What lighting to use!!!

GGY OG · Jul 27, 2019

Dilemma! At a stand still & don’t know which way to go. I have 3 Diamond 315lec grow lights & 2 blockbuster 6 inch air cooled reflectors w/ 2 600w mh hortilux bulbs and 2 1000w hps hortilux bulbs. Along with lighting i have 1 gorilla grow shorty tent 4x4 & one gorilla grow shorty tent 4x8. Also have all intake fans, filters etc just wanted to give a idea of what im running. Also i run coco. My objective here is getting the best quality/yield at the least expense to me. ANY ADVICE on best light set up would be appreciated. I was thinking 3 315lec in 4x8 and 600 mh for veg and 1000w hps for flower in 4x4. And have a light left over???

coreywebster · Jul 27, 2019

Size of canopy vs light spread kind of dictates the best way forward.

315s cover 3x3 footprint in flower. So I would be sceptical of 3 of them lighting a 4x8 perfectly.

2x 1000w HPS would cover the 4x8 very well for flower.

The 600mh for veg is great.

A nice option for flowering the 4x4 if you can do it would be a double reflector with 2x 315cmh/lec, you can even veg with one of them in the 4x4 and turn the other on for flower.

Renfro · Jul 27, 2019

1kW in a shorty might not be a great fit.

coreywebster · Jul 27, 2019

Renfro said:
1kW in a shorty might not be a great fit.

Good point, how short is a shorty?

GGY OG · Jul 27, 2019

coreywebster said:
Good point, how short is a shorty?

4’11 w/ extensions 5’8 i have extensions in as well.

GGY OG · Jul 27, 2019

I researched the 3x3 footprint and figured 3 of them would cover the 4x8 being that would be a 9ft footprint side by side correct? Also i forgot to mention as I should of stated at first. I’m trying to stay under 2000w running both tents.

Renfro · Jul 27, 2019

Well you have to account for a pot or bucket, plant, space between plant and light, light itself and space for hangers above. Doesn't leave much for plant.

Renfro · Jul 27, 2019

I wonder, can you add another extension kit to the 4x8? That would help a lot.

GGY OG · Jul 27, 2019

Renfro said:
I wonder, can you add another extension kit to the 4x8? That would help a lot.

Both tents have extension kits on them and are at 5’8. I have a height limit in the room which caused me to even go the shorty route lol. I have two regular gorilla grow tents in the attic that were too tall for room. Smh lol

Renfro · Jul 27, 2019

I am figuring somewhere around 4 feet of the space will not be plant lol unless the plant gets too close to the light. So that leaves say 20 inches for plant. A good future upgrade might be some quantum boards, that would give you more space since the lights are thin. probably gain 6 inches there at least. They also spread the light intensity so you don't get the hot spot in the middle and weak sauce around the edges.

I hope you don't have to deal with a lot of heat as that will be your biggest enemy in a short tent.

GGY OG · Jul 27, 2019

Renfro said:
I am figuring somewhere around 4 feet of the space will not be plant lol unless the plant gets too close to the light. So that leaves say 20 inches for plant. A good future upgrade might be some quantum boards, that would give you more space since the lights are thin. probably gain 6 inches there at least. They also spread the light intensity so you don't get the hot spot in the middle and weak sauce around the edges.

I hope you don't have to deal with a lot of heat as that will be your biggest enemy in a short tent.

These were all under 3 315lec last crop In 4x8...yes i vegged wayyyyyy toooo long on left i already know. The right are autos. Critical 2.0 from dinafem

GGY OG · Jul 27, 2019

Also i have 3 of the diamond 315 lec’s

Renfro · Jul 27, 2019

I hear the 315's run a lot cooler and people get some great results with them in flowering.

GGY OG · Jul 27, 2019

I got it figured out. In my 4x8 im going to strictly stick with the three 315lec’s i have have a 3x3 footprint so I’ll be covering the entire 4x8 with those side by side spaced correctly also since they are full spectrum lights i will use these full cycle veg thru harvest. In my 4x4 I’m simply going to veg with my 600w mh & bloom with my 1000w hps bulb.

ANC · Jul 27, 2019

two 600s would probably have been enough for 4x8

coreywebster · Jul 27, 2019

GGY OG said:
I researched the 3x3 footprint and figured 3 of them would cover the 4x8 being that would be a 9ft footprint side by side correct? Also i forgot to mention as I should of stated at first. I’m trying to stay under 2000w running both tents.

Yeah 3x3 x 3 is 27square feet vs 32square feet of the 8x4.

But I always think about max canopy.
Running 3x8 gives you a nice 6" either side or your plants which can be a bonus.
315s flower well. Its a whole lot less heat than 2000w HPS too and will certainly make it easier to manage in a low profile tent.

GGY OG · Jul 27, 2019

coreywebster said:
Yeah 3x3 x 3 is 27square feet vs 32square feet of the 8x4.

But I always think about max canopy.
Running 3x8 gives you a nice 6" either side or your plants which can be a bonus.
315s flower well. Its a whole lot less heat than 2000w HPS too and will certainly make it easier to manage in a low profile tent.

Do you think I’d be better off just buying two 600w hps bulbs as well and just put the 1000w hps bulbs on the shelf until futher notice. That way i have 1200w max coming out the 4x8....then i can put two 315 lecs in the 4x4. Perfect! Leaves me with a left over 315lec to play with or store

GGY OG · Jul 27, 2019

Which leads me to my last and most important question. 2 600w hps vs 3 315lec in a 4x8. Which do you think would put out more???

coreywebster · Jul 28, 2019

GGY OG said:
Which leads me to my last and most important question. 2 600w hps vs 3 315lec in a 4x8. Which do you think would put out more???

Difficult to say. I hear they beat a 400w hps by a fraction in yield but not a 600. I think it would be pretty close but the quality would be better under the 315s.

You could get 2 600s and that would work. I would be tempted to try the LECs and see how they do at covering the space. Might be able to squeeze that footprint out to 8x3.5 which really isn't much less that 8x4. I mean how many folks are filling their footprint to the max anyway.
You can always get 2 600s if your not happy with the results.
Your GPW would be higher but overall weight slightly less I suspect.

It would be a shame not to try since you have the lights and they do produce lovely buds.

GGY OG · Jul 29, 2019

coreywebster said:
Difficult to say. I hear they beat a 400w hps by a fraction in yield but not a 600. I think it would be pretty close but the quality would be better under the 315s.

You could get 2 600s and that would work. I would be tempted to try the LECs and see how they do at covering the space. Might be able to squeeze that footprint out to 8x3.5 which really isn't much less that 8x4. I mean how many folks are filling their footprint to the max anyway.
You can always get 2 600s if your not happy with the results.
Your GPW would be higher but overall weight slightly less I suspect.

It would be a shame not to try since you have the lights and they do produce lovely buds.

I did this yesterday, it was the best way to utilize all my equipment so let me know what you think. I could get the best of both worlds. Use the two 315lec to veg and when its time to flower throw my hortilux 1000w hps in the sunsystem hood. Then use all 3 to flower the 4x8. What do you think?

What lighting to use!!!

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