I hope this topic hasn't been covered before. I searched and was unable to find an answer to my problem. I am contemplating a grow tent that is 4' X 4' x 7'. I only want to grow one plant at a time, because I don't smoke much, have NO intention of selling anything, and don't want to build up a massive stash. My question is thus: what size light should I get? I was gifted a 400 watt HPS/MH switchable ballast, but the last time I plugged it in it sparked, started buzzing loudly, and shocked me pretty bad when I touched the case of the ballast. This is when it is in the OFF position (as opposed to the MH or HPS position). It also has trouble starting the HPS bulb (sometimes it will start, sometimes not). So I don't think it's safe. So I have to buy a light, I'm trying to decide whether I would benefit from buying something larger than a 400 watt, considering I will only have one plant at any given time. I've read a lot about lighting, and the consensus seems to be that a 600 watt is perfect for a 4' x 4' room, but everyone talks about how many plants you can cover with that wattage and area. I have no desire to achieve a maximum yield for my space. I simply want to achieve a maximum yield from one plant at a time, while wasting as little electricity as possible. What I've been looking at thus far is a dimmable ballast (either 1000 watt or 600 watt), or a regular 600 watt, or possibly the new 860 watt Philips ceramic metal halide. Or if it would work, even the 330 watt ceramic. I've read good things about the ceramics, but I don't know enough about lighting to make a decision. Thanks to everyone for any assistance possible! TLDR: What wattage and type of light should I buy to maximize yield from ONE plant (and only one plant at a time) in a 4' x 4' x 7' tent while minimizing electrical costs. Thanks! EDIT: For clarity.
have you looked into the LED world? i thru an auto under a 350 watt light while my mothers are vegging. http://forum.grasscity.com/hydroponic-grow-journals/1319554-xml-350-hydro-grow.html#entry20312523
I have not looked into LED, I thought it was still under powered compared to conventional HID lighting.
Get a new 400 cheap. Good growers can get a pound but one plant messing around you could grow a year supply in 2 crops and turn it off for a while. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apollo-Horticulture-400-Watt-MH-HPS-Grow-Light-System-Set-Kit-for-Plant-Growing-/191055700117?pt=US_Hydroponics&var=&hash=item2c7bcea095
So what would you think about the 330 watt ceramic metal halide? Worth the extra money, or marketing hype? I'm speaking of the 41105-8 that's on this data sheet: http://www.usa.lighting.philips.com/connect/tools_literature/downloads/p-6000.pdf
I would highly recommend a 200 watt cfl. Those tents get really hot. Worst money I ever spent. Had an 800 watt dual hps/mh (meaning they both ran at the same time) and in the summer with the a/c running full blast and the ambient room at about 78 or 80, I could open the tent and it would be 90 to 100 inside the tent. And that was with an exhaust fan. Same here, I only grow one plant. Time and energy are better spent learning growing technique than spending more money on lights. You can get a 200 cfl hood and a veg bulb for about $100 Later you will also need a 2700k flowering bulb (about $60) I love mine. Will never go back to hid again 200 watt cfl is all you need for one plant. They run very cool
Very spendy for ballast and sockets and bulbs. $400-$500 As it become more of an industry standard then prices will drop. As @[member="skeletorsuncle"] says the high end CFL are realy good. If you upgrade lighting later the 200w CFL will be great for seedlings and clones.
I have a digital scale, but I've never weighed a complete crop because of the way I harvest just a little at a time. I had a big grow room with many plants and 1000 watt switchables, but the grower took care of the yield, I just paid the bills. when I moved from the farm to the city I quit growing. I am very new to one plant closet growing. But even with the most basic techiniques I can grow more than I can smoke. I've never scrogged or lst'd. Just don't turn your pad into a party house or brag about your grow and you will have enough to get you through to the next harvest.
Without sounding like an asshole, i recommend cfls only to my worst enemy, because i dont want him to have the quality or yield i have. If you care about those things, take snoops advice and never look back. You never hear anyone winning cannabis cups or any big growers recommend cfls. Theres a reason. Also, one plant turns into 7 plants like that **snaps fingers** leave yourself room to grow. Pun intended.
You may want to check on LED. I switched over from HID to all LED and I am extrememly happy I did. LED's give you better quality buds IMO.
If your gonna only do one plant, I would do a 3x3 scrog with a 400 or 600 hps. Only of you plan on running a cool tube. Led, I would say scrog same 3x3 with a mars 2 900 led light. About 450 actual watts. And just a exhaust fan will keep temps down. Like someone else said, I wouldn't recommend no 200 watt cfl. I use a 200 watt cfl on newly rooted clones before they go into either hps or led tents. Cmh is just too pricey. And because you say only wanna grow one plant, why put out the extra coin. Like someone else said, when and of its good and becomes industry standard, the price will drop. I am currently doing a 4x4 scrog with a 1200 mars 2 led. 600 actual watts. And I am very very impressed. May never go back to hps. Led is has came a long way. Just make sure if you decide led, get one that uses 3w or 5 w diodes. Top led has some good lights for a good price. I do not work for them. If you go hps, look onto galaxy select a watt ballast. They rock. Can use different watt bulbs and "dim" bigger bulbs. Meaning you could veg with a 400 watt mh bulb. Switch to flower and either do a 400 watt hps first couple weeks and switch over to a 600 watt bulb to finish flower. Sent from my Nexus 5 using Grasscity Forum mobile app
You are the second person in this thread to mention the high cost of CMH setups while also recommending LED setups, which has me confused. The CMH bulbs that I was looking at (https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/59302/MHS-411058.html) and <a>(http://www.bulbs.com/espec.aspx?ID=21230&cm_mmc=GooglePLANonBrandnone&AffID=6&device=c&network=g&matchtype=&gclid=CMPnkdOslcACFStk7AodSgYAnw)</a> are only roughly $60 and $100, respectively. And from what I've read, don't they run off of a standard magnetic ballast (400 watt for the first bulb, and 1000 watt for the second)? So it seems like I would be able to get a 400 watt CMH for roughly $40 more than a generic chinese made 400 watt HPS setup. (Around $200 for the 400 watt or $250 for the 1000 watt) Comparatively, unless there are much cheaper sources, the Mars 900 you mentioned (http://www.topledgrowlight.com/mars-ii-led-grow-light-900w.html#.U-4IavldXMI) looks like it's going to be around $350 for slightly more wattage than the cheaper CMH setup I mentioned. Am I missing something? EDIT: I figured I would include some sources. I was specifically thinking of this bulb, coupled with this ballast, and this reflector/hood (which I already have with my current setup).
I didn't understand that either...CMH bulbs are cheap... I was buying mine for around $40 each (400w) and they run on a magnetic 400w HPS ballast (I bought one brand new for $120), with a cool tube for $100 and a fan and scrubber for $150, you are only looking at around $400-450 for a complete air cooled lighting system, fan and scrubber...thats very cheap...probably the cheapest option for a very good plant light. If you subtract the fan and scrubber, for around $300 bucks a CMH system is probably the cheapest option for the best results.
Icemud, you wouldn't happen to be the same Icemud on another grow site where I posed this same question, would you? Could you link me to where you buy your bulbs from? Cheapest I could find was the $48 Pittsburg Bulbs Co. EDIT: No need for the link, I think I found it in one of your other posts. Thanks!
I say led to be the cheaper option as you don't have to buy bulbs every other grow. Also you say you wanna do a 4x4 area, I don't think one 400 watt cmh is gonna do ya justice. The edges will suffer. No need for a cool tube with led. Just a exhaust and scrubber and your good. I am not saying cmh won't produce some good smoke, I just think long run, one plant, 4x4 area, wanting to produce just for PERSONAL, you would be happy with the quality that led is producing these days. Led makes some frosty frosty nugs. Sent from my Nexus 5 using Grasscity Forum mobile app
Do you think the Mars Ii 700 would work well enough? Or do you have any thoughts about the Dorm Grow G8 240 (here)? I'm thinking around $300 is my budget for this light, really don't want to go up to the $500 range.
Im going to recommend a 600w Bulbs cost 15 bucks on 1000bulbs.com and last 3 to 4 grows. No matter how you cut it thats 1/4 the price of of cmh. Also, metal halide puts off almost half the lumens of hps while using the same electricity. The same argument can be made for cfl vs hid, wheras around 350-400watts the cfl is using the same electricity, but with virtually no depth penetration, nor the lumen or par (photosynthetically active radiation, or what plants see to create photosynthesis) count. Think 1/4 to 1/5th. These were my reasons for upgrading my 400w cfl grow box i custom built to a 600w hps and then another, and then I experimented with metal halides. Leds are expensive, not easily replaceable and new technology. They do grow fantastic buds, they do make nice fat colas, and they do produce much less heat as a cfl does. However, they are unproven, meaning longevity, the price is high because theyre new, and who knows if youll have to replace part, whole or half of your leds in the next five years. With hps, youre out 15-20 bucks if a bulb goes out and theyre so cheap you can buy 5 and put some backups away. When i switched from cfl to hps i changed only the lights and went from a few ounces to newrly a pound per plant and some, over a pound dry, using techniques like lst (low stress training) and my own worm castings from my farm.
I do think that if you have a 4x4 area and you only do one plant and either scrog or LST and keep your canopy within a 3x3 area that that mars 700 would suffice. I have no experience with dorm grow lights so I can offer no opinion. Sent from my Nexus 5 using Grasscity Forum mobile app