local hydroponics shops
 

i'm thinking of buying MH ballasts and reflectors from a weed shop, any places in calgary you people would suggest?

Yes, there is one that has nasty ignorant employees - it's by the meat deli...

There is a good one with professionals...hmmm...let me check...

Bumper Crop and Quick Grow are the two I've been to. Check them both out.

I have never looked into the weed shops :lol: But you will probably find some good deals there. let us know what you find

deals on what? :shock: :D

Speaking of employees at hydroponic shops, at the only shop I've ever visited, the first thing the employee says to me is "Is that your Dodge? Don't you know that Dodge cars are junk?". Wasn't impressed.

I bought some MH lighting from the weed shop and I saved a ton! I also bought a Mag18 for cheap there.


First time I walked in a guy was just walking out with his new "Mushroom Growing Starter Kit"...the shop guy says to him..."Hey you should probably put that in a garbage bag"....and the guy walking out goes..."It's ok, my car's just outside"... :lol:

I have purchase parts from both of the "hydroponics" stores. Of the two mentioned quick grow(QG) (it is on Edmontrail and about 15th street on the east side of the raod) is cheaper by quite a bit. You can get a 175 W Mh, reflector and ballast (in the 5000K range) for $175. Their plumbing parts are cheaper as are their meters (75ish bucks for a reconditioned Ph meter). The sell ballasted screw in CF lights in the 6500K range for about a buck a watt (85W -$89, 95W -$100, 125W -$120).

The other place Bumper Crop is quite a bit more expensive but is kind of uptown. AT QG ..well I was in there before xmas and the clerks were smoking, the customers were smoking and everyone thought it was quite normal. At BC I think they are going for the legitmate customers and they sell some excellent indoor/outdoor self watering products. Lights are more expensive and they carry lights above 175 Watts. They have good prices on Mag drives. They are also next door to base electronics..a great electronics store.

I have bought from Quick Grow on Edmonton Trail as well. I found that they had really good prices on pumps and plumbing parts. Im not so sure about lighting as I have never looked at it. I did hear however that the lights would create a green glow as they are used to grow plants, not sure how correct that is.

Josh

A Metal halide ballast is a metal halide ballast. A bulb, is not necessarily a bulb though. So yeah ... don't buy the plant bulbs, but the ballasts are fair game (assuming they have a good deal on it).

Ross hit the nail on the head as for descriptions of both QuickGrow and BumperCrop. QuickGrow, good selection, good prices, but you better like the smell of tobacco smoke. Stupid smokers. (Sorry to all you smokers out there who I just offended. Um ... actually, no, not sorry. Stop smoking you dumb person!) Bumper Crop ... far more upscale. Have all the parts you need and then some (e.g., replacement Mag drive impellers IN STOCK!!), prices are not bad (I paid $50 for one of my 250W MH ballasts there).

i may have misunderstood, but does this mean that the weed shops don't sell anything about 175w? i'm interested in 250w and 400w, either way, i'll have to check it out.

it is legal to possess magic mushrooms in canada provided they are not dried adults. in other words, you can have spores and live ones (in manure or whatnot).

Although it's always worth checking into, it's somewhat doubtful to find much in the 175W size at the hydroponics stores. 175W is of limited use for the plant growers -- they like 400W and 1000W usually. You mmmmight be able to find 250W ballasts if you call around. The reason I got such a good deal on the 250W ballast that I purchased was that none of the plant growing buyers were interested in it, thus the store was really all too happy just to unload it when I called and asked for one.

Tony.
With that 250 watt ballast from the hydroponics shop is there anything you need to look for or is a ballast a ballast. I would assume this ballast you bought would be similar to a standard PFO single bulb ballast.

Josh

Josh, what bulb do you want to run with this ballast?

Good point Brad.....these ballasts run 10kk REAL yellow Josh, if you were leaning that way.

I've not heard many good things about 10000K bulbs in any brand in the 250W size. I shouldn't say that. What I mean is, I've known a few people to be disappointed after switching to 10000K's in the 250W size (Deb switched from 14000K [then switched back, what, about 6 hours later]. :P And DJ88, who was switching from 250W Iwasaki! You'd think it'd be the other way around.) I've heard good things about the 400W size (DJ88 switched to 400W 10000K and LOVED it, I saw his tank in person and agree the colour was sweet). I know I love my 175W 10000K's and I just run them on typical Phillips M57 ballasts which I picked up from HD at what ... $30 a ballast or whatever silly deal it was (boy I wish they still sold MH ballasts ... I notice they still sell HPS ballasts but I guess us aquarists cleaned them out on their MH stock). Not the least bit of yellow (in my opinion). Granted, it's not as blue as Deb's tanks, it's more of a "crisp white" colour. In my opinion, anyways. For all I know I'm colour blind .... 8)

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That would be 15th Avenue, because E Trail is a street. I just drove by on my way to Pisces, and I can't recall if it is before 16th Ave, or past.

looks like it won't matter. i've found a guy in the united states that will sell me a dual 400w setup with new iwasaki 10k bulbs for $150 US. i'm going to have to shipped through my companies broker on the border and i doubt shipping will be more than $100. sounds like a good deal to me, now i can start designing my canopy.

Iwasaki's are a 6500k bulb?

they don't come in 10k at all? i'll have to check on that one. either way i'm planning to go with actinics as well so i think i'll be ok.

rcipema correctedthat would be correct. I lived in Red Deer too long...and now I can never get the streets and avenues correct (in either city)

Streets run North / South, and avenues run East/west. And here is another goody you may or may not know. Even numbered house numbers are North and East, and odd numbers are on the south and west. I have an odd feeling you wanted to know that. 8) 8) :D

red deer is a pretty screwed-up place. apparently it has the highest population of whites per capita in the world.

luckily i travel enough, i can remember which way the roads run.

Really?

Sorry to take so long :?
The Iwasaki bulbs are a 6500k bulb.
You of course can get many other flavours of bulbs.
5500k, 6500k 10 000k, 14 000k, 20 000k ....... :wink:

no problem. turns out they were 10k germans, therefore hamiltons probably right? the setup will be shipped this week. now if only i could find a used 120gal. i don't want to spend 1/3 of my startup budget on a tank. it needs to cover skimmer, tank, lighting, pump, etc.

Just wondering if anyone here has ever bought a reflector from a Hydroponics shop and if so how much did you pay, how well do they work, and would you recomend it.

Josh