54 watt T5 46" UVA & UVB Supplementing?

[Psomi]

So. I've been doing a ton of reading on uva and uvb supplementation in the later few weeks of flower..so much that I've decided to go ahead with it on the first run.. I bought some t5 HO 54 watt reptile bulbs and some fixtures.. I got 4 bulbs and 2 fixtures.. Bulbs came out to be $22.25 each and the fixtures were $50 each. I'll be adding 2 46" fixtures to my LED setup in the flower tent and they will be used in the last 2-3 weeks of flower. The bulbs only last 8 months but used this was they should last a few years at least..so cost wise I think it's not that bad.. $140 to add 108 watts of uva/uvb light. Who here has done this? Please share your wisdoms.

 

[Canresearcher]

nope, this is completely unnecessary. Any CFL light contains Mercury Vapor which in turn is used to optically pump with UVB+UVC light a multi-metal based phosphor in the fluorescent tube thus creating the growing light we end up seeing.
T5, T4, T1, CFL CCFL, induction lighting..etc all works on the same principle of exciting Hg vapor with a high voltage.
some ( small amount of the UVB output) escapes the Phosphor coating. Some larger bulbs even include a bandpass filter coating. This prevents shorter wavelengths of UV from passing through the tube's outer envelope.

Summary: You've got plenty UV to grow with. You do however want more light intensity. Upping your bulb size is a better idea.
You DO NOT want to supplement extra UV to the plant EVER. Full stop
It's very likely to create ozone thus burning your plant to a crisp. Ozone production is not only highly corrosive to your plants it is far far worse for your lungs.

 

[Psomi]

Thanks for the reply. Here is why I'm asking, I have the same setup as in this video. The idea is to use them the last few weeks of flower.. According to this guy and his extensive research over the years this addition will increase THC in the affected area ~5%.

How To Increase Marijuana THC Potency 5% UVA UVB Lights - YouTube

 

[Canresearcher]

Nope. I disagree completely.

Genetics is 99.9% the reason for the increase of THC. THC is the plant's defense mechanism.
The potency can go up or down slightly because of lighting intensity. IF you want better lighting go with a CMH/LEM 315W Phillips. It's really a question of genetics on potency.
Actually I am researching this area quite a bit in the lab. So far I can say:

a) There is absolutely no conclusive evidence to suggest that adding supplemental UVB to a grow room will increase the potency.

b) Adding extra UVB can cause plants to stunt their growth habits (compact habit).

c) Keep this factoid in mind. 3% of the light from the sun is in the UVA/UVB range.

d) There is lots of BS on youtube, from Roswell Aliens to HAARP, Bigfoot sightings, Donald trump is an alien, Chem-trails, faked iPhones.... just because it's on youtube doesn't make it true. While this video is a bit more convincing, it's unfortunately science fiction.