# T5 tube lights?



## ktownlegend (Jul 29, 2007)

the guy at my garden center says it is possible to use what is know as a T5 its a little balasit with 4 tube lights in it low amounts of heat. has ne one used one? if so for what? cuz this guys trying to tell me hes heard of guys usiing for veg and flower, with reall doesn't make to much sense when u see how small it is.


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## Automaticmike (Jul 29, 2007)

Hi there, I am new here but I am focusing all my efforts to get a flouresent garden up and going in a small closet. What I plan to do is have a series of T5's and a few regular 40w bulbs just to mix it up. I am going for low cost, low energy, high yeild. I am thinking a series on the wall and then overhead. Hope this helps.


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## ktownlegend (Jul 29, 2007)

the one i was looking at is a hanging light about 18 inches long maybe 14 wide holds 4 bulbs


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## Automaticmike (Jul 29, 2007)

LeT me try and dig up some info to get to you and give you a visual of another bulb I've found.


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## Automaticmike (Jul 29, 2007)

It is possible to grow marijuana indoors using fluorescent lights and produce an excellent, mature potent crop. All you have to do is understand the life cycles of the plant and mimic the environment marijuana is most suitable to. Mimic means to emulate, not necessarily re-create, so, close is usually good enough. Light, temperature, medium, humidity, rain, nutrients. I use standard four foot fluorescent fixtures bought at your local Mega Lo Mart for around eight dollars US. Then I use a standard 40 watt residential bulb and an aquarium/terrarium bulb, also 40 watt. The two produce a good and suitable mixture of light and are very inexpensive.


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## ktownlegend (Jul 29, 2007)

i've use a mix of lights before, all fluorescent, combo of three, white, black and red lights. it worked exceptionally well and was quite  inexpensive, the black light throws off some heat though so had to keep that one a lil farther away.


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## DLtoker (Jul 30, 2007)

T5s are something that I thoroughly research and decided to go with about 6 months ago.  I use them for both veg and flower and have gotten amazing results.  In my setup, I use 6,500K and 3,000K bulbs in a 1:1 ratio at all stages of growth and also angle my outside lights inwards to help control and contain the most light I can.  With a fan moving the air in your grow area, you can keep these lights within an 1" of the plant matter with no signs of heat stress so the efficiency is very high due to the light not loosing intensity from being a foot away from the canopy.  

These lights are not cheap however.  The cheapest I have found for a 4' 4 bulb system is just under 200 shipped.  I found an 4' 8 bulb system on ebay for around $220 shipped.  

One reason I love these lights so much is because they emit the light so evenly... Instead of having 1 localized area with a 6" long bulb emitting 50,000 Lumen, these bulbs are 4' long with 5,000 Lumen per bulb.  Pretty nice spread if you ask me :aok:  I also love to flower rooted clones and to play with autoflowering plants so this effective spread of lumen is perfect 

So, in short, you won't be disappointed.


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## ktownlegend (Jul 30, 2007)

now that u've said all that, how bigs ur box, cuz the box im going to be using is 3 1/2 ft. tall, 2 1/2 x 2 1/2


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## DLtoker (Jul 30, 2007)

THIS isn't the best deal out there by far, but it is an example.  It is only 23" wide so you can have about 4" extra on each side.  I would definitely use a reflective surface of some sort and more lighting.  That is only 3,200 lumen per square foot.  The 4' T5s are much more efficient so if you can change your box dimensions, that would be ideal


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## ktownlegend (Jul 30, 2007)

i was thinking 3 T5, 4 tube fixtures. paint the inside of the box high gloss white. fan mounted below the base with, side vents at the top. what would u think for dimesions? space is limited i working with a closet in my bedroom thats only 22 inches deep, 6 ft high, 7 ft wide inside the doors 4 ft between the doors.


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## DLtoker (Jul 30, 2007)

Three would be awesome.  That way you can angle the end lights and push a lot of light into the babies.  If you look in the gallery at my Lowryder pictures, those were all grown with T5s.  Unfortunately the missy lost the camera so I couldn't take pics of the C-99, Twilight and Skunk flowering at 2.5'.  Don't forget that you are going to want some pully system because the lights are going to need to adjusted frequently.

I would run 4' lights lengthwise in your closet.  You could do one, six bulb fixture or you could do two four bulb fixtures installed at an angle.


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## Mutt (Jul 30, 2007)

ktownlegend said:
			
		

> high gloss white.



Actually beleive it or not Flat white paint is more reflective


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## ktownlegend (Jul 31, 2007)

wow, thats odd, but ok jsut gotta change my paint lol


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## ktownlegend (Jul 31, 2007)

DLtoker said:
			
		

> Three would be awesome. That way you can angle the end lights and push a lot of light into the babies. If you look in the gallery at my Lowryder pictures, those were all grown with T5s. Unfortunately the missy lost the camera so I couldn't take pics of the C-99, Twilight and Skunk flowering at 2.5'. Don't forget that you are going to want some pully system because the lights are going to need to adjusted frequently.
> 
> I would run 4' lights lengthwise in your closet. You could do one, six bulb fixture or you could do two four bulb fixtures installed at an angle.


 

lol, maybe i should've been a lil more specific. i still use the closet for clothes on one side. lol so im planning on building a boxx to put in the closet.  i got a good idea for it, but others input is always helpful. cuz im pretty sure theres alot of ppl on that have pulled closet grows successfully before. so putting 4ft or 6 lights is out. next idea?


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## booradley (Jul 31, 2007)

How much space you looking to use for your grow? I have a cabinet in my closet and still have clothes. I grow in a Sterlite cupboard (using the top third for veg and the bottom 2/3 for flower) with 150 HPS and a 2 bulb 2 foot t-5 for flower and a 4 bulb 2-foot t-5 for cloning and vegging. I have no heat problems at all. Just have to be sure to seriously lightproof the bloom half!

Well, here is the cab I use: http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-10/qid=1185896355/ref=sr_1_10/601-1059796-1009739?ie=UTF8&asin=B000063SLI

About 3 square foot grow space (veg and flower have 3 square feet each) which is perfect for 9-12 plants in a SOG.


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## ktownlegend (Jul 31, 2007)

anyone else?


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## MrPuffAlot (Jul 31, 2007)

ktownlegend said:
			
		

> lol, maybe i should've been a lil more specific. i still use the closet for clothes on one side. lol so im planning on building a boxx to put in the closet. i got a good idea for it, but others input is always helpful. cuz im pretty sure theres alot of ppl on that have pulled closet grows successfully before. so putting 4ft or 6 lights is out. next idea?


 
3 weeks into your grow in your closet,
all your cloths and everything in your closet is going
to smell like BUD...

just keep that in mind.


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## ktownlegend (Jul 31, 2007)

MrPuffAlot said:
			
		

> 3 weeks into your grow in your closet,
> all your cloths and everything in your closet is going
> to smell like BUD...
> 
> just keep that in mind.


 

lmao, i know, i don't care, ne one that knows me knows im a smoker, i tend to stay away from ppl and places im not comfortable with. i'm figuring a box the entire depth of my closet so a full 22" deep, 3x4 for height and width. im not looking to grow alot in this setup its kinda experimental. im planng i doing a few different things, im gonaa split the box into two halfs so i can run a soil and hydro, put just one of each. which means the amount of lights just got doubled.


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## DLtoker (Jul 31, 2007)

I would toss the T5 idea out until you are ready to expand.  You would have some stellar results with a 400W HID set up :hubba:


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