Help with lighting and Grow room setup

[EmElla]

Hey there, I'm getting ready to start my first grow (Woot!) and I had a couple of questions about lighting.

I have been having a HELLA huge trouble finding a good lighting setup. Originally I was going to use CFLs and grow in my closet but when I couldn't find any 6500k cfls I decided to move to my basement and use HPS.

So I need to do this cheap (like lighting under 100 to 150$ at MOST). My grow space is flexible in size, I'm going to use tarp material and section off a space in my basement, floor to ceiling and then hang my lights. I'm going to make the space the size of a card table-top (about 2'x4' or 2'x3' or so.) At most I'm looking at 8 sq ft, but more likely around 5 or 6.

Anyway I found a great beginner light for 69$ at suncoast hydroponics, it's an all in one system with a fan in the reflector ( Check it out ). I emailed suncoast and they said the temp for the bulb was about 2100k, so I decided to use it with two CFLs. Then I began looking for the 6500k light that I would need for the veg cycle but I'm having trouble finding anything remotely close to what I need.

In a nutshell I need a 150 watt 6500k HPS bulb or just any alternative lighting setup that is under 150$ AT MOST (though I would prefer if it were under 100.) Does anyone know where I can find a lightbulb or lighting system?

In addition to all of that I was just wondering if I could get some feedback on my setup and plans.

Lighting: TBD
Soil: Fox Farm Ocean Forest
Nutes:
Miracle-Gro Liquid All Purpose Plant Food
and
Miracle-Gro Liquid Quick Start

My seeds are from a bag.

Anyway, any help with this would be great. Thanks!!

PS Has anyone used reflective tarps? Do they work or should I stick with white?

 

[bucktoothal]

Hello With my experience with finding a 150 watt HPS they are very hard to find in the 6500k, your best bet is to go to your local home improvement store and go to where they have outdoor lighting, they should have a 65watt cfl 6500k fixture for around $45-50. If not you can use soft white cfl's you will just have to leave in veg a little longer is all. I also would just stick with white the reflective tarps tends to build up heat.
Good luck

 

[EmElla]

Thanks bucktoothal!

After making that post I was doing more research and saw someone posted a link to daylight CFLs. Along with your response I've decided to change my setup. My new plan is to use 6 42 watt daylight cfls for veg and 6 42 watt soft white cfls for flowering. The daylight cfls are 2800 lumens each and the soft white are 2600. Veg cycle = 16,800 lumens. Flower cycle = 15,600

If I grow in a 6 sqft space do you think this would be enough lumens to grow five plants?

Along with the new lighting I'm going to splurge and go for the fox farms nutes.

Thanks for the info on the tarp, that was what I was worried about so I'll stick with white.

Once again,

 

[bucktoothal]

For 5 plants I would say you should be ok, Now your buds might be a little fluffy. What I would do is go with this set up and see how they turn out, make some clones and at most you will have to add a few more lights during flower on your next grow.
Good luck