jcl123
- 13
- 1
Hello all,
I have been reading over your forum for a couple days here, and it really looks like you guys are on to something and have some great expertise, so I am hoping you can help me out.
Even though what I am asking is not for growing cannabis, they just legalized it here in Massachusetts, so I am learning about that a bit at the same time!
What brought me here is I am setting up an aquarium, and trying out some new methods that use seaweed (macro algae) to filter the water by exposing it to high intensity light and fast moving water (high CO2, etc.). I won't bore you with the specifics unless you are really interested.
Kessil
Some of my fellow hobbyists in the aquarium forums are fooling around with lights from Home Depot or cheap $20 LED grow lights. Then they started using lights like these:
Which I am sure you guys here will laugh at, because even I see that while well made, they are quite overpriced for what you get. People use them because Kessil also makes some nice lights for aquariums (me included), so it is a brand they trust.
Platinum LED
OK, then I started seeing a few people looking at the powerful cannabis grow lights, some of the one's made by Mars Hydro, Viparspecta, and I myself was looking at the Platinum LEDs, some of the brands I have seen mentioned here.
While people would get results with these, reading these forums confirmed what I suspected, that most of these are cheap Chinese deals, which will work but may not last.
COBs
But then I also see that you guys feel that these COB based LED's you talk about are the next generation even compared to the high-quality "blurple" generation of LEDs. This is what really got my attention. (I didn't even know what they were / that they were a thing until I found this forum)
I was all sold on the Platinum LED (and others) marketing a spectrum that includes IR and UV, but now I don't know how important that actually is.
Here is some info:
- The area I am lighting is only 22" x 15.5" and a water depth of about 12"
- The light would hang from between 6" and 18" above the water
- There is polycarbonate between, so the light would not be directly exposed
So, I was looking at getting either the Platinum LED P150 or P300, the 450 is getting too large. I am not sure, but I think I only need veg mode, but I guess if I go with something full spectrum instead that will be irrelevant, maybe just have to worry about color temp.
Reading some of the posts here, seems like allot of people like the these Timber LEDs. I think if I were to go that route, I would get this one: http://timbergrowlights.com/model-2vl/
Or perhaps one of the kits, I am fine with some DIY more or less, I can go either way.
But then I see some others say these are well built, but "plain" as far as spectrum output, and they instead recommend some hybrids, which again seem to be stressing IR and UV....
So, I would be really interested to hear what you folks might recommend for me. I really don't want to buy something and have it die in a year or so.
A few more things:
- If the driver can do 0-10V dimming that would be awesome
- IP-rated is a plus but not required
- Quieter is preferable, this will be in my living room behind the tank
- I will be able to provide ventilation as needed
- Rectangular shape/pattern is better than square or spot
My price range is around $300, maybe up to about $500 if necessary. Most of these lights are just way to big for me, so the trick is to get one of the smaller ones that is still made with the good stuff.
So, any thoughts?
Thank you very much in advance.
-JCL
I have been reading over your forum for a couple days here, and it really looks like you guys are on to something and have some great expertise, so I am hoping you can help me out.
Even though what I am asking is not for growing cannabis, they just legalized it here in Massachusetts, so I am learning about that a bit at the same time!
What brought me here is I am setting up an aquarium, and trying out some new methods that use seaweed (macro algae) to filter the water by exposing it to high intensity light and fast moving water (high CO2, etc.). I won't bore you with the specifics unless you are really interested.
Kessil
Some of my fellow hobbyists in the aquarium forums are fooling around with lights from Home Depot or cheap $20 LED grow lights. Then they started using lights like these:
Which I am sure you guys here will laugh at, because even I see that while well made, they are quite overpriced for what you get. People use them because Kessil also makes some nice lights for aquariums (me included), so it is a brand they trust.
Platinum LED
OK, then I started seeing a few people looking at the powerful cannabis grow lights, some of the one's made by Mars Hydro, Viparspecta, and I myself was looking at the Platinum LEDs, some of the brands I have seen mentioned here.
While people would get results with these, reading these forums confirmed what I suspected, that most of these are cheap Chinese deals, which will work but may not last.
COBs
But then I also see that you guys feel that these COB based LED's you talk about are the next generation even compared to the high-quality "blurple" generation of LEDs. This is what really got my attention. (I didn't even know what they were / that they were a thing until I found this forum)
I was all sold on the Platinum LED (and others) marketing a spectrum that includes IR and UV, but now I don't know how important that actually is.
Here is some info:
- The area I am lighting is only 22" x 15.5" and a water depth of about 12"
- The light would hang from between 6" and 18" above the water
- There is polycarbonate between, so the light would not be directly exposed
So, I was looking at getting either the Platinum LED P150 or P300, the 450 is getting too large. I am not sure, but I think I only need veg mode, but I guess if I go with something full spectrum instead that will be irrelevant, maybe just have to worry about color temp.
Reading some of the posts here, seems like allot of people like the these Timber LEDs. I think if I were to go that route, I would get this one: http://timbergrowlights.com/model-2vl/
Or perhaps one of the kits, I am fine with some DIY more or less, I can go either way.
But then I see some others say these are well built, but "plain" as far as spectrum output, and they instead recommend some hybrids, which again seem to be stressing IR and UV....
So, I would be really interested to hear what you folks might recommend for me. I really don't want to buy something and have it die in a year or so.
A few more things:
- If the driver can do 0-10V dimming that would be awesome
- IP-rated is a plus but not required
- Quieter is preferable, this will be in my living room behind the tank
- I will be able to provide ventilation as needed
- Rectangular shape/pattern is better than square or spot
My price range is around $300, maybe up to about $500 if necessary. Most of these lights are just way to big for me, so the trick is to get one of the smaller ones that is still made with the good stuff.
So, any thoughts?
Thank you very much in advance.
-JCL
