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Just a new guy jumping in head first....equipment recommendations

T

tooomanycolors2

I tried doing a search for some recommendations on which brands are more reliable regarding the ballast. So far I havent found much but I understand you get what you pay for and saying that I want to start with quality equipment without breaking that bank already.

My setup will be for a single butch T plant for now and I am looking at a HPS setup since the plant currently has at least 20 pods on it and I am looking to keep it producing through the winter until it gets to go back outside when the weather returns in the spring. I am looking at 400W systems since I live in a good sized apt but larger would not work so well for me.

It looks like I should have at least a little more time until my plant will need to come in for good so I would like to get setup relatively quickly so if some of you knowledgeable members could help point me in the right direction I would appreciate it.

Thanks!
 
I honestly recommed High output t5's. I use them for my carnivorous plants and now my peppers that im bringing in. They are great and not veyr hot so they can be close to the plants...


HTGSUpply.com has great ones. they 4' 2bulb white fixture for $50 is the best bang for buck ive ofund online.. I have 4 atm and im getting 2-4 more now.
 
Doomsdaykillz said:
I honestly recommed High output t5's. I use them for my carnivorous plants and now my peppers that im bringing in. They are great and not veyr hot so they can be close to the plants...


HTGSUpply.com has great ones. they 4' 2bulb white fixture for $50 is the best bang for buck ive ofund online.. I have 4 atm and im getting 2-4 more now.
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I was thinking a T5 setup initially but after reading more and talking with a couple people my thinking changed to HPS for the help it gives the plant in flowering and pod production, also should be enough to where I wont need to run my inefficient heater for the apartment for awhile :dance:
willard3 said:
You could use a 100w HPS for one plant. HID is more efficient than fluorescent.
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I thought about a 100W or 250W but then realized there isnt much room for expansion with those, this isnt my first rodeo with a hobby that will expand with the investments you make (cigars, cycling, fishing)

judohero said:
i am running 2 400w light systems right now got them of amazon have been running them for about 9 months now and have not had any problems. they came with a sodium and a metal haloide light. with the two lights i have around 24 plants
LEDwholesalers GYO2002 4-Piece 400 Watt Hydroponic Reflector Grow Light Set
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I was looking at the kits available on amazon and also some other websites like brewandgrow in Chicago where you can build a kit. Amazon would be nice since I have the prime membership which makes shipping free and fast. You say you are happy whith the one you purchased, I wonder if the ipower and apollo ballasts are very good?

Also my thinking at this point is to get a mid range quality ballast maybe a combo so I can run the HPS now and MH later if I wanted, a wing style reflector, and just a "standard" HPS bulb. Does that make sense at this point?
 
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i have a lumatek digital ballast bought from a grow store. Its a 400W and has been running for a few years with no issues. Its also adjustable, so you can tune it down all the way to 250 W-400W. It will run MH or HPS bulbs which is also a bonus. i dont think it gets much better
 
When I was living in an apartment with my wife, I could only grow indoors, so I purchased 2 different T5 lamps at 2 dif times. The first one was a 4 ft/4 bulb that could get my plants from seed to nice bushy plants, but low yield. End of last year I upgraded to a 4 ft/6 bulb T5 (do to an electrical prob with the first which almost burnt the place down) and was able to not only get nice bushy plants, but could flower and produce high yields that could ripen nicely.

The T5 I use at my house now is the same 6 bulb. It is from Hydrofarm.

The reason I stuck with the T5 was price point and energy efficiency. Only changed my electric bill up about 5-7 bucks a month on an 18/6 hr grow.

Honestly I would prob go HPS if i had the money up front and in the long run for the electric bill, but it's all a question of what you can spend on your babies.
 
Any chance you could elaborate on the "electrical problem" you had with your T5. I just ordered one and I live in apartment building. Last thing I need it to burn the place down. LOL.
I picked up a 2ft T5 from Hydrofarm for my seedlings/sprouts, and a LED Comet Magenta 150LED grow light for vegetation. Not sure how well the LED light will work as it's square footage is quite small... Only 2.5ft square. Well see. I plan to use it to get me through the winter and then when it starts to warmup (avg temp 50-60deg) transplant into 7gal smart pots and put them outside on the patio.
 
BringTheFlameThrower said:
Any chance you could elaborate on the "electrical problem" you had with your T5. I just ordered one and I live in apartment building. Last thing I need it to burn the place down. LOL.
I picked up a 2ft T5 from Hydrofarm for my seedlings/sprouts, and a LED Comet Magenta 150LED grow light for vegetation. Not sure how well the LED light will work as it's square footage is quite small... Only 2.5ft square. Well see. I plan to use it to get me through the winter and then when it starts to warmup (avg temp 50-60deg) transplant into 7gal smart pots and put them outside on the patio.
Click to expand...
I have had no problem with T5 CFL or tubes with good lamps there are cheap ones from china with Fake UL and other safety stickers.
 
I jumped into the winter pepper growing this year. I picked up a Quantum Badboy T5 HO 4' 8 lamp fixture. There is a place that is an ebay/online store that has their warehouse very close to my work. They sell outdoor and hunting stuff. I was able to order it by phone and pick it up. Right now my Gochu I brought in is producing peppers like crazy. I am in the process of setting up 4 Hydroponic pepper plants. I alternated between 2900k and 6500k bulbs. Can't wait to see how the hydro pepper plants do. I have a Fatali, Purple Jalapeno, Mustard Habanero and 7 Pod/Pot. I went with the T5 HO so I would not have to worry about heat.
 
“Our Lighting engineers have incorporated the most advanced reflective surface available in the manufacturing process of the Sun Blaster Nanotech T5HO Reflector. Made possible only through the application of Nanotechnology, this revolutionary reflective surface has the ability to capture lost light, and simultaneously convert that light into the brightest, most brilliant light we have ever produced! The metallic crystal layer within the reflective surface helps spread the T5 light across the plant canopy diffusing it deep into the plant foliage.”
http://sunblasterlighting.com/reflectors.php
I would suggest looking at a grow tent if you have the room or make a small wooden box and cover the inside with reflective material
 
It sounds like you are pretty set on the MH setup, but just another plug for t5s.....I've spent a long time in the saltwater aquarium hobby where lighting is also of paramount importance. So far it seems like people in this hobby are a little more accepting of new things but for a long time in the aquarium hobby people were very unaccepting of t5 lighting when they came out. Long story short I've used these lights to grow everything from seaweed to corals to clams (VERY light intensive) and the light from t5s was just as sufficient in every way as MH and I actually got better color from my corals than most of my friends with MH lighting. Some of the advantages are lower power consumption, less heat, and (most important to me) color selection. If you are concerned with different spectrums helping the plants to flower/fruit vs. grow these lights are completely customizable via however many bulbs you have in the fixture to get whatever color temperature you want and everywhere inbetween. For growing coral I had 4 different brand of bulbs in my 6 bulb fixture to maximize bright light vs blues vs reds and purples.
 
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