Need help with my light system someone please HELP

I'll be setting up a 3x3 (9plants) hydroponic/scrog system.
so what lights do you experts recommend for this set up.

I was thinking either a one hid 600w or enough CFL's in the right places

my confusion is I want the lowest cost and lowest amount of heat from this system and obviously as much light as I need to get the most bud

please any comments and concerns will be of much concern!
 

GrowinDad

Well-Known Member
9 plants for a 3x3 scrog seems like a lot.

You can't have cake and eat it too. CFLs have less heatand energy pull. HID works better. Cost with CFL depends on what you need to buy. Bulbs are cheap enough. HID likely a bit more on startup cost.
 

lilroach

Well-Known Member
It really depends on what sort of HPS fixture you'll use. Going with a sealed air-cooled fixture that vents outside of the tent will eliminate any heat issues. CFL's give off heat too, and it's harder to control that heat when you have numerous CFL's.

I played around with a light-meter and compared to how much light "throw" each put out. It was amazing how quickly the light meter's needle dropped when only a few inches away from the CFL, but when under the HPS I could go all the way to the floor and the needle was still maxed.

If you want to go cheap, check out Craigslist and you can find equipment pretty cheap.
 

kinddiesel

Well-Known Member
that 3 foot room is to small for 9 plants. why not just 1 plant and top it to get 12 tops and use a 600 watt hps. get max yield small space. pull 10 zips off 1 plant in that space more then 1 plant then half size would have to do 4 plants and only pull 4 zips total. more then 4 then 4 inches tall pull 6 grams off each plant total less then 4 zips. your trying to do to much in to small of a room.
 

lilroach

Well-Known Member
You can squeeze 2 nice plants in that size tent....put 'em in 5-7 gal buckets and don't screw up your plants and you'll do well.

It'll be tight near the end....but I've had up to 11 plants in a 5x7 grow room and with the right lights, they did ok. I usually go with 7 plants in the 5x7 room.
 
9 plants for a 3x3 scrog seems like a lot.

You can't have cake and eat it too. CFLs have less heatand energy pull. HID works better. Cost with CFL depends on what you need to buy. Bulbs are cheap enough. HID likely a bit more on startup cost.
I'm gonna shoot for HID but if the budget doesn't permit I'm gonna have to settle with CFL this time until my nest cycle after I harvest. Thank you for the advice on the not enough space!
 
It really depends on what sort of HPS fixture you'll use. Going with a sealed air-cooled fixture that vents outside of the tent will eliminate any heat issues. CFL's give off heat too, and it's harder to control that heat when you have numerous CFL's.

I played around with a light-meter and compared to how much light "throw" each put out. It was amazing how quickly the light meter's needle dropped when only a few inches away from the CFL, but when under the HPS I could go all the way to the floor and the needle was still maxed.

If you want to go cheap, check out Craigslist and you can find equipment pretty cheap.
Like I said I'm gonna shoot for the hid kit but I don't know how much money I'll have to throw in on this harvest :( I'll look into craigslist. What should I search? Perhaps "600watt hid system" ?
 
that 3 foot room is to small for 9 plants. why not just 1 plant and top it to get 12 tops and use a 600 watt hps. get max yield small space. pull 10 zips off 1 plant in that space more then 1 plant then half size would have to do 4 plants and only pull 4 zips total. more then 4 then 4 inches tall pull 6 grams off each plant total less then 4 zips. your trying to do to much in to small of a room.
But plants have a thc threshold and I don't want to risk losing the thc level for more bud. This is mostly for personal use this time around.
 
You can squeeze 2 nice plants in that size tent....put 'em in 5-7 gal buckets and don't screw up your plants and you'll do well.

It'll be tight near the end....but I've had up to 11 plants in a 5x7 grow room and with the right lights, they did ok. I usually go with 7 plants in the 5x7 room.
I must of read it wrong but when I read the grow bible it said in an scrog system you can have one plant per sqft so I figured 3x3 would be 9 plants but according to all of your comments this is completely wrong. I've never grown before so I'm taking your guys word for it I'm going to do some more research on it now.
 

mc130p

Well-Known Member
I must of read it wrong but when I read the grow bible it said in an scrog system you can have one plant per sqft so I figured 3x3 would be 9 plants but according to all of your comments this is completely wrong. I've never grown before so I'm taking your guys word for it I'm going to do some more research on it now.
you can do a scrog with lots of small plants, or you could veg a couple of larger plants for longer and still fill in the screen.
 

lilroach

Well-Known Member
Like I said I'm gonna shoot for the hid kit but I don't know how much money I'll have to throw in on this harvest :( I'll look into craigslist. What should I search? Perhaps "600watt hid system" ?

If you click on the heading "For Sale" and do a search for "HPS" or "GROW" you'll easily find what you're looking for.
 
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