Are my lights to close or are they even any good grow lights?

[mike88]

Hello, I'm wondering about my lights, I can see sort of good little growth with my plants but something doesn't feel right about the lights, it feels to like my plants aren't growing at a decent rate after the first couple of weeks, I'll upload some pictures of the lights and the watts, the thin one is 45 watts about 15 inch from plant, the fat one is 60 watts and has 3 light settings veg, bloom, veg and bloom lights on I'm currently running just the veg light's 15 inch above top of the plant, the other one is a UFO grow light I have zero idea how many watts it has again 15 inch above the plant, I brought it a few years ago to grow a plant in my cupboard and it lived in the loft ever since, should I move the lights away or closer? This is more of a hobby for me so I don't really want to spend hundreds of pounds on an expensive grow light I'm not growing to sell or anything like that just want to smoke some weed while I'm growing some weed and just working with what I got

 

[mike88]

UFO light

 

[LoveGrowingIt]

There are many reasons why a plant grows slowly. Knowing nothing about those lights, they do seem underpowered. That's okay for young plants, but they'll need increased light as they grow. Growing slowly isn't necessarily bad. The plants look healthy from what I could see. It nevertheless would be good to shop for a light that is better suited for growing cannabis.

 

[mike88]

There are many reasons why a plant grows slowly. Knowing nothing about those lights, they do seem underpowered. That's okay for young plants, but they'll need increased light as they grow. Growing slowly isn't necessarily bad. The plants look healthy from what I could see. It nevertheless would be good to shop for a light that is better suited for growing cannabis.

Yeah that's my gut feeling that the lights are underpowered, I'll shop around see if I can get hold of a more powerful light, what's the lowest watt you'd recommend? I know the 1000w are like £200+ but I don't have a couple of hundred just to shell out for a grow light, I'll see if I can find one around the £100 mark, thanks for getting back to me

 

[Stokes]

Those lights might get you through veg, do not think you’ll get more than a few grams out of them through flower. Maybe the 65w if used for a single plant. Id have a look at phlizon 200w or better if spider farmer or mars hydro are out of your price range, theyre higher emd budget lights but are more than capable of decent yieds

 

[mike88]

Those lights might get you through veg, do not think you’ll get more than a few grams out of them through flower. Maybe the 65w if used for a single plant. Id have a look at phlizon 200w or better if spider farmer or mars hydro are out of your price range, theyre higher emd budget lights but are more than capable of decent yieds

I'll have a look online at them lights, would a 200 watt be okay for 2 maybe 3 plants or just keep 1 light to 1 plant? The grow shed is 3 meters wide and about a meter and a half long.

 

[Stokes]

I like to have atleast 100w per plant.

 

[rasterman]

I'll have a look online at them lights, would a 200 watt be okay for 2 maybe 3 plants or just keep 1 light to 1 plant? The grow shed is 3 meters wide and about a meter and a half long.

If you want to do it on the cheap, I recommend the Mars Hydro TS600. It's under $60 US, and does a really good job for what you pay. Its price is in line with what you paid for the other lights, but it's much better. I have the previous version and use it still. https://a.co/d/23rjEdy

You could also do a web search for 315W CMH lights. I recently purchased one for $80 US. They use about 80 watts more than the Mars Hydro, but you can get wide coverage and if you have too many plants under it you can still supplement with your other lights. Currently, I'm using both in tandem for a six plant grow. My plants love the combination.

 

[mike88]

If you want to do it on the cheap, I recommend the Mars Hydro TS600. It's under $60 US, and does a really good job for what you pay. Its price is in line with what you paid for the other lights, but it's much better. I have the previous version and use it still. https://a.co/d/23rjEdy

You could also do a web search for 315W CMH lights. I recently purchased one for $80 US. They use about 80 watts more than the Mars Hydro, but you can get wide coverage and if you have too many plants under it you can still supplement with your other lights. Currently, I'm using both in tandem for a six plant grow. My plants love the combination.

I'll be ordering this next week, found it for a decent price. I'll put the UFO back into the loft but I'll run the other 2 lights next to it just for that little extra amount of light whe it arrives, good to hear your girls are enjoying the light, hopefully mine will be be better under better lights hopefully

 

[LoveGrowingIt]

if I can get hold of a more powerful light, what's the lowest watt you'd recommend?

I've read a rule of thumb of 30 watts per square foot, but LED lights keep getting more capable, so a lower wattage might be okay. Thus, a 2x4 tent is 8 square feet. Multiply that by 30 and that comes to 240 watts. That's what I have in my tent. My 240 watt ViparSpectra XS2000 has more than enough power. I've never run it at 100% for my half dozen or so grows with that light.

It can also be helpful to read the manufacturer's recommendations.

 

[rasterman]

I'll be ordering this next week, found it for a decent price. I'll put the UFO back into the loft but I'll run the other 2 lights next to it just for that little extra amount of light whe it arrives, good to hear your girls are enjoying the light, hopefully mine will be be better under better lights hopefully

Ohh yeah - the new design gives you a lot more coverage than the original too.

 

[mike88]

I've read a rule of thumb of 30 watts per square foot, but LED lights keep getting more capable, so a lower wattage might be okay. Thus, a 2x4 tent is 8 square feet. Multiply that by 30 and that comes to 240 watts. That's what I have in my tent. My 240 watt ViparSpectra XS2000 has more than enough power. I've never run it at 100% for my half dozen or so grows with that light.

It can also be helpful to read the manufacturer's recommendations.

After searching online about the UFO grow light I have, apparently it's 120 watts, I'm trying to find video's online of someone actually trying it growing weed

 

[Trash_2002]

I had some friends using blurples in the past.. man what a nightmare to diagnose plants under them also that stuff fucks up your vision and your brain for a little while after working inside a room with them on lol.
I "forced" them change lights asap. Just not worth it.
You and your plants gonna be much better with that mars hydro you posted.

 

[mike88]

I had some friends using blurples in the past.. man what a nightmare to diagnose plants under them also that stuff fucks up your vision and your brain for a little while after working inside a room with them on lol.
I "forced" them change lights asap. Just not worth it.
You and your plants gonna be much better with that mars hydro you posted.

Lol I can't deny they mess your eyes up, yeah I can't wait to order it I'm dying to have a yeld that's worth all the time you spend growing to make it worth your time, from what I've found online that light is pretty popular with a lot of growers so I'm pretty happy with it myself and I haven't even got it yet lol

 

[Trash_2002]

Lol I can't deny they mess your eyes up, yeah I can't wait to order it I'm dying to have a yeld that's worth all the time you spend growing to make it worth your time, from what I've found online that light is pretty popular with a lot of growers so I'm pretty happy with it myself and I haven't even got it yet lol

mars hydro has a history of popping and burning for some people, maybe viparspectra is a better option if you didn't bough it already.
never used any of them but it seems vipar has a better QC.

 

[mike88]

mars hydro has a history of popping and burning for some people, maybe viparspectra is a better option if you didn't bough it already.
never used any of them but it seems vipar has a better QC.

I just checked out the viparspectra and they are more expensive in England then the mars hydro, if anything goes wrong with the mars hydro I can always send it back to be replaced or something hopefully I'll get lucky and the light turns out to be amazing with zero problems, thanks for the suggestion tho really appreciate it.

 

[LilBean1013]

I'll have a look online at them lights, would a 200 watt be okay for 2 maybe 3 plants or just keep 1 light to 1 plant? The grow shed is 3 meters wide and about a meter and a half long.

Look into phlizon lights.
I have a tight budget and it was doable..

Phlizon US store: https://www.phlizonstore.com/
Phlizon UK store: https://www.phlizon.co.uk/
Phlizon EU store: https://www.phlizon.eu/

 

[DelaGrow]

Have you measured what kind of ppfd's your lights are giving off?

Photone is a good app to have periodically check make sure it's giving off adequate light.

Cheers, and happy growing!

 

[mike88]

Have you measured what kind of ppfd's your lights are giving off?

Photone is a good app to have periodically check make sure it's giving off adequate light.

Cheers, and happy growing!

Thank you I had no idea about that app! Just done some photos I'll upload the screenshots of the measurements, I'll have to Google them to find out if I need more light and what the readings even mean lol I've only done one light so far the ufo it's full spectrum I have which is 120 watts apparently

 

[DelaGrow]

Thank you I had no idea about that app! Just done some photos I'll upload the screenshots of the measurements, I'll have to Google them to find out if I need more light and what the readings even mean lol I've only done one light so far the ufo it's full spectrum I have which is 120 watts apparently

So I find it best to use the front facing camera and put it as close to the top as you can and facing towards the light, then look at the reading. I found it gives me a little more accurate of a reading.

Typically you only been about 100-300 ppfd for seedling stage. I'm doing the same now too in my grow.