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Im currently using 8 CFLs for Veg , but i do have a 400Watt MH laying around , only problem is that the bulb i have for it is only 4000K color temp... but does push out 36,000 Lumens. My CFL's are 6500K , just wondering which would provide faster growth , the CFLs with the right color temp , or my MH that has a lower color temp but puts out alot more lumens.
Some advice would be great, Thanks
Anyone ?? Have the night off work and would like to do the switch tonight if the MH would have better results
i would go with the MH and try get an HPS bulb for flowering..
I flower with a 400 watt (C)MH bulb that is 4000k color temp. I like it..:thumbsup:
What about useing the 400W MH 4000K for vegging? Would this work fine ?
You can use an HPS bulb from start to finish without the extra expense for another type lamp/bulb. I now use a Hortilux 1000 watt MH for veg and an HPS for flowering,simply because I have no budget. Already have all I need !: No need to fix what ain't broke!thumbsup:
Ga Grown!
right now with cfl's you have about 200w and about 16000 lumens.
so it's obvious adding more power from the MH is going to outdo your cfls.
4000K isn't just emitting light in one spectrum, it puts out colors in several spectrums. I've read that 4000k works well for veg but I need to see a chart for your specific bulb. Come to think of it I don't know what the normal range for a MH is. So compare the two and then you can think about either keeping your bulb or replacing it with something possibly more efficient.
It is a GE 400W putting out 36,000 Lumens ... with the color temp of 4000K . Guess my question is , would the MH bulb with 36,000 Lumens but a lower color temp (4000K) be better and have more growth or would the setup i have now be better with better results. The set up is just like u said ... Im using CFL , and they are putting out about 12,000 Lumens between all of them , but they do have the color temp that is best for Vegging (6500K) . Would the higher Lumens compensate for the color temp of the bulb ? I dont have the option of going out to buy a 6500K MH bulb right now (Because im going to buy a HPS bulb for flowering when the time comes) . So as of now , those are my choices. Some EXPERT advice would be awesome for this rookie.
i can tell you're on the right track as to what you're thinking. like i said though, 4000k isnt putting out just one color. its putting out different colors of different values and the color temperature i believe is an average value of what we, the humans, can actually see. So, you're bulb would appear white and not blue like a 6500K lamp. That we know. But does it put out the significant amount of blues that a 6500k would do?
http://www.plantlightinghydroponics.com/eye-400w-6500k-full-spectrum-horizontal-metal-halide-bulb-p-93.html 400w 6500k MH
HydroBuds. 400w 4000k MH
and keep in mind they aren't made by the same manufacturer, so different product different results. and to your question about the cfls... i still think the wattage/"lumen" ratio for the MH would be better but still completely unnecessary since you already have plenty of light for a few small plants. thats other than the sq. space factor is all i can offer.
Thanks for all the advice , you have been helping me out ALOT! . I just looked a little more indepth on the bulb i have . Its a GE R400 Multi Vapor MVR/C/VBU . I have narrowed it down to 3 bulbs (Not exactly sure which one i have because they all have an extra letter or two after the VBU , such as MVR400/C/VBU/40 or MVR400/C/VBU/HO)
So im pretty sure i got it narrowed down , and it has to be one of these three bulbs. The color temp is not 4000K , its 3700K . The bulb is "coated" .
Here are the three links that i narrowed this bulb down to , i think all three are damn near the same. In the link it has a graph showing how much of each color wavelength it uses .... im just unsure what is good and what is not.
Here are the LINKS::::
49857 - Specifications - GE Commercial Lighting Products
49656 - Specifications - GE Commercial Lighting Products
13924 - Specifications - GE Commercial Lighting Products
Would these bulbs be okay for Vegging ?? or even Flowering ??
Again , Thanks for all the help.
HO - High Output
XHO- Extra High Output
40 - E40 socket
both HO and XHO us an E39 socket.
I don't know the exact differences between those bulbs this is the first time I'm seeing them, but that should help you identify which bulb you have.
You should look at a spectrum chart for your current CFLs as well and compare to the MH. Plants use all colors but mostly blue and red. Check out this chart Berowra Waters Algal Bloom Monitoring its a random webpage but it shows a chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b response. This chart, following the importance of chlorphyll activity of c.a. and c.b. and disregarding other factors like carotene, is seen that the best wavelengths of light ... are found at ~420nm 460nm 630nm and 660nm. That should help you identify which wavelengths are the most important when choosing a bulb.
I say get the HPS. Both MH and HPS can sustain a plant throughout it's entire lifetime, but the HPS has been proven to be better at that one thing we all grow to begin with and that's buds (:Dor fun and what-have-you)
I would never flower without using mh and hps. I have seen yeilds increase drasically after finding the proper blend of spectrums and lumens:thumbsup:. I respect all the hps only for flowering guys, Do what works for you. But i do what works for me and my genetics. :jointsmile:
I don't think either of us were talking about flowering with CFL's. We are talking about veg only. It is of my opinion that using anything other than CFLs or equivalent is OVERLOAD and wasteful to energy usage. To each his own though. You may find it is more effecient to run a HPS if you have a larger footprint to cover or you may not ....depending on your setup. I have yet to ever "flower" with only cfl's and I see so many people that assume that I do for whatever reasons. I think they just look at a few pictures and don't bother at all to read. Which obviously is a huge problem for people and their aptitude for knowledge.