Thanks B, Friendly that' some good info.
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"Black Light's" Have You Tried Them?
- Thread starter Ghostwolf
- Start date
After all that's been said and done I've decided to find out for myself once and for all. I'm experimenting now running two 13w/60w CFL black lights with two 26w/100w CFL soft white's. I believe that if any benefit comes from them, it would be from using them with other lights and not just by them selves. There just isn't enough light that way. If nothing else they should provide some blue and red light.
Matanuskan Flo
Member
i thought black lights were UV-a, not B. like someone said, UV-B is around 275-300nm, weheras the black lights are higher nM, just under 400 for the normal 12" tubes you get at spencer's or wallyworld. i have heard they make specific black light grow lights which are at the 290nM uv-B range. i would like to see any side by side comparisons you have or make. goodluck Ghost.
G
grow nerd
I have an 18w, 24" T8 black light tube that I have lighting up the MMJ rec.'s (in picture frames) at the entrance of the flowering room. Looks pretty bad-ass in the dark when you enter that room.
But for actual plant purposes, no.
But for actual plant purposes, no.
Thanks Matanuskan Flo Your right they are UVA and not UVB and not supposed to have any affect either way on the plants. It just that I've heard stories and facts and studies both ways about this so for very little cost I decided to do an experiment to find out once and for all mixing lights to see what happens. If nothing happens that's OK I just want to find out either way for myself. I'm using CFL twist black light bulb from home depot for just under 5.00 each. I post whatever I find out right now my girls are in flowering so I hope I'll find out either way.
Thanks for posting grow nerd. I'd like to see that room . I bet it looks cool.
Actually I'm not expecting anything, it's just an experiment to end an old argument. What I really need is a reptile UVB bulb. That would really do the trick that some think black lights do because of their color. But the spectrum isn't right. It's just inside the UVA spectrum from UVB. Close but no cigar.
Well now after running the BL's for a while and observing the results. All I can say is it was inconclusive
Black lights?
Just for checking out some Peter Max posters from the 60's.
CC
Just for checking out some Peter Max posters from the 60's.
CC
Yes they're always good for that. But the experiment was still inconclusive. At a higher wattage BL still contains red and blue light even if it is UVA. There still should be some useful light spectrum with a higher wattage light. That's all for now. Until the experiment can be run again with bigger higher watt lights. "Go in a good way all" 
Mooseonmeds
New member
what you really want are High Output flourescent "Super Actinic" bulbs, the ones used for reef (coincidence) aquariums. The spectrum output is specific for photosynthesis. The lumen output of the "H.O." bulbs is also quite high. Enough to tell when on or off with hid lighting. As of effectiveness. The difference between my girls under the flouros snd my 600w CMH tell the tale. The ones under the flouros have much higher resin production tha directly under the wide white sec of CMH. JUST DON't LOOK IN THE GENERAL VECINITY OF THEM WHEN ON. THEY WILL DAMAGE YOUR EYES. I Turn mine off while in my area.
Thanks for the info Moose I really didn't know about the Actinic lights. They sound like they are quite good. I'll look into those. I actully have gone to a Full Spectrum CFL 27W/100W. Do you know if Actinic bulbs come as a CFL or do they make them small enough to fit in a pc case?
Mooseonmeds
New member
smallest ones I have found are 2' T5 flouro tubes.
R
Rysam
If this is so, Im in fat city. I just took down my 6' reef tank and have a few 48" 110w URI actinic03 VHO's sitting right here. not to mention a couple 250w MH 20k
Mooseonmeds
New member
yea man those URI bulbs are exactly what I talkin about. That be a perfect setup. I use the same bulbs only the smaller 2' size. They will not only increase resin production but potency also. (UV directly influences the amount of thc concentration in the trichrome heads)
Mooseonmeds
New member
match some 600-1000W MH with those actinics you got sunlight. Or damn near. Look into ceramic metal halides, they are broad spectrum. They just loose out on UV, right where the actinics fill in. >
If I had a penny for every person that toked up garbage and though it was good......
Seriously though..
I dont' doubt you can grow with them.... nor that the smoke would be terrible or anything.... But as previously mentioned, it's far from optimal so... why bother? There are much better bulbs you can stick in the same socket that your plants will appreciate the light from.
Stay Safe!
