Lighting Question - just getting started

[Dings4]

Hi everybody, I have some questions concerning my soon to be indoor grow and needed some expert opinions - what better place than here.

 

To start off I'll give you the details on what I'll be doing:

 

- 4 plants

 

- grow box dimensions: 1.25m in length, 72cm in height and 65cm in width (note: I am currently on the hunt for a cheap wardrobe/cabinet that I should be upgrading to)

 

- Using CFLs (where most of my questions lie)

 

Now, the lights. I've decided to go with 8x 36w T8 fluorescent tubes as my source (http://lightingpro.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=25_31&products_id=56). This is because of their low cost and high lumen output (potentially 5000lm each tube). However this is where the problems arise - there seems to be a scarce amount of suitable fixtures for this type of tube light, and for what little is available it's extremely expensive. The fixtures are easily more expensive than the bulbs (weird). So I've come to here to ask if anybody has any experience with tube lights - if so what did you use as fixtures and where did you get them.

 

If most would agree the tubes are not a viable option, what would you most recommend. My second option is most likely to go with 80w CFL but I'm assuming you'd need 2 to each plant and you're looking at some serious costs by then. I'm trying to avoid higher Wattage CFLs like 130s. Also for whatever you recommend, am I likely to be able to get it at a hydro store. Thanks in advance to any help and information.

 

 

[Minzone]

Hey man 4 plants in that space in my opinion is too many go with around 2 , if you are upgrading then it's ok to start 4 In there.

 

Do your self a favour and get a 600w digital ballast it will set your back like 200 on ebay for a cheapie I have used these and they are fine and you can dim it to 250w I do this in a small space like yours for the smaller plants. This way if you decide to up the wattage it's no extra cost. Have the right setup from word go. If heats an issue get a cooltubed one.

 

The ones I veg can touch the cooltube without any problems at 250w but it's not recommended.

Edited June 15, 2014 by Minzone

[Sir PsychoHashy]

Really depends on what you are trying to achieve from this setup.  I assume you are looking at early veg through the seedling stage until they are big enough for a bigger setup with HPS or MH lighting.  In that small of a cabinet you could probably get away with half the tubes, or 2-3 80w Phillips CFLs.  I've used a T5 starlight with 2 55w tubes in a small cabinet for this purpose, along with clones and flowering males, and it has done the job quite nicely.  I assume the T8's are a little longer so they might be better for your cab.  Either way, any decent hydro shop sells all of these things.

[Minzone]

The way I read I'm sure he intends to use this space for the entire grow.

[Dings4]

Hey man 4 plants in that space in my opinion is too many go with around 2 , if you are upgrading then it's ok to start 4 In there.

 

Do your self a favour and get a 600w digital ballast it will set your back like 200 on ebay for a cheapie I have used these and they are fine and you can dim it to 250w I do this in a small space like yours for the smaller plants. This way if you decide to up the wattage it's no extra cost. Have the right setup from word go. If heats an issue get a cooltubed one.

 

The ones I veg can touch the cooltube without any problems at 250w but it's not recommended.

 

This looks like some very helpful information, thank you Minzone. You're right, I am intending to use this for my entire grow. I will be purchasing a big enough cabinet/grow box to accommodate 4 plants. Will probably only start them in this small box. Again, you're right - I am concerned with heat. I will only be visiting the setup twice a week and it's in a basement of an apartment so fire hazard is also a large concern. This is why i've opted with CFL's - to avoid HPS or MH lighting and the heating/high electricity cost/fire hazards associated with them. Ballasts being my main worry and their potential for a fire.

 

 

Really depends on what you are trying to achieve from this setup.  I assume you are looking at early veg through the seedling stage until they are big enough for a bigger setup with HPS or MH lighting.  In that small of a cabinet you could probably get away with half the tubes, or 2-3 80w Phillips CFLs.  I've used a T5 starlight with 2 55w tubes in a small cabinet for this purpose, along with clones and flowering males, and it has done the job quite nicely.  I assume the T8's are a little longer so they might be better for your cab.  Either way, any decent hydro shop sells all of these things.

My aim for this grow is to harvest 4 fairly nice plants, I'd be stoked with 2 oz's off each. I was looking to go from seed to harvest with this setup. 

 

To address both of you: do you think I could use a hps to grow 4 plants whilst keeping fire hazards to zilch. I worry about ballasts but maybe I'm just misinformed. If not, what kind of CFL set up would you recommend to get 4 plants from seed to harvest in a cabinet big enough to hold them and end with between 1-2 oz's each plant. Thanks again guys,

[billygoat]

Fire will be a risk with any set up, and does not always result from ballasts....

 

Use a hps or cmh otherwise you are not going to get your proposed yield...

[Dings4]

Fire will be a risk with any set up, and does not always result from ballasts....

This is true however it can be greatly minimised in certain situations ie using a cfl. I'm sure it doesn't always result from ballasts, though bulbs seem a damn lot easier to keep cool than ballasts do. Thanks for this advice - if I was to take it what size hps bulb would you recommend? Assuming my grow area is 1.5m tall, 1.3m wide and 1.3m long. Are there any options to keep the bulbs cool (cool tube thing I've read about). To put it simply what light set up would you think would suit me best (in terms of hps) - I am after something big enough to achieve my harvest goal of 1-2 oz's off each plant (total of 4 plants). Also in the recommendation could you include all the things that can be bought with a hps to keep it cooler - cool tubes etc. Finally the safest ballast - I have little knowledge on this topic but are there other types than magnetic ones as Minzone recommended. 

 

Thanks Billygoat - very helpful.

[billygoat]

Grab a 315w cmh.... Search it here, sounds very promising, though expensive. Should easily satisfy your yield and heat requirements...

[Sir PsychoHashy]

No idea whether there's any difference in fire risk between magnetic and digital ballasts, maybe one of the sites electical experts will chime in on that one, and other electrical fire risks.  But I do know there is no such thing as zero fire risk with any electrical equipment, all you can do is take a lot of care with making a safe setup to begin with.  Short of getting a qualified sparky in to set you up, do your research, be sensible, and use good quality equipment (avoid growlush and other Chinese crap).  Don't overload powerpoints, and use circuit breakers or whatever they're called.  Also be aware of hot equipment being in close contact with flammable materials.

 

You will be a lot happier with the plant performance under HPS though.  As for wattage there is a calculator on the site to check, but at a rough guess I'd go 600 watts, but you might get away with 400.

 

Biggest thing for keeping temps down is good airflow, get a good fan, carbon filter and ducting, the bigger the better.  A lot of the guys here swear by cooltubes, I personally haven't seen any marked improvement over open reflectors in my setup though, but have been amazed at how much difference the amount of air circulation can make.  I used a cooltube and a chinaman hat, and actually found the radiated heat worse under the cooltube, but at least you don't have to worry about the plants growing too close to the bulb if you run out of space and they may make a lot more difference in smaller grow spaces.

[Dings4]

Thanks alot for both of your help. I've decided to go with a 400watt hps, I'm going to get some extra fans and an extremely secure set up. I'll look into the cool tube and see if this is the best option for me - but my main goal will be for good air circulation to keep temps down. Thanks again guys - seriously sensational help.