Lighting Need LED advice - crazy plan for grow #2!

[jackmc]

Hi chuck, I have both a Mars II 700 and a Mars I 300 (Original style.) I've never owned any other brand so I can't speak to any of the brands you've mentioned but I'd either do as GoAuto6 suggests and go with 2 Mars I's or a Mars II 400 or 700. I like the intensity of 5W LEDs in the Mars II but if you're going to grow a superauto in a 5' tent you may experience light burn. Two Mars I 300s would give you great light distribution. Last time I did the math the Mars Original 300 was around $.65 a watt and the Mars II was closer to $1 a watt. I'd save your money to buy seeds and such.



BTW Are you running any beneficial bacteria. lykaboss just turned me onto Root Assist for my DWC. The plants really love it.

 

[chuck3101]

Hi chuck, I have both a Mars II 700 and a Mars I 300 (Original style.) I've never owned any other brand so I can't speak to any of the brands you've mentioned but I'd either do as GoAuto6 suggests and go with 2 Mars I's or a Mars II 400 or 700. I like the intensity of 5W LEDs in the Mars II but if you're going to grow a superauto in a 5' tent you may experience light burn. Two Mars I 300s would give you great light distribution. Last time I did the math the Mars Original 300 was around $.65 a watt and the Mars II was closer to $1 a watt. I'd save your money to buy seeds and such.



BTW Are you running any beneficial bacteria. lykaboss just turned me onto Root Assist for my DWC. The plants really love it.

I'm considering the old model 200 x 3W. It would fit next to my Blackstar Chrome 180. Just concerned about possible heat issues using a 600 watt LED in such a small tent... I've read that Mars Hydro panels run hotter than average. Man, these panels are so inexpensive compared to what I was considering buying. A 600W Mars Hydro panel is a third of the price of a 270w Blackstar Chrome... Food for thought.

And now the $100 question: Will I get similar results with a 600w and a 180W LED light vs using a 150W HPS / 180W LED combo?

What about the new Sun Series? Has anybody heard positive feedback about that light? It might be a little early to see grow journals using this light as it was released a few weeks ago...

And to answer your question about beneficials, when growing in a RDWC I had a severe case of pythium. I got rid of it by increasing air flow in the tank (bought a 60 watt 70 LPM commercial air pump for a 4 gallon reservoir lol) and by adding beneficials: Hydroguard and the Advanced Nutrient line of beneficials (Tarantula, Voodoo Juice and Piranha). Now that I'll be growing in supersoil for summertime, I wonder if I can add those products when brewing tea or if I should use something specially designed for dirt.

 

[Getgrowingson]

Ftw Area 51 RW150 all the way best light for the money. Lifetime warranty. All Cree chips. Will smash the black star and the mars. Look into it bro you won't be disappointed. I have used the mars lights and they are OK. Check out area 51 led. Or even take a look at rapidled.com and look at the onyx bloom. Both top notch lights with the best leds from the best manufacturer. I used 1000w of Mars in a 4x4 got good results. Used 600w of area 51 leds in 4x4 and it smashes the mars. You need to look into efficency. A 600w hps is 36 percent efficient but the spectrum isn't all there. The rw have a gorgeous spectrum compared to the par curve and have an extra switch for flowering which turns on the Reds. The black stars use bunk epistar leds which have terrible efficiency, don't get me wrong they will grow nice flowers but if you want to save money and get the dank efficiency is where it's at.