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lighting Got about $100 to spend on lights, which one to get?

coheed196

coheed196

I currently have a 4ft 6 bulb T5. I still plan on using that as well. I only need another light because well I planted way too many seeds and they're all growing too fast lol. They won't all fit under my current lights so I can't decide what to get. I've never used any HID lights and know basically nothing about them. The plants are all on an 8ft table which already has the 4 ft t5 hanging over it. So I only have about 4 ft of table to cover, which should be enough space. Thanks for the help.



400w mh kit
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=160683199645

2ft 8 bulb T5's
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=221330757825

Then there's this 175w hydrofarm metal halide
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=230844439093

Then a 150w hydrofarm hps
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=380681459739
 
I would go 400 watts. I started with 4 T5 lights 8 bulbs each and now I have to use 4 HID lights 1000 watts. Bigger is always going to be better and you have a bigger foot print to use.
 
I had a similar $100 requirement and went with the 2 foot T5 setup.  We'll see how it works.
 
I think the main question you have to ask is, "am I trying to grow peppers for a business that I can support myself with? Or am I just someone who loves peppers and doing this as a hobby?"  If this is a hobby thing, like me, you dont have to go all crazy and get the ultimate setup.  A mid range setup will probably be just great for your needs.  If you are trying to make a business out of this, go big or go home  ;)
 
turbo said:
I had a similar $100 requirement and went with the 2 foot T5 setup.  We'll see how it works.
 
I think the main question you have to ask is, "am I trying to grow peppers for a business that I can support myself with? Or am I just someone who loves peppers and doing this as a hobby?"  If this is a hobby thing, like me, you dont have to go all crazy and get the ultimate setup.  A mid range setup will probably be just great for your needs.  If you are trying to make a business out of this, go big or go home  ;)
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Definitely not going to make a business. I just got excited because I have an in ground plot for the first time and it's rather large and can hold alot of plants. It's 30' X 25'. Don't get me wrong I will sell boxes of pods and probably even the few extra plants I will have. I always give 15-20 plants to my mother and 10ish to her coworker and a handful to my neighbor. Any left over I sold last year. And I usually sell a sfrb or 2 a week during the summer. I'm leaning towards the T5's just cause I love the ones I have
ms1476 said:
Rather than culling seedlings, you are investing another $100 in more lights...I like your approach!
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I have never culled a single plant. If it dies on its own then Ok, but I just can't bring myself to chop down a baby plant lol. I got a gift card for Christmas otherwise I would have to just cram everything under the lights lol
 
If you only plan to start seeds and if you want to get off cheap then use local T8's.
You can get a 2-lamp 4 foot fixture for $12.
6500K bulbs will cost about $6.
 
The price of a 2-lamp 4 foot T5 averages about $90 and will supply about 10,000 lumens.
If you bought 2 of the 2-lamp 4 foot fixture T8's, the cost would be about $40 and supply about 11,800 lumens.
 
 
Also I can not find T5 bulbs locally, but everybody has T8's.
 
I would stay away from the iPower line of ballasts.  They are notorious for causing very bad RF issues and often aren't shielded correctly.  A good friend purchased an iPower kit and had to return it due to the fact that it knocked out all wireless devices in his house when it was running.
 
Apollo seems to get good reviews but I don't anyone that has one
 
Apollo 400W kit with bulbs and reflector
 
There's some 2Ft 4 Tube Systems that look pretty good...don't know if they'll be enough for 4Ft of coverage though.  
 
2Ft 4 Tube System
 
You can also look at the Hydrofarm 2ft / 4 Tube HO system if you want a little bit better reflector.
 
Hydrofarm 2Ft / 4 Tube System
 
Thanks
 
Yea I guess I should have said also that I am not trying to get anything to produce inside. I just want the seedlings to have enough light to survive lol
 
If you're just looking to sustain seedlings, why not consider building your own CFL grow light system? All you need is a socket adapter, a Y adapter, a thin sheet of aluminum, and a surge protector. You can get the parts at Home Depot for about $4.00 per CFL pair, not including bulbs. A standard 4 or 6 socket surge protector could house 8 or 12 6500k CFL bulbs which should produce enough light to keep seedlings and small plants going.
 
Ignite said:
If you're just looking to sustain seedlings, why not consider building your own CFL grow light system? All you need is a socket adapter, a Y adapter, a thin sheet of aluminum, and a surge protector. You can get the parts at Home Depot for about $4.00 per CFL pair, not including bulbs. A standard 4 or 6 socket surge protector could house 8 or 12 6500k CFL bulbs which should produce enough light to keep seedlings and small plants going.
Click to expand...
id be interested in hearing more details on this ignite
 
coheed196 said:
Yea I guess I should have said also that I am not trying to get anything to produce inside. I just want the seedlings to have enough light to survive lol
Click to expand...
 
I use the most light I can get so I can have a big foot print with 1000s of seedlings but sounds like a 400 mh might be over kill since your going for a table seedling grow until spring. Get the T5 they are great for smaller plants and good for tight growth.
 
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