LEDs and how many plants

[OwenMick123]

Hi guys, im new to the page an ive been doing my research for the past two months now im about to begin my grow, not to big just a 4x4 with four plants, im using 2 300w LED viparspectra lights. Just wondering should i be getting a 5x5 tent an let the four plants grow as big as possible? an should two 300 watt leds be enough for my plants to thrive? any help would be awesome thanks guys! Also with a 4x4 ten should i even worry about carbon filter exhaust fan or just use my own little swivel fans

 

[Mr. Krip]

Hi guys, im new to the page an ive been doing my research for the past two months now im about to begin my grow, not to big just a 4x4 with four plants, im using 2 300w LED viparspectra lights. Just wondering should i be getting a 5x5 tent an let the four plants grow as big as possible? an should two 300 watt leds be enough for my plants to thrive? any help would be awesome thanks guys! Also with a 4x4 ten should i even worry about carbon filter exhaust fan or just use my own little swivel fans

Assuming those are the Reflector series, their 300w LEDs (which I see retail for only $74/each!) only draw 136w each from the wall, so, between the two, you'll be pulling around 260w. That's not really enough for a 4'x4' tent - regardless of what the lighting manufacturer or sales person might tell you! I'd recommend something like 6-8 of those lights in a 4'x4' tent! You should aim for a minimum of 35w per square foot. The 4'x4' is 16 sf, so 16 x 35w = 560w minimum.

You may want to check with @SmokeSara who is one of the sponsors here with Mars. I have two of their Reflector 144's in my 4'x4' tent. Not sure where you are, but I believe there's a big sale right now for Canadian customers to celebrate the recent legalization.

They have very good lights that are very reasonably priced, and you have some options in a 4'x4' other than the (2) 144's I'm running.

If you need any help, let me know!



K

 

[Mars Hydro]

Hi @Mr. Krip You know us well, and I think your recommendation is right. 4x4 place would need that much real wattage for the whole cycle. But @OwenMick123, please don't worry, your two lights can still do good during veg, you can take your time to buy some suppliment lights before flowering.

 

[Mars Hydro]

Forget to say, happy growing!

 

[OwenMick123]

well thank you guys so much for letting me know. i havent ordered my lights yet i think been researching for 3 weeks now on lighting an i get so many mixed reviews on how much i need. so with 16 sf an with min lighting of 560 watts. the two 300 watts wouldnt quite be enough? an another thing im worrying about is ventilation should i be buying intake an exhaust fans or will swivel fans be enough for that tent? once again thank you guys so much for helping me out on this. If you guys could throw out some good led lighting for my 4x4 tent growing 4 plants it would be much appreciated. im a noobie but when it comes to growing i take it very seriously.

 

[OwenMick123]

BESTVA Reflector Series 2000W LED Grow Light Full Spectrum Grow Lamp for Hydroponic Indoor Plants Veg and Flower (Elite-2000w)
would this be suffecient enough?

 

[Mr. Krip]

well thank you guys so much for letting me know. i havent ordered my lights yet i think been researching for 3 weeks now on lighting an i get so many mixed reviews on how much i need. so with 16 sf an with min lighting of 560 watts. the two 300 watts wouldnt quite be enough? an another thing im worrying about is ventilation should i be buying intake an exhaust fans or will swivel fans be enough for that tent? once again thank you guys so much for helping me out on this. If you guys could throw out some good led lighting for my 4x4 tent growing 4 plants it would be much appreciated. im a noobie but when it comes to growing i take it very seriously.

The 300w lights are not really 300w. This is somewhat deceptive advertising and many LED sellers do it. The light will have something like (30) 10w chips so they advertise it as 300w. But the LED makers don't drive their lights to full capacity to reduce cooling and extend component life and, if you look at the actual spec's on the light, you'll see it only draws 136w from the wall. That makes it a 136w equivalent and NOT a 300w equivalent.

My recommendation, if you're on a real tight budget, would be to grab one of the Mars Reflector 960's. It's only about 375w, so a little short, but you'll get full coverage in a 4'x4' tent for flowering and the cost on those is only about $300. You could always add a second one later to get more watts in the tent.

If you had the money now, I'd go with the Mars II 1600. It's only $475 and is a 630w actual draw which would be perfect for your tent.

If you really wanted to blast some light in there, look at the Mars Pro II 1600 which costs about $600 but has 720w of actual draw and would not only give you coverage in your 4'x4', but if you ever wanted to upgrade to the 5'x5', you'd have plenty of coverage there, too.

In addition to lights & timers (assuming you're not running exclusively autos, in which case, you may not need the timers!), you'll want an inline fan & carbon scrubber. The carbon scrubber will remove the odors and the fan will remove the heat, help keep the RH in-check, and help prevent mold. Having an oscillating fan blowing in the tent helps strengthen stems and also prevents mold by aiding in circulation & ventilation. You should also have some way to check & adjust PH. The rest is seeds/plants, growing medium & containers, and nutrients & supplements (including IPM).

I hope that helps!



K

 

[Mr. Krip]

BESTVA Reflector Series 2000W LED Grow Light Full Spectrum Grow Lamp for Hydroponic Indoor Plants Veg and Flower (Elite-2000w)
would this be suffecient enough?

Actual power draw on that light is only 400w. Incredibly misleading how they say in their advertising:

compares to 1400 watt HPS while consuming only 401 watts!

It's the equivalent of a single 400w HPS!

 

[OwenMick123]

The 300w lights are not really 300w. This is somewhat deceptive advertising and many LED sellers do it. The light will have something like (30) 10w chips so they advertise it as 300w. But the LED makers don't drive their lights to full capacity to reduce cooling and extend component life and, if you look at the actual spec's on the light, you'll see it only draws 136w from the wall. That makes it a 136w equivalent and NOT a 300w equivalent.

My recommendation, if you're on a real tight budget, would be to grab one of the Mars Reflector 960's. It's only about 375w, so a little short, but you'll get full coverage in a 4'x4' tent for flowering and the cost on those is only about $300. You could always add a second one later to get more watts in the tent.

If you had the money now, I'd go with the Mars II 1600. It's only $475 and is a 630w actual draw which would be perfect for your tent.

If you really wanted to blast some light in there, look at the Mars Pro II 1600 which costs about $600 but has 720w of actual draw and would not only give you coverage in your 4'x4', but if you ever wanted to upgrade to the 5'x5', you'd have plenty of coverage there, too.

In addition to lights & timers (assuming you're not running exclusively autos, in which case, you may not need the timers!), you'll want an inline fan & carbon scrubber. The carbon scrubber will remove the odors and the fan will remove the heat, help keep the RH in-check, and help prevent mold. Having an oscillating fan blowing in the tent helps strengthen stems and also prevents mold by aiding in circulation & ventilation. You should also have some way to check & adjust PH. The rest is seeds/plants, growing medium & containers, and nutrients & supplements (including IPM).

I hope that helps!



K

thanks buddy i really appreciate it! should i be placing my carbon filter on the inside of the tent or the outside only reason why i ask because ill be in a basement an its an old one so i want clean air going in, smart idea to have the carbon filter on the outside an intaking.

 

[OwenMick123]

Actual power draw on that light is only 400w. Incredibly misleading how they say in their advertising:



It's the equivalent of a single 400w HPS!

it really is!! like im so glad i got to talk to you guys cause i would of been shit up a creek come time to flowing stage lmao

 

[Mr. Krip]

thanks buddy i really appreciate it! should i be placing my carbon filter on the inside of the tent or the outside only reason why i ask because ill be in a basement an its an old one so i want clean air going in, smart idea to have the carbon filter on the outside an intaking.

The carbon scrubber is supposed to be cleaning the air in the tent to exhaust the heat from the tent and eliminate the odors (especially, during flowering) so the room doesn't smell. Technically, it could be placed outside of the tent, but should still be pulling air from the tent.

If air quality going in is a concern, you could add an air purifier or a second scrubber for the room.

 

[OwenMick123]

The carbon scrubber is supposed to be cleaning the air in the tent to exhaust the heat from the tent and eliminate the odors (especially, during flowering) so the room doesn't smell. Technically, it could be placed outside of the tent, but should still be pulling air from the tent.

If air quality going in is a concern, you could add an air purifier or a second scrubber for the room.

okay i understand the jiff of it. i suppose ill do that. so i guess ill shop for the mars hydro reflector 960 an while my plants are veggin ill save up an get a second one an that should do the job then. i cant thank ya guys enough for helping me out i would of been done for if i went the original route. i appreciate you man!!! happy growing bud

 

[Mr. Krip]

okay i understand the jiff of it. i suppose ill do that. so i guess ill shop for the mars hydro reflector 960 an while my plants are veggin ill save up an get a second one an that should do the job then. i cant thank ya guys enough for helping me out i would of been done for if i went the original route. i appreciate you man!!! happy growing bud

Always happy to help, Brother!

Feel free to PM me or post any questions in my journal and, once you get your grow up, I HIGHLY recommend starting a grow journal of your own. Lots of great growers here who are also great people and will be happy to help you through.

 

[OwenMick123]

Always happy to help, Brother!

Feel free to PM me or post any questions in my journal and, once you get your grow up, I HIGHLY recommend starting a grow journal of your own. Lots of great growers here who are also great people and will be happy to help you through.

another quick question how much of a diffrence is the regular mars compared too the epistar II

 

[Mr. Krip]

another quick question how much of a diffrence is the regular mars compared too the epistar II

That question would probably be better answered by @SmokeSara since I don't want to mis-state the facts, but, as I understand, in addition to higher wattage and a slightly different spectrum, the difference between the Mars II and the Pro II is that the Pro series has an improved design including the "cups" the diodes sit in which are supposed to be 100% reflective.

 

[Mr. Krip]

BTW, there's a VERY large thread on the Mars LED's here:

Mars-Hydro LED Grow Light Discussion

 

[Mars Hydro]

BESTVA Reflector Series 2000W LED Grow Light Full Spectrum Grow Lamp for Hydroponic Indoor Plants Veg and Flower (Elite-2000w)
would this be suffecient enough?

I think this light true wattage is around 400~450w.

 

[Mars Hydro]

Always check the true wattage, that is what I always trying to spread!

 

[Mr. Krip]

Always check the true wattage, that is what I always trying to spread!

@SmokeSara - Please read and reply to this post. I'm sure you're more aware of the differences than I am! :

LEDs and how many plants

How did I do???

 

[OwenMick123]

hey guys another quick question. since im growing with LEDs im not gonna have to worry about a big old fuckin fan an ducting running through my light. my question is if i get a Carbon air filter an a regular 6 inch cfm 240 Booster fan would that be suffecient enough? i just dont feel like buying a turbo fan that costs 80 dollars when i can get the booster fan for 20 bucks. im a cheap guy but im not cheap enough to just put shit together an call it good i want it done right. thanks for your guys input. helping me out so much guys!!!!