# dirt cheap or dirt weed



## canibanol cannonball (Jul 22, 2008)

im almost ready to flower and i was going to use fl tubes. 3 4` ballast with phosphorus grow lights. Each tube gives off 1900 lumins, 8 tubes in all. will this work? i can add 2 more tubes


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## papabeach1 (Jul 22, 2008)

flo tube? for flowering?   how do u stress it if it has no HPS?


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## Dubbaman (Jul 22, 2008)

IMO, if oyur going to use your fluros for flowering you may want to go with the G.E. kitchen and bath bulbs. They are 3400 lumen each and have a color rating (K) of 3000, the next best bet is the warm white bulbs if i remember it right they have a lumen of 2700 and a color of 2400.


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## Mutt (Jul 22, 2008)

More flo light the better 
You should get some decent nugs off flos...might be on the fluffy side, but you'll be happy with the high if the strain was 1/2 way decent to begin with.
Keep the flos as close as you can. Tubes you can get close. Also they do make 3,000 lumen per 4' bulb. Little pricier than the 1900 shop lights. 
I'd do a mix of 6500 kelvin (cool white) and 2800 Kelvin (soft white) bulbs. For flower I'd do a ratio of 2 soft whites to 1 cool white.


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## BuddyLuv (Jul 22, 2008)

You can buy T5 bulbs for flowering. I would run an 8x 4ft. ballast on top and the run 1 2x 4ft. ballast in all 4 corners of the room. That would give you plenty of light.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Jul 22, 2008)

Why not use a HPS?  There is nothing else that produces bud like a HPS.


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## canibanol cannonball (Jul 22, 2008)

everyone thx for replys. I'll look into the other bulbs-the ones i have are aquarium & plant flor's. (f40t12) packaging says they give off red spectrum light that promote flowering. Ive looked at HPS but i come from a small town and the price is redonkulous (300-400$).


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## Aurora_Indicas_Dad (Jul 22, 2008)

you can get a 100 dollar 400 watt hps from insidesun.com or htgsupply.com has cheap 400 watt hps also


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## ChatNoir (Jul 22, 2008)

papabeach1 said:
			
		

> flo tube? for flowering?   how do u stress it if it has no HPS?



I can not understand anti fluorescent people... Do you truly believe that fluorescent bulbs do not shed any light? 8 tube, each 3200 lumen, if properly placed, they can easily work twice as effective as 400W HPS lamp (which draws same power).

More over, you'll get five times penetration with fluorescent bulbs as you can place them to the REARS as well. In addition, their ballasts last much longer (for tubes).


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## Dubbaman (Jul 22, 2008)

Cornellius said:
			
		

> More over, you'll get five times penetration with fluorescent bulbs as you can place them to the REARS as well. In addition, their ballasts last much longer (for tubes).


 
:confused2: only if you keep them at minimum range to the plant will they penetrate the canopy, as for the ballasts lasting longer thats jsut a crap shoot there ive had a 40W ballast **** out on the day i got it new :shocked: and ive currently got 2 HPS ballasts that ive not had any problems out of with a years straight use on them  and even with any light its smart to turn a indoor plant so that its able to have all parts seen or shadowed at some time by the direct light for even growth, I turn mine once every week half way around so that the more shaded areas can be in the open, better known as plant Tetris


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## ChatNoir (Jul 22, 2008)

Dubbaman said:
			
		

> :confused2: only if you keep them at minimum range to the plant will they penetrate the canopy, as for the ballasts lasting longer thats jsut a crap shoot there ive had a 40W ballast **** out on the day i got it new :shocked: and ive currently got 2 HPS ballasts that ive not had any problems out of with a years straight use on them  and even with any light its smart to turn a indoor plant so that its able to have all parts seen or shadowed at some time by the direct light for even growth, I turn mine once every week half way around so that the more shaded areas can be in the open, better known as plant Tetris



We have used tube fluorescents for years and weirdly, only malfunctioning parts were igniters which are around forty cent though I managed to kill a few lights with adjustable voltage switch =P


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## Rambler (Jul 22, 2008)

sorry for interupting your post but i too am using fluorescnt lights and its my first grow, but i was wondering...
What is the largest yeald (per plant on average) you have produced using only fluorescent lighting?

same Q goes too anyone who uses cfls.


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## Dubbaman (Jul 22, 2008)

Rambler said:
			
		

> sorry for interupting your post but i too am using fluorescnt lights and its my first grow, but i was wondering...
> What is the largest yeald (per plant on average) you have produced using only fluorescent lighting?
> 
> same Q goes too anyone who uses cfls.


 
I did my first few grows on fluros had 5.5 ozs off one (first one) one plant was an indica and one was a sativa, might have gotton more but i had many rookie problems e.g. 2 plants one pot low lumen levals etc. but still for a first grow it wasnt bad at all stuff ahd me bakin my noggin for a couple months  id have to say i got 1.5 oz off the indica and and a qp off the sativa.


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## Rambler (Jul 22, 2008)

sounds like ya had a good time 
this is my first and ive a made loads of mistakes so far "wahoo!" but ive got plenty of seeds left il be plantin them in the next couple days i hope to have 12 or so for when i find out there sex, but i have no idea what strain they are (bag seeds) My dream would be to get 1 or 2 oz per plant but thats down to mother nature and lady luck!:hubba:


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## ChatNoir (Jul 23, 2008)

Rambler said:
			
		

> sorry for interupting your post but i too am using fluorescnt lights and its my first grow, but i was wondering...
> What is the largest yeald (per plant on average) you have produced using only fluorescent lighting?
> 
> same Q goes too anyone who uses cfls.



Check out the book "See More for Less"


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## TheEnhancementSmoker (Jul 23, 2008)

Cornellius said:
			
		

> 8 tube, each 3200 lumen, if properly placed, they can easily work twice as effective as 400W HPS lamp (which draws same power).


 
No....
8x3200=25,600

400W HPS has 50,000-55,000 lumens.


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## Bleek187 (Jul 23, 2008)

umm.. if fluro is so great... then why is everyone producing nice crops using HPS?  

i love fluro for cloning/mothers   but when its time to bud... the dif between fluro and HPS is crazy.. i went from fluro to 400w HPS and my yield and quality of bud improved 10X.. im putn out bud that would usualy cost me 500 bucks an oz... 

IMO   
Fluro = cloning/rooting/mothers
HPS = Flowering


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## slowmo77 (Jul 23, 2008)

i grow small plants with cfls and get 2oz + off mine normally, but my plants stay around 3 ft counting the pots they're in.


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## Tater (Jul 23, 2008)

Hey if you are from a small town go to your local UFA or whatever farm store serves your town and order a 400watt hps shop or security light.  It will cost you more but if you have no other option.

Just an option but if you can't you can't gotta work with what you got sometimes eh?  If I were you  would get those bulbs as close as possible, like touching the plant if they can without burning it.


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## canibanol cannonball (Jul 23, 2008)

yup thats what i did (300-400$). What i was really asking was if flowering with flo's would produce any results worth growin? Thx for all the info readers!


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