2 600w vs 2 1000w veg

[DixinCider]

just wanted to shoot some ideas around. im going to be running a 6k room eventually (4 first, then 6) but i was trying to bounce some vegging ideas around. i was thinking 2 600w over a 4x8, or 2 1000w for veg, but with that being said idk if the extra wattage would be worth it in veg. i was even thinking about running 1000w mh bulbs at 75% to save a little on power (run bulbs 24hr). planning 36 plants for the 4x8 veg tray (6 per hood x 6k). shoot me your opinions.

 

[Seamaiden]

I see awfully good growth using 600's, but then I've never used thouies (too cheap). For that reason, I'm stuck on 600s.

 

[DixinCider]

thanks for the input seamaiden. anyone else have any exp with this situation?

 

[Watashi420]

Yes I have used 1000's and they are very overkill. I can't remember where but I read a post/experiment/study which concluded that 600w is more efficient than 1000w in all phases of growing, not only in energy efficiency, but in plant growth as well.

 

[Jboys3]

just wanted to shoot some ideas around. im going to be running a 6k room eventually (4 first, then 6) but i was trying to bounce some vegging ideas around. i was thinking 2 600w over a 4x8, or 2 1000w for veg, but with that being said idk if the extra wattage would be worth it in veg. i was even thinking about running 1000w mh bulbs at 75% to save a little on power (run bulbs 24hr). planning 36 plants for the 4x8 veg tray (6 per hood x 6k). shoot me your opinions.

I use two 1000 HP on my 4x8 veg table with 6 plants in 15 gallon pots. Since I grow taller and thicker plants than some who post here during veg stage I feel I need the 1000 wt lights. I also have a 1000 hp 4x4 tray for my 3 gallon pots before they move into the larger pots. Red cups are under standard 8 tube 2x3 fluorescent fixture.

Basicall every two weeks I make the progression to larger pots and trays.

I am not so sure using the larger bulbs are overkill. Personally I think it is about right for how I am raising my meds.

 

[baba G]

Yes I have used 1000's and they are very overkill. I can't remember where but I read a post/experiment/study which concluded that 600w is more efficient than 1000w in all phases of growing, not only in energy efficiency, but in plant growth as well.

I see awfully good growth using 600's, but then I've never used thouies (too cheap). For that reason, I'm stuck on 600s.

I'm cheap and replacing 600watt bulbs was half the reason I upgraded to 1kw lights many moons ago...Each wattage draws the corresponding energy draw, the 600watter is so minimally more efficient that I don't see any reason except Height of the room to dictate 600w vs 1kw. In all aspects besides room height the 1kw is the easy choice, imo

 

[baba G]

In veg though, you don't need the same intensity of light as flowering, so you could use the 600watters and be fine. The 1kw is going to penetrate deeper, plants will grow/VEG faster if that is of a main concern than 1kw all the way = less veg time. Now if temps is an issue in veg due to longer lighting duration than I'd say 600watters. Think about how these lights will be used in the future and if you don't see yourself using 600w down the road, that would be another reason to go 1000...

 

[stutter]

Just bumped up to 1000w from 600w and I am very happy. The penetration is awesome. Much fuller plants.
If you get a nice ballast like the solis tek or something you should be able to run 600w and 1000w off the same ballast then you can play around with it withoit buying tons of ballasts.
Personally though im sticking with 1k for veg.

 

[ttystikk]

I use two 1000 HP on my 4x8 veg table with 6 plants in 15 gallon pots. Since I grow taller and thicker plants than some who post here during veg stage I feel I need the 1000 wt lights. I also have a 1000 hp 4x4 tray for my 3 gallon pots before they move into the larger pots. Red cups are under standard 8 tube 2x3 fluorescent fixture.

Basicall every two weeks I make the progression to larger pots and trays.

I am not so sure using the larger bulbs are overkill. Personally I think it is about right for how I am raising my meds.

Your 2 week cycle is very similar to mine, yet I run only one thouie, an MH (MH ALWAYS MUST BE RUN AT 100%, NEVER DIM AN MH!!) In a 4 x 8' tent. This bulb in an adjust-a-wing reflector is offset a bit towards one end, over plants whose next stop is a bloom room. At the other end is a 130W LED over a stage of newcomers. In between, getting light from both sources, is a third stage. I have a cloning and rooted cuts area that adds a couple hundred more watts to the total veg. wattage, but it's comfortably under 1500W for my entire veg, which reliably delivers a stage of bloom ready plants to an 8' x 8' bloom room every two weeks. In my situation, more wattage over my veg area would actually be counterproductive at this point.

 

[ttystikk]

Just bumped up to 1000w from 600w and I am very happy. The penetration is awesome. Much fuller plants.
If you get a nice ballast like the solis tek or something you should be able to run 600w and 1000w off the same ballast then you can play around with it withoit buying tons of ballasts.
Personally though im sticking with 1k for veg.

Just had to throw an idea at you; if fish can tolerate changing water temperatures, the very water in the system itself could be used to dissipate the heat of the indoor grow, especially in winter. This directly replaces cooling tonnage, so the questions about how much water temps can vary and how quickly will have big implications in the design and capacity of such a system. Imagine, the aquaponics nature of the system could actually eliminate the need for traditional AC to cool your grow... that's my idea of payback!

 

[waayne]

Your 2 week cycle is very similar to mine, yet I run only one thouie, an MH (MH ALWAYS MUST BE RUN AT 100%, NEVER DIM AN MH!!)

ttyystikk I've run my MH veg lights on the dimmer settings from time to time.......
Everything seemed OK....maybe it wasn't and I just didn't know......lol
I was told it's hard on the bulbs and shortens their lifespan ,but that's not really a concern to me, as they're changed out every 9-12 months anyway
Are their other pertinent reasons to run MH's at full power ?
just curious:)

 

[ttystikk]

ttyystikk I've run my MH veg lights on the dimmer settings from time to time.......Everything seemed OK....maybe it wasn't and I just didn't know......lolI was told it's hard on the bulbs and shortens their lifespan ,but that's not really a concern to me, as they're changed out every 9-12 months anywayAre their other pertinent reasons to run MH's at full power ?just curious

The pertinent issue is premature degradation of the bulb, which manifests in several important ways;

1. Lumens fall faster over time if the bulb is dimmed, this effect is much worse the more the bulb is dimmed.

2. Spectrum suffers as the mix of gases in the envelope operate at less than their optimum temperature

3. Lumens per watt efficiency suffers, as dimming to 85% will get less than 78% of the lumens, and so on.

4. Lifespan of the bulb suffers, often drastically, as a result of dimming.

5. Since MH bulbs have a shorter effective lifespan than HPS and in addition they're typically run 24/7, they need to be replaced at intervals no longer than 6 months. Going longer risks catastrophic failure.

6. ...which is when the bulb pops, spewing the materials inside all over your plants. One of these components in MH bulbs is mercury. Mercury is very poisonous, and if a bulb pops on plants, they can't be given to humans afterwards due to the contamination.

 

[waayne]

Thank's for the excellent, detailed information ttystikk.

I appreciate it! :)

 

[Budwiser0908]

just wanted to shoot some ideas around. im going to be running a 6k room eventually (4 first, then 6) but i was trying to bounce some vegging ideas around. i was thinking 2 600w over a 4x8, or 2 1000w for veg, but with that being said idk if the extra wattage would be worth it in veg. i was even thinking about running 1000w mh bulbs at 75% to save a little on power (run bulbs 24hr). planning 36 plants for the 4x8 veg tray (6 per hood x 6k). shoot me your opinions.

In my opinion, 1000's are overkill for veg. I used to veg with 1000 watt MH and the plants just weren't happy. I now veg under T5's. I use a lot less electric, the plants are happier/healthier, and it takes a lot less to keep the room temp regulated.

 

[ttystikk]

In my opinion, 1000's are overkill for veg. I used to veg with 1000 watt MH and the plants just weren't happy. I now veg under T5's. I use a lot less electric, the plants are happier/healthier, and it takes a lot less to keep the room temp regulated.

In many situations this works admirably. In my case however, I'm growing plants taller and bushier so they will spread out into a bloom area four times the size of their current veg zone. For this, I need light with penetration and power, to ready them for the full intensity of the bloom room lighting. Even with a 1000W MH, my total veg lighting from clones to bloom ready still adds up to less than 1500W total.

 

[DixinCider]

wow, thanks for all the responses guys...i have decided to do 2 600ws. ill post up a thread pretty soon.

 

[los0420]

I'm cheap and replacing 600watt bulbs was half the reason I upgraded to 1kw lights many moons ago...Each wattage draws the corresponding energy draw, the 600watter is so minimally more efficient that I don't see any reason except Height of the room to dictate 600w vs 1kw. In all aspects besides room height the 1kw is the easy choice, imo

Room height has nothing to do with light choice a 1000 wattle is def gonna give you better penetration and denser nugs in the end simple as that the only way to get the same results on a 4x8 tray is 3 (600) or 2 (1000) that's when 600's become more efficient then 1000 watt lights

 

[Mtngrown]

Room height has nothing to do with light choice

ummm... WHAT!?!?

 

[los0420]

I always keep my 1000 watt lights 18-22" from the top of my canopy and at canopy level I have my temp @ 76 degree's and humidity @50% so yes Room height does not matter to Me.

 

[los0420]

I'm sorry I really shouldn't be on this thread anyways, I use T-5 lighting for veg