Setting up a new grow area and lights. Need some Led and space help

[bongboy8200]

What's up guys. I'm back from over ten years and times have def changed, I can't remember my old log ins. Can ya'll help on some lighting and the new room set up?

I can't remember fully but veg was ~200w 4500k cfls, seeds 60w 4500k, clones 120w 4500k cfls. Bloom 500w HPS 2700k. With lots of training I was ~2g/watt. Only hydro dwc but will change it up a little so the system is pretty much fully automatic and easier to change nutes.

I want to go LEDs for a bigger set up to avoid, bigger electric bills and more heat issues. LEDs 10 years ago were expensive and imo couldn't compare to HPS to bloom. CFLs were fine to veg and train, I didn't find the need for MH.

I cannot find any clear info on LEDs that's for dummies or are these just to easy now for every diy since its pretty much legal everywhere?

1- why am I not seeing anything like Kelvins and actual watts. I know diode is important.

2- Is it just one spectrum led for everything?

3- do you run the same wattage for veg and bloom?

4- I know I can add RH and UV which I'll do as well.

5- Looking at either one 4x4 tent inside for seeds/clones or two 2x4 veg spots (half of 1 to clone and seed). Either 1 or 2 for flower too.

Idea is that 3 weeks into veg I have seeds or clones starting. 3 weeks later the first batch moves into flower room. week 3 the seeds/clones are ready to move to flower, 3 weeks more the first batch is being harvested and so one. I feel like 3-4 tents I can maneuver the plants around better for scrog/sog which is a pain in hydro doing cleanings once a week with big ass roots. I do 3 medium plants or 2 decent size. Id like 3-6 strains depending on the set up. same buckets I'll prob do 3 similar so they are on the same nutes and another 3. The separate call them tents, I can focus more watts in flower ie; spend more money on those lights vs veg but I also have to buy lights for each one instead of 2 or 3 bigger ones.

 

[HerbalEdu]

"1- why am I not seeing anything like Kelvins and actual watts. I know diode is important."

most full spectrum led brand have a mix of 3000K and 5000K diode often with some little additionnal red, far red, ir and/or UV

all brand will claim their tweak regarding the spectrum are the best but imho when it come to equivalent wattage amongst different brands you won't see much difference depending the spectrum with the end product.

"2- Is it just one spectrum led for everything?"

yeah nowdays led work both for veg and flo

"3- do you run the same wattage for veg and bloom?"

most nowdays led will have dimmer to set the actual watt you want to use for different growth stage. so it's about playing with the dimmer and led panel height from plant top and canopy to give optimal lighting intensity

"5- Looking at either one 4x4 tent inside for seeds/clones or two 2x4 veg spots (half of 1 to clone and seed). Either 1 or 2 for flower too."

for a 4x4 you want 500W to 800W led more watt will scale with the use of co²

for 2x4 you want 200W to 400W led.

models with more watt often offer a more even light coverage and dispersdion on tent border than lower watt models but you may not use them 100% close to the plants.

my advice is go with one of the most used and rather cheap brand like

spiderfarmer, phlizon, hlg, viparspectra, ac afinity, vivosun, mars hydro etc. check their official web site , pick one and have fun.

 

[bongboy8200]

"1- why am I not seeing anything like Kelvins and actual watts. I know diode is important."

most full spectrum led brand have a mix of 3000K and 5000K diode often with some little additionnal red, far red, ir and/or UV

all brand will claim their tweak regarding the spectrum are the best but imho when it come to equivalent wattage amongst different brands you won't see much difference depending the spectrum with the end product.

"2- Is it just one spectrum led for everything?"

yeah nowdays led work both for veg and flo

"3- do you run the same wattage for veg and bloom?"

most nowdays led will have dimmer to set the actual watt you want to use for different growth stage. so it's about playing with the dimmer and led panel height from plant top and canopy to give optimal lighting intensity

"5- Looking at either one 4x4 tent inside for seeds/clones or two 2x4 veg spots (half of 1 to clone and seed). Either 1 or 2 for flower too."

for a 4x4 you want 500W to 800W led more watt will scale with the use of co²

for 2x4 you want 200W to 400W led.

models with more watt often offer a more even light coverage and dispersdion on tent border than lower watt models but you may not use them 100% close to the plants.

my advice is go with one of the most used and rather cheap brand like

spiderfarmer, phlizon, hlg, viparspectra, ac afinity, vivosun, mars hydro etc. check their official web site , pick one and have fun.

Thanks man. That was super helpful!! I was doing more homework on the LEDs last night. It's so weird. It's like I'll have more control over the spectrum. I was looking at KING Leds that are 2 channel. Does that mean I can dial in more or less of the spectrum I want? So If I want to veg and keep it between 400-600nm then bloom in the 600-700? Or it doesn't matter any more? My concern is being able to train them in veg, not stretch and keep the buds nice and dense. Obv strain specific and dont expect to shrink a stretchy sativa. I hope that makes sense and I think im totally over thinking things!
Thanks again for the help!!!

 

[monkey47]

just buy a reputable brand.
they are all "full spectrum"
You dont have to use LED i still love to use HPS during winter and fall. i dont have to put on the heating in the room where my grows are set up which doubles as my office its a continious 24 degrees in that room which is perfect for me and the plants.

I pregrow under a mars hydro 100 watt led for 2 weeks and then ship them off to the hps 250 watt

I am thinking about using LED during sommer tough. just cant figure out if i should buy a 150 or a 200 watt led (i flower under 250 hps and get a steady 0.8-1.00 gram per wat when dried.

 

[HerbalEdu]

Thanks man. That was super helpful!! I was doing more homework on the LEDs last night. It's so weird. It's like I'll have more control over the spectrum. I was looking at KING Leds that are 2 channel. Does that mean I can dial in more or less of the spectrum I want? So If I want to veg and keep it between 400-600nm then bloom in the 600-700? Or it doesn't matter any more? My concern is being able to train them in veg, not stretch and keep the buds nice and dense. Obv strain specific and dont expect to shrink a stretchy sativa. I hope that makes sense and I think im totally over thinking things!
Thanks again for the help!!!

king led isn't a brand i would buy they don't advertise on true led wattage and they still sell outdated blurp light .... i suggest you have a look at the brands i listed ...

just buy a reputable brand.
they are all "full spectrum"
You dont have to use LED i still love to use HPS during winter and fall. i dont have to put on the heating in the room where my grows are set up which doubles as my office its a continious 24 degrees in that room which is perfect for me and the plants.

I pregrow under a mars hydro 100 watt led for 2 weeks and then ship them off to the hps 250 watt

I am thinking about using LED during sommer tough. just cant figure out if i should buy a 150 or a 200 watt led (i flower under 250 hps and get a steady 0.8-1.00 gram per wat when dried.

i m with a 2x3x6 tent i replaced my 250W hps with a spiderfarmer sf2000 200W

 

[monkey47]

king led isn't a brand i would buy they don't advertise on true led wattage and they still sell outdated blurp light .... i suggest you have a look at the brands i listed ...



i m with a 2x3x6 tent i replaced my 250W hps with a spiderfarmer sf2000 200W

Yeah that's a good move the 250 hps is a little light for that surface but the 200 led is perfect. I'm also in doubt about getting a 150 or 200 led I have a 70x70 cm tent with 250hps that's roughly 2.2x2.2 feet most 150watt leds only cover 2x2 feet for blooming

 

[HerbalEdu]

Yeah that's a good move the 250 hps is a little light for that surface but the 200 led is perfect. I'm also in doubt about getting a 150 or 200 led I have a 70x70 cm tent with 250hps that's roughly 2.2x2.2 feet most 150watt leds only cover 2x2 feet for blooming

sf2000Pro from spiderfarmer would be nice for a 70x70 i think.

G3000 and SE3000 would fit as well even if you may not use them 100% close to the plants

 

[monkey47]

300watt led seems overkill to me for my growspace but they aren't much more expensive then the 200wat leds and they are dimmable. You think I can get a gram a wat at 100% setting on my surface ? That would be sweet

 

[HerbalEdu]

300watt led seems overkill to me for my growspace but they aren't much more expensive then the 200wat leds and they are dimmable. You think I can get a gram a wat at 100% setting on my surface ? That would be sweet

True there is not much price difference between sf2000Pro and the g3000

 

[bongboy8200]

king led isn't a brand i would buy they don't advertise on true led wattage and they still sell outdated blurp light .... i suggest you have a look at the brands i listed ...

Brands you sent are all ones ive been looking at, thanks again. Just curious on how you would add more of one spectrum? for vegging or flowering? Sorry I'm confused by the full spectrum. Wouldn't that be the same as doing a grow with 200w cfl 4500k and a 250w hps 2700k too veg and flower? When you would want way less 2700K to none in veg. Is that why there's more white vs red and blue in the leds im seeing or I believe thats what Im seeing?

i m with a 2x3x6 tent i replaced my 250W hps with a spiderfarmer sf2000 200W

 

[bongboy8200]

just buy a reputable brand.
they are all "full spectrum"
You dont have to use LED i still love to use HPS during winter and fall. i dont have to put on the heating in the room where my grows are set up which doubles as my office its a continious 24 degrees in that room which is perfect for me and the plants.

I pregrow under a mars hydro 100 watt led for 2 weeks and then ship them off to the hps 250 watt

I am thinking about using LED during sommer tough. just cant figure out if i should buy a 150 or a 200 watt led (i flower under 250 hps and get a steady 0.8-1.00 gram per wat when dried.

Thanks man. Im trying to understand it too though. I'm a nerd so I need to understand the science. I want to cut the hps because I'm adding more watts and heat will be an issue and I'm trying me best to be easy on the electric bill. I just can't sacrifice quality. My 500w hps needed the closet door open which is a pain for umm everything lol I was running 2 plants in a 2.5ishx4.5x7' mainline, topped, scrog/sog right around 1.8-2g/watt. Through some 60W cfls in too I think for their undercarriage. I want to have to tents that size for flowering and a veg tent. So I'm always harvesting 1-2x a month 4-6 plants.

 

[HerbalEdu]

Brands you sent are all ones ive been looking at, thanks again. Just curious on how you would add more of one spectrum? for vegging or flowering? Sorry I'm confused by the full spectrum. Wouldn't that be the same as doing a grow with 200w cfl 4500k and a 250w hps 2700k too veg and flower? When you would want way less 2700K to none in veg. Is that why there's more white vs red and blue in the leds im seeing or I believe thats what Im seeing?

i m with a 2x3x6 tent i replaced my 250W hps with a spiderfarmer sf2000 200W

don't overthink it, full spectrum led have a closer spectrum to sun overall for all stage of growth than mh, hps, or cfl

here my observations since i switched from 250W hps to 200W led:
- plant growth is faster with hps than led the first few weeks, i used to switch my plant to flowering one week earlier with the hps
- plant stretch much less with led than with the hps
- my gr/W greatly improved since i switched to led
- my gr/m² slightly improved since i switched to led
- their's a tendency for less larfy buds bottom of the canopy with the led than with the hps
- switching to led greatly improved the heat issues i encountered all years long, especially in summer

 

[bongboy8200]

don't overthink it, full spectrum led have a closer spectrum to sun overall for all stage of growth than mh, hps, or cfl

here my observations since i switched from 250W hps to 200W led:
- plant growth is faster with hps than led the first few weeks, i used to switch my plant to flowering one week earlier with the hps
- plant stretch much less with led than with the hps
- my gr/W greatly improved since i switched to led
- my gr/m² slightly improved since i switched to led
- their's a tendency for less larfy buds bottom of the canopy with the led than with the hps
- switching to led greatly improved the heat issues i encountered all years long, especially in summer

Your awesome man!! I'm looking at 2 viparspectra XS1500 PRO's that got here this evening :) before reading this. Now I'm really stoked. I got the 2 separate so I can adjust the light's if I need to right now. I just checked and I was using a 400w hps and i think 120w cfl in the grow closet. Do you think 300w actual draw is going to be enough ~4x2. The goal is 6 plants at a time so 3 are always being harvested in a perpetual grow cycle. Do you think this is good to go for now. I'll pop 3 Fems, top at week 2, 3, 4. pull clones from each at week 4. and flip to 12/12?? I'm looking at auto's too but others have suggested just using fem's and flipping at week 2. I'm looking to get something harvested quick. 3-4 weeks of this batch gives me time to set up the real set up, order more lights etc.
Thanks again for the help!!

 

[Zab]

I am pretty sure you are going to be just fine with those for your area. I have 2 of these myself, one is in a 3x3ft tent and the other is in a 2.5x2.5ft area and they are doing great so far.

 

[HerbalEdu]

300W is perfect for a 2x4