Fluorescent/HPS - Wattage per plant?

[JointsNRoaches]

What up?

Just a quick question regarding hydroponics and lighting. How strong does a bulb need to be per plant for a) fluoresecent (with 1 cool white and 1 warm white bulb) and b) HPS light ideally?

Thanks
Js&Rs

 

[artic]

For a small garden don't bother with HPS or MH bulbs. They put off a lot of heat and suck down a lot of juice. They are quite effective for lighting a whole room, but if you are working in a small area pick up some compact fluoresecents. Most of the 150W replacement CFs put out 2000 lum, so one for every square foot in, say, a 10ft square area will put out 20,000 lum at probably cumulative 250W. You could light the same area with a 400W HPS or MH balast and bulb, but you are looking at spending $300 on a lighting system that you then have to provide venting and exhaust for to keep it from cooking your garden. Going with CFs is going to be less than half the cost and just as effective in a small area. If you are set on your "two bulb" idea there are 300W replacement CFs that put out 3900 lum and use only 60W. Otherwise you are probably using a bunch of T5/T4 or CF bulbs.