Which new light should I get and what to do with old one?

[GreenGalaxyFarm]

I use a 3x3 tent with a Mars Hydro TS2000 (310 Watts at the wall)

OP mentioned a budget of around 100 you recommending a second hand mars hydro?

 

[foxsmp26]

Depends bud
90w will be ok to veg one plant & £100 won’t get you much I wouldn’t expect a known brand to sell a 200w led for less than £250 you can buy some Chinese stuff some here use them

Nothing wrong with Chinese stuff, all the good drivers (meanwell) and Diodes (Samsung) are made in china to begin with. As long as you have the Watts and proper Diodes there is no difference if the PPFD output is the same. I'm Using Hyphotonflux 720 pro lights made in China and they are crushing my grows @ $.93 per watt. 3.0 umol/j. 24" above canopy on 100% putting out an average of 1,165 ppfd reading with Apogee full spec meter 100 square test grid.

 

[strider26554]

Hi, I have a BLOOM PLUS LED Grow Light BP 1000W (which I'm told is really 90W??!!). I got it from Amazon and it cost about $40. I got it because price was a consideration AND because I'm new and I figured I should start small and get something better at some point. Based on my limited research, it seemed like a good bet. It had decent reviews.

I'm interested in a new, better light for 2 reasons:
1) I've been told (on these forums!) that what I have is probably sufficient for seedling and veg stages, but not flowering. And some folks mentioned it's not that great period. It is not adjustable wattage. Not sure if that's a big deal. You can adjust the height by letting the pulleys out/in.

2) I'm thinking I need two areas, one for seedlings/veg and one for flowering. That is, I want an area that is 12/12 for lights and one that is 18/6 for lights.

Can you make some recommendations? Remember, I'm a novice, AND as I indicated, cost is a concern. I suppose I could go up to $100.00 . I see "ViparSpectra" mentioned a lot here, but I can't tell if that is because the company itself keeps posting here, or if folks really like them. I should close my saying I have a preference for Amazon. Not that I love huge businesses, but I know them; I know I can return stuff to Amazon if it's wrong or broken, etc.
My plan is to use the new, more powerful light for flowering, and the older, weaker one for veg phase. Sound good?
Thanks!

if youve only got 100 bucks go with a metal halide, and keep the old one for veg / seedlings

 

[GreenGalaxyFarm]

if youve only got 100 bucks go with a metal halide, and keep the old one for veg / seedlings

only fluorescent and incandescent lamps are less efficient than mh, hps all the way for flowering. also lasts a lot longer per bulb.
edit: if you are in a tent @bibsoconner then its even worst to go hid cause now your spending more on airflow

 

[Gmix]

Nothing wrong with Chinese stuff, all the good drivers (meanwell) and Diodes (Samsung) are made in china to begin with. As long as you have the Watts and proper Diodes there is no difference if the PPFD output is the same. I'm Using Hyphotonflux 720 pro lights made in China and they are crushing my grows @ $.93 per watt. 3.0 umol/j. 24" above canopy on 100% putting out an average of 1,165 ppfd reading with Apogee full spec meter 100 square test grid.

Never said there was anything wrong. Not even sure why you quoted me as I said many here use them

 

[Observationist]

im serious tho, a few small ones will work im seeing what @Observationist is doing with his 4x 150w lights its decent

I love those LED panels for 60$

 

[foxsmp26]

Never said there was anything wrong. Not even sure why you quoted me as I said many here use them

No didn't mean it that way, I should have put on the front, "Like he said". more so backing up your claim.

 

[Mikedin]

simon(strainhunters) did say south africa is the best place to grow cannabis in the world. i feel the young ones need the extra love its difficult babying a plant outside also im keeping mothers

I just picked up some of their Chemdog fems

 

[Mikedin]

That's the size I have, the ViparSpectra XS2000. It is 240 watts at its maximum setting.


It's the nature of the beast for panel-type lights. Whether that's good or bad depends on how a person grows and the size of their grow space or tent--both for width and for height.


The concern about light leaks has to do with light leaking into the tent during the plant's dark time.


One XS2000 is considered by the manufacturer as being well-matched to a 2x4 tent, and a tent of that size can grow 2 to 3 plants. Most light sellers will have documentation describing how to use their lights, including the light dispersion pattern. So I recommend research and careful shopping. Download the manual and see if the specifications match what you want to do.


A seedling and early vegetation tent, perhaps? I'm going that route. I have a new, smaller tent ordered to start plants while plants are flowering in my other tent. I'll be using a ViparSpectra XS1000 in that 2x2 tent.

Yep I paid $160 for these they pull 200w from the wall but they do fine for veg and flower actually, I used 2x in a 4x4 space and had a great yeild on 6 plants they where my first lights, and are next being put into a 4x8 soon to be an actual vegetable and… veg tent but they grew great buds for the price

Kingled 1500’s are what they are, both have been chugging along for about 18 months now nonstop (for other reasons since I bought both the new lights) but they are more than capable of growing some huge dense buds


Wowwwwwww they just dropped the price to $109 I paid $160 each for them, they also have a 2000 and 3000 model, they have the 1000 and lower models but I wouldn’t recommend them as they wouldn’t benefit you more than your current light

Yes they are blurples but yes they work on the cheap, they do run warm when bloom switch is on though so as long as you have good airflow you’ll be good!

My whole first grow journal I used these lights if you want to see The plants they grew better than these old pics on my phone haha

 

[JohnBlazr]

Hey, I’m wondering the same thing. I currently have 2 Bloom Plus bp3000 (300w) LED in a 4x8x8 tent. I’m open to purchasing high end options, but I want the best bang for my buck. Should I buy a high end light and put my other 2 in a smaller tent? Should I just supplement some light in the 4x8 and buy a new tent with a new light 4x4 or 4x5? What light/lights should I buy? Are mine any good?

 

[Week4Bytch]

OP mentioned a budget of around 100 you recommending a second hand mars hydro?

If he was near me I'd sell him my pair of Mars 1000's... worked great in my 4x2 (300watts total)

 

[Week4Bytch]

Hey, I’m wondering the same thing. I currently have 2 Bloom Plus bp3000 (300w) LED in a 4x8x8 tent. I’m open to purchasing high end options, but I want the best bang for my buck. Should I buy a high end light and put my other 2 in a smaller tent? Should I just supplement some light in the 4x8 and buy a new tent with a new light 4x4 or 4x5? What light/lights should I buy? Are mine any good?
View attachment 1992498

Should I buy a high end light and put my other 2 in a smaller tent?

Yes, do THIS.. ^ Fill that 4x8 with as much light as you can, 1200 watts total (600 per side) and you will reap a gang of PHAT flowers.

 

[JohnBlazr]

Yes, do THIS.. ^ Fill that 4x8 with as much light as you can, 1200 watts total (600 per side) and you will reap a gang of PHAT flowers.

Will I have to supplement co2? At what point do I have to do this? I’m a first time grower. The hydroponics store is selling a 450w LED for $350 , the guy says it’s a good light , new , 35%off fro manufacture, don’t know the brand name :/

 

[JohnBlazr]

adding the 450w to the 600 I have?

 

[Week4Bytch]

Will I have to supplement co2? At what point do I have to do this? I’m a first time grower. The hydroponics store is selling a 450w LED for $350 , the guy says it’s a good light , new , 35%off fro manufacture, don’t know the brand name :/

No you don't, sounds like a lot of light but it's actually just enough for 3ft indoor plants. You'd want Co2 if you were hitting PAR levels into the 1500... and ....not enough power there if you got a pair of them 450 watt lights to consider Co2. I was there man, had like 6 different light sources in my 4x8 about two years ago...just not worth it. If those 450w lights have a descent par spread corner to corner (do some research) then maybe grab them and use what you have now for a smaller tent. It's normal to want to upgrade later on, we all do it. I'm considering downgrading to a 4x4, so tempted to buy another light for the 4x8 but I'm blowing fuses already with what I have now and garage grow is getting old for me, hard to fit a 4x8 in the house. TMI...sorry ...

 

[PopPop67]

The lights you have now are not the best but they are good lights and two 300 watt lights 600 watt total is just enough light to flower in a 4 x 8 tent. Why do you think you need more light. If you do feel you need more growing power buy a 3rd or 4th light get another/or two Bloom Plus bp3000. Usually 20 watt per square foot is minimum and 40 watt per square foot is perfect any past 40 is a waste you have a 4x8 tent that's 32 square feet so 640 watt minimum 1280 watt maximum so 900 watt would work fine 1200 watt for best performance. happy growing

 

[JohnBlazr]

No you don't, sounds like a lot of light but it's actually just enough for 3ft indoor plants. You'd want Co2 if you were hitting PAR levels into the 1500... and ....not enough power there if you got a pair of them 450 watt lights to consider Co2. I was there man, had like 6 different light sources in my 4x8 about two years ago...just not worth it. If those 450w lights have a descent par spread corner to corner (do some research) then maybe grab them and use what you have now for a smaller tent. It's normal to want to upgrade later on, we all do it. I'm considering downgrading to a 4x4, so tempted to buy another light for the 4x8 but I'm blowing fuses already with what I have now and garage grow is getting old for me, hard to fit a 4x8 in the house. TMI...sorry ...

Thanks man, never tmi , your experience is exactly the info I need man, thank you. I wonder when I’m going to start blowing fuses gonna add light till it happens.

 

[JohnBlazr]

The lights you have now are not the best but they are good lights and two 300 watt lights 600 watt total is just enough light to flower in a 4 x 8 tent. Why do you think you need more light. If you do feel you need more growing power buy a 3rd or 4th light get another/or two Bloom Plus bp3000. Usually 20 watt per square foot is minimum and 40 watt per square foot is perfect any past 40 is a waste you have a 4x8 tent that's 32 square feet so 640 watt minimum 1280 watt maximum so 900 watt would work fine 1200 watt for best performance. happy growing

Excellent reply man thank you. I just know/figure I’m on the lower end of how much light per square foot, and my girls deserve nothing but the best. Looking to add the photontek 645 w pro , going to put it in the middle of these bp3000. Then get a smaller tent , put both the bp3000 in a 4x4 and add another photontek to my 4x8. Make sense? Do you have any suggestions on a better value for the light?

 

[Week4Bytch]

photontek 645 w pro

Excellent reply man thank you. I just know/figure I’m on the lower end of how much light per square foot, and my girls deserve nothing but the best. Looking to add the photontek 645 w pro , going to put it in the middle of these bp3000. Then get a smaller tent , put both the bp3000 in a 4x4 and add another photontek to my 4x8. Make sense? Do you have any suggestions on a better value for the light?

https://www.cocoforcannabis.com/equipment-products-guide/grow-lights/ it's a little dated but some good info there, also, have to suggest you check with some of the sponsors here at the Farm.

 

[JohnBlazr]

My local Hydroponics shop has these for $300-$350, thoughts? Retail ($5-600)