Do I swap 250w blue cfl with 250w red, or use both all the time?

[grimeandreason]

Hi guys, we're setting up a micro grow with a box about 3 feet high by 1.5/2 feet wide/deep.

To keep heat down I'm thinking of going for CFL hung vertically using this:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Lamp-Hanger-1...arden_PlantsSeedsBulbs_JN&hash=item3a50b9e04f

with these bulbs:





Coz it works out so damn cheap and I'm worried HPS would get too hot. Now, we only want to grow three or so plants at a time so should I simply get one lead and swap blue for red at flowering stage, or should I get two leads and use both blue AND red for the entire grow?

And if I were to do that, could I happily grow four plants? Also, would I need a fan?

Cheers guys.

 

[grimeandreason]

or would these be better?

Or would two 125w dual spectrum CFL's be better?

 

[jimbobthe3rd]

You could just use reds throughout the whole grow. From my previous experience, blue spec only increases the growing part of the plants life cycle by about 25%. It can be a big diff, but i grow+flower with red only, too costly to stock both amounts of reds/blues globes. On the other hand, it is very IMPORTANT that you use red only in the flowering part to maximise your yield.

My advice- use just the red 250w, won't need a fan for cooling it, the CFL's put off nearly no heat, you can get them 3-4cms from the plant with no ill effects, hell i've even seen some ppl accidently let the plants touch the lights and doesnt even burn it lol. Obv still need a fan/s for intake/out-take.

My 2 cents hope it helped :x.

 

[devious d]

jimbo,s right if your trying to do it on the cheap red is all you need,:icon_dizzy: i use blue cfl,s for vegging now but for yrs i used a hps which is more red, than metal halide, basically reds ok for both while blue is only for vegging. :damnhippie:Anyway bro i would spend a little extra on a SHADE the hanger in the pic is ok for secondry lighting(i have one) but for main lighting with cfl,s you need it horizontal and getting all the reflection off the shade as poss and as close as possible, if you end up with one of each doesnt hurt to have the blue on with the red when flowering bit of secondry lighting:rasta2: good luck

 

[grimeandreason]

thanks for the help guys...

Cheers guys.

So if blues are only slightly better for vegging and I may as well just stay with one bulb, would you suggest a 250w Red or a 300w duel red & blue? Im guessing that since the red/flowering stage is the most important then a 250w red may as well be my choice correct? And would it only be enough for 2 plants, or could I get away with 3?

As for fans, would opening the door and airing it out regularly be enough? I have a large wooden box so cutting holes wouldn't be an issue if I have too, any advice?

 

[jimbobthe3rd]

Opening the door regularly = suicide. Get two small pc fans just for in-take out-take, they are silent, and you can build a tiny carbon filter over them to take away the smell. If the air becomes stagnant inside the box/room the plants will die once they have consumed all the co2 and there is none left.

Plant numbers is not the issue, it's canopy size. IMO a 250w red could do maybe a 2'x2' canopy half-decently. So you understand you could fit 9 20cm potted plants in that area, or one plant, scrogged out to a canopy size of 60cmx60cm. Up to you mate.

 

[devious d]

yea what Jimbo says about the fans is sense, in my veg cupboard i do have fan running and open door a crack,but computer fans are pukka and so are bathroom extraction ones, trouble is you get high temp low humidity with nothing hang wet towel on hanger bring humidity up helps did me.

 

[grimeandreason]

thanks a lot

cheers guys. I've checked out how to splice a computer fan to a 12volt plug (phone charger etc)... is the difference between intake and outtake simply the direction that the fans are slotted into the box wall?

I'll stick up pictures once the box is complete, see if you guys give it the a-ok to start (first time grow, if you hadn't noticed!)

cheers again.

 

[jimbobthe3rd]

Basically, you want a out-take fan, near the top of your grow area (heat rises, you want to dispense the hot air). You don't need a fan for incoming fresh air, as the out-going fan will cause a vacuum and suck through a hole you can place at the bottom area of your grow area (cold air sinks, thus it's always sittin at the bottom of your rooms).

If you got any other questions bro don't hesitate to post. Let me know how them 250w red cfl's go, i'm thinking of buying a few for supplimental lighting in my tree grow.

What recepticles/lamp holders or whatnot do you plug them cfls into btw? I tried to search for some lamps or vertical cords with E40 sockets in them but couldn't really find any on eBay.

 

[devious d]

the same as hps, but with plug instead of ballast conector, plenty of e40 lamp holders on ebay bought one myself for a £5 or $6, ive swapped over to cfl ,s for veg and had the same idea hanging vertical as extra light round my main grow

 

[jimbobthe3rd]

Oh i seeee, thanks devious for the heads up :)) lol.

 

[Bill Bloome]

reflector

As for the CFLs,I would use both for veg,then 6500K red for flower.Cfls work most efficiently with the base UP,tube down.Lowes sells a clamp on reflector for 7.oo bucks you can orient correctly and clamp on at different heights.Take some aluminum wheel polish(Mothers) to the inside of the reflector and you will be surprised how much better they work.I now have two in my Micro with 150CFLs and was floored at the improvement in growth and color.

 

[trusmoker]

i vegged for 3 week with blue cfls but not very rewarding in the long run try an get the most light in as pos somert like a 250 red for flower an blue for veg heres a pic
hope this helps

 

[trusmoker]

 

[KillaKam]

I just finished my recent CFL grow. Used blue for veg and a red dominant mix for flower. This time I used the same mix for veg and noticed a bit more stretch.

 

[space4206]

hi there i was just reading and your doing the same thing i9 am i got the same size cabinet and i got about 220 watts in mine just started 2 weeks ago in growing flash and ufo it is my first grow so maybe we could help one another but if you wont i will send you picks of mine i just think its kool you are doing the same thing but im using bubbleponics with a drip system still all very new to this but any way looks great