Hi everyone at ILGM, I’m a first time grower .I have been reading everything I can find on Marijuana Growing .So I think I’m ready .I just got my tent ,it’s a Vivosun 48x48x80, with a Vivosun 6" 390cfm fan and carbon filter. My seeds are on the way ( 10 Amnesia FAST Feminised Seeds and 3 White Widow Feminised). I’m only growing 4 to 6 plants at a time ,so I think this is good for starters. I got 7 gal grow bags coming this week. I will be ordering Nutrients and meters after my seeds take. My question is lighting (I know another newbie question that probably has been asked a Million times ). I am a Newbie, so here it go.I’m down to 2 lighting setups Viparspectra 1200W Led grow light (520W actual watt consumption) or 2 Mars Hydro TS 1000W Led grow light (2 x 150W actual watt consumption), Rule of thumb is to go with the setup with the most actual light consumed .But should I factor the quality of the Led’s and the actual light that is produced and not the amount of power that is burned. What Would You do ,and if you have a better setup,please let me know. Everytime I make a major purchase ,someone points out something better afterwards.
Ditch buying the Viparspectra lights. HLG 260xl rspec x 2 is for a 4x4 tent. I retired my Vipar lights.
Only way you can grow 6 plants just won’t happen. I have tried 4 plants and it didn’t end well for 2’of the plants.
thank you MrPeat looking into the light you suggested
I will second what Mr Peat said. I’m verging a four x four under an HLG 260xl and couldn’t be happier. Two would be ideal for a 4x4 in flower. The 550 would be nice also, but ultimately you will have a much better footprint with two 260xl’s. Aside from that, they are also upgradeable. Welcome to the community. There is much to be learned here.
OH My, HLG 260xl are $360 each. This is going to change my budget %#@##!!!
thank you for the reply
The most important item is the lights. Under 2 x 260xl rspec can yield up to 2 lbs off 3 Photoperiod plants.
Look at my profile picture you will see me holding around a 7’6” plant grown indoors. 
I know , I was hoping on something much cheaper.I was doing this with my Mad money (money my wife don’t know about LOL). Looks like it’s a trip to the bank
Save yourself the trouble and get 2 260xl rspct or get the the vipars first and find out you need better lights later then upgrade, wish I would of read more and bought once my 2 600 viparspectra are retired on the shelf
Unfortunately good lighting is not cheap.
If you were to go with either blurple led panels you’d need 800watts at the wall to effectively flower in a 4’x4’. So you’d still have to buy more lights if you went that way, and their efficacy would be much lower than an hlg light for almost the same money upfront…
Hlg qbs are fantastic plug n play lights.
If you’re on a tight budget, and not afraid of some diy, you can build similar lights for around $1/watt. ( approx $550-$600 to light your 4’x4’).
Thank you for the advice ,I just cashed a couple of stocks ,so I have a couple of days before it hit my bank account. That give me some time to look for a deal on HLG’s. I’m about to go get some tums
The hlg 260 r-spec were around $350. That’s $700
If you bought the viparspectra 1200, you’d also need another 300watts, so you’d need the viparspectra 600 also. That’s $530
You’ll save $170 in electric costs before the end of your first grow with the hlgs vs the vipars. Just to put it in perspective. .
I just jumped on the quantum board bandwagon but I have nothing bad to say about my viparspectra 900w. It always grows a nice healthy plant start to finish @KoolHandLuke
@KoolHandLuke
The money spent on proper lighting is worth every penny.
Just imagine growing for 2 months all excited for that grow and when its dried and ready the buds are fluffy almost weird compared to what your used to seeing they aren’t sticky as they should be. Weird like wtheck did I do wrong… improper lights.
Then there were hlg’s , imagine as your growing for 2 months all happy at what you see, it’s still 2 weeks off from harvesting, the buds are hard as a rock making your fingers sticky and filling the air with awesome dankness. You are so estatic because somehow you have grown buds that are better than what you see at the dispensary. As the next few weeks go on your absolutely amazed at how they are filling in and getting even bigger. How in tf did I grow these awesome bad a$$ buds you think to yourself. And in your mind you answer yourself.
DUH, I got bad a$$ lights !!!
I’m the type of person ,when my brakes need to be done .I change all four and the rotors .Spend now to save later. So I get it ,I had my little paper with my purchase schedule on it. Every penny accounted for .What a joke .Live and learn ,that why I’m here asking questions.
Blurple panels can grow good buds. The problem is most people that buy them are novices. So combine teething cultivation issues with the misleading marketing that usually has grow areas underlit, and voila medicre results.
But, why spend good money on lights that are of questionable quality (don’t get me started on those amazon sellers) that use 30% more electricity?
This of course is without delving into spectral differences.
I went old school, am very happy I did. You want more info, let me know.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P8P51ZQ/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_i_dWU1Eb2XKPE1B
He can sprout excess seeds and cull them down to 4. In the grand scheme of things, this isn’t a bad idea.
That was beautiful and my experience exactly I also jumped on hlg wagon and won’t ever go back
@MrPeat will the HLG-600H Quantum Board V2 R-Spec DIY Kit - 620 Watt be a better setup it’s only $20 more