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figure out how many watts total you are running above your plants, add all the lightbulbs up multiply by 32 and you will get your total wattage for the system,
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This is a bit unclear to me because the actual wattage (not replacement equivalent) of the florescent bulb is the wattage (amount of electricity) that's being used. So I don't understand why you would multiply it by anything.
Hello T'Mater,
Good to hear the plants only went a day with the unbalanced
nutrients, and you shouldn't see any ill effects from just one day with them. I don't grow under
lights myself, because I use the sun (natural lighting). But I have seen online where florescent lighting will grow all kinds of fruiting plants. However, the amount of florescent lighting in the pictures wont even close to enough. As well as the light placement is inadequate for tall plants. The usable light drops off much quicker the farther away the bulb is from the foliage with florescent lighting, than it would with HID lighting. Even with more
bulbs the tops of the plant may get enough of light, but that would be it the way the lights are positioned. The leaves a few inches down wont get enough light for proper photosynthesis, thus the tall spindly plants. That's why florescent's aren't typically used for taller plants (though it can be done).
Here are a few videos of florescent (T 8's or 12's I forget which) being used to grow a variety of fruiting plants (even a pineapple). Notice the vertical placement of the florescent tubes, and the amount of tubes (with spacing every couple feet) being used.
YouTube - ‪2/2/2010 grow room update‬‏
YouTube - ‪Video 6.wmv‬‏
YouTube - ‪Video 7.wmv‬‏
YouTube - ‪Growing floral flowers with hydroponics‬‏
But before you make any additional purchases, you'll want to compare the costs, as well as the pro's and cons between florescent and HID lighting. Find out your local costs. But here I can get 4 foot shop light fixtures (twin T 8's) for $18 (without bulbs) new at Lowe's. And a contractors pack of 12, 4 foot T'8 bulbs for $30. Or I can get 4 foot long twin T 5 shop lights for $35 at Home Depot (with the bulbs included), not sure about replacement bulb prices though.
Either way you'll want to add up the equipment costs, as well as materials needed to support the lights. Then compare that to the equipment costs for HID lighting, as well as fans for venting heat from that grow tent. That many florescent light fixtures will heat up the tent as well. Then you'll want to compare electrical costs to run both. Figure the wattage of each light fixture, multiply that by the total fixtures planed, and run it through this
Electricity Cost Calculator (get the cost you pay per kilowatt from your electric bill). If the package dosen't have the total watts, you can calculate it by multiplying the amperage with voltage (actual voltage of the fixture 110V-115V-120V-125V etc., not the outlet voltage). My guess is in the end it would probably be more economical, and/or simpler to go with HID, or at least about the same.
P.S.
You can easily add pictures directly from your computer with the "manage Attachments button below the box where you type the text of the post (about the middle of the page). It makes viewing the pictures easier, as well as dosen't make the page so long Also very nice hydro setup you have going, look forward to seeing more of it.