Help choose between 3X600w or 3X1000w

[EinsteinCross]

Title! Hey everybody I am new and about a month from starting my first Grow! I will be using 4 tents, one 3x3, and three 4x4's they are all 6.5-7' tall. My question is this, Should i use a 600 watt, or a 1000watt for my three veg/bloom tents?

A little background to the operation: 3 foot tent is for mothers and cloning using a 8 bulb 2 foot t5 system. the 4 foot tents are for vegging and blooming, i will have both MH and HPS bulbs for each 4foot tent as well. They will all be air cooled. I am planning to run 4 plants to bloom in each tent, all RDWC and all have the res' outside the tent to leave the atmosphere stable.. Where im stuck is whether i need the full 1000watt for 4 plants or if 600 watts should do the trick. Please HELP!

 

[fadedme]

Hi

600watt HID /HPS should do the math since you growing 4 plants only , why dont you gp for LED for better growth and bigger buds

cheers

 

[TanR]

Hi EinsteinCross.

Welcome to 420 Magazine.

I'm excited for you and your upcoming grow. I hope you find the process as rewarding an experience as enjoying the end results!

I think the conventional wisdom is that "more is better" when it comes to lighting. However, heat is the big draw back to this approach. If your planning includes exhausting or otherwise dealing with the extra heat the larger lights will produce, then I believe you will enjoy the benefit of 1000 watt lights to your plants. The 600 watt would be sufficient however, if you don't have a good solution for the heat.

Again, welcome to 420 Magazine and the community of members that gathers here!

 

[EinsteinCross]

thank for the quick replies I appreciate that! I plan for each tent to have its own small air scrubber with a 6" 180+ CFM booster fan, all exhaust ducting will connnect together before exiting my grow room. The other ventilation is clearly the hood ventilation, which will also connect to the exhaust. My greatest concern is less with heat and more with going beyond what the plant can naturally process in photons anyway. I feel like (feelings aren't science i know) an air-cooled 600w can be much closer and produce the same results with less heat and less needing to manage the heat via electrical devices. Any final thoughts?

 

[EinsteinCross]

A brief update - I am now leaning towards air-cooled 600 watts. I do think my yield will be slightly larger with the 1k, however the extra upfront cost, the extra electricity used to eradicate the extra heat, and the farther required distance from the plants is enough to make me give 600 watts another really hard look. I still welcome all recommendations and advice however!

 

[TanR]

Hi again EiensteinCross,

I am completely confident you'll get good results from the 600 watt (it's what I use in my 4x4 tent) and your right to think that the larger light would create more heat that you have to deal with.

However, just for you own edification; It would be virtually impossible for us mere humans to create a light for indoor use that is so powerful as to overreach what a plant would be exposed to, and utilize, if outdoors under the sun. I think there might come a point of diminishing returns regarding the benefit of a super powerful light vs. the cost to run it, but the plant will soak in and use every bit of light we can give it.

I truly hope you enjoy growing once you get going. Any thoughts on perhaps creating journal here and allowing us the pleasure of enjoying your journey with you?

 

[EinsteinCross]

Thanks for the clarification, it's exactly what I was looking for. Yes I actually am very interesting in journaling this grow! I still have about 30 days until I get all the parts, but when I do, I am even going to journal the complete set-up as well I'll post more as the date closes in!

 

[TanR]

Cool. I'll be sure to watch for your journal and follow along!

 

[Graytail]

However, just for you own edification; It would be virtually impossible for us mere humans to create a light for indoor use that is so powerful as to overreach what a plant would be exposed to, and utilize, if outdoors under the sun. I think there might come a point of diminishing returns regarding the benefit of a super powerful light vs. the cost to run it, but the plant will soak in and use every bit of light we can give it.

Actually, TanR, I always thought that too, but I'm not so sure it's true. I was running my 600 about a foot from the canopy and the top buds weren't happy about it - stunted compared to the lower buds. So I raised it a bit and then went looking for this chart I'd seen.

It gives a guy pause.

 

[EinsteinCross]

Thanks for numbers and such! Yeah I feel confident in 600 watt lighting in this scenario.

 

[Graytail]

Thanks for numbers and such! Yeah I feel confident in 600 watt lighting in this scenario.

Like TanR, I'm running 600 watts of hps in a 4x4. For your reference, I'm getting about an oz/sqft and 0.8 g/watt. With a tent, you get the advantage of the close walls - better reflection - so you can get away with under 40 watts/sqft.

(And if a guy wants to up the ante later, he can easily add another 600 hps or a 400 cmh.)

 

[The303Stoner]

Actually, TanR, I always thought that too, but I'm not so sure it's true. I was running my 600 about a foot from the canopy and the top buds weren't happy about it - stunted compared to the lower buds. So I raised it a bit and then went looking for this chart I'd seen.

It gives a guy pause.

Its all about PAR and umols

 

[Dan Dark]

Hi EinsteinCross.

Welcome to 420 Magazine.

I'm excited for you and your upcoming grow. I hope you find the process as rewarding an experience as enjoying the end results!

I think the conventional wisdom is that "more is better" when it comes to lighting. However, heat is the big draw back to this approach. If your planning includes exhausting or otherwise dealing with the extra heat the larger lights will produce, then I believe you will enjoy the benefit of 1000 watt lights to your plants. The 600 watt would be sufficient however, if you don't have a good solution for the heat.

Again, welcome to 420 Magazine and the community of members that gathers here!

Thanks this is super helpful for new growers. I have two lights listed at 2500w for both so about 430w real power. The veg growth is amazing - just amazing. This has convinced me to add another grow tent, switch to a one light setup and have a clone tent! New chores for next week!