Is 600 Watt LED just too much for my small set up?

[Ethylene]

I'm on my first try at growing plants. I bought three seedlings a week ago and they are doing fine in my 2 x 4 x 5 grow tent. They are about 10 inches tall at this point, thriving nicely after their transplant into 1-gallon fabric grow bags, under a steady temperature of 73 degrees and 24 hour light (continuing what they had been accustomed to). The humidity is fluctuating wildly - 45 to 60 RH for a few days and now 24 to 29 for the last few days - and I can't seem to do anything to affect it.

Anyway, my concern is about the lighting. The 600 Watt LED light is about 21 inches above their crowns right now. But they are growing and that distance will be reduced as the weeks pass. I can't raise the light any higher unless I try to rig something other than the system that holds it to the roof of the tent. I'd rather just buy the correct wattage lamp instead (if need be), particularly since I need a second one at this point.

Pictured below: A week ago (l) & today (r)








The light source that I have is a Golspark LED full spectrum 600 W with these specs:


-Lumen: 3475LM
-LED Angle: 120 Degrees
-Mode: VEG and BLOOM
-Input Voltage: AC85-265V
-Dimensions: 15.7X7.5X2.8 inches
-Suitable Plants Stage: Whole stages
-Max Coverage at 24" Height 2.5x2.5FT
-LED Quantities:
UV (1pcs): 400-410nm
IR (1pcs): 730~740nm
Red (26pcs): 620-625nm
Blue (18pcs): 460-465nm
White (14pcs): 3000K~3200k

I would really appreciate any advice on this that I can get!

Thanks,

Ethylene

 

[Chris Scorpio]

That light won't do a 4' wide area, just a 2x2

It's probably a 120w actually from the wall

You really need two for that space or get a QB light from @Budget LED that will fit perfect, use less watts, and the ability to get closer to the plants than 24" away

 

[Nunyabiz]

You should also try to LST the plants to get a more even and lower canopy.
A couple of newer lights that allow the canopy to be much closer, like 6" will also help.
2 lights a bit smaller than the two I built would be perfect.

 

[Emilya Green]

Since there is so much question about lighting in the LED world, you are mostly left on your own to figure out the correct distance from your plants based on the strength and color of your lights. Instead of just guessing or using the "lower them till they burn" methods, I highly encourage you to buy a meter. For around $40 you can get a high quality meter that will at least give you a reference point to go from. A cheap meter won't directly measure PAR, but what a $40 meter can measure is going to be a little different for each set of LEDs, and for each type of light there is a conversion factor that can get you close to a standardized PAR reading, and at least with a meter of this quality (not an app on a cell phone) you can get a good idea of where you are at and what kind of coverage your light is producing at various distances from the canopy. Most lights will come with a PAR coverage chart, and you can use that to figure out how your $40 meter corresponds, and there you will have your conversion factor. I did this with my 5000k COB lights and found that if I divide the LUX that my meter reads by 68, I have a very close approximation of PAR. Then all you need to do is consult any of the published charts out there, and see just how many LUX or PAR or whatever you are reading, that your plants need at the various stages of growth. Armed with this data, you can then maximize your light, thus your plants, all through the grow.

 

[Ethylene]

Thanks! I think I will order a light meter and calculate the PAR before deciding on whether I should get a second 600W light or 2 lights with lower wattage.

 

[Ethylene]

That light won't do a 4' wide area, just a 2x2

It's probably a 120w actually from the wall

You really need two for that space or get a QB light from @Budget LED that will fit perfect, use less watts, and the ability to get closer to the plants than 24" away

Yes, I'm planning on getting a second lamp; I just am not sure if 600 W is the best intensity for my set up.

 

[Havocsm1]

@BudgetLED love these lights

 

[Slicknick909]

Yes, I'm planning on getting a second lamp; I just am not sure if 600 W is the best intensity for my set up.

Your light is maybe 150w, not 600w, you need much more night for a 4x2 tent!

 

[Doctor Trevor]

I have a 24" x 24" x 48". It came with a 300WPAR light which I never used as it looked like a toy. Instead, I purchased a 600W light for growing.

If I could fit this in my tent, should I? I currently have my 600W and my filter hanging inside it.

 

[Emilya Green]

it all depends on what the actual PAR is. Try to hit 500 as a minimum in flower.

 

[Edzzed]

I don't like to say it but the specs on your light are (Avg. Power Draw: 100W±3%) and some of that wattage will be running cooling fans. You can scroll down to read where I got the figure in parenthesis Golspark Indoor LED Grow Light 600 Watt Full Spectrum Plant Light with Switch, IR&UV Growing Lamp Kits for Greenhouse Hydroponic Seedling Veg and Flower: Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement You really should look at Budget LED or look at building your own LED light. When you go into flower you will benefit greatly with a higher from the wall wattage lamp. IMHO

 

[Ethylene]

Thanks. Clearly there was a whole lot I didn't know when I bought the first light source.

 

[Edzzed]

Thanks. Clearly there was a whole lot I didn't know when I bought the first light source.

You aren't the first. They always advertise their lights in the best light possible. Pardon the pun. I also picked up two blurple lights before I found this forum. On my first grow they sat in boxes since I decided to build my own. See sig below. The advice I received was spend money on lights. Don't cheap out as that's what drives the plant to grow. See what Budget led recommends. They have decent reviews here.

 

[Doctor Trevor]

thank you.

I'm thinking of trying to hang this smaller light next to the big one.

 

[Slicknick909]

Thanks. Clearly there was a whole lot I didn't know when I bought the first light source.

For your tent check out the Budget LED series 3+ 250w

 

[Hybridway22]

For a 2x4 you only need 200-300w. Of decent led which your lights are prob. 1/4 their advertised wattage so you may be ok. Unless that is & most likely is, you're running low efficiency & only 300w with a wonky spectrum. Then things may not be lit enough & depending on the spectrums could get undesirable traits.

 

[Nunyabiz]

You realize this post is 2 years old.

And personally I prefer to have slightly more than the minimum needed so that I rarely if ever have to burn it at 100%
In my case I have 2 lights of 325w (actual watts) for 650w in a 2.5' x 5' space.
Even in late flower I rarely run them beyond 75% but by doing that they run cooler and more efficient.
They are 2.85umol/j at full blast so slightly over that at 75%

 

[Doctor Trevor]

People can still learn from old threads....

I have two lights in my tent, a 600 and a 1000W. Last summer, one of them died on me. For a few days, I relied on the one working light while I ordered another. This beats the shit out of having the only light die. And the plants in complete darkness until the replacement arrives.

My two cents....

 

[Hybridway22]

You realize this post is 2 years old.

And personally I prefer to have slightly more than the minimum needed so that I rarely if ever have to burn it at 100%
In my case I have 2 lights of 325w (actual watts) for 650w in a 2.5' x 5' space.
Even in late flower I rarely run them beyond 75% but by doing that they run cooler and more efficient.
They are 2.85umol/j at full blast so slightly over that at 75%

Damn, I hear you. Some believe in that. Especially good if one has low thermal mngmt. I run 900w over a 7'x5' area on an 8 bar detachable for a 950ish ppfd at 18+". Just depends on ppfd & spectrum to me.
Idc how old a thread is. But thank you.