lighting Questions

agrowernamednick

Active Member
Hi, I have some lighting questions for my 3x3 grow room. I was wondering what would be the best lighting to use.
What type? What Brand?

Thanks for the input in advance. Oh and if the brands are able to be bought at a local store that would be the best.
 

Perfextionist420

Well-Known Member
for a 3x3 grow room you could easily do well with cfls but if you wanted the best of the best id recomend either a 150 or 250 watt metal halide
 

TheDankness

Well-Known Member
You are going to want the blue spectrum of light for vegging (for at least a few weeks helping your plant grow; there you have a few options-Floror's- kindda weak unless you get the High output ones...(I still use them for seedlings) CFLS which are available anywhere; get them as the "cool white" and as highest wattage as you can (the "150 watts (true 42 watts or something) work decent) or you can use a Metal Halide which is the next step up (in power speaking wise) you can find them cheapest on ebay or craigslist (just search for Metal Halide) for your space you wouldn't need more than 400 watts for a decent grow) Once you get done vegging (with the blue spectrum) you are going to need the red/oranage spectrum which is available in CFL's (daylight range) as well as daylight floro's but your best solution is to have a HPS light (High pressure sodium) If you are really serious in growing in your 3x3 space you will research before ya buy; trust me; just reading these forums before you go out buying "what ya think will do" will save you hundreds...(I obviously learned the hard way)
For the best bang for your buck; I would get a Metal Halide/HPS 400 watt fixture (a combo ballast) that supports both MH and HPS so you can just change bulbs come flowering time.....if that is out of your price range a good HPS fixture with a MH conversion bulb (runs in the HPS fixtures but gives us the blue spectrum for veggin)
just search around man; read some peoples grow journals; i know some are 100+ pages and seem long but light a joint/rip the bong (my choice) hit the pipe whatever it is and read away
cheers
I'll give you some better advice, don't listen to this guy. You'll notice to the right of your screen are his credentials when he posts. He is a stranger, the lowest wrung on the ladder, the post above is only his fourth post. Most of the info he gave you is wrong.
 

frmrboi

Well-Known Member
I'll give you some better advice, don't listen to this guy. You'll notice to the left of your screen are his credentials when he posts. He is a stranger, the lowest wrung on the ladder, the post above is only his fourth post. Most of the info he gave you is wrong.
I found no errors in his information, perhaps he just joined very recently. a very reckless evaluation of someone who actually took the time to help.
 

TheDankness

Well-Known Member
Daylight floros are blue spectrum, not orange/red. You use daylight spectrum for vegetative growth and WARM white for flowering. Warm white are the red/orange spectrum. MH and HPS are both HID light systems, and are FAR more effective for indoor growing, but not because of their power consumption, its because of the amount of USABLE light they produce. Metal Halide is a blue spectrum light, once again for vegging, and High Pressure Sodium is another red/orange spectrum light, once again for flowering. You can get by with cheap flourescent cfl's, but HID's are far superior if you can afford them. If you can only afford one lighting system, buy an HPS they are better for flowering, which is what's most important. They also make switchable systems that can run MH or HPS. The ideal light for that space would probably be a 250 watt HPS.
 

TheDankness

Well-Known Member
I found no errors in his information, perhaps he just joined very recently. a very reckless evaluation of someone who actually took the time to help.
Read the post above. He was way off on the daylight, warm white thing for color spectrum's, something that could have hindered the person he was advising a great deal. Its daylight for veg, and warm white for flower, not cool white for veg, and definitely not daylight for flower. Especially when he tells them to use cool white, which is pretty worthless light for marijuana. I don't trust anyone who uses the phrase "in power speaking wise" in a sentence either.
 

TheDankness

Well-Known Member
your right, but that's gotta be a typo, the daylight being orange/red. (but it still was the right COLOR light to use for flowering)
Bottom line is there are better, more knowledgeable growers to get advice from on here, so why bother with a stranger. I'm not saying being a stranger makes him an idiot, we were all strangers to start. I am saying that it means he's far less credible. Would you take advice from this guy after that post? If so I'd rethink that, what if that newb he was giving advice to went out and bought all the wrong bulbs? I know I'd be pissed...
 

topfuel29

Well-Known Member
Hi, I have some lighting questions for my 3x3 grow room. I was wondering what would be the best lighting to use.
What type? What Brand?

Thanks for the input in advance. Oh and if the brands are able to be bought at a local store that would be the best.
I would use CFLs for Veg, Sylvania makes a 200Watt CFL thats 4700K ($16.00)
it's huge like 12 inches long and produces around 4000 lumens.
I would also add a Daylight CFL to the mix. Feit Electric has a DayLight Bulb Thats 100watts and putts out 6400K.($12.00 four pack) You'll have experiment with mixing up the spectrum. you can get all theses CFLs at "Menards" plus Light fixtures(under $2.00)

Heres a link to help:http://boards.cannabis.com/indoor-lighting/108095-kelvin-little-light-subject.html#post1321947

I would use HPS or LED for flowering. you need 450 watts. (thats what recomended 50 watts per sqr. ft.) You could buy a LED UFO 90 watt is stated as a 400 watt HPS, or buy a 400 watt HPS, but if your gonna go down the HID road you might as well just get a light system thats both HPS/MH. As for the Best Brand to get. you'll have to do some research read some reviews.
 

TheDankness

Well-Known Member
I would use CFLs for Veg, Sylvania makes a 200Watt CFL thats 4700K ($16.00)
it's huge like 12 inches long and produces around 4000 lumens.
I would also add a Daylight CFL to the mix. Feit Electric has a DayLight Bulb Thats 100watts and putts out 6400K.($12.00 four pack) You'll have experiment with mixing up the spectrum. you can get all theses CFLs at "Menards" plus Light fixtures(under $2.00)

Heres a link to help:http://boards.cannabis.com/indoor-lighting/108095-kelvin-little-light-subject.html#post1321947

I would use HPS or LED for flowering. you need 450 watts. (thats what recomended 50 watts per sqr. ft.) You could buy a LED UFO 90 watt is stated as a 400 watt HPS, or buy a 400 watt HPS, but if your gonna go down the HID road you might as well just get a light system thats both HPS/MH. As for the Best Brand to get. you'll have to do some research read some reviews.
Do not buy any bulb that's 4700k, its a worthless color spectrum, stick with daylights for veg 6500k. Also, do not buy that LED UFO, I have only ever heard bad things, and they in no way even compare to a HPS. HPS will blow LED's out of the water every time, ask any knowledgeable grower and they'll tell you the same thing. Once again the best light option for the space is a 250 watt HPS. You would have heat problems with anything bigger, and you do not need 430 watts in that space to grow dense nugs. Best brand for HID seems to be SunSystems, they are the most popular I think.
 

frmrboi

Well-Known Member
Would you take advice from this guy after that post?
sure, I can tell he knows what he's talking about and just had a stoner moment. Let's assume the questioner had bought all the bulbs and ballasts, the only "problem" he'd have is some "extra" 6500 K bulbs, and as any knowledgeable grower will tell you "you can't have too much light" if heat isn't a factor.
 

TheDankness

Well-Known Member
sure, I can tell he knows what he's talking about and just had a stoner moment. Let's assume the questioner had bought all the bulbs and ballasts, the only "problem" he'd have is some "extra" 6500 K bulbs, and as any knowledgeable grower will tell you "you can't have too much light" if heat isn't a factor.
Yeah, what about all those 4100k cool whites he buys for veg? Hope he keeps the receipt. The point is if this guy makes those kinds of glaring errors on information that basic, I just can't trust him. If I wanted advice on the subject of a closet grow I would ask someone who has done it successfully many times, not someone I meet on the internet who has 4 previous posts...
 

topfuel29

Well-Known Member
Do not buy any bulb that's 4700k, its a worthless color spectrum, stick with daylights for veg 6500k. Also, do not buy that LED UFO, I have only ever heard bad things, and they in no way even compare to a HPS. HPS will blow LED's out of the water every time, ask any knowledgeable grower and they'll tell you the same thing. Once again the best light option for the space is a 250 watt HPS. You would have heat problems with anything bigger, and you do not need 430 watts in that space to grow dense nugs. Best brand for HID seems to be SunSystems, they are the most popular I think.
I wouldn't say it's worthless.
Day Light (Sun + Sky) 5500K - 6500K
Day Light/MH 5500K
Sun direct at noon 5000K - 5400K.
A Std Clear MH is 4000K -(start of HID lights)
-4700K gets in the ballpark no problem.

Reference:http://www.3drender.com/glossary/colortemp.htm
http://www.venturelighting.com/TechCenter/Lamps/color_of_light.htm

Not all LEDs are bad. you need to know what your buying.
some are rip offs. It's more complicated than just buying a HPS light bulb.
The reviews I've read say that the LEDs and HIDs grew about the same.
The only bad thing about the LED are the lack of UVB as in THC potency.
You could get around that with UVB lights. I just try and keep an open mind about the whole LED scene.
 

TheDankness

Well-Known Member
I wouldn't say it's worthless.
Day Light (Sun + Sky) 5500K - 6500K
Day Light/MH 5500K
Sun direct at noon 5000K - 5400K.
A Std Clear MH is 4000K -(start of HID lights)
-4700K gets in the ballpark no problem.

Reference:http://www.3drender.com/glossary/colortemp.htm
http://www.venturelighting.com/TechCenter/Lamps/color_of_light.htm

Not all LEDs are bad. you need to know what your buying.
some are rip offs. It's more complicated than just buying a HPS light bulb.
The reviews I've read say that the LEDs and HIDs grew about the same.
The only bad thing about the LED are the lack of UVB as in THC potency.
You could get around that with UVB lights. I just try and keep an open mind about the whole LED scene.
Come on now are we honestly arguing over these semantics? Why does everyone fight what is obvious? Daylight bulbs work best for veg, a commonly accepted fact. If you can show me one grow journal in which an LED panel outgrows an HPS of the same wattage, I will retract all of the negative comments about them. The only positive thing I have EVER heard about them is that they work for veg. I have ONLY heard bad things about flowering with them. They have almost no luminous intensity for god's sake, and they can only project light in basically a straight line, that's why you can't see the light the bulb is emitting from the side. Oh, and worthless light penetration I might add. My guess is LED technology will be completely skipped over (in terms of growing, I've already heard about LED's being used in TV's) and a new type of bulb will come out before they are ever a feasable growing option. Bottom line, people that sell LED panels say good things about them, they are an inferior option for growing cannabis.
 

theslickestshoes

Active Member
sure, I can tell he knows what he's talking about and just had a stoner moment. Let's assume the questioner had bought all the bulbs and ballasts, the only "problem" he'd have is some "extra" 6500 K bulbs, and as any knowledgeable grower will tell you "you can't have too much light" if heat isn't a factor.
Man; thank you so much; you were 100% completely right when you said I had a stoner moment; I'm on two weeks of vacation from work; and have just been working around the house smoking up a smoke signal for other countries or something haha
Thedankness- chill be nice man; you were a "stranger" even on rollitup.org one day.
You then basically told him to get a CFL setup and if he really could afford something to get HPS and then the very tail end you said "or get one of the special ballasts that can do both HPS and MH" thats freaking what i suggested as a "step up" from cfls..so 100% disagree with everything I say; call me a idiot and newbie yet then repost most of my advice aye?
My other sugestion to the guy was a conversion bulb on a HPS fixture which isn't bad idea for the price even though its lower lumens then a dedicated MH system (yes I'm aware)
enough said; i was just trying to help the guy
smoke on
 

TheDankness

Well-Known Member
Man; thank you so much; you were 100% completely right when you said I had a stoner moment; I'm on two weeks of vacation from work; and have just been working around the house smoking up a smoke signal for other countries or something haha
Thedankness- chill be nice man; you were a "stranger" even on rollitup.org one day.
You then basically told him to get a CFL setup and if he really could afford something to get HPS and then the very tail end you said "or get one of the special ballasts that can do both HPS and MH" thats freaking what i suggested as a "step up" from cfls..so 100% disagree with everything I say; call me a idiot and newbie yet then repost most of my advice aye?
My other sugestion to the guy was a conversion bulb on a HPS fixture which isn't bad idea for the price even though its lower lumens then a dedicated MH system (yes I'm aware)
enough said; i was just trying to help the guy
smoke on
When you spread false information you are only hurting people, and I am altogether chill brother. I know I was a stranger, then I learned a lot, earned what little cred I have, and now I'm not. My opinion stands, I would never trust anyone for advice that just signs up for an online forum and is on his/her fourth post. I didn't steal your advice, I barely understood most of it, I told him exactly what I would have if you were never born. Peace out trying to help people just stresses me out.
 
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