large scale T-5 grow

its the life of the bulb. at the aquarium shop i go to they are always messing with them it dramatically shortens both bulb and ballast life. honestly anyone trying this is asking for a fire. lets just not do it.

its actually the amperage you juice up,the voltage and the wattage to the bulb doesnt increase.more amps excite more atoms = more ionized gas producing more light most ballasts are made to be universal so the company can use the same ballast in different fixtures . alot of the time your just modding to use all the power available instead of half! this will reduce bulb life but the bulbs are relatively inexpensive so getting that much more light might be worth the extra bulbs!


the wattage edit below in a post it does increase---sorry

i just double checked guys who build reefs run 54watt bulbs around 80watts and they work fine but the bulbs need to be changed every six months or so... still not bad for 30% more light =(par/lumen)

start a journal and give us a link so we can see some pics!!

GoldenGanja13 said:

I am starting my veg (4x4) with 8~4' T-5s then I will be useing a 600 hps for 12/12.

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yah sounds like what they do at the shop i go to. dont try it. they wont even last 6 months. just not worth it. to get that lighting level you are using the extra power. it calculates out.

how much usd is one 4' t-5 at 2700k??

like 10 to 20dollars depending on where you get them

that does sound pricey the last thing i need right now is another project i am mad at myself already for even thinking about buying more lights

winkdogg420 said:

start a journal and give us a link so we can see some pics!!

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As soon as my seeds arrive and sprout I will start a link. I purchased my t-5s at a local hydro store and they where $250. with bulbs (6500k).
Last summer I was useing 3 600 watt mh in a 10x10 too freaking hot. SO I switched to 4~4' T-5s (4 sets) WOW what a difference, they grew like mad in veg. So now I am in a 4x4 with a 8~4' t-5. I have them up and I am checking to see how hot they get underneath, so far it went up 7 degree's in temp. Directly under (16").

they flower short plants well also. 1 have 16 under 10 tubes 54 watts each. going great so far.

1982grower said:

they flower short plants well also. 1 have 16 under 10 tubes 54 watts each. going great so far.

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I read an article in a past high times about the t-5 flowering and it said although the buds where not as large and dense, they where super coated in trichs.

they get just as dense but only on short plants. they are every bit like hps on short plants. that is the key. keep them under 16 inches tall and your fine. i could take some pics?

i got 1 big t5 idea that might spark some interest. i'm thinking about buying this. its 1799.00 canadian dollars. holds up to 320 4 inch rockwool cubes. instead of hps use t5s closer to the plants. what do you guys think. its in stock at the store here.

1982grower said:

they get just as dense but only on short plants. they are every bit like hps on short plants. that is the key. keep them under 16 inches tall and your fine. i could take some pics?

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Very intrested in your t-5 garden, do send some pics.

my garden doesnt use that setup yet but here it is. 1 sec i'll take new pics

these are my lowryder2s on a seed run. under t5hos. planted feb 17. just starting to bud but in a week it will look nice. the male is hidious eh? kept tons of pollen.

You said you wanted pics of mine, here's mine as of right now, I just finished rigging and running a flexible air vent extension from the AC duct, and I just changed the AC filter as well:

https://www.rollitup.org/grow-room-design-setup/175186-new-closet-t5ho-hps-832w.html#post2263013