Re: Icemud Goes LED: Featuring Top LED Grow: Cherry Pie - GSC - OGiesel - SFV OG - UV
ok my space is in a 10ft x 12ft building, well insulated and climate controlled, it is equipped with a top exit 230cfm exhaust fan I have running to a spin type vent on the roof.. My entire budget for everything will be around 1500 or so, and here is sort of my list as to date.
Good 4x4 tent for flowering
Good light or lights to cover 4x4 tent for flowering. My question here, is 2 lights better than one for coverage and which ones should I use?
soil pots and nunt's
Then plumbing intake and exhaust with filtration as I live in a densely populated area of LA County here in CA, and don't trust anyone or anything...
all while keeping electrical bill in check.
For the Veg Tent, probably going to be a 2x4 for mother / clones, my question here is, is it better for me to go with an LED as well, or go the T5 route? I am not sure what would work better as a result, My thinking is the LED would probably be better here as well as far as electrical cost and results.. I was looking at that mother keeper kit listed on Fleabay that uses the T5's.
I just don't want to half ass it, I want to do it correct the first time and have watched all your videos, that helped me a TON! I also don't like weak ass soft flowers, I love my rock solid nugs, and am seriously interested in trying to find a strain that can better control my epilepsy.. 6000mg of keppera a day is facking killing me, and medical cannabis is REALLY the only thing that really helps me.
So im ready to place an order, but am so scared to pull the trigger on the wrong product. Thank You again for all you Videos and help!!!! and any advice you could throw my way is seriously appreciated. Again Love your results and vids they helped me a ton so far!
SmokeyMcfly did an excellent job responding and I would agree with what he said...
I might even recommend for your grow area to do 3 tents... a 5x5 for flowering, and 2x 2x4 tents (one for veg, the other for mothers/clones) This way you will be able to cut your cycle down in 1/2 by always having plants in flowering, and in veg at the same time and will give you a little more flexibility for your plants/strains and grows.
I found 2 tents work great, but 3 is even better,, the third being a sort of "reservoir" for your plants when you get too many strains (it happens
)
I started with 2 tents and it worked great, cut my cycle down in half. I would always clone my plants right before flipping them over to the flowering tent, and by the time the clones were ready to flower, the flowering tent would be finishing.
As far as your lighting for your 5x5 tent, I would definitely Overdo the LED than undercut it and I agree with smokey mcfly on how more smaller lights is better than 1 larger light. At this point for your budget, you should be able to get a good light setup for both tents going. I've never used CFL or Florecents so I can't really comment on them but LED work very good for veg too.
As far as brands its really hard to say, but I am really having great results with my Intelligent Gro panels. They are brighter than the mars II, (confirmed with my PAR Meter tests) and have a better spectrum, plus the ability to dim the panels...however they are pricier than the mars II, so you could probably get 2 mars II for the price of 1 Intelligent Gro...what is better though? 2 sub par lights or 1 better liight...I guess that would be really a growers decision.
If you went with the Mars II, I probably would put 2x 700w and 2x 400w in your flowering tent for optimal lighting, and use their 144x3w reflector series for veg in the 2x4 tent, and if you get a 3rd tent, another 2x4 tent.... this would run you about 1450$ which is under your budget.
If you went intelligent Gro I would go with 1x 810w for your 4x4 tent (it probably would fall short in a 5x5 thought)(Check out Graytail's journal, he is running the same setup, a 810w in a 4x4 and having pretty good results so far). And for your 2x4 veg tent you could run the 405w...This would run you around $2080, but if you use my discount code it will bring it down to around $1760 but it is only good until tomorrow and then the discount goes down to 5%. Right now its 15%. (this figure would not include a light for a 3rd tent)
As far as what setup is better, I am really liking the intelligent Gro panels, and the dimming controller function is nice for dimming the panels when full intensity isn't needed. The intelligent gro's also have a much better spectrum in my opinion with a fuller blue end and more bands.
There are other brands out there too, so I don't want to just say look at these only, because there are lots of growers here on 420 having good results with other brands...but for the 2 that I have used..that is my recommendations.
I think with the state of the LED industry, as long as you do your due diligence, whatever you choose should be good as the LED industry has come a long way over the past 4 years. My thoughts are just go with what your gut tells you, evidence from other growers confirms. With LED lighting, its more like an investment seeking ROI where the upfront cost is big, but the payoff over HID is in electrical usage, for some reduction of heat, and better quality buds.
I am sorry to hear about your ailment and It is great that cannabis give you the relief that you need and can replace the pills. I love hearing stories about how cannabis helps all kinds of people and rids their lives of the poison pharma pills!
Definitely get a grow journal started and let me know when you do, I would love to try to help where I can
Cant wait to see what happens when I actually do it correctly lol.
