Indoor grow lighting help!

Samps86

Member
Looking for any input from all the experts out there that can explain this to me easily,so heres what i got going on...


Just germinated some type of exotics i got from a friend and i just planted them into some styrofoam cups(4 seeds).I have no grow room design yet but ill figure that out down the road because i have some time before im ready to transplant.so for now i have the 4 cups sittin on my cable box wit a sheet of tinfoil on the bottom for a small heat source and have this tee pee affect going with some insulated bubble wrap as a reflector.I originaly has a 10watt cfl light and i planned on goin straight cfl forcmy vegg stage but i just went out and bought a 50watt indacendent bulb i think its called.SO,what i need to know is what kind of lighting i should be using for my 4 seeds(wattage/type/how long ect.) because this whole figuring out my light setup just confuses the hell outa me and would rather get some experienced advice before i buy any more lights.Thanks!
 

mr2shim

Well-Known Member
incandescent is NOT meant for growing, at all. and 10w of cfl isn't even good for 1 plant let alone 4. To do it correct?

Probably either 250+ actual watts of cfl bulbs or a 250w hetal halide and hps for flowering at least! I grew 2 plants under 200w of cfl bulbs and that wasn't enough. You need to have 10,000 lumens per quare foot and I'm pretty sure that 10w or that 50w incandescent isn't gonna be anywhere near enough. You need to do some serious reading fast if you want any decent bud when you harvest. Otherwise your just wasting your time.

Big question is what is your budget?
 

Samps86

Member
Also,the 50watt light im running right now is daylight bulb and has that cool blue color on the bulb.
 

jdmcwestevo

Well-Known Member
good bud cost money to grow man just saying.... there is pages on top of pages of information on here just read it then ask questions if you dont understand there is no reason for you to ask this type of question
 

Samps86

Member
Maybe it wasnt an indacendent lol it says its a grow light though,My bugdet isnt too bad but i just gotta figure out what lights i should be running right now as my girls are just about to break dirt,so what would you think buddy? Do i want that much wattage at the very start of my grow? And once they start showing some leaves what i should bump up to ect....but damn i wish it was always summer in NY lol my outdoor grow is so much easier!
 

mr2shim

Well-Known Member
Also,the 50watt light im running right now is daylight bulb and has that cool blue color on the bulb.
If it's an incandescent bulb it doesn't matter. NOT for growing.

CFL
Flororecent
HPS
MH
CMH
LED

those are for growing bud.

Maybe it wasnt an indacendent lol it says its a grow light though,My bugdet isnt too bad but i just gotta figure out what lights i should be running right now as my girls are just about to break dirt,so what would you think buddy? Do i want that much wattage at the very start of my grow? And once they start showing some leaves what i should bump up to ect....but damn i wish it was always summer in NY lol my outdoor grow is so much easier!
A lot of bulbs are dubbed as "grow" bulbs, but that doesn't mean they are meant to grow marijuana.

http://www.buylighting.com/50-Watt-R20-Incandescent-Grow-Light-Bulb-p/b710250.htm

If it's anything like that. It's not what you need to be using.
 

Samps86

Member
Yea like i said i was using a cfl which wasnt pushing out much power but it was supplying enough light to all 4 evenly i figured i could get away with that for the first couple weeks,but cfl is what id like to stay with cus they dont give off much heat,but like you said u gotta get my shit together soon lol
 

mr2shim

Well-Known Member
Yea like i said i was using a cfl which wasnt pushing out much power but it was supplying enough light to all 4 evenly i figured i could get away with that for the first couple weeks,but cfl is what id like to stay with cus they dont give off much heat,but like you said u gotta get my shit together soon lol
If you can have a budget of 500-600 you can pull off a nice 400w setup. If it's below that you can buy a ebay tent and throw in a 200w cfl with reflector for 300ish. Below that you're gonna have to get creative. :lol:
 

Samps86

Member
So i went out and figured id step it up a bit...changed out my 10w cfl,thew away that cheap grow light and dropped in a 55w (replacing a 200w) cfl and ill run that while these guys are startin to sprout and after a few weeks of growth ill have to up my wattage... You think ill be good for the time being?
 

hope full

Active Member
ok, i am going with flourscents right now, u need at least 75 watts per plant you could probly squeze two, go to your home depot and buy, some flourscent lights including the bulb holders go with day light bulbs to start off, get at least three balast, this is what holds the bulbs, when you are buying these rember this anything less than 25 watts is a waste of time the higher the wstts the better the luck, any more questions?? now get to reading buddy you can never know to much knowledge (excuse the spelling)
 

Samps86

Member
I read quite a bit on this stuff,but theres so many different opinions so ya never know! But the 4 seeds i just planted just sprouted this morning and i have a 55w replacing a 200w so you think thats enough for these 4 sprouts for right now? Light is a cfl too.I was thinkin bout keepin this bulb for a few weeks till they get bigger then up my wattage.What you think bro?!
 

killatofu4u

Active Member
Yeah, man, you want to read like fucking crazy if you want to pull that shit off. When you get to rigging, you run into problems. Best advice: use ebay. buy a tent, buy a cheap cooltube set-up. Idk if it's legal where you are, so, be careful with ebay. good luck
 
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