CFL Light Help

[lupuz]

I Have a total of 8 Light bulbs:

2k:
3-20w (1150 Lm/ea)
1-20w Spiral (1450 Lm)

6k:
1-20w (1150 Lm/ea)
3-15w Spiral (900 Lm/ea)

And i have 1 plant right now, open space positioned in a corner.
I would like to know how lights I should add, it is about 2-3 weeks old.

How do I set up the lights

and If i want to add another plant how do i do it

 

[QueenTokelove]

Welcome Lupuz...Wow, that seems like a whole lot of lights for just one plant. I have 10 lights going for 4 plants plus sprouts, I need more lights..lol...For just one plant I think you have more than enough lights. I am not an expert grower still a noob but just give me time!

From what I have seen or read on here, it seems like most hang the lights above the plant(s) though I have heard some place lights lower for the bottom part of the plant. To help the bottom of the plant to receive light.Now don't quote me on this but I think they have to be 6-12 inches above the plant. But you can also do the hand test which is hold your hand between the light and the plant. If its hot to you then it is hot to the plant.

It would also help if you gave a little more info such as what type of plant it is. What kind of soil you're using...and a few pics wouldn't hurt. As for adding another plant, that would be up to you. Or maybe give measurements of the space you're working with. Have a look around, I am sure you will find some excellent ideas....

 

[jdub]

Hey check out my journal, I'm using a 4't5 and 2 68 watt cfls, in a 2 1/2' x 5' area, 7 plants I would reccomend that you lst it, and or top it... Also are you in veg or flower? Strain? Grow median?

 

[lupuz]

I am using regular leaf dirt, is that far enough and do I have enough space to add another plant?.
Ok well I am in veg state don't know yet until when to leave it here are a few pics, it has a burn on a leaf I think it is nutrient burn...

anyways here is also a google sketch of my room I am growing in it is in the corner not by the door or entrance

My G Room by anonymous - Google 3D Warehouse

 

[jdub]

I think you can fit anoth3r one in there, I would reccomend fox farm ocean forest as soil, as I said earlwier though, I would reccomend dumping the small wattage cfls and get a couple 68 watt ones from home depot, they put out 5000 lumens each.. worth the investment, also woupd reccomend using all 6500 k bulbs for veg. Go to 2700 for flower, it will really make a difference.. oh one more thing, definitely definitely ! Lst these bitches, you don't want tall plants using cfls..

 

[bongtastic]

You can never have too many CFL's. Mainly because they put off very little heat.


For my last indoor stealth grow I used three banks of 6 lights for 18 lights total. Something like 480 total watts.



...for 6 plants.

 

[QueenTokelove]

You can never have too many CFL's. Mainly because they put off very little heat.


For my last indoor stealth grow I used three banks of 6 lights for 18 lights total. Something like 480 total watts.



...for 6 plants.

Wow that many!!! What watts were you using? Just curious because at the moment I have 10 cfls going on 2 shelves...top shelf is where the seedlings are which at the moment I have 2 14w and 7 seedlings...Yeah I know I need way more. Then at the bottom shelf I have 8 23w daylight ones. 4 plants and 6 seedlings, trying for a SOG. I definitely need more just don't know how much more. I hope to eventually upgrade to better lights, 200w or 400w hps. And will more cfls make buds more dense or will they just simply stay airy due to using cfls?

 

[jdub]

I'm using a t5 and 2 68 watt cfls for my current grow, not saying to get less, but rather higher wattage lights, each 68 watt puts out 4800 umens i believe, and each t5 bulb puts out 5000... , Im still kinda new, but been around growing for a while.., I keep my t5 bulbs about an inch above my canopy, and my cfls side mounted about an inch away too... I have a current journal going and my buds are rock solid so far..... But i keep hearing that they will be airy... Dunno..

 

[voucher]

Wow that many!!! What watts were you using? Just curious because at the moment I have 10 cfls going on 2 shelves...top shelf is where the seedlings are which at the moment I have 2 14w and 7 seedlings...Yeah I know I need way more. Then at the bottom shelf I have 8 23w daylight ones. 4 plants and 6 seedlings, trying for a SOG. I definitely need more just don't know how much more. I hope to eventually upgrade to better lights, 200w or 400w hps. And will more cfls make buds more dense or will they just simply stay airy due to using cfls?

He's likely using 27watt bulbs. 18 bulbs/480watts=26.666666667 probably was 486watts total They sell them as 100watt ='s at wally world 2 for $10 for the 6500 daylighters

 

[lupuz]

Well my problem is I live here in Chile (south America), and The biggest Cfls I can find are 23w, and are sold individually and are really expiensive..
to gve you an idea, I bought 2 20w cfls for 3500 pesos ~ 7-8 bucks. while the 23w cost around 4000 ea ~ 9-10 bucks ea 23 w cfl.

it may not sound that much but here that is expiensive. So I was thinking that in a near future to buy HID, I was gonna go with 100w for 1-3 plants, is this correct? Or should i get a 250w?

And Just out of curiosity, with what home electrical appliance Can 100w,250w,400w,600w be compared with? (electrical use wise)

 

[mudrunner]

Well my problem is I live here in Chile (south America), and The biggest Cfls I can find are 23w, and are sold individually and are really expiensive..
to gve you an idea, I bought 2 20w cfls for 3500 pesos ~ 7-8 bucks. while the 23w cost around 4000 ea ~ 9-10 bucks ea 23 w cfl.

it may not sound that much but here that is expiensive. So I was thinking that in a near future to buy HID, I was gonna go with 100w for 1-3 plants, is this correct? Or should i get a 250w?

And Just out of curiosity, with what home electrical appliance Can 100w,250w,400w,600w be compared with? (electrical use wise)

this site may be of use to you, ive used it a couple times already. Electricity Usage Calculator if you can get your most recent power bill and get your cost per KwH you can see how much it will cost to run your lights... hope this helped sorry i couldnt give more of a wattage comparison to an appliance

 

[jdub]

Hey bro, why dont you just ask someone here in the u.s. to send you some in the mail they're not as expensive here and can get much higher wattages outa them... If that's not an option, I've read that the 23 watt ones are the most efficent lower wattage bulbs....

 

[fish4250]

I bought a 400watt hm/hps g.y.o/ amazon light system & being newby, look for one that has an internal fan this one would get so hot It would soften up the mail plug to the light and i didn't know,or notice for a while and one day i was trying to move the ballast and got a little shock from it and good thing it wasn't to bad but i just handed it to the U.P.S.see if I get a refund and another thing,paint your walls flat white look at some other big grow what do you see white paint.If I told you some the things I did from not doing my homework first you would have to get stitches in your stomach ,SO DO YOUR HOME WORK BEFORE YOU EVEN START TO GROW,you will remember this, trust me!!!!!

 

[ZeeGrower]

i purchased a pack of three 23w cfls 6500k for 99cents at walmart for my grow!? I'm on day 12 off of these 3 lights for 4 plants and I'm doing great!


First Grow - Bag Seed - CFL - Closet - Lots Of Pics

 

[fish4250]

R U GETTING BUDS u need to go 2 2700K for 12/12 hrs to make it bud okay they are like the sun of late summer go 2 you tube /sirsly420 check his site out on cfls. read,read up, till your eyes bleed .

 

[BigIrishDoode]

i am currently running 11 cfl's 9 23 watt mixed colors,1 42 watt 2700, and 1 68 watt 2700 in almost 6 weeks in flower i did have 11 plants but a deep freeze took several of them, 6 were big 4 seedlings,1 clone,now i have 2 smaller 4 bigger, they get plenty of light and are recovering from the freeze,,,last grow i grew 8 pretty big plants and got a half pound of decent tasty buds you can get them really close to the plants, but you have to watch very closely, during the first 3 weeks of 12/12 flower, the plants can grow as much as 300% in the "stretch" depending on strain, i recommend an indica dominate strain when using cfl because they tend to stay shorter and since cfl has little penetration power thats a good thing my 2 cents happy growing and good thoughts

 

[norcalgrown]

if your gonna stick with flourescent i would research this awesome flourescent technique.
you overdrive it essentially go to walmart buy two lights of america two bulb shop light with a hood. take ballast outta one hook it up to the other and you overdrive it brighter then a t5 only drawback is bulbs only last a yr. (if thats a draw back) ppl like to put overdriving down. i dont see much wrong with it considering the t8's are even lower then their ballast allows so in a sense their kinda underdriven to begin with. oh and you get two plugs coming outta the lamp.youtube how to everdrive t8 hope this help. otherwise yes you have more then enough lights. what i would do is incorporate 4-5 clamp lights. i would take a long little piece of wood screw it to the wall up and down --> l <--like so) not --> _ <--like that) and id clamp them up the wall on the wood bar and angle them as needed. also home depot sells awesome cabinet t5 lights i like for cfl grows.ive moved on from cfl's a few yrs back to mh'hps.never goin back