400w from start to finish?

[cbrown20]

Hey there starting a new grow and was wondering what people's thoughts are on using a 400w hps from start to finish?

 

[Jnugg]

Done it plenty of times,other then fluoros back when I started in the early/mid 90's I've only worked with 400w HPS.I'm wanting to step up to 600's though.

 

[cbrown20]

sorry,i should have been more specific. for veg and flower?

 

[Jnugg]

yep,I knew that's what you meant and that's what I mean.I've used 400w HPS for the last 16 years from veg through end of flower no problems.Many growers have used metal halides from veg all throughout flowering,no problems.If you are that concerned you could always spend the extra coin for a Hortilux bulb with 30% more blue light in the spectrum.

Are you using a magnetic ballast or digital/electronic ballast,and if it is magnetic is it a switchable MH/HPS?

If it's Magnetic and is switchable you can use both MH and HPS bulbs,just switch to the proper setting when changing bulbs.If it's a non-switchable magnetic ballast you can always look into conversion bulbs or even better in my opinion a CMH bulb.

If it's a digital/electronic ballast then you can switch from a 400w MH bulb to a 400w HPS bulb when you want.

They aren't complete diaries but check some of the links in my sig,both of those were grown the entire life cycle (veg/flower) under a 400w HPS although for seedling stage they were kept under 160w of T12's.

 

[wildgrow]

yep,I knew that's what you meant and that's what I mean.I've used 400w HPS for the last 16 years from veg through end of flower no problems.Many growers have used metal halides from veg all throughout flowering,no problems.If you are that concerned you could always spend the extra coin for a Hortilux bulb with 30% more blue light in the spectrum.

Are you using a magnetic ballast or digital/electronic ballast,and if it is magnetic is it a switchable MH/HPS?

If it's Magnetic and is switchable you can use both MH and HPS bulbs,just switch to the proper setting when changing bulbs.If it's a non-switchable magnetic ballast you can always look into conversion bulbs or even better in my opinion a CMH bulb.

If it's a digital/electronic ballast then you can switch from a 400w MH bulb to a 400w HPS bulb when you want.

They aren't complete diaries but check some of the links in my sig,both of those were grown the entire life cycle (veg/flower) under a 400w HPS although for seedling stage they were kept under 160w of T12's.

Oh yeah, rockin the t12s. Me too for seedlings, cloning and very early veg. 400 w all the way from there.

 

[cbrown20]

great thanks for the input!!! im using a magnetic ballast and unfortunately it is not changable with mh bulbs. i have been tossed up with idea of buying a different bulb with more blue for veg but being my first grow and all i think i will go with what i got and see how it turns out. thanks again!!

 

[unregistered190]

so from reading....it is ok to use HPS for full grow cycle

and ok to use MH for full grow cycle......

just different results......makes sense