The old CFL vs HPS debate - Thinkng of swapping 200w CFL for 250 HPS

i run a 400w in a 32"x32" tent. temps are alright but i have a aircooled hood which is something your probally going to want to look into, most 250w lights come with balast enclosed in the hood. why not get a 400w with a cooltube?

Nice little grow you have there! My 'official' grow career I suppose started out under CFL's I used 2x 125w and a 90w UFO. I did 2 grows under this, the 1st yielded I think 2oz give or take a few grams from 2 plants but that was riddled with problems from bugs and generally effed.My second grow I did under the same lights ended up with 1 plant and got 3oz give or take a few grams. Overall I was happy with CFL's reasonable yield in my small space, but then I started looking at the HPS grows and thought yeah I'll switch up, so I did. I have a 250w HPS in a micro box that I custom built to hold the light. And it's perfect, I have yet to yield from this setup as I've just started. The only thing I'll suggest with your grow is if you do go with the 250w you'll want a stronger fan blowing over the bulb as the heat is a fair bit more than the CFL's but it is totally manageable. Check out my grow and see, I think I have the smallest possible space for a 250w HPS and it's running pretty well (all be it a tad hot at the moment until my circulation fan arrives). Stay Frosty!

Nice grow yourself! Looks like you are a few steps ahead of me. All my grows so far have had various different problems, and while the yields were fairly small, about 10g per plant, but that's super dry. The weed has always been fucking strong, much more so then the commercial poop they are currently charging a fortune for, and tasty cos I bothered to flush.
I only had a single 125w CFL for 3 plants, and basic white reflections, not mylar. So I'm hoping my nutrient experience, extra light and mylar tent provides a lot better.

I have decided, as the 200 CFL bulb is only a couple of weeks old, to use it till the summer comes and goes, get a few harvests form it, then buy a 250 HPS for the cooler seasons. Heat shouldn't be too much of a problem, cos my reflector has air vents above the bulb, and the 4" extractor I have sits directly above the bulb and exhausts in a straight line. Also the ballast will be outside the tent.

I'll be subscribing to your grow, and learn by your experience, often the best way

Happy Growing

This guy runs a 2x2x5 with a 250w HID and has amazing success - 2x2x5 Grow Lab - Reserva Privada Headband ... [ 100w T5 veg / 250w HPS flower ]

I would highly recommend checking out his grows.

Originally Posted by Hettyman

Nice grow yourself! Looks like you are a few steps ahead of me. All my grows so far have had various different problems, and while the yields were fairly small, about 10g per plant, but that's super dry. The weed has always been fucking strong, much more so then the commercial poop they are currently charging a fortune for, and tasty cos I bothered to flush.
I only had a single 125w CFL for 3 plants, and basic white reflections, not mylar. So I'm hoping my nutrient experience, extra light and mylar tent provides a lot better.

I have decided, as the 200 CFL bulb is only a couple of weeks old, to use it till the summer comes and goes, get a few harvests form it, then buy a 250 HPS for the cooler seasons. Heat shouldn't be too much of a problem, cos my reflector has air vents above the bulb, and the 4" extractor I have sits directly above the bulb and exhausts in a straight line. Also the ballast will be outside the tent.

I'll be subscribing to your grow, and learn by your experience, often the best way

Happy Growing

Thanks! I'm just switching up to hydro so hopefully that too will increase yields, otherwise your plan sounds good!

The heat from a 250w HPS isn't as much as you'd think, check out the 250w Thread: 250w HPS Club And Help Guide

just have a quick flick thru (it's quite a lot of pages) but you'll get the gist after a few pictures

And yeah Gastanker, Sr Verde knows his shit wheh it comes to 250w hps XD

Thanks matchbox and gas, I'll check them out over a smoke later.

Matchbox, did I see in one of your posts you had trouble with heavy nute soil?? I;ve tried everything over the past year, Branded, supermarket stuff, the lot, and it has all be too strong, even for fairly mature plants. The way around it was too feed them about 100ml of pure water every couple of days. (7 litre pots) for the first couple of weeks. This seemed to release the nutes from the soil slow enough and produced the 4 plants at the top of this thread. The best i've managed so far.

I have shelled out a bit more today on Bio-Bizz light mix soil. I already use there nutes, and hope this is less stressful on the roots. Also, it already has perlite mixed in, is properly sterilised, and already at 6.2pH. try finding the pH value on a bag of Miracle Grow, no chance.

I've put 4 germed bag seed in there, and will see how it goes

Great thread Hettyman! Your path closely resembles mine: 125/250 Watt CFL tent grow - House of Funk Arctic Fallout

You will definetly increase yeild going hps. 250 sounds aout right for that tent, can you get a 400 in there? Always more light is better IMO and they are basically the same price?