Hydroponics - Light

In hydroponics the most common types of lights used are HID (high instensity discharge) lights, cfl (compact fluorescent lights) and LEDs (light emitting diodes).

We'll take a look at each in turn so you can an hydroponics light which will suit your needs.

HID lights fall into two categories, Metal Halide (MH) and High Pressure Soduim (HPS) lights. The main benefits of these hydroponics lights is that they give a good output of useful lights to plants making them grow quicker and fuller. MH lights are good for the plants growing phase and HPS are more suitable for the flowering phase.

Both types of light require an external ballast which can be purchased at discount prices from the Hydroponic supplies store - Buy Hydroponics.

This type of hydroponics light gives off a lot of heat and the light needs to be kept a good distance away from your plants, plus you may also need a cooling system. Because of the heat emitted from this type of hydroponics light they are unsuitable for use in small spaces.

A HID hydroponics light bulb will need replacing every year to ensure opimium performance. They can be bought for as low as 20 dollars depending on where they are purchased from.

CFLs are fantastic lights for those starting out in hydroponics. They are widely available and require no external ballast. CFLs over 100 watts usually fit a standard mogul base and are warm to the touch. This type hydronponics light can be used to grow throughout the plants life cycle, however those with a kelvin of 6400 are more suitable for the growth phase as this is most similar to normal daylight and those with a kelvin of 2700 (often referred to was warm white) are more appropriate for the flowering phase of your hydroponic plants.

Because of the loss of useful plant light the further away from the plants the lights are, it is suggested that these lights are placed very close (but not touching) your plants.

CLFs are also know as energy saving lights, the only difference is a higher wattage than what is available in your grocery store is need to sucessfully grow plants with hydroponics. So 125w CFL will give off the equivalent of 500w of normal household light.

Because this type of hydroponics light doesn't give off much heat they are perfect for growing planing in small spaces.

Image above is from Seeds etc - Hydroponic lighting

LEDs are the latest trend in hydroponics lighting. They are cool to the touch and can be plugged straight into the main power supply. They come a various colors but red and blue are used for hydroponics light. Blue LEDs are used for the growth phase and red LEDs are used for the flowering phase. LED grows lights can used as a bulb which fit into a standard lighting fixture or as hydroponics light panels which can be plugged into the mains.

A large advantage of using LEDs as your hydroponics lighting system is that they are very cool to the touch so can be placed in between plants without burning them. Therefore this type of hydroponics light is fantastic for those areas where other types of light can't seem to reach such as the lower branches of your plants.

LEDs initial cost put a lot of hydroponic growers off them, however due to the minimal amount of electricity needed to power this type of hydroponics light, the up front cost is outweighed by the savings on their running costs.

Image by Xcceries Cellular Accessories Store - LED Hydroponics light

Below is a small list of the best online stores to buy hydroponic lights.

• Xcceries Cellular Accessories Store - LED Hydroponics light


• GG Associates - LED grow lights


• High Tech Garden Supply - Hydroponics Light Supplies