HID vs. Fluorescents

Smokin Moose

Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex Moderator
HID (High Intensity Discharge) Lamps are:

* Efficient. They put out more light, with less energy usage, than any other type of illumination available to indoor growers.
* Bright. HID's produce more light than other types of indoor horticultural lighting.
* Expensive. HID's cost more than flourescents. They range in price from $50-$600 dollars.
* Hot. HID's produce considerably more heat than standard fluorescents.

Fluorescent lamps are:

* Inexpensive. Shoplight fixtures can be purchased for as little as $7. Compact fluorescent bulbs only cost a couple of dollars a piece.
* Locally Available. Most discount stores and home improvement stores carry inexpensive, fluorescent fixtures and bulbs.
* Fine for vegetative growth. Fluorescent bulbs put out plenty of light for plants growing vegetatively, including mothers, seedlings and clones. Some growers prefer fluorescents for vegetative growth because of the slower pace of growth and better root development.
* Fluorescents need to be in close proximity to achieve their rated output, which means their canopy penetration is more limited than HID's.
* Comparatively inefficient. 10 forty watt fluorescent bulbs use the same amount of energy as a 400 watt HID, but produce far less light. Since they use the same amount of energy but produce less light, the remaining must be given off as heat. Contrary to how it may first appear, fluoros actually run hotter than the equivalent wattage of HID-- they just disperse the heat over a wider area.
 
Please explain the difference in T5 HO Red color and T5 HO Blue color? Can I get my plants to flower with the appropriate amount and color of T5 Lighting?
 
You can use Fluorescent light through out the whole life of the plant if you want. Blue spectrum of light is better for veg and red is better for flowering. Since they are fluorescent you are going to want to use a combination of both colors to get your best results.
 
hello fellow lovers of the almighty green plant that god has grace us with. question thinking of upgrading to either a 400 to 600 watt hps system. Or going with a t5 eight light four foots system like Quantum's badboy t5. which one do think is the better investment.
 
hid for flower. t5 setups don't penetration down to the canopy like hid lights will. I like to use t5 for clones and mothers

you can flower with a t5 setup but the 400w would still be better, and if you can go with a 600w go for it.
 
after using everything i could get my hands on i have come to a conclusion or several you can do it with any of the popular results will vary
i have used cfl from seed to harvest same for 400watt hid and 600watt hid same for t5, my current setup is the best i have come up with, seedlings/clones get 1-4 23 watt 6500k cfls in a round droplight 24/0 till they have 3 sets of new leaves, then they go under the t5 (2x4 foot 6 lamp fixture with 2-4-6 blub switch,324 watts 30k lumens 6500k, or the 400watt mh 50-75-100% knob, depending on my mood/current setup
i do prefer the t5 results it has better coverage but can be tricky if i have plants of different heights
then when i go to flower its the jdl 600watt with hps 50-75-10-110% knob and the 27watt uvb repti-gro 10.0 output and sometimes i will add a second jdl 600watt hps or mh depending on heat/seasons right now i have the t5 hanging as side lighting in flower im planning on changing that to either the 400 or second 600 and putting the t5 back in the veg tent (was an experiment on the last grow)

ultimately its possible to have a successful grow with any of these lights cfl will produce less weight and slightly fluffier buds than say a hps or mh
hps will produce the most weight most heat and denser flowers, really the best for flower
t5 if managed well in a scrog will produce next best
just some rambleings of a mad weed scientificist! lol
 
* Comparatively inefficient. 10 forty watt fluorescent bulbs use the same amount of energy as a 400 watt HID said:
the last part about heat just isn't true.well with cfls' anyway. i have 1299 actual watt draw all cfl and i have to use a separate heater to keep my 10f by 4f space the right temp. 1 1000w hid light could usually keep a room that size pretty warm.even my biggest 55w cfls' i can hold in my hand without much discomfort. thanks for reading, just my two cents
 
On the penetration issue, I planned my grow area with an understanding of this from the start, and although it is small about 24"x48", and maybe this is why it appears to be working well (so far). I put 1 CFL on each of the short walls (low) and 2 on the long wall (low also), the other has the door and lights are not really viable. They are simply there to supply light to the lower part of the plans. I remember that being an issue before. The "main lighting" is overhead 4 CFLs that can be raised as needed to keep them close to the growing tops of the plants. As I said, it seems to be working well so far. They are only a few days into the 12/12 cycle, I will let you know how it works out.
 
Florescents do not get hotter than HIDs. You can test this. Put a florescent of equal watts in a tent, zipped up, take temps 4 hours later. Do the same with the HID. HID will raise the temps higher.

Florescents take more watts to produce the same amount of lumes, but they don't create more heat in the process. They use a difference process to make the light, which doesn't cause as much heat.
 
Not really, it has to do with the efficiency of the item in question, at turning electron energy into photons. If it is not effectively done, then the waste is given off as heat. Look at an incandescent light compared to an led.
 
I have kind of a mess,, I have a 6' tall box, about 9 plants of all sizes..LOL..I need to go to 12 12 with 2 4 footers before they outgrow my box. They have all been under 16 cfl bulbs toallying 27600 lumens, and they re all green and pretty..I need to put the vegging plants out of the box under their own light but may be out in the open for awhile. I will put them under about half that much light. If I stay with cfl into flowering, would a mix of bright and soft or just soft be best, which should I use on side root lamps also.. ? I don't understand the lumen/watt/kelvin rating deal very much. My 2 4 footers are starting to show their sex.

thx
 
I have kind of a mess,, I have a 6' tall box, about 9 plants of all sizes..LOL..I need to go to 12 12 with 2 4 footers before they outgrow my box. They have all been under 16 cfl bulbs toallying 27600 lumens, and they re all green and pretty..I need to put the vegging plants out of the box under their own light but may be out in the open for awhile. I will put them under about half that much light. If I stay with cfl into flowering, would a mix of bright and soft or just soft be best, which should I use on side root lamps also.. ? I don't understand the lumen/watt/kelvin rating deal very much. My 2 4 footers are starting to show their sex.

thx
I know you will always end up having to set ups if you don't go with auto plants. I have a 'friend' with the same problem. If I grew, I would stay with auto plants... That way you can choose different phenotypes without much worry about the different finish times ECT.. BTW I agree that t5s are best for veg , clones and such,, but the hot HIDs are ALWAYS BEST FOR FLOWER. If I grew, I would use HID and t5 florescent at the same time in flower. T5 make good side light in the end I would think the heat is a plus for resin maxing... Just my 2 cents.Others find problems with my Theory
 
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