# fluoro red spectrum lights..



## chong420 (Mar 4, 2006)

hello all, new grower here..i saw these aquarium/ plant lights at wally world..it said that they emmited a red spectrum and were good for plants...has anyone tried flowering their plants with fluoro's?  i read that the MH and HPS were they way to go..but i'm on a budget...i think they were like 3400 lumens..40 watts..


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## Mutt (Mar 4, 2006)

I would go to wal-mart and get those 42w compact florous. they push 2,300 lumens each. Get a couple of cool whites and a couple of soft whites and you covered the spectrum pretty good.
The red spectrum is used more during flower.


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## chong420 (Mar 4, 2006)

thanks mutt..i just bought one of those 4 foot work bench fluoro lights..i got em in a 4 foot wide closet about 8 feet tall and 2 feet across..burning 2 fluoro's in 'em now..germinated some seeds and just planted a seedling..(got 1 out of 10, hoping it'll grow..but it was bagseed..i just hope i can some more to sprout..and watch my only one turn out to a male or a hermi..lol)  the fluoros are 40 watts at 3400 lumens..would that other light, the aquarium/ plant fluoro work for when i want to start flowering 'em?


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## Mutt (Mar 4, 2006)

Can you pop me a link of one? I don't want to give an opinion on it without looking at the specs. I know some "aquarium" lights are the wrong spectrum, but others can work. Need the manuf. specs.

That florou you got is great. but with florous more the merrier. I am running a 2.5 sq.ft. veg box. and have 160W worth of florous @ 8000 lumens total. I would want more but won't fit a plant in it if I add some more. hahaaha. With florous Your shootin for 3,000 lumens/sq.ft.

Remember with tube florous your lumen output is spread out. you want a 4 tube set-up at least stacked side by side. and the light concetrated over the plant. In the lighting section is the Overgrow FAQ on florous. may want to take a read.

Check out skunks grow in his veg. area. he is using tube florous. It will give you an idea what you need to do. Look at the very bottom picture. thats his veg. area. using tube florous. http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1721


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## chong420 (Mar 5, 2006)

thanks Mutt..i can't find the link to the lights..i saw 'em in the store..i'll probably go there today..i can write 'em down and let you know..that would be pretty cool if i can use that light..if not, i guess i'll shell out the loot and get some HPS..but hopefully that fluoro will work..thanks for link mutt and the info.


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## Mutt (Mar 5, 2006)

Hey Chong. Here is some inexpensive HID dealers too for you to look at.

www.Insidesun.com remote ballast 250W HPS for 75 bucks.

and 

http://www.e-conolight.com/Product/EFamily.asp HID flood with enclosed ballast dirt cheap bulb included. If you know anything about wiring they also have replacement ballast kits cheap. (just make sure it comes with the igniter)

Remeber MH or HPS only  no Halogen,MV, or anything like that.


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## chong420 (Mar 5, 2006)

ok..i went and bought 'em..they're GE Ecolux, plant and aquarium F40.  i got two of em and they're 40 watts each, with light output of 1900 lumens a piece.  It says on the packaging "this wide spectrum fluorescent lamp is an excellent lamp for plant growth.  It differs from other growth lamps because of its relatively high emission of far-red radiation which promotes growth and flowering for many types of plants, including succulents, (e.g. cactus), coleus, gernaniums andmany green plants.  Also great for growing cannibis.  lol..i was kidding about the last part..so i'm thinking this should get them budding, yes?  what do you think?


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## Mutt (Mar 5, 2006)

mix it in with the other florous. The MJ plant needs blue spectrum too. but might as well put it in.


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## chong420 (Mar 5, 2006)

cool, thanks mutt will do..thanks for your help..so far i spent like fourty bucks all together..i also got a timer as well..money well spent, also it was fairly cheap..i'm thinking when it starts growing, i'll probably get some 2 foot flouro's so i can hit the plant from all sides, instead of just on top..man i hope she's not a male or a friggin' hermie!!


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## Mutt (Mar 5, 2006)

Next time do 3 at a time. then you have a better chance.


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## chong420 (Mar 5, 2006)

yeah, i know mutt..but i got too excited when i saw the first one "pop open"..i'm hopin these other ones will start to open soon, so i can stick 'em with her..i still got like 28 seeds in a wet paper cloth in sealed in a zip lock container..so hopefully a couple more will sprout out..if not, i still got a lot more bagseed left..plus the one growing now hasn't even broke surface yet..i just keep staring at dirt..reminding myself to check on the dirt..make sure the dirt isn't dry..and when it is, i gotta water the dirt..but i don't mind..this is actually my second time growin' in loooon ass time...lol..the first time was when i lived at my parents house..grew 'em outside, which is the easiest in my opinion..i sprouted like 40 seeds, got a hold of a couple flower trays from my mother (the one's wal mart uses for like merrigolds..holds like 20 plants)..started 'em in there..and i remember i would put 'em in the sun when i went to school, so they'd get plenty of sunshine..and in the evenings i'd hide 'em behind a fence (so my parents would see)..they got kind big from what i remember..up to 3 nodes, with the seven leaves in full effect..i remember my parents asking what i was doing and i told them i was growing tomatoes..lol..like out of nowhere, i took an interest in growing tomatoes..well anyways, needless to say..one day when i came back from school, my father tells me that my mom found my "garden"..i was like damn!! there they were, hacked up by a machete right there on the patio..like some kind of St. Cannabis Massacre..lol..got an earful of grief from both of my parents..and i remember grabbing a couple of leaves off the ground, baking 'em in the oven for sec to try and dry 'em out and then i smoked 'em..lol..and for a second, i swear i got a little buzz..or at least i thought i did..but i do remember that it tasted like weed..and then i tried growin again and then my parents found 'em again..then i just gave up..lol...and look at me now!


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## sicnarf (Mar 7, 2006)

LOL chong420, funny summary of your first grow--good read. It sounds as if your parents were somewhat cool about it...I wonder if they still use the ol' college pipe still.lol I'm on my first grow and she's a hermi. . Part of me wants to ditch her but I can't, I'm too attached to it. Ill smoke it damit!

But yea, I followed mutts advice and picked up a 250watt HPS for 75 bucks at www.insidesun.com plus shipping. With a HPS you'll get fatter, denser and bigger buds man...more yield!! I'm also buying a nice wardrobe cabinet (4ft Long | 2ft deep | 6ft High) to turn into a lil hydro production unit. It's very exciting to me, oh and I just ordered some white widow online too. Ok, enough of that. 

I bought one of those plant grow lights from Wally world too (GE Ecolux). I regret buying it because you can but a 4ft cool white and a 4ft soft white tube place it in the fixture and have twice as many lumens as the "special" plant grow light and still cover the proper spectrums--blue and red. For the compact floros: go to a hardware store and buy an 8 dollar ballast/lamp. They have a round chrome look and are great cause you can hang them anywhere and it reflects all the light down (they will operate up to 150watt compact floro bulbs!)


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## Mutt (Mar 7, 2006)

Oh shit he was talking about those 20w gro-florous in the rack at wally world next to the regular lighting supplies.!!!!

Damn, those are great. No lie. I bought two and made a cloning box. no heat, great spectrum (if its the 2' Gro-florous for 10 bucks). Works great for cloning or sprouting. I made a tiny box. handy little ass thing. when I can afford a new dig. cam. I'll take pics.

Sorry bad tangent. Its the little 20W full spectrum thing. says made for a grow light is the one I use. Cloning doesn't take much light and hates heat. just nice ambient temp. Worked great w/ 2 and a tiny clone box.


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## sicnarf (Mar 7, 2006)

Yeah mutt get that camra going soon. I want to see your box you made as well as some of your plants


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## chong420 (Mar 7, 2006)

thanks sicnarf..yeah those were the days living with the 'rents..yeah, i don't know how they new it was pot..then again, i did have like mad bob marley posters smoking spliffs covering my bedroom walls..lol..yeah, it's my first grow as well, and YES it sprang from the dirt!! pretty excited now..too excited, cuz then my seeds started to crack open a bit, cuz i figured i'd let some air into 'em so they could "breath" a bit..lol..but damn, i came from work and i saw that the napkin they were in, inside the ziplock container was bone dry!!..so i freaked out..checked the seeds and they weren't looking too good, they looked kinda dried out, so i threw some water on 'em hoping that maybe i could salvage 'em..all 46 of 'em..(i threw some more in for sprouting mutt...just in case the original 38 might be dead seeds)..but i think i put too much water on 'em so i said, screw it, i'll just check 'em one by one..so there i am in the kitchen sitting at the table, with a dripping wet napkin with seeds in 'em..i take 'em out and start examining..some looked alright..and some didn't..then i took one of 'em..a green one (i know now that it's the black ones or brown one's you want to sprout) and crushed it..it was a dead seed..so i thought, damn..maybe they're all dead..lol..so i start squishing a couple..then DAMN!! some of 'em weren't, cuz the little sprout formation squished out!!  and then for some reason i thought i just got lucky on that one and probably and squished another one..DAMN..same little sprout formation squished out again..now at this point, i'm thinkin' i'm killin 'em and wasting my seeds..***!!  so i start puttin 'em back in the container by now..and i squished another to make sure..but it was a dead one..(all dry in the middle and no sproutling)..whew..but i did it again and killed another..so i stopped..lol..i don't think i should have tried to sprout all those seeds..i still got like 40 of 'em in the paper towel..cuz like what if they all start sprouting?  man, that's gonna suck..i only got room for like 4 or 5 at the most in the closet..and if i get rid of 'em i'll feel bad, cuz that could of been the "one"..y'know?  lol..the almighty 1 pounder!! lol...oh well..maybe i'll just go squish 'em all til i feel that the remaining 4 are "worthy" enough to be put into the "closet of life." lol..good thing i got a lot more bag seed left..


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## chong420 (Mar 7, 2006)

by the way mutt, thanks for the info..like i said..i'm no longer staring at dirt..she's out and about (i hope she's a she)..she's kind a lonely though..stupid sproutlings..but it was well worth the effort..all on 40 bucks, so i'm not complaining..i'd take some pics of my new "addition"..(i named it dirt)..but my girlfriend broke my digi..and i know what you mean sicnarf about being excited..'cuz i find myself checking on her like every hour or so..making sure the soil isn't too dry and to see if she grew anymore in the last five minutes..lol..


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## chong420 (Mar 7, 2006)

can you guys tell me more about "flushing?"  i've read it over, flushing out nutrients..run the roots under water til they're clear so the plant can dry out for harvest..so does this mean, i have to physically take the plant out of the soil and run it under the tap and then replant it in the soil?  or do i run it under water and replant it in some dirt?  could you guys clarify this process a little more?


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## Mutt (Mar 8, 2006)

Flushing:

for every gallon of pot size you run 2-3 galons of water through it. This should only be done if you have to remove excess nutrients which is frying the plant or 2-3 weeks before harvest to remove any excess ferts that may make the smoke harsh. you just put it in the tub and slowly keep running water through it until it comes out clear. It takes a while and is messy. (plant stays in the pot).

Don't "squish your seeds". would a pregnant woman want you "squishing" her belly?? Let em sit, if they sprout they sprout if they don't they don't. I have had bagseed before take a week just to crack open.  Keep the napkin and ziplock bag in a dark warm area. and just check on 'em every other day.

Hope you have great luck with "dirt" your new addition.


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## chong420 (Mar 8, 2006)

thanks mutt..lol..yeah, i couldn't believe i was squishing 'em..yeah those damn seeds are taking forever to sprout..i checked on 'em today..i think they're salvagable..what i don't add nutrients to the plant, will it still flower?  like if i just keep it in the same soil throught the whole cycle and just water it..is flushing still necessary?  sounds like a pain in the ass..as if all i need is for my dumbass to clog the bathtub with dirt..is it possible to interchange from indoors to outdoors and vice versa?  like i was thinking..what if i start 'em outside for a while 'til they get a little big then bring 'em in for flowering..will that mess 'em up?  its starting to get warm out a bit and i figured i let "dirt" stay outside for a bit..to catch some good sunshine as opposed to sitting in the closet all day..then bring her in at nite back to the closet..


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