I was wondering if there are any methods for growing hibiscus indoors without a plant light? I just bought two hibiscus full of nice full flowers. I have my cages near a window that doesn't receive direct sunlight though.
I only have a schefflera and a pothos, but I have heard that some people switch out their plants so they can receive sunlight. They will keep one in the cage and the other outside and then in a couple weeks they will switch them. I haven't had any experience with this, but you could give it a try.
Hibiscus need really high levels of light to thrive. I don't know where you live (Florida?) but in Northern California the have to be right in a window that gets a half a day of unobstructed sun to grow well. You can grow them under fluorescent lights if the tubes are strong ones and the plants are close enough to the tubes.
Rotating plants in and out of the light generally does not work. It takes the plants more than a week to recover from a week in the dark.
Maybe if you had multiple plants (I'm thinking 5 or 6), and kept the cage well-lit, they wouldn't be set back to much by the rotation.
And be sure to feed your hibiscus well. They need a lot of food to perform and flower in a pot.
Lowes sells a 2-pack 6500 plant light, 48" long, named the GE daylight 32, and it was very inexpensive.
They also have the 48" dual fixtures with the T8 configuration for this bulb and the new 5.0/10.0 T8's. The fixture is only $13.00 or so, lots cheaper than any reptile hoods.