Whats the best lighting to use indoors?

I would like to know the most cost effective and best way to go about a indoor garden?

It all depends on how much you're willing and have to spend, needless to say MH (Metal Halide ) and HPS ( High Presure Sodium ) are the best, the higher the wattage the better, next imo is T5's HO florescents and finally cfl's. it also depends on the size of your grow area, that is to say heat build up from the lights.....hope this helps.
Note: I don't mention LED's 'cause I feel they're too expensive and not perfected yet, that's just my opinion so don't shoot me.

HID or go home

1000w HPS light

yeah i already have a 8" cooltube 1000w hood with 1000w lights ofcourse. But i was wondering if there were any other lights that would do about the same work as a m.h. and h.p.s. for about half the power consumption. Also whats a h.i.d.?

High Intensity Discharge
There is no other artificial light source that will produce the same results as HID at half the power

your best bet is research. I'll agree quality wise hps is probably the best way to go. problem is the heat output. a cool tube would be a must. ive personally never done an hps but i know its pretty elite. Ive done a few with cfls. Problem is you need a buttload and they need to be very close to the plants for the best penetration. not as much heat but with all the bulbs it can get "messy". also your bud wont be as tight, it will be "fluffy" i've heard a pro of these light buds is that theres more surface area for trichomes. my stash is mainly fluffy buds from cfl grows and it def gets the job done as far as im concerned. right now im experimenting with a 135w led blackstar. cant say much for it beside its up and coming, expensive, but almost no heat concerns (the purple light is also pretty cool to look at haha). i might couple up the led with some cfls. i got two that just popped under it. once i can confirm a girl i'll start a journal.

Sunlight is the best of course if available and ones not using artificial lighting , I agree with the others and favor HID lighting for flowering and for Veg its T-5 Lighting or T-8 in the summer .

Some people favor LED for there spectrum and efficiency , as well some people favor the EFDL Electrode less Flourescent Discharge lamps . The EFDL are economic and do produce a high output with a lower wattage consumption .. Do they work for Bud production ? Yes , but not on the same level as HID Lighting .

I wanta try a plasma but can't afford it.

Coho said:

I wanta try a plasma but can't afford it.

Click to expand...

Perhaps attempt to build your own ? It can easily be done with broken televisions for cheap . Nothing in comparison to a Gavita light but still in the direction and a start !

Ceramic Metal Halide, if you're going to spend the $ on an HID system MH/HPS is "old news".
There are other options, like induction lighting, plasma lights, and LED. HID's obviously work well, and fit the budget well, but bulb life is an issue too.
Picking the correct lighting system would be easier if we knew your goals and room size.

600W HPS run more efficient than 1000W HPS, if you go by lumens per watt. Either of those could be crammed into a 4X4, but the 1000w would not be too small for a 5x5ft space.