Need lighting recommendations.

P

pismomonkey

Active Member
What lights should I get to start out my first official grow? should i get metal halide or HPS and at what wattage? i am trying to raise 5 young ones. any idea of how much this is going to cost? thanks.
 
HPS should be your first light. its capable of being your only light better than any other. for 5 plants you can get away with a 400 watt. you could of course buy a ballast that can support both MH and HPS. it shouldn't be more than $150 i think. check out HTG supply, i hear they're pretty good (though i've never bought from them.)
 
My recommendation would be to buy quality lighting products. Look for Hydrofarm hoods, Hortilux bulbs, and Lumatek digital (use either MH or HPS bulbs) ballasts. I also think 600watters are a bigger bang for your buck. I grow 12 plants under (2) 600s and my latest grow got me a little more than 22 oz's.

Good Luck :blsmoke:
 
do i really need to go MH for veg then SPH for flowering or can i used SPH throughout the whole cycle and just change the amount of light per day it receives
 
pismomonkey said:
do i really need to go MH for veg then SPH for flowering or can i used SPH throughout the whole cycle and just change the amount of light per day it receives
Click to expand...

If you have to buy just 1, then get the HPS and do as you suggested.....go to 12/12 when you're ready for flowering.
 
keep in mind im just starting out. if this all turns good then ill def invest for some more lights. but as far as best bang for the buck should i get the one with the two types or merely the one type system.

also is this anything i would be able to buy for cheaper at a home depot or something similar?
 
i would get some HO T5'S for cloning and veging...

and depending on your space i would reccomend either 2-600 HPS or a 1000 HPS

I lean towards two 600's, they are a little more efficient and you can cover more realestate with a light hanger. You can always grab1 (thents plenty to start off with), and later on grab another tray and a light mover...

Thats what i wish i had done from the start (i have the 1000 HPS)..

The HO T5'S ya can't go wrong, way stronger than CFL'S and you can lay them babies right on top of your plants practicaly.

best of luck..

oh, btw, before i get hammered for saying t5's and HID are better than cfl's, cfl's serve their purpose, i just prefer more "ooomph" ;)
 
i don't think you'll ever get slammed for saying HID is better than cfl's on this forum. and if you do they don't know what they're talking about...
 
I am cheap but I also like doing things right. I am not sure what prices are new in the states but up here new prices on a proper grow light and bulbs quickly add up.

I recently purchased from this E-bay store Shop eBay Canada Store - Grow Light Sales:
it isn't a Canadian store :D the guy is in Florida. I received the item quickly and was able to receive tech support over the phone for any questions I had.

100$ for 1x 400W HPS ballast, 1x HPS bulb, 1 x MH conversion bulb, 1 x reflector, The cords are long enough to have ballast up to 6 feet away from the grow.

I spent hundreds on enough T5's to light my garden before getting this setup. I don't regret it since I have a ton of lights now but if money was a do or die issue I would say get the used light.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

secretmicrogrow420
LED vs H.I.D
3 4 5
Replies
98
Views
8K
Rocket Soul
Rocket Soul
Fighting Sioux
Autos
Replies
18
Views
2K
Fighting Sioux
Fighting Sioux
T
auto lights time
Replies
3
Views
502
DeadHeadX
DeadHeadX
U
Seedling Help
Replies
6
Views
736
MickFoster
MickFoster
S
First indoor grow, how am I doing?
Replies
13
Views
1K
Delps8
D
Back
Top