 400, 600, 0r 1000 watt light? Keep in mind that a high cfm fan is going to be included to reduce heat temps and move air. My goal is better buds and LOTS of them given the restriction of space.

A Vortex 6" 449 CFM will be utilized as well.

Thoughts and advice anyone???

i mean you could shove the 1000W in there, but the 600 should do you fine. not sure how well the 1000W will cool. i'm running a 400 in a 4' x 4' x 7' tent and it gets warm.

you might also look online for a better deal. texas hydro is a little on the pricey side. unfortunately, it's really the only option (besides jolly green, which i haven't visited yet).


-shake

I'm not 'plugging' them for any gain, but, just for price comparisons, you may want to review 'Discount-Hydro.com' and '1000bulbs.com' ... I've used them both, for awhile now, very satisfied with both service and pricing ... happy gardening :thumbsup:

hey phunnyman. i told you yesterday that i had never been to jolly green hydro before. well that has since changed as i went yesterday after posting that. i picked up a new pH meter. (it's an oakton eco tester. cost $70 which isn't too bad considering it was $95 on amazon!) i also go some 7.01 calibration solution and some pH down, a propigation tray with tall dome.

the pricing isn't bad (as compared to texas hydro) and the staff (one guy) is very nice, knowledgeable and helpful. he actually seems like he's there to work and enjoys the customers. he even told me to call with any questions or if i needed help with my plants and everything. he also told me that if i order something (i use biobizz which they don't carry at the moment) that he will start stocking it! he said that's pretty much how the store was built. it is small but has an awful lot of selection and as previously stated the help/converstion is immensly better than TH). might be worth something checking out.

"i in no way endorse either of these candidates......"


-shake

i just signed up here but my opinion after growing with LED's~they are the light to use in any cabinet or closet grow especially with heat concerns. The model i use is 4" x 40" with 52 3watt LED's. These units pay for themselves within a year with energy savings and bulb replacements! i just posted some of my grow pics in my introduction. here is pic of my lights in my grow! any interest contact me and i can hook you up!

Hey Headshake,

What's up these days? We need to meet up for coffee soon!

I think I'm going to go with the 600 HPS system; after consideration this will meet my needs with regards to upgrading my grow efforts and strain selection, and I'm upping my fan strength to 450 cfm by way of a vortex.

The light fixture with the cool tube seems to be the way to go to help control heat. My main goal is to be able to harvest 1/2 to 1 lb per month using two of these cabinets in the next six months, supplying myself with more than enough excellent meds for me and then some for my immediate family members. That is only a goal, not a "have to", as I'm all about the quality and then the quantity, that and I like to smoke A LOT!

LED's seem like a good idea however I'm not sold on them just yet. I don't know enough about them and the research I've come across isn't strong enough to base the expenditure of my harvests upon. Perhaps its my ignorance of the subject of LED's, I just haven't heard enough substantial information to warrant buying one of these yet.

I have to source my costs upon proven methods and so forth at the moment. Not throwing rocks at LED's or your product, just don't know enough about them to make a pourchase decision on them at this point.

I'm also about to acquire a portable AC unit to help with heat and control atmosphere as much as possible. I'm going to check out Jolly Green, compare some prices, etc..

My textbook is going well, I'm about to turn in the first half to the publisher for review and sourcing. Hopefully, it will be completed within the next year and after being reviewed end up in college classrooms for 2012. So far the feedback is that it will be well received.

no problem P-man....i grew with all the conventional lighting before i switched to LED's. i started because of heat issues i would have on my veg side from the MH bulb. So i got my first lamp to try on veg and after seeing how healthy my plants became over the MH i added LED's to my flower side to see if they would help my yield. I had 2 CAP Nextgen 1000 watt digital and 2 150 watt LED lights and when my plants started leaning to the LED's~even the ones directly under the 1000's then my plants were telling me that they like the LED's so i pulled my HPS out and added more LED's and now i do not run an AC at all even in the summer. that's my story! :jointsmile:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Phunnyman

Hey Headshake,

What's up these days? We need to meet up for coffee soon!

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what's good phunnyman? not a whole lot here man. just working and trying to take care of these ladies. coffee sounds okay. lol. naw coffee sounds cool, i happen to work at a coffee machine repair shop. true story.

i think you will be satisfied with the 600W. i have a buddy who uses a 400W and can pull a half LB on average in a 4' x 4' tent. so i think what you want to do is doable, just needs some tweaking. have you given any thoughts to nutes or anything?

hit me up sometime, my IM is listed here and i'll go and put my email in my profile so it should just show up next to the IM icons.

and congrats on the book! that's awesome. i can't wait to read it!

holla.


-shake

High Shake and everyone!

I think the 600 watt is going to work, I acquired most of it all today and am going to put it all in tomorrow or the next.

I would love to be able to yield a 1/2 lb or more from five or six plants in the cabinet (4' wide, 70" tall, 2' deep), have some really excellent bagseed going into flower at the moment and five white widow and one LA woman as seedlings at the moment. I don't expect alot from the bagseed except some dcent smoke but have high expectations from the ww and la.

Any idea what kind of yield that might bring? Just curious and wondering what kind of what to expect. I haven't grown indoors in a looong time but I grew outdoors many times in Florida, West Texas, and California. Always had big yields and excellent bud from those.

The indoor grow is alot more fun, more control, not even nervous about it as no one except the wife and both brother in laws and their wives smoke and are in on the expense as well, just not wanting to grow at their homes because of kids and so forth.

The really interesting thing; both brother in laws are from Amsterdam....these fuckers are HARD to impress with quality smoke!!

I'll IM you later this week and we'll chat, def do coffee or a beer and catch up on things.

Best wishes to all!

G

A 400 or 600 watt HID light and good ventilation in a spare closet or utility room...+ good genetics = you growing, the world's best weed...:thumbsup:...enjoy.

(it don't matter if your in Holland or East Bumblefuck)...:stoned:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dutch Pimp

A 400 or 600 watt HID light and good ventilation in a spare closet or utility room...+ good genetics = you growing, the world's best weed...:thumbsup:...enjoy.

(it don't matter if your in Holland or East Bumblefuck)...:stoned:

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HAHA whats up Dutch!!!

I'm having fun with it and enjoying the grow and not having to worry about going to pick up a bag of who knows what from who ever swam across the border with it.

I now have a 440 cfm fan, 4' x 2' x 60" modified cabinet, a tube reflector (I think thats what its called) Referred to as a Miliwaukee beast? Adding a large can filter to those in tha cab and putting the seedlings under the cfls, while I flower the bagseed under the HPS. Plan to build another cab for vegging with another HPS to add to the flowering cab.

Hope you're doing well and wish you the best.

G

what's up PM? glad to see that you are acquiring the parts you need. sounds like you've got some good ideas.

as far as your yield question it all depends. are the flowering under CFLs or the HPS now? if CFLs how many, lumen output? what nutes are you using? what are you temps looking like?

i'm definitely down for some coffee or you can have a beer and i'll have some water or something. i don't drink anymore......or very very very rarely.

i'll hit you up.


-shake

Quote:

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Originally Posted by headshake

what's up PM? glad to see that you are acquiring the parts you need. sounds like you've got some good ideas.

as far as your yield question it all depends. are the flowering under CFLs or the HPS now? if CFLs how many, lumen output? what nutes are you using? what are you temps looking like?

i'm definitely down for some coffee or you can have a beer and i'll have some water or something. i don't drink anymore......or very very very rarely.

i'll hit you up.


-shake

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Hey Shake,

The vegging is being done under CFL's at the moment, flowering is going to be under the 600 HPS. The temps are looking like mid to high 70's at the moment, using cannasoil(?) So far I've used Brer Rabbit Molasses (1 tsp per gallon) every three days.

I'm not certain of the total luems of the cfl's but there's ten of the 26 watt 6500 ones in there with a large fan to keep temps down.

Recommend some nutes that you might think would be worthwhile. I'm all ears.

I'm going to build a seperate cab (smaller) for vegging and use either a 250 or 400 MH light with another fan. Priced a portable ac to add to this contraption to make sure that come summer the little beauties don't take a steam bath down here in H town.

My goal is to create a perpetual grow system that can yield up to several lbs per month or every other month, fits in my garage and upon first glance just looks like a series of storage cabinets. That's where the stealth and covertness come in. That way if anyone was to walk in they wouldn't know right off whats going on or if I raise the garage door it wouldn't be a complete knock off to any passers by through light, odor or visual.

I know I might be optimistic on the yield however quality is my first concern then quantity. Both brother in laws are from Amsterdam and these guys are hard to impress since they've been smoking out since crawling out of the womb. They have offered alot of advice but almost all of their experience is outdoors growing as well like mine is. They've ponied up half the costs of what I'm doing and their going to be sharing in the harvest.

We decided to keep this thing at my place since they've got kids and we don't want to local neighbors and their kids finding out about this. Also, I don't look anything like someone who would enjoy this hobby and growing of medicine (when you see my pic you'll see what I mean...) so that also gives me a leg up on being a little stealthier.

I have no kids so having this around is not a big deal (as a firearms enthusiast I have lots of handguns all over the house as well; I shoot alot at the range and believe in self defense as a fundemental right. (I had stopped a rape in progress back in 01, creep had just been released 12 days earlier after serving half of a murder sentence and tested positive for meth...I should have shot his sorry ass...)

Sorry for all the info in one post!! Anyway, I sent you an im and look forward to chatting with you soon.

All the best!
G

PS: Coffee is on me!!

well i think the coffee thing might be a little hard my friend. i live in the big D, not H town. lol. do you ever get up this way?

if you put the six bagseed under the 600W to finish you will have a nice harvest. you should be able to at least yield a 1/2 a pound.....more than likely more.

as far as nutes, i personally started going organic. i am using biobizz currently. i have seen what it can do first hand, and again, it's organic. i've used fox farms, but wasn't thrilled with their stuff. don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad, just really harsh on the plants (i'm sure some of this was me!).

hope all is well.


-shake

I go up to DFW all the time. Will be there in a couple of weeks to visit some friends. If you ever come down to stinkytown you can always hang out.... Plenty of room and I usually duct tape the wife up in the closet at night to keep her from nagging....

I'll try the biobizz, anything specific or all of their products in general? Any set or certain schedule you follow?

We'll have to meet up in D and have that coffee. Seriously, I'm up there at least once a month for several days at a time and would love to bend your ear about growing, cabinet designs, and so forth, share some of God's gift.

Best to ya!
G

cool. that will work out nicely then, you coming up here. we can definitely get together. and if i do make it that way i will definitely hit you up. i might have to steal the duct tape trick though!

as far as the biobizz goes.....they have a soil called all-mix that has something called pre-mix in it. the pre-mix is a nutrient blend. so if you use the all-mix soil you will only need the biogrow, biobloom and top max. if you can't find the all-mix soil you can use something called bioterra made by biocanna. my plants seem to love it. any organic soil will suffice. i've been recommended everything from a sunshine mix (either LC1 or the #4 mix. also fox farms ocean forest. i know that's a lot to take in, but hopefully you've gotten some info from it all.

as far as the feeding schedulde i follow the biobizz one. keep in mind the amounts it tells you to add are per quart. i usually round it off, e.g. if it calls for 8mL i will go to 10mL and so on and so forth.

also, the bottles are now an opaque white as opposed to the translucent clear plastic. so the bottles you get might be a little different.

your brothers-in-law should be happy because it's made in holland!

hope this all helps out. i hope you got my email. hit me up anytime.

double post!

-shake