T5 or HID

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danknessdude

New Member
Trying out a new Sunblaze 48 inch 8 bulb t5 HO light for vegging. I've used t5s in the past but only to transition from weaker t5s in cloner to HID MH. I'm at a cross roads as to veg under t5 then straight to flower under 600watt HPS or would you recommend a few weeks under 600 watt mh? Already have the setup....

I am at weak 4 from time clone was placed directly into soil.

Blackberry Kush Grow Sunblaze T5 Veg - 600 Watt HPS Cooltube Flower
 
Whats up danknessdude

I go from T5's in veg straight to 600W HPS for Flower. This along with the 12/12 change it forces them to flower quickly and IMO reduces stretch.
 
Yes I would top while in veg under the T5's. I also start LST during veg. I keep a fan blowing across the tops and I get them about an inch or two away from the lamps. I've never used mh. Since plants are relatively small during veg and I only grow for personal use on a very small scale I cannot justify using a mh. I veg for a small amount of time too as I don't want monsters taking over my room. Using HPS during flowering makes sense because the plants get BIG and need deeper light penetration.

If you want some stretch for cuttings I'd suggest to raise your lights.
 
Alright so Fimmed and such under the T5 with amazingly quick recovery and growth! I am going to run both under a dual spectrum so I can finish flowering lucy. She was sad and lonely so I took her in. All she ever wanted was to be smoked and appreciated!

IMG_20140418_000338.jpg
 
danknessdude said:
Hey Cal! Agreed. I am impressed at the sublaze proformance. Nodes are tight! Kinda wantv these to strerch a bit now so i can cloneva few more before mother is full busted :)

Do you top yours? Interestered if recovery time differs from mh to t5.....

Love the heat favtor and lack there of!
Click to expand...

Yes I top during veg at least 1 week before I flip. I get my plants into shape then add no more stress at all so that when they are forced into flower there is zero outside stress on the plant and they are happy as can be. I want my females to have zero male qualities if you know what I mean :winkyface:
 
Similar situation.. T5 or HID ? I'm coming to the end of my 3rd indoor grow. First was a disaster using older fluorescents (took the small plants out to enjoy natural sunlight and brought them in loaded with spider mites). I added (2) 1000 watt MHs and the second grow was better but still had problems (related to feeding and watering). This third grow is better still but the real downside is an expensive electric bill given the fact that I currently only get about three grows per year and what the yields have been. By the way, I'm growing organic in soiless mix and heat, temperatures and humidity have not been a problem.

Here's my plan.. my current grow room ,with a grow area of 4' x 8', will be just for vegging. I have a second larger room that I want to convert to a flowering room for the next grow. I'm thinking I'll move the (2) 1000 watt lights into the flowering room and add a third 1000 watt HPS.

Meanwhile, I'm considering what my lighting options are for the 4' x 8' vegging room. I originally planned on using (2) 400 watt HID but now I'm wondering about going with T5s. Also, checked around today for general information on LED but I still am not satisfied with what I'm finding. Prices are still high and I'm not reassured by what I'm reading on many of the forums. Seems to be a lot of promises made by people who are obviously trying to sell this stuff or just regurgitating what they've heard or read elsewhere. I'm interested in following Jandre2k3's thread here but wanted to get other opinions. Anyone got first hand experience with T5 or HID for vegging and LEDs in general ?
 
High output T5's are really the way to go for veg unless you buy/build a panel for that sole purpose. I just received my first factor panel to start testing, but for the cost of a T5 vise that of a LED panel it's hard to beat. HID for veg is simply too costly. The extra height that you have to use and fans to reduce the heat simply don't add up to the lose of light that you gain from efficiency over CFL/tubes or LEDs. The prices from TopLED are damn good. What information or lack there of are you having issues with about LED's?
 
Thanks for the advice regarding T5s for vegging.

Seems to be a lot of concern about crappy LED manufacturers and, of course, each manufacturer claims that they make the best. I would be looking at $ 1,000 (TopLED) for 3 LED panels for the flowering room plus shipping, duty and tax (Canada) and for a lot less than that I could go with HPS (using Kijiji, which is like Craigslist in Canada) which is proven. Frankly, I don't personally know any growers using LED.
 
Awesome. Money's limited and I'm being careful to make the right decision so I need to take a closer look at LEDs. TopLED is good ? Appreciate the help. Thanks.
 
If you are looking to cover a large area for flowering, then the startup cost for HPS is much lower. I was referring to clones and vegging. In the long run (depending on your size, set-up, grow style, lighting cycles, and a number of other factors) it can be more cost effective to run LED's. On the medium sized grow scale LEDs will almost always win in short order due to the reduced heat, fan usage, cooling system, and closeness to the canopy. On the micro scale CFLs are really hard to beat. Mostly because panel makers have stopped producing panels made for areas less than 2'x2'.

As for TopLED being good, I cannot personally say as of yet. I just received my panel from them and haven't started my test yet, but there are a large number of successful grows with them on the site already.
 
Hosebomber said:
As for TopLED being good, I cannot personally say as of yet. I just received my panel from them and haven't started my test yet, but there are a large number of successful grows with them on the site already.
Click to expand...

You too, Hosebomber? I received my 96x3-watt reflector yesterday and like you I am waiting on my next grow to see how it performs. What kind and size did you get?
 
I got the Mars II 400, and it's been kicking ass! I keep it about 10 to 12 inches from canopy and plant is going crazy under it. For the money, topled is definitely worth it.
 
This might be obvious but I'm trying to catch up on current LED technology so.. to replace a 1000 HPS would I use a comparable wattage LED (Mars II LED Grow Light 900w, flower spectrum, for example) ?
 

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