Flowering with fluorescent tubes!?!?

[jon420]

I have been using the search button but cannot find the results I'm looking for. Hope some people here can help.

I am trying to find out who has had great success flowering with fluorescent tubes (t12's)??? What tubes did you use? How did you aquire the greatest results from the tubes? How close did you keep them to the ladies? Did you use any special nutes for flowering? (I heard Beastie Blooms works great?) Any info on the flowering stage with fluorescent tubes would be very helpful?

Only 5 plants: (Grow environment is nearly perfect)
The setup has 12 tube fixtures ranging from 4' to 2' and they cover 360 degrees. Veg is going absolutely great with the fluro's of course but flowering is very soon.

Thanks!!!

jon420 Reviewed by jon420 on 10-24-2010. Flowering with fluorescent tubes!?!? I have been using the search button but cannot find the results I'm looking for. Hope some people here can help. I am trying to find out who has had great success flowering with fluorescent tubes (t12's)??? What tubes did you use? How did you aquire the greatest results from the tubes? How close did you keep them to the ladies? Did you use any special nutes for flowering? (I heard Beastie Blooms works great?) Any info on the flowering stage with fluorescent tubes would be very helpful? Rating: 5

[EvilCartman]

Seems like it turned out well in this instance. This is the only one I'm familiar with, perhaps a look here will help you out a bit.
Sorry, but I have no personal experience, just thought a look at this log might help you along. Good luck. :thumbsup:

http://boards.cannabis.com/grow-log/...ml#post2076814

[jon420]

Seems like it turned out well in this instance. This is the only one I'm familiar with, perhaps a look here will help you out a bit.
Sorry, but I have no personal experience, just thought a look at this log might help you along. Good luck. :thumbsup:

http://boards.cannabis.com/grow-log/...ml#post2076814

Thanks for the "log". There were some very interesting threads there. I would still like to hear from some people with personal experience on this matter. Thanks!!!

[Dutch Pimp]

with fluorescent tubes you have to SCROG...period....

[headshake]

it can be done but in the end you will be dissapointed. t-12's work good for about the first 3 weeks of veg. even with all of those going the buds will be light and airy at best.....even with your "nearly perfect" environment.

have you ran the space with all the lights on? what are the temps like?

keep them within 1-3" from the tops of your plants, or sides.

beastie bloomz is merely an additive to the fox farm liquid trio lineup. you still need base bloom nutes. fox farm is fine, but be careful it runs "hot". there is always organics. there's lot's of good stuff out there, just depends on how much you want to spend. you'd be better suited to get a HID.


-shake

[jon420]

it can be done but in the end you will be dissapointed. t-12's work good for about the first 3 weeks of veg. even with all of those going the buds will be light and airy at best.....even with your "nearly perfect" environment.

have you ran the space with all the lights on? what are the temps like?

keep them within 1-3" from the tops of your plants, or sides.

beastie bloomz is merely an additive to the fox farm liquid trio lineup. you still need base bloom nutes. fox farm is fine, but be careful it runs "hot". there is always organics. there's lot's of good stuff out there, just depends on how much you want to spend. you'd be better suited to get a HID.


-shake

Really appreciate the information. What do you recomend I use for lights in flowering then? I want to stay below 500watts and still be able to get enough light to all five plants, plus all around the sides. Not worried about any heat issues, just mainly the electric. The space is 5' by 4' with no height issues. I'm just basicaly looking to see what other people are good results on with less power and little grows?

Thanks

[headshake]

if you have to go with fluros then t-5s would suit you better. they are smaller in diameter, meaning you can stuff more in a smaller space. they are also more efficient so they don't put out quite as much heat. if you can swing it go with a 400W or 600W HPS.


-shake

[jon420]

if you have to go with fluros then t-5s would suit you better. they are smaller in diameter, meaning you can stuff more in a smaller space. they are also more efficient so they don't put out quite as much heat. if you can swing it go with a 400W or 600W HPS.


-shake

Thanks again...I would love to go with a HPS 600watt but I've seen much better results when light comes in from top and side. Would it be worth it to buy a couple 150watt HPS's for the sides and a 250watt hps for the top? That would be about 56,000 lumens and still stay cool enough for me. I also figure it's more worth buying the HPS over the T5's, the T5's aren't cheap and the HPS does a better job. Let me know what you think. Thanks!!!

[headshake]

with those 3 lights you get 56,000 lumens, with a 600W HPS you get 85,000-95,000 (depending on a bulb). you are not gonna get anywhere close to the results from 2x 150HPS, 1x 250HPS...or any combinations of t-5s/t-12s in comination with lower wattage HPS'. there is no comparison.

my bloom lights come on at 7pm (central time). i will take some pics of a plant under a 600W HPS and you tell me you've seen better with any combination of lights (other than large amounts of high wattage HPS'!)


-shake

[jon420]

with those 3 lights you get 56,000 lumens, with a 600W HPS you get 85,000-95,000 (depending on a bulb). you are not gonna get anywhere close to the results from 2x 150HPS, 1x 250HPS...or any combinations of t-5s/t-12s in comination with lower wattage HPS'. there is no comparison.

my bloom lights come on at 7pm (central time). i will take some pics of a plant under a 600W HPS and you tell me you've seen better with any combination of lights (other than large amounts of high wattage HPS'!)


-shake

-


Very interested to see the pictures. Do you see it being possible to flower all the plants with a single 600watt HPS? I'd really like to have light coming from the top and side but I may not be able to. Looking to get the best yeild possible, veg is never an issue. Thanks again!!!