216w T5 Fluoro Setup

[KaliKitsune]

I'll make my very first post to this site about my grow room.

Watch the video on Vimeo (with a high-def 720p version available for download from the page!) The Mad Doctor's Lab on Vimeo

The setup uses dual 4-lamp 4-foot T5 fluorescents. I don't have room to use both at the same time, so I've just made a system where I can adjust and switch lights when wanted - one has grow spectrum 6500K lamps, the other 3600K bloom lamps. Each four-lamp light is 216w using HO bulbs.

Would post pictures BUT the closet is so small (2.5'x5.5') pictures are pretty much impossible.

 

[KaliKitsune]

I take that back - here's pics of construction:

Measured rope for adjustable height rig.

Light rig finished. Note that my blooming setup is the one angled up. When I wish to switch to this lamp array I simply slide and slack the grow light rope, and drops the bloom light right into place. Nice, easy, no fuss, simple to adjust.

20,000 lumens in a 95 PAR system. 216 watts per lamp array for an absolute total of 432 watts of light, however, only half of that is used at any time, because the closet is SO SMALL I can't hang both of them at the same height, and hanging them at different heights would severely block the light from the higher array.

The box fan is hiding to the left, behind the mirror door, along with the power strip for the lights. The timer is in the back right corner for easy access. If you've seen the video you've seen the styrofoam base I laid down for the initial babies. I have pots with bases for transplant time.

 

[KaliKitsune]

I decided to go ahead and just use both lights, so I hung them into an A-frame pattern. I also relocated the power strip and timer to well above floor level, so now I truly don't have to worry about water hitting the power by accident. Both lamps are using 6500K bulbs, so 8 total pumping 40,000 lumens (like that really even matters) at 95 PAR.

My other plants are loving it just as much as the babies are. (The babies are hiding on the right side, you can see one pot peeking out.) I also added a 15 inch T8 fixture. It's got a regular blacklight in it which will be replaced with likely an ecolite UV sterilization bulb to help control fungus and other stuff, as well as provide UV for flowering. It will also be re-hung and maybe I'll rig a better reflector to go behind the bulb. Hell I might just remove the entire casing and hang it manually so the bulb can shine out totally unobstructed.

 

[Arrid]

Why not buy a smaller Florescent to place in the middle, and have the two large ones upright against the walls?

Or you could have one against the wall on a diagonal to the left.
And the other on a diagonal to the right, so they'd kinda be like an X, n use a smaller Florescent in the middle?

Maybe it'd be just as easy to use that A frame.

Just an idea to look into in the future.

Wheres the pot!!!

 

[dvsdsm]

Instead of stacking them vertically, run them in a horizontal V so they are lower to the plants. I Veg with one 4 bulb T5 with Agromax Grow bulbs and mine love it.

 

[KaliKitsune]

Instead of stacking them vertically, run them in a horizontal V so they are lower to the plants. I Veg with one 4 bulb T5 with Agromax Grow bulbs and mine love it.

I don't have the mounting hardware to make it a right-angle, nor the space to mount them in that configuration to begin with.

I thought about mounting them to the walls but decided I wanted to keep the light close to the plants, so I went with this config. I can just stack boxes to raise plants up to the lights and removes boxes as the plants get taller.

 

[JetSet]

That looks like a pretty cool setup. Good luck with your grow.

 

[la9]

Because he has PYRAMID power the way he has them, you can't argue with that, that revolves into the magic and mystical realms of which no human can ever understand. He is liable to be visited by aliens by the time he gets done growing.

 

[stoverdro]

Its funny i was jsut thinking of growing using the pyramid power...that is crazy.watch this guy get some crazy buds or superatural strength and weight....the pyramid is a crazy magical creation....only the egyptians knew about that shit!

 

[KaliKitsune]

LOL Pyramid power.

Well, I am getting better distribution of light since you have light sources on two sides instead of just overhead. I may not get crazy buds but I might get good buds all over a plant or two.

 

[14pimp]

hows them bitches doing?

 

[KaliKitsune]

They're alive. Recovering from a nute def but alive.

 

[tony starks]

My setup is looking similar to yours, except its a smaller pyramid. how are they staying in that config?



Thanks

 

[KaliKitsune]

My setup is looking similar to yours, except its a smaller pyramid. how are they staying in that config?



Thanks

In the pyramid configuration I just have rope adjusting the height of each end of the lights.

However, I am no longer using that configuration, as I will be moving soon enough. I was only using that config to attempt to maximize the light my plants got in such a small space.