Reddit mentions of Hydrofarm Agrobrite FLT24 T5 Fluorescent, 2 Foot, 4 Tube Grow Light System, 2-Feet, Black
Sentiment score: 25
Reddit mentions: 45
We found 45 Reddit mentions of Hydrofarm Agrobrite FLT24 T5 Fluorescent, 2 Foot, 4 Tube Grow Light System, 2-Feet, Black. Here are the top ones.
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- 3"H x 13.5"W x 23"L
- Includes 8' grounded power cord
- Includes 4 6400K T5 Tubes
- Up to 8,000 Lumens
- Powder coated, steel housing
- High performance faceted specular aluminum for better light distribution
- Hangs 3 ways—overhead, vertical or horizontal
Features:
Specs:
Color | White |
Height | 3 Inches |
Length | 23 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | 1 Count (Pack of 1) |
Weight | 11.6 Pounds |
Width | 13.5 Inches |
So I'm gonna be that guy and tell you the answer you don't want to hear which is that you're not likely to be able to achieve what you're trying to do in the location you want without some major drawbacks.
Your seeds aren't thriving because they're not getting enough light. You can tell because your sprouts are so leggy (i.e. tall and thin with few/no leaves). When plants first sprout, they come pre-packaged with leaves that are part of the seed that expand as the plant absorbs water and are what collect the initial light energy which the seedling will then use to construct its own true leaves. If the starter leaves are not receiving enough energy, the plant will delay growing new leaves and instead try to grow taller so that those leaves get better light exposure. That's what causes leggy plants, which bring a host of annoying problems, hence why its usually easier to start fresh and make sure they get light from the get-go. Seeds which are getting enough light will produce very little in terms of stem height but will instead use that energy to start producing more leaves right away. Here's a shot of some lettuce (on the right) with zero legginess and bell pepper seedlings sprouted with minimal legginess. Note that the bell pepper seedlings on the left could probably use yet more light.
Artificial lights put out nowhere near as much as natural sunlight unless you get into the really high caliber stuff. To give you an idea on artificial lighting requirements, here's what's lighting part of my herb garden. That fixture has four 24 watt fluorescent bulbs, coupled with angled reflectors above them to maximize the amount of light hitting the plant. If you're interested, here is that light fixture on Amazon. I recommend this regularly to anyone trying to grow using artificial light. Lux output (a measurement of the amount of light per sq ft) from that is ~15,000 lux at an appropriate distance from the plant, which is about what these herbs need to grow. A single 15 watt bulb like yours probably gets into the 3,000 - 5,000 lux range. You also seem to have a cover over the light, which probably reduces the output as well. Another thing to note is you want your light as close as possible to your plants. They shouldn't be touching it, but they should be (for flourescents at least) maybe a few inches from it. Light saturation decreases rapidly with distance, so the further they are, the less oomph they're getting from it. Your lower hanging plants are getting less light for sure.
Keep in mind that different types of plants have different lighting requirements. Leafy plants light herbs and lettuces can sustain themselves off of something like I showed just fine. However anything that produces a fruit or vegetable will need even more light. Like three or four times as much light as the fixture I showed earlier.
Back in the day most people used something like this, a high pressure sodium light, for their indoor fruits/veggies. This one puts out about 45,000 lux. Think like football stadium lights. These things get painfully bright and also get very hot, plus they require a large ballast (power source) to run. You want your plants at least 2 ft from these otherwise they'll burn. Regardless, it's definitely not something you'd want under your sink, since you wouldn't be able to be in the same room when it was on or else you'd be blinded.
The more recent alternative in artificial light is LED lights. These things put out way less lux, but the light they do put out is concentrated on very specific wavelengths which are ideal for plants. I'm using this one to grow tomatoes and bell peppers, and one light is about enough for one, maybe two plants. They don't get hot at all, but their light output is still uncomfortably bright and the color is just dreadful. Imagine a pink so searing that it makes your head hurt. Here's a picture of some bell peppers, taken from the relative shade under the canopy. Definitely not something you want in your kitchen for the same reason as the HPS: you wouldn't want to be in the room when it's turned on. I grow the bell peppers in a light-opaque grow tent and the tomatoes in a closet I converted for that purpose.
My recommendation: forget about the veggies for now. You're not going to get them to grow without a light source which will be impractical under the sink. Stick with herbs, which work just fine under fluorescent light. Up your light output by getting a higher output light fixture. Rearrange how they hang so that all four of your planters are much closer to the light. And start from scratch once you've done so. You might potential save that batch if you got a new light right away, but they'll have gotten a leggy start, so they'll always be slightly deformed.
I have the following setup:
My succulents are in terra cotta pots on the shelves, but the light is strong enough to cover a number of other non-succulent plants in the surrounding area that are fine with indirect lighting. The lights supplement sunlight from a north facing window.
Hydrofarm FLT24 2-ft/ 4-Tube T5 Commercial System with Bulbs
http://amzn.com/B002JQBQZQ
T5 EnviroGro 4Ft 4 Tube Fixture w/Bulbs-FLT44
http://amzn.com/B005H1C7NA
The fixtures at the homedpot and walart are not the right kind. You want high output or T5 HO.
like this: amazon
Yeah they are indoor until October when I move them outside for a few weeks to prepare for winter then I throw them into the fridge along with the sarracenias lol
My setup is simple: black IKEA table with this light fixture
https://www.amazon.com/Agrobrite-FLT24-Fluorescent-Light-System/dp/B002JQBQZQ
I use 3 6500k and 1 2700k for the set up and hang the lights around 10 inch from the plants
yep, http://www.amazon.com/EnviroGro-FLT24-4-Tube-Fixture-Included/dp/B002JQBQZQ/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1421399161&sr=8-7&keywords=grow+light
This is spectacular, my plants are loving it.
HPS is meant for flowering (I see the one you linked come with both bulbs, but you specifically mentioned HPS). I mean, yeah, you can use it for veg, but it won't work as well as a bluer color temperature (the MH bulb in your link is the right temp, I wrote this before I clicked it and you only mentioned HPS). Personally, I use T5s for vegging (they look similar to what you're using but are much more powerful), but some people like to use MH lights. I use t5 because it's adequate but also uses less power than most MH light and T5 is so cool you can get them within inches of your plants. Plus, I'm not trying to rush my veg plants, I've always got a full flower room anyway. MH gets pretty hot.
I've never tried those cheap LEDs. But I do have two Agrobrite T5 lights that work well. They're a bit more but don't break the bank. Available in lots of lengths and bulbs.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002JQBQZQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_d7-1AbDWVT8D4
Try this.
http://amzn.com/B002JQBQZQ
I have the 4 foot version with 4 tubes and am growing plenty of sundews, pitchers, and flytraps under it. They are getting a nice red coloration. I have them sitting roughly 4-5 inches below the lights and the temps only ever get up to 77 or so degrees.
I started all of my seeds this year with one of these: http://amzn.com/B002JQBQZQ
Agrobrite 2ft 4-tube. I like the CFL because it can be placed closer to the plants without heat issues.
I just got this baby. Works perfect inside me little 2x3x3 seedling tent.
Start with lettuce indoors using T5 grow lights. Something like these (Don't forget Civcraft's affiliate link!).
Rig it up so you can adjust the height of the lights so they're only a few inches above the lettuce. Just get some kind of a dirt tray with proper drainage and plant 2-4 lettuce heads every 3-4 weeks that way when your first batch dies you'll have a fresh batch coming in. Plus if you harvest the lettuce right you can keep harvesting it and it'll keep growing back. Eventually it'll go bad (you'll taste it, it gets milky) and just pull it out and grow a fresh one.
If you want to do cucumbers/tomatoes those require some beefy lights and will cost more in electric than you get from the fruits.
My t5 is EnviroGro FLT24 2-Ft, 4-Tube Fixture, T5 Bulbs Included https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002JQBQZQ/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_6Bzevb1NSMKNT
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002JQBQZQ/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_6Bzevb1NSMKNT
My cfl's just hang from a socket extension cord with a socket splitter on each one, but a cfl is a normal bulb so you could use anything. I'm not super happy with the t5 and would probably spend a bit more on a good led set up the if I could redo it.
Well I tend to over do it, but if you are only growing one plant and want to use t5's.
http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-FLT24-2-Feet-4-Tube-Commercial/dp/B002JQBQZQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373404343&sr=8-1&keywords=T5+Grow+light
Or just get some T8's and a shop light from the home depot. Just make sure you get the correct bulbs and keep the light close to the plant. If you can, make some reflectors with aluminum foil to "spotlight" the plant.
You can spend a lot of cash, or just rig something up. If only growing one plant you can get away with even a clamp light reflector for about $8 each and some CFL's.
Light
This is what I use :) This one is better than the t8 fixtures I have and it has light stressed all the succulents under it :)
You're going to be hard pressed to find something you won't need to hang. Don't over think it though, hanging a light is super simple.
I use these tied to a shelving unit. http://www.amazon.com/Grow-Light-Hangers-Adjustable-Hydroponics/dp/B00GJKHY6S
I use a couple lights similar to this one. http://www.amazon.com/Agrobrite-4-Tube-Fixture-Included-Fluorescent/dp/B002JQBQZQ/ref=sr_1_24?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1457030668&sr=1-24&keywords=grow+light
The only reason I went with "grow lights" was mainly due to their size, I have a pretty narrow tent. Otherwise I'd just go piece together something from the hardware store.
Watched a few youtube videos to get a high level knowledge. Checked amazon to get a rough idea of costs, Went to a local hydroponic store, asked for help and they helped me pick out the nutrient solution, ph balancer, stakes, tube etc. Bought the rest off of amazon. Read the instructions on the bottle. I'm sure there are better ways of doing things but this worked for me.
Light : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002JQBQZQ/
Shelf: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CL9204C/
Tray: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XFZHF93/
Automation: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075GWQSYH/
Ph Control: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BNKWZY/
Pump (overkill): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012UZYMG/
Reservoir: Ikea storage box I had already.
White Basket (Not needed): From Target that I had already.
Rest I got from local hydroponics store.
T5s - very low heat and low power consumption: http://www.amazon.com/Output-Fluorescent-Light-bulbs-included/dp/B002JQBQZQ
Only nutes were Fox Farm Grow Big (weekly ish) and Fox Farm Ocean Forest soil, with a little Fox Farm planting mix the top couple of inches.
this is what i was thinking with a couple cfls on the sides http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-FLT24-4-Tube-Commercial-System/dp/B002JQBQZQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1394140286&sr=8-2&keywords=6+tube+t5
No worries this is what r\microgrowery is for. I paid 95$ on amazon for my 3x3 tent. Here is a link: http://www.amazon.com/LED-Wholesalers-GYO1005A-Reflective-Hydroponic/dp/B002TZTS8E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313791157&sr=8-1
I have never used those big cfl's but you can do great things with them. You can buy a bunch of the 42 watt cfls that = 150 watts. Those work great. But can be a pain setting them all up. I do suggest however getting one of these.:http://www.amazon.com/Output-Fluorescent-Light-bulbs-included/dp/B002JQBQZQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1313791355&sr=1-3
They also have a 4 ft version. I have the 2ft one and it puts off very little heat and is very affective for clones/veg. then I would suggest adding a few cfls along with that to flower.
Both work great. Florescents are cheap upfront. LEDs cost more, but last longer and use a little less electricity for the same output. It is really just a decision of if you want to spend your money now or later.
Another consideration is that led grow lights tend to be red/blue. It makes them very efficient grow lights, but might be off putting if it is in a living space.
Whatever you get, a light stand would allow you to move it easily.
The cheapest/easiest thing that might work would be to buy A clamp light and a High Power CFL
Ignore this next bit. ~~But if you really want it to flourish, I'd be looking at a 2ft 4 bulb T5 lamp or a ~100W led array plus a light stand.
Beware of advertised wattages on LEDs(especially cheaper models). Most manufacturers advertise the maximum power and then actually drive the leds with much less.~~
Edit: No matter what you get, don't forget an outlet timer. You are going to want to automate turning the light on/off. Also all links above are just examples they may not be the best thing/best deal.
So last year I got a couple T5 lamps and brought in my hab plant (along with a few others) to overwinter. I later acquired more lights so I could start seed, which I love, but there are lots of options. You might also want a heat mat or a space heater and a fan to circulate the air, maybe some liquid nutrients to amend the soil with, but the light is the big issue. Pepper plants are not photoperiodic, but do need some darkness to rest and grow, I found 16 hours on/8 hours off was a good amount for them to flourish. If you down-pot, make sure they don't get too rootbound as this might result in dropping leaves.
That said, I don't recommend overwintering in general and won't be doing it again. Production on non-ornamental/dwarf pepper plants indoors can be tough and I ended up bringing in fungus gnats as well as aphids which needed isolation and treatment and it turned into a whole ordeal. I finally got the plants clean and doing well and then it mysteriously dropped all the leaves and died (probably too rootbound, or root rot). Instead I'd recommend you save some seed and start new plants indoors, in sterile soil, or even better, hydroponically. The seedlings I started indoors got so big by spring that they are now outperfoming the few plants that did successfully survive the overwintering.
Check out this person's LED hydro reaper. Just an idea; taking seed from your most mature habanero pod and starting it in rockwool to grow a new plant, indoors, free from bugs and such, might make for a more pleasant experience! Look into kratky hydroponics for a simple way to get started.
Sorry for the unsolicited advice, but I had a bad experience overwintering and hopefully this helps.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002JQBQZQ/ref=mp_s_a_1?pi=SL75&qid=1347486718&sr=8-1
This would be better for 2-4 plants.
i have this one: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JQBQZQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
decent unit. bonsais reacted well to it. runs cool, but also needs to be closer to the plants than your HPS or MH varieties.
I recently bought this and my plant is already getting more compact. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002JQBQZQ?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title i tried full spectrum leds but the color on the succulent is not as great as their color temp is lower.
I actually upgraded and spent a couple of extra dollars on this lighting
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JQBQZQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I'm on an extremely tight budget so I'm glad I was able to keep the growbox under $200.
I just had another question about indoor vs outdoor lighting. Could I take my plant from indoor lighting and give them sunlight for a week then take them back indoors?
Thanks, I was looking online at some of those this morning but wasn't sure about them. I have some very long cords with light fixtures at the end I grabbed on eBay, I was going to try them over hanging neps in dark corners. Those lights would be perfect in them.
I picked up this a few months ago and the orchids love it https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JQBQZQ
I think most of the grow style t5's just plug straight into the wall, at least all the ones I've come across have. Idk if you have them in Australia, but we just went to a hydroponic store, which is just a store that has stuff to grow regular plants inside, and got everything from there. I just found this light that is similar to the one I used on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-FLT24-2-Feet-4-Tube-Commercial/dp/B002JQBQZQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368517723&sr=8-1&keywords=t5
I see the ship outside the U.S!
http://www.amazon.com/EnviroGro-FLT24-4-Tube-Fixture-Included/dp/B002JQBQZQ
Here's the exact light fixture I have. Hope this helps.
Wouldn't I need a ballast too? Seem's considerable more expensive. Moreover, wattage usage is important too because Hydro rates in Ontario are bananas.
EDIT: What about this instead?
My lights will be 6 inches from the top of the plant. Im using 4 bulb 2 foot Ecogrow light from amazon (It had good reviews). Im avoiding using a terrarium since i've heard they cause more problems than they solve.
http://www.amazon.com/EnviroGro-FLT24-4-Tube-Fixture-Included/dp/B002JQBQZQ/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=0G45V8MJ1F3JDMFZ38VF
89 watts and 8000 lumen (not sure if thats good enough).
I'll have the Sundews in a tray (well shoebox sterilite container) filled with water (distilled constantly). This should help the humidity some.
The Pings im a little unsure of, I know they grow in drier conditions and don't like constant water.
t-5 fluorescent lights are the way to go here. http://www.amazon.com/EnviroGro-FLT24-4-Tube-Fixture-Included/dp/B002JQBQZQ/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1453846720&sr=8-9&keywords=t-5+plant+light
> My grow space is 3x2x3 just fyi
Ya, it def looked bigger than my cabinet, so I figured you'd benefit from a bit more veg to increase final yields (especially with plants that seem indica dominant, so won't stretch much).
>lots of little shoots all over the sides
Ya, that's from not LSTing vigorously enough. If the main top never is pushed completely below the vertical level of the side branches, the side branches will never become dominant. Also, those plants just look genetically short and stocky with short side branches, so they'd need extra vigorous LST, and next time around you should probably top them. They look perfect for topping. Like this one.. He's going for something like LBH's4-way LST, which is great for stocky plants that are hard with LST alone. Your plants look ideal for this method (but it's too late, so just good info for the next run!)
> How much did you end up with after your first grow?
Lol, I never put it on a scale. Once the dry/cure is done, it's all in various jars and I'm too lazy to pull it all out, put the jar on the scale, tare, then put it all back in!! But anyway, my first grow was in a closet, HSO Blue Dream, LST a bunch, 96w T5, ~100w of CFL side lighting maybe? I think I got maybe 2-3 oz, and it was maybe 3 feet tall. For my cabinet, here's a plant starting flower, here's that plant near harvest, and here's the harvest. As you can see, I could have easily vegged a bit longer and increased yield a bunch, but needed some new bud for my stash asap! :) So I appreciate the need for speed sometimes haha.
> I'd love to get a 2x4 sunblaze
Ah, I think that's what I've been using! Well, same deal, but different brand. Works well, but I'm def happy to be upgrading to a 400w HID tent in January :) The crazy pics of really fat colas we see posted just don't seem possible under CLFs/T5s unfortunately ;_; sadness
Pretty sure it's something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Agrobrite-FLT24-Fluorescent-Light-System/dp/B002JQBQZQ
Best bang for your buck: http://www.amazon.com/Agrobrite-4-Tube-Fixture-Included-Fluorescent/dp/B002JQBQZQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459460393&sr=8-1&keywords=t5+grow+light
This is a T5 High Output. It is a fluorescent grow light. I see a lot of people say it creates loose buds, but I have also seen journals where people grow nice dense buds with them. Especially when using a training method. This is my first grow so I thought I would experiment with these first. I am very happy with them for veg so far.
Hi, thanks for the reply. Idk if my grow light picture isn't showing up but this is the fixture https://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-Agrobrite-FLT24-Fluorescent-System/dp/B002JQBQZQ (the 2 feet, 4 bulb version). I'll check out your 3m recommendation. Thank you :)
Thanks. That's quite a good price for a 2ft fixture. I'm always jealous of the prices and selection offered in the US compared to what we get here in Canada. We're basically limited to paying 2-3x as much for what's basically the same thing.
http://www.amazon.ca/EnviroGro-FLT24-2-Foot-Fluorescent-System/dp/B002JQBQZQ/
http://www.bustan.ca/default/grow-indoors/grow-lights.aspx
For my case when I bought these fixtures about 5 years ago, I found that buying a high bay fixture was the cheapest option, or I'd have definitely ordered 2 or 3 of the 4 lamp 4ft version.
Plants don't redistribute light equally to each other as if they were pirates sharing that sweet booty. The wattage needs are based per sq. foot not per plant. Unless you are growing 5 1x1 bamboo trees then you have to either scale down your plant number or scale up your grow space. I think you could do decent with a T5 light with 4 bulbs like this one :
http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-FLT24-2-Feet-4-Tube-Commercial/dp/B002JQBQZQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370686408&sr=8-1&keywords=T5+grow
5 is pretty ambitious for a first timer. You should focus on 2 or 3 at the most to get your routine down.
I run fluorescent in my veg tent, and a 150W HPS lamp in my flowering tent but overall it affected my electricity bill about the same as an air conditioner or a mini fridge.
If you're interested
2x - Tent $90 each $180 total - http://www.amazon.com/Aviditi-PTU-67-Reflective-Hydroponic-T-Zipper/dp/B004U6WBGG/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1396627726&sr=8-7&keywords=grow+tent
1x - Lamp for veg $95 - http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-FLT24-4-Tube-Commercial-System/dp/B002JQBQZQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1396627792&sr=8-4&keywords=grow+lamp
1x - Lamp for Flower $80 - http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-SBM150S-150-Watt-Mini-Sunburst/dp/B0055F80H0/ref=sr_1_213?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1396628047&sr=1-213&keywords=hps+grow+lamp
6x 3 gal buckets - $30
4 Bags perlite 1 bag vermiculite - $25
Nutrients - $52 - http://www.amazon.com/FX14050-Fertilizer-Nutrient-Hydro-Formula-32-Ounce/dp/B000HY2IXQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1396628211&sr=1-4&keywords=fox+farms+tri
Misc other stuff - Timers, phing stuff, fans, scissors - $100
Add 6 months to learn how to make it all work properly and you will be chopping heads too!
All told about $550 for a set up that will yield 4-5 oz/2mo. Plus $35 utility per month. Cheaper if you run 1 tent, but then it takes twice as long. So worth it if you have the space. Oz around me range from like $250-$350 so...
Look at this beast.
http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-FLT24-4-Tube-Commercial-System/dp/B002JQBQZQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1396449391&sr=8-3&keywords=EnviroGro+T5+2FT+2+Tube+Fixture+w%2Fbulbs
It looks more white in real life. I think it's supposed to be fairly broad spectrum.
Specs
Right now I have goji berries, grey alder seeds, and cuttings from radiance peach, Siberian peashrub, and mulberry.
I plan on starting annuals there, typical range of stuff, strawberry, tomato, broccoli, etc, 20-25 different things, normal garden edibles.
If anyone is in the USA, this is an awesome well made fixture I've had good success with. Has high polished german individual reflectors for high PAR.
HydroFarm Agrobrite
and this is pretty much the light he was talking about using himself
http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-FLT24-4-Tube-Commercial-System/dp/B002JQBQZQ/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1408111949&sr=8-7&keywords=grow+light
I was also looking at these. cfl but maybe better?