So I’m starting my first grow i already have a grow journal up but I need help picking my lights
I’m growing in a 4x2 tent and will be using foxfarm OF
I am germinating 5 seeds for this grow 2 blue dream ,1 blue haze 1 blue cheese and 1 green crack.
So I’m kinda on a tight budget so I need an effective light thats no to expensive maybe $160 at most. I know thats very low for a light budget but its all I can do right now please help 
Well…
A 4’x2’ is going to be tight for 5 plants. I was growing 2 in my 4’x2’ and it still got tight. You’ll have to keep them small and flip fairly early or you will run out of room.
Back to the question.
You’ll need 400 actual watts of blurple/cmh/hps lighting to properly flower those plants In that tent . I don’t recommend the cmh/hps due to heat issues.
You’ll need 240ish watts of high efficacy leds for that space. You will not find that for $160.
If you can budget more in the future, the plants will veg adequately under less lighting. Meaning, buy half of what you need now, and the other half just before flowering. Is this a reasonable scenario?
Are you comfortable with diy, or do you want simple plug-n-play?
I just bought 3 of these lights. 1 for added light in my 4x8 and 2 for another tent I am setting up. They don’t have cree 660nm reds in them but you can always supplement that. I have 4 of the lights that are a step up from these with the 660nm cree reds and they are growing my plants pretty good so far.
I’m a new grower also so i dont have a lot of experience just what these fine folks have taught me. They help steer you right.
I wanna grow my plants to my best ability. So if diy helps then I’m always down for more work
He might suggest HLG, they have the DIY kits I love mine, and a LOT of people here use them but I know NOTHING about lights, but… @dbrn32 Is like the light Guru around here. Seems if anyone has a light question, it’s usually directed towards him. I tagged him so maybe he will be along shortly! But drinkslinger is right, thats not much money to work with for that big space
I think drinkslinger hit nail on head. $160 is tight to do anything with good leds. Even a DIY light built for that probably be closer to $300 without some really big discount codes.
Spider Farm, Mars Hydro and a few others have some good, affordable lights.
I seriously considered the Bloomspect and Viaspar lights. You would need two of them for your tent, but you could potentially do that for around $160-170.
I have also seen this on AMXZN. LM301B LED Board 240W. Really affordable, but not sure about the quality. The components purport to be the same ones in some higher end lights. Might be worth looking at.
FWIW, I did my first grow with a blurple light that I understand now was way too little. I still got a decent yield. I’m growing just for myself and sharing with friends. Good luck with your grow!
thanks but i was wonder can I do a mars hyrdo with a bloomspect in the same tent? @Eyes_of_the_World
I’m on my first grow also I’m running 2 Mars hydro ts600’s in a 2x4 tent and so far they seem to be doing a good job but its early in the grow and I’m a noob but the ts600 is only $79.
Yes, sure you can grow with those.
But why spend money on mediocre lights? It will not be cheaper in the long run.
Buy a good light up front. You will not regret it.
Thats the light i have right now and I’m nout to buy the second one for my tent