Growtopia Creative Lighting medium grow room setup help

[Vanilla Kush]

I have a cool lighting idea since i decided to go soil, I wanted to run them past people that really know what they're doing. From what i understand, In the flowering room you should have a specific lighting set-up to utilize one of the main factors in successful Horticulture, Light. With soil you can adjust the lights, or the plants, according to what stages of life each individual plant is in, which is a huge advantage, because the vast differences of height in the flowering stage of a plant rotation system. Our job as parents, is to provide our plants with the most relevant light at the right times in their lives, so I've come up with this idea to fully utilize PAR. This is my first post to start this adventure, and I hope that I'll have people to help me along with constructive, criticism. This is the planning stage, which is by far the most tedious, but hard work, decent friends, and good budgeting go a long way.

Basically, i want to have a 1000w on a light mover in the middle of the room. (my idea was using a hortilux blue light because of the huge spec range) I saw a fantastic grow that had a plant in half MH and half HPS, both sides had unique advantages and I want to combine those. Having a 1000w Hortilux Blue bulb provides a great, well-rounded lighting spectrum for a medium sized area, with many different sized plants. I can provide all the flowering plants with the basic light they all need, then have them under different specific bulbs depending on how long they've been flowering.

so i would have 1-3 lights on the rail, and 1-4 stationary stations depending on feed back.

I really want help with what light for what stages. This is open to any idea's, and I know how creatively ingenious some of you may be.
I have a wide range of graphs and some decent layouts of the space. Next post ill have those.

Can't figure out posting from files from "My Documents"
PM for help? read the image code thing but i bet there's a better link.

Thank you all, hope you enjoy! This is for the best lighting you could provide your plants with.

 

[Vanilla Kush]

None of these are exactly to scale just a general idea, theres also a counter that starts about halfway on the left flowering wall that goes all the way (along the top wall) to the right Veg wall. It stands about 3ft off the ground.
Here's the Basement as of now, as you can see I have a lot to work with.

I want to be productive as possible, because i am growing for my family. (there are a couple in pain i can't imagine)
So here's my Idea: This would be 3 different "Stations" with one light mover in the middle. This is just an idea, and i really do want criticism (even if it's mean, just try to word it nicely for others).

Thanks again all, I'm going to try and update bulb graphs. to show the light needed/provided.
Any good Horticultural Light websites? (exact data)
Also here's an amazing "Light" website. Great people to provide this information: Intl-lighttech.com There Light handbook has everything and more than you need, I just lack experience. Peace

 

[McBudz]

Hopefully this works, I'll try it!
Here's the Basement as of now, as you can see I have a lot to work with.

I want to be productive as possible, because i am growing for my family. (there are a couple in pain i can't imagine)

So here's my Idea: This would be 3 different "Stations" with one light mover in the middle. This is just an idea, and i really do want criticism (even if it's mean, just try to word it nicely for others).

Thanks again all, I'm going to try and update bulb graphs. to show the light needed/provided.
Any good Horticultural Light websites? (exact data)
Also here's an amazing "Light" website. Great people to provide this information: Intl-lighttech.com There Light handbook has everything and more than you need, I just lack experience. Peace

Please upload your pics to our gallery then link them to your post from there. Photo Gallery Guide - How to Resize, Upload & Post Photos Thanks!

 

[McBudz]

I have a cool lighting idea since i decided to go soil, I wanted to run them past people that really know what they're doing. From what i understand, In the flowering room you should have a specific lighting set-up to utilize one of the main factors in successful Horticulture, Light. With soil you can adjust the lights, or the plants, according to what stages of life each individual plant is in, which is a huge advantage, because the vast differences of height in the flowering stage of a plant rotation system. Our job as parents, is to provide our plants with the most relevant light at the right times in their lives, so I've come up with this idea to fully utilize PAR. This is my first post to start this adventure, and I hope that I’ll have people to help me along with constructive, criticism. This is the planning stage, which is by far the most tedious, but hard work, decent friends, and good budgeting go a long way.

Basically, i want to have a 1000w on a light mover in the middle of the room. (my idea was using a hortilux blue light because of the huge spec range) I saw a fantastic grow that had a plant in half MH and half HPS, both sides had unique advantages and I want to combine those. Having a 1000w Hortilux Blue bulb provides a great, well-rounded lighting spectrum for a medium sized area, with many different sized plants. I can provide all the flowering plants with the basic light they all need, then have them under different specific bulbs depending on how long they’ve been flowering.

so i would have 1-3 lights on the rail, and 1-4 stationary stations depending on feed back.

I really want help with what light for what stages. This is open to any idea’s, and I know how creatively ingenious some of you may be.
I have a wide range of graphs and some decent layouts of the space. Next post ill have those.

Can't figure out posting from files from "My Documents"
PM for help? read the image code thing but i bet there's a better link.

Thank you all, hope you enjoy! This is for the best lighting you could provide your plants with.

Just run Super HPS bulbs by hortilux in bloom. Thats all you need.

Problem you may have is if you go with 1 room for different stages ie veg and bloom you'll have to flower right from seed since the constant 12on 12off light cycle you need for flowering will induce flowering very early on in new plants. ideally you should have 2 separate areas one for veg with veg lights 6500K floro or MH thats runs anywhere from 18 to 24 hours on and 6-0 hours off. veg your plants out for a few weeks minimum. Then 1 area for flower and where you move established veg'd plants to and run HPS lights on constant 12on/12off cycle. This room should be light proof as to not interrupt the 12off cycle, this is very important.

 

[Vanilla Kush]

Thanks Mcbudz! I just got the pictures up, this is generally what my idea is. I was thinking about having a super HPS bulb for the stationary lights; would it be better for the plants to just to have Super Hps? or would they do better with both the primarily 560-640nM Super Hps, and the well-rounded Blue 380-680nM?

Here are some the graphs for us to compare Bulbs light to what the plants need. I wish i had an exact map of light used throughout each stage.
Also, does anyone know of a bulb that covers 600-680nM with 60%+ relative energy?

Here are the graphs for everyone to see. the white line on the graphs is light that plants use. it might not have shown up on the Super Blue.

The first is the Hortilux Super HPS Bulb Mcbudz Mentioned.

Initial lumens at rated watts after 100 hours: 145000 lm
Mean lumens at 10 hours/start:127000 lm
Rated average life: 24000 h
Warm up time (90% lumens): 5 min
Correlated color temperature: 2100 K
CIE chromaticity: 0.532, 0.403 X ,Y
Color rendering index: 26
Operating Position: Any
Hot Re-strike time: 15 min

Next we have the Hortilux Blue

Initial lumens at rated watts after 100 hours: 80000 lm
Mean lumens at 10 hours/start: 64000 lm
Rated average life: 6000 h
Warm up time Maximum: 4 min
Correlated color temperature: 5500 K
CIE chromaticity: 0.33, 0.35 X, Y
Color rendering index: 92
Operating Position: HOR±15º
Hot Re-strike time: 15 max. min

Heres the Hortilux Super-Blue Dual Arc Bulb

Initial lumens at rated watts after 100 hours: 110000 lm
Mean lumens at 10 hours/start: 85,000 lm
Rated average life at10hrs/start: 10,000 h
Warm up time, maximum: 8 min
Correlated color temperature: 3000 K
CIE chromaticity: .424, .386 X, Y
Color rendering index (Ra): 65
Operating Position: HOR +/- 30 deg.
Time to hot re-start maximum: 15 max. min

Here's the Hortilux Ultra-Ace,

Initial lumens at rated watts
after 100 hours operation 130000 lm
Mean lumens at 10 hours/start 117000 lm
Rated average life 24000 h
Warm up time (90% lumens) 5 min
Correlated color temperature 2100 K
CIE chromaticity 0.532, 0.422 X ,Y
Color rendering index 25
Operating Position Universal
Time to hot re-start 15 max. min

What i need help to do is to provide all the plants with all the light they can use, after i get my solid plans for amazing light/plant-rotation/build everything, i will start the first of many journals to come. The light set-up is really important to me, because if you do it right the first time, then you have a great set-up for many grows.

 

[McBudz]

Thanks Mcbudz! I just got the pictures up, this is generally what my idea is. I was thinking about having a super HPS bulb for the stationary lights; would it be better for the plants to just to have Super Hps? or would they do better with both the primarily 560-640nM Super Hps, and the well-rounded Blue 380-680nM?

Here are some the graphs for us to compare Bulbs light to what the plants need. I wish i had an exact map of light used throughout each stage.
Also, does anyone know of a bulb that covers 600-680nM with 60%+ relative energy?

Here are the graphs for everyone to see. the white line on the graphs is light that plants use. it might not have shown up on the Super Blue.

The first is the Hortilux Super HPS Bulb Mcbudz Mentioned.

Initial lumens at rated watts after 100 hours: 145000 lm
Mean lumens at 10 hours/start:127000 lm
Rated average life: 24000 h
Warm up time (90% lumens): 5 min
Correlated color temperature: 2100 K
CIE chromaticity: 0.532, 0.403 X ,Y
Color rendering index: 26
Operating Position: Any
Hot Re-strike time: 15 min

Next we have the Hortilux Blue

Initial lumens at rated watts after 100 hours: 80000 lm
Mean lumens at 10 hours/start: 64000 lm
Rated average life: 6000 h
Warm up time Maximum: 4 min
Correlated color temperature: 5500 K
CIE chromaticity: 0.33, 0.35 X, Y
Color rendering index: 92
Operating Position: HOR±15º
Hot Re-strike time: 15 max. min

Heres the Hortilux Super-Blue Dual Arc Bulb

Initial lumens at rated watts after 100 hours: 110000 lm
Mean lumens at 10 hours/start: 85,000 lm
Rated average life at10hrs/start: 10,000 h
Warm up time, maximum: 8 min
Correlated color temperature: 3000 K
CIE chromaticity: .424, .386 X, Y
Color rendering index (Ra): 65
Operating Position: HOR +/- 30 deg.
Time to hot re-start maximum: 15 max. min

Here's the Hortilux Ultra-Ace,

Initial lumens at rated watts
after 100 hours operation 130000 lm
Mean lumens at 10 hours/start 117000 lm
Rated average life 24000 h
Warm up time (90% lumens) 5 min
Correlated color temperature 2100 K
CIE chromaticity 0.532, 0.422 X ,Y
Color rendering index 25
Operating Position Universal
Time to hot re-start 15 max. min

What i need help to do is to provide all the plants with all the light they can use, after i get my solid plans for amazing light/plant-rotation/build everything, i will start the first of many journals to come. The light set-up is really important to me, because if you do it right the first time, then you have a great set-up for many grows.

I would use the dual arc if going with 1000's

 

[Vanilla Kush]

I would use the dual arc if going with 1000's

For all of the lights? and am i on track with that idea? (besides positioning/angles of course). I don't know if i should even set it up that way, what are some better ways i could do it?

 

[Vanilla Kush]

I'm actually gonna go with 2 1000w with 1 light mover in flower room, and one 600watt MH in veg.
I'm trying to put together my items list.. I was wondering if anyone could help me out with a couple things

Item List

Lighting:
(Ballast= $1225.85, $979.85, or $964.85)+(Bulbs= $339.90)+(Hood= $716.85 or $673.85)+(Light mover= $449.95, $258.95, or $241.95)=
-At Most= $2732.55.
-At Least= $2220.55.
-In the upper/middle= 979.85+339.9+716.85+258.95= $2295.55.
-In the lower/middle= 979.85+339.9+673.85+258.95=$2252.55
^---I think Ima go with the Lower middle Set up, but any advice or things you've heard or seen please tell. Im growing for strictly my family, and they all require lots of oils/lotions/edibles/tinc for several very serious conditions so i want to do this as efficiently as possible with the best outcome for them.

Ballast= $779.90+ (445.95,199.95,184.95)= $1225.85, $979.85, or $964.85
x2 1000watt dual lumatek ballast 240v---$389.95x2=$779.9

x1 600watt dual lumatek ballast 240v---$445.95 (only 600w i could find that takes MH so i will probably go with a 1000w Magnetic or a Quantum [i want to avoid fan though])
x1 1000watt Harvest Pro Elite MH 120v/240v---$184.95
x1 600watt Quantum Switchable ballast 120v/240v---$199.95 (good sale)
-I'd appreciate any advice since i may want to get a 1000w over a 600w or x2 400w MH. I would rather not stress my early-girls with a 1000w, though the clones will be cover in fluros. But i may be thinking the wrong way.. Criticism or Reassurance would be immensely appreciated!

Bulbs: $219.95+$119.95= $339.90
x6 Hortilux Blue MH bulb---$219.95
x6 Hortilux Super HPS bulb---$119.95
(Can't find charts for others but would agro-sun compare to Super HPS?)

Hoods= $533.90+ ($182.95,$139.95)= $716.85 or $673.85
2x 8" MagnumXXXL's---$266.95x2=533.90
1x 8" Block Buster Reflector---$182.95 (should i consider something cheaper for veg? I only have 7'5" of height in flower so they're going to be small plants, but i need to figure out how i'm going to also deal with the mothers in there, and that's height without light set-up)
1x Yield Master 10" reflector---$139.95 (conservatively less, so we may be able to get by with one even cheaper)

Light Mover= ($241.95, $258.95, or $449.95)
x1 Light-rail 3.5 w/ 2 year War. 6 feet---$241.95
Extension--10 RPM motor. 9 Feet---$258.90
or
1x Light Rail 5 w/ Lifetime War. 8 feet 90lbs---$449.95
This is a question that i need to decide for myself but I'd rather have some advice from the experienced; Is it worth the warranty? if the 3.5 are reliable that's a no brainer, even now I'm almost positive that's the one Were gonna go with.

Ima be posting the other details in a little, but i'm having lots of trouble with ventilation decisions.
You don't know how much i appreciate the amazing things this community does! Thank you all for even coming to see if you could help!

 

[Vanilla Kush]

I would use the dual arc if going with 1000's

I do see the logic:
Super HPS at 2100k with 26 CRI
Dual Arc is at 3000k with 65 CRI
But with that being said and looking at the graphs, Doesn't the Blue have the best lighting spectrum?
Blue MH is at 5500k with 92 CRI
Even if you can't compare uncorrelated Color Temperatures, the percentage of photo-synthesis light available is alot better than either one.
So the Question is, Which combination of 2 bulbs gives the best amount of available light?
I have read quite a bit on light and how it works, but this is just kinda the concept i have in my head.
To me it seems as though in theory the blue light provides the best all-round use able light, but lacks between 30%-60% light from about 580nm-680nm. I may be completely wrong because i'm just looking at the numbers and have no experience, but based on the Charts Hortilux has given out, it seems to get (almost) "full-Spectrum" light you would need to have a bulb that covered 550-680nm of light pretty heavily (compared to their lights this wouldn't be hard but they focused the light 560nm(roughly 90% relative energy)-640nm(roughly 20% relative energy)). We miss out on the most important light from 640nm-680nm (90-95% usable peak). The trick is to add usable light together from the Bulbs (I have some great easy graphs to read, the uploads aren't as good).
Obviously you can't have "Full-Spectrum Light" with 2 Super HPS or 2 Dual Arc. Even using one of each of those wouldn't give us the results we want and you can see that pretty clearly on those tiny graphs. So we have to have a Base Blue light which by itself covers more than half the color of light were looking for, and a Super HPS/Dual Arc to top off the rest of the spectrum. To me it seems like both lights would get the job done with the Blue, but the Super HPS has higher lumen out-put, is more evenly rounded, and doesn't have an excess amount of In-fared light.
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but since the Super HPS makes up for the lack of lumens from the Blue light (as if it were 2 dual arc) and provides almost a complete range of lighting color (unlike 2 dual arc), wouldn't that be the better choice?
Lightings one of those things that i want to keep addressing but i need to move on lol
Please put me in line if that was a complete noob statement, just curious! =)

 

[Vanilla Kush]

Supplies List Continued...
Measurement Meters
2x Ecoplus Thermometer/Hygrometer---$24.95x2=$49.90(2)
1x Accurate pH: 8 Soil pH/Moisture meter---$74.95
x1 Water pH/Ec (temperature)---cheap but very reliable? please
1x Plant Light Intensity meter---$29.95
I need to find a reasonably priced Co2 controller that doesn't release when the fans are on and at night. It would be Super Super helpful to me if someone that's taken apart a couple of these to suggest something. We have some experts on Controllers on 420 for sure (Whiskey Papa has a journal). I will probably just filter the flower room into the veg, so it really won't be wasted too much.
-Whats an average price for a reliable Co2 Controller with Photocell/works with fans?

The ideal situation for the controller would be one that could have the fans recirculate and cool the air to a slight temperature lower than you want, then shut off giving the Co2 more time to release and settle, without making the room too hot or stuffy.
I'm talking very small temperature differences, would the slight variation with heavy Co2 breaks would strengthen the girls or hurt them? At the same time the air in the room doesn't have to stop recirculating as long as they get exactly what the need. I want to find the perfect formula for my area, and Co2 temperature release, but...
1. I don't know how to go about that exactly. How do you know when to vent: based on the area size, how many plants there are, the Co2 levels, temperature of the air, and how often the air gets "used up".
-Basically i just want to learn how to find the perfect balance, or Limit (for all the ex-Calculus humorist), on the amount of times the plants need the air to recirculate for potential-growth to be met(at least for the day)
- Then Co2 Utilization will be at it's full potential. The minimum-maximum necessity effect.
2. Would it be cheaper and as effective to still buy parts, but still make it D.I.Y?
Here's what I'm thinking...
I need to control the amount of CO2 and when it's released based on the ventilation. So instead of connecting the CO2 tank, gauge, and sensor to their own unit, just connect it to the (outside-to-inside) air venting with an off-switched relay. When it's not bringing or taking air, the system turns off, the vent's trigger the relay to turn on the CO2 gauge/sensor, and then the desired amount of C02 which is preset is released. When the temperature or air needs to Ventilate the vent system turns back on and shuts off the CO2 release gauge. Also when i first started researching i thought i needed a photocell sensor in what ever i was getting, but i feel it would be more efficient to just plug the sensor/gauge into a scheduled timer that's in-sync with the lights, which would then connect into the off-switch relay. I'm stuck on how to regulate the amount of CO2 in the air cost effectively.. This optimum growth CO2 system might regulate the PPM in the air itself.. They beat around the bush and don't tell you anything..
Has anyone done this before? or can tell me if it would work?

Thank you all so much ponder that and let me know if i missed any types of meters! Peace!

 

[Vanilla Kush]

Long time no post. So i am going to test my lighting idea's and record my results on my own, in a journal. Look out for it ill be doing a very expansive one. Everythings set, Clones are getting ready, and i forgot to mention the 6000w + a T5 VHO bad boy. seriously look out for it, and learn what you can from this ramble of a post lol