What wattage should i get

well this is goona be my first hid set but i wanted to be sure what to get.
i just want like 2-5 plants and im going to get an hps system with a mh conv bulb to get both but save money since im not going to run them at the same time anyway but i just wanna know what wattage i should get like a 250 or 400 or maybe even a 600 can some help me pleeeeeeeeaase

it all depends on how big your grow room is going to be, figure you want 50 watts per sq foot, 40 is about the minumum you should go but you can get by with a little less, like say your growing in a 4x4 room then the smallest lamp to get will be a 600 giving you roughly 32 watts per foot but a 1000 light in the same space will do wonders, so figure out where your going to grow, the space will also play a part in what light you get

if you have money to spend get like a 600 watt air cooled light and the exhuast things to cool it

I'm with medimary here. I run a single 400w HPS and it's great for say 2plants, decent sized ones. I've used it for up to 3 plants all in 1 gal. pots and it worked out, but still would've liked that extra 40,000lumens from a 600watter. 400watts is suitable for a 3x3 area, so like fat sam was sayin it depends on ur grow space as well. Be sure u got a way to cool those hid's though, they will get hot. I've seen my closet over 100deg. at a foot away from my 400. But with proper cooling, i.e. air-cooled hoods or cool-tubes, u can get the temps into that sweet 76deg. range.

.... idk if u already got somethin picked out or what, but if u want, check out htgsupply.com. They got some sweet setups and all the fans u need to cool em too. Good luck -RJ

Make sure you check the the dimensions. I got an xtrasun with a 600w hps home and out of the box and it was friggen huge! I took it back the next day and got a 19" cool tube. I would have kept it but when i woke up the next morning my plant was at 93.

Go with a 600W MH and HPS.

My advice is to get the last light and ventilation system you will ever need...

Buy the right equipment once and avoid costly upgrades...

I suggest, as above, an aircooled 600 HPS/MH...

I follow my advice and this is what I get... lol...

600 baby!!! yeah! these are my Indicas @ 6 weeks...

^^^^^^
Yum! Looks like candy!

Thanks!

And just to illustrate a little better...

I used my aircooled 600 in my tent, which is 36"x20"x54".. and I had no heat issues with PROPER ventilation....

I got over a QP in 5 square feet...

Nice. Keep up the good work!