Indoor Lighting

[Bandit]

Hello everyone!

I am starting my first grow, and I have a space that is roughly 48"x20"x72".

I am looking to start four plants in this space and I am unsure of the amount of lighting I will need.

I decided on growing Barney's Little Cheese (Auto Fem Seed) and Purple Cheese (Auto Fem Seed).

I do not want to use CFL lighting, and I am undecided between T5, HPS/MH or a combo of the two.

Would a 250w HPS plus Four 24w HO T5s be enough lighting for this space, and Four Plants?

Thanks for any help

~bandit

 

[Monkeypox]

For a T5 you could use a Bad Boy fixture ...
6 Lamp
12 lbs
In Box: 49.2 x 10.4 x 6.1
Assembled: 46.25 x 18 x 3.5

For HID 2 x 250 would work .150s would be ok , but the width is a bit out of their range for just 2 .

LED could be an option . Guys like Muddy could chime in on those . I use them , but others have more knowledge about them .

 

[Bandit]

What type of spread do the 150 watters have?

Could I do two 150watt fixtures suspended from above and four HO T5s from the side?

~bandit

 

[Muddy]

The general rule of thumb is 50 watts minimum per square ft. You've got about 7 sq. ft., so about 350 watts minimum to cover the whole area. The 6 bulb Quantum Bad Boy would be my first choice for that area. Two 250 watt CFLs would also work well or two of the 240 watt Blackstar LEDs. Two 250 watt HPS would also work but will generate a lot more heat. One 250 watt HPS centered in that area won't give enough coverage to the sides. You can easily grow 4 plants, maybe even 5 or 6 depending on what pot size you use.

 

[Bandit]

Thanks for all the input.

Any thoughts on this fixture?
http://www.htgsupply.com/Product-Gen3-UFO-LED-Grow-Light.asp

~Michael

 

[Muddy]

Not the best LED available. It's only using 2 watt LEDs, the better ones use 3 watters. To effectively cover your area you would need about 4 of them. For less money you can buy 2 of the Blackstar 240 watters and they would do a much better job.

 

[Bandit]

Would either of these be any better?

http://www.htgsupply.com/Product-7-Band-135w-UFO-LED.asp

or

http://www.blackstarled.com/455.html

The 240 watt Black Stars are pushing $300, I'd like to stay under $200 if possible.

~bandit

 

[Muddy]

The one from HTG is better but you would still need 3 of them. Again, you would need 4 of the Blackstars. Remember, you need a minimum of 350 watts to cover that area. I still think the 6 bulb Bad Boy is your best bet. http://www.plantlightinghydroponics.com/quantum-badboy-t5-4ft-lamp-grow-light-p-3352.html. $160 for the fixture and $55 for the bulbs. Or two of these: http://www.plantlightinghydroponics.com/bright-wing-250w-2700k-cfl-grow-light-p-2762.html

 

[Monkeypox]

Lighting is one the most expensive as well as most critical aspects of a good grow . Sometimes pinching pennies will give less than stellar results and be discouraging for the grower . Best bang for the buck I would think would be the Bad Boy setup . It would give full coverage and produce reasonably well . 2x250hps would do a good job , but heat would become a factor , Just need to have good air exchange . Another option would be a single 400hps . It would cover that space and you can get a basic one (digital and dimmable) for $200 or less if you look around . But again , heat would come into play.

 

[Bandit]

What type of power bill increase should one expect from a 400w digital ballast HPS/MH?

~bandit