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Ritalin

Help with grow lights

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I am very keen to get a hydroponic set-up and it seems pretty justified with the weather in Sydney lately anyway. Could anyone tell me which bulbs would be the best for a small space, use for the whole grow cycle.. I'm thinking a CFL? can you just purchase the bulbs at bunnings? any help would be appreciate

thanks,

Nick

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What are you planning in growing buddy? How small is the area?

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Overrall - HPS all the way ! ( only if you can make money off your vegetables or have a lot of solar panels )

I know those who use MH lamps during vegetative and switch to hps during flower but big headfuck in my personal non-scientifically backed up theories.

I suppose it all depends on a lot of factors :

what do you want to grow and why ? you dont have to answer that... but if you use the search engine here - or even google .... it's the kind of thing that has been asked repeatedly and answered en masse !

Anyway, that's my advice for you ritalin !

Edited by tipz

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nothing compares to HPS for heating and growth.... but if wanna save on electricity buy a good LED...just my opinion as ive had great success with these! this is what can happen with CFLs....thought id edit it in!

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/mercury-exposure-foot-injury.shtml

Edited by applesnail

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Hahaha the hordes come at me with suspicion.. no thanks for the prompt answers, I'm just keen to try it to be honest so yeah they're not going to pay for themselves, and I don't plan on growing anything illegal, just some ethnobotanicals, play around with it.. you know just always had that space is my desk haha oh the space is pretty small like think of it as a big PC grow.. Probably 70cm by 70cm by 40cm.

Tipz I'd prefer just to keep it simple and just buy one bulb you know to start off with..

I guess I was hoping to be spoonfed basically, a bulb I could get at bunnings that would work for the whole cycle (yeah its not going to be as good as one with blue and another with red light, but I'm povo what are you going to do)

and holy fuck applesnail those are some gnarled limbs.. so HPS sounds like the go, I'm just hoping my wallet won't be raunted.

thanks guys

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If thats the size of your grow room, then disregard the HPS recommendation from me.

Heat will be a killer !

So i suppose It is LED or CFL of which i have experience with neither ( except for my old clone box )

But we are now talking outside of my personal expertise, so i shall leave it up to the experts or TSE to fill you in.

So if it is nothing Illegal, what are the legal plants you wish to produce? It may help a lot for any prospective advice giver to know your intentions !

good luck in your travels and welcome

Edited by tipz

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HPS is the go, but in the space you specified, heat would be an issue. In which case go CFL. Forget the LED's, spectrum is far too narrow despite what you may read.

If you're happy to pay for the electricity, I would expand your grow area a bit and go 400w HPS.

Can't buy them from bunnings, but could grab a WAV of a team member at pinch one of their 1000W HID's off the ceiling. All you need is a distraction.

Edit: Ah beat me to it Tipz :)

Edited by Alice

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i have seen very small grows use a 50w HPS, used for garage/outdoor lighting,all comes in one piece.

may be an idea.

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You could get some of the fluorescent tubes from bunnings, they are cheap and gives you a wide space you can grow a few things under. You would need to have some kind of frame to attach them to though, but same for any lights.

Edited by chilli

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Idealy you need both the MH and the HPS light at the same time. I used to grow Romanesco broccoli because I enjoyed it's psychedelic patterns and subsequent nutrition. I grew one about the size of a mans head. Get a ballast that can take both bulbs.

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that size space I would look at a 60 watt CFL I have grown alot of different plants under that light in that size cupboard. I found 60 watt cfl at bunnings 5500 lumens which is enough for vegative growth and even moderate flowering growth, and won't do the electricity bill in.. or put two in there if your going to provide some ventilation, It still may get a bit too hot for some things though.

And as far at hydroponic set ups Canna cocco all the way.

Edited by Stillman

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If you want to go CFL... Go to an aquarium store... Get the tubes that have spectrums condusive to growing underwater plants.. They are more expensive than regular cool whites. but better for the job...

It would also be a better way to learn.. then upgrade later to HPS..

LEDs are still too young.. a few more years and better products will come out.. When it comes down to it though.. the only advantage will be less heat.. 400w led will consume the same power as HPS but with less heat... Spectrum wont be an issue..

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Stillman where did you find the 60 watt cfls because I searched pretty thoroughly and found nothing that high.. highest cfl was like 44 watts or something.

I ended up buying two 24 watt cfl's for a total of 3000 lumens which i've been told would be enough for one plant. I really didn't want to spend that much money.. ended up screwing them into those lamps you use for cars you know when your repairing them haha it all looks a bit sketchy, but thats what you get when you spend $40. Im growing chamomile at the moment, will probably grow some other fairly tame things to brew tea with.. I mean any ideas for some entheogens thatll grow nicely in a cupboard basically haha. thanks fellas

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Hey Ritalin i have a fair amount fo knowledge with CFLS, and worked at bunnings for over 4 years, and can tell you they sell EVERYTHING you need.

purchase yourself a couple of cheap (15amp(heavy duty boat/worksite) preferably and not 10amp(ordinary house) extension cords to chop up.

2 x 5700k (spectrum good for veg growth) 48 watt strait tube Nelson CFL (straight tubes are way better than those energy saving sprial CFLS) (about $19 each and more realistically closer to 96watt output (not sure of lumens on these but i know its plenty, and 2 of these would produce over the 15k recommended on the canopy of the growth?

2 times same lights, but in 2700k or 3500k(they come in one of those sizes) for flowering/fruiting/budding, still 48 watt too.

These lights are great as they have their own ballast built in to them (why they have a 'big bum'), and dont priduce to much heat.

you can get them in bayonet or screw fitting, just get them all in the same fitting, and i prefer bayonet, as you can then just also buy 2 cheap bayonet light fittings, and use the extension cord to wire them in series (or parrallel if you know your wiring) (plenty of youtube demos)

Rip out 2 x old pc fans, and wire them to anywhere from 4.9v - 9volt phone charger (cut off end, split the two wires and attach em to each of the wires of the fans. (have one pushing air into the grow box, and one pulling it out)

or alternativly go down to local hydro shop and purchase a small powerfull brushless desktop mini fan and put that in there for colling and circulation, but doesnt provide ventilation (need in/out fan for that)

Cheap to set up and run

Hope it helps

  • Like 1

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Thanks mate. yeah I'm not going to lie the whole caged light fitting meant for cars was a bit of a wank, i'm going to head on down to the hydroponics store on the north shore and just get some basic fittings and attach them to a little pole. anyway yeah thanks for the reply, bunnings does have a fair bit but all the straight cfl's i saw were either really large (too large for my desk) or were something like a peasant 8 watt.

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I went and checked today they don't sell the 60 watt phillips cfls any more but have th e44s which are shit hot in my opinion for veg anyway.

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