400 Vs. 1000 Who Wins?

[anon333]

Efficiency at it's finest tooldini! yeah the grow room will be a nice upgrade for you im' sure.

[tooldini]

I was wondering about the UVB thing and wondered why nobody that i have heard of hangs some fixtures with UVB bulbs. You could have a few smaller fixtures pointing to all sides of your grow. I have also been wondering about the Actinic03 bulbs used for growing coral in reefs. Has anyone used these

[tooldini]

1 week from sprout about 3/4" tall LOL 2-3 sets of leaves. One more week and into a micro bubblegrow. From seed to harvest should be around 9-10 weeks I think. It is very fun growing I think I like this almost more than smoking.

[Hempcheff]

i was lucky enough to afford a new 1k light last week, i cant express how shocked i am at the increase in the cola sizes after such a short time, cant wait till harvest. as soon as i get organized, ill post all from my first grow. i cant believe ive had success, and i owe it all to these forums!

 

 

 

lol, im too excited

[GanjaWarrior]

1500 ...... boooty i say, booty. Much rather have three 600 watters.

[badbert]

A very wise (prominent grower on another grow site I frequent)grower once explained it to me like this... If the night sky were filled with 400 watters like they were stars and there was only one 1000 watter in the whole sky, it would stand out like the moon. The name of the game is penetration, that doesn't mean just through the canopy. But also the amount of light that penetrates the leaves. hold a big fan leaf up to a light and you will see that light does show through it. The more light that penetrates through the leaves, the more energy the plant has to produce buds and resin. You can increase coverage with more 400 watters, but they do not add together to increase penetration.

 

One of the coolest growers I know, has a single 1000 watt vertical naked bulb. Hanging in the middle of his room with trees growing around it. Every couple of days he waters and turns the trees. And he harvests huge amounts from each tree!

[fluffygrrrl]

Thought Id add my $0.02 for anyone reading this thread and deciding on a light. Ive never even seen a 1000w in all its glory so I have nothing to comment. I use a quality 400hps (lumatek) and produce a supply of meds that is pretty consistent with my medical needs. Perpetual system, harvesting every 2 weeks or so. Usually 2-3 oz a plant and room for 6 ladies under it. I cant afford the light or the electric bill from a 1000, 125w cfl in veg and 400hps in flower seems to meet my needs so far.

 

I use 1000w, always have and agree it is all about the penetration of light. I'm using verticals in my next tree grow. you can place a 400 much closer to the plant it is just about the same amount of lumens 1 foot away, and a 1000w 2 feet away (according to the growers bible) I just got 30 400w metal halides for $200, and have been trying to figure out the best way to use them. I'd like to know more how you do it wing ding. I want to try a perpetual grow. Do you grow on a e&f tray? 3 oz is pretty good for 400w, how long do you veg? Do you scrog?

[PadroPadro]

I use 1000w, always have and agree it is all about the penetration of light. I'm using verticals in my next tree grow. you can place a 400 much closer to the plant it is just about the same amount of lumens 1 foot away, and a 1000w 2 feet away (according to the growers bible) I just got 30 400w metal halides for $200, and have been trying to figure out the best way to use them. I'd like to know more how you do it wing ding. I want to try a perpetual grow. Do you grow on a e&f tray? 3 oz is pretty good for 400w, how long do you veg? Do you scrog?

 

 

 

 

30lights for 200 bucks? Can I have a few pleeeeease....

 

Also, I disagree with the whole placing 400 watts closer. I use air cooled hoods on my 1000s and plants can be placed less than a foot from the glass. Yields will be higher the more watts we use. I always feel that 400s equals more coverage 1000s equals larger yields.

[Mememe]

I was wondering about the UVB thing and wondered why nobody that i have heard of hangs some fixtures with UVB bulbs. You could have a few smaller fixtures pointing to all sides of your grow. I have also been wondering about the Actinic03 bulbs used for growing coral in reefs. Has anyone used these

Big fire/explosion hazard using MH w/o glass, not to mention damage to your eyes, for such a small increase. Effort outweighs benefit.

[fluffygrrrl]

30lights for 200 bucks? Can I have a few pleeeeease....

 

Also, I disagree with the whole placing 400 watts closer. I use air cooled hoods on my 1000s and plants can be placed less than a foot from the glass. Yields will be higher the more watts we use. I always feel that 400s equals more coverage 1000s equals larger yields.

 

 

Try craigs list, there are so many gymnasiums, schools, etc changing out their mh for t5's for energy efficiency. They had these listed for 40 then $30 each, nobody was buying them,, so after a month, I offered to take them all off his hands, with the bulbs too. They are attached to the ballast with a huge dome reflector, but it wasn't too hard to take them apart, to make a remote ballast, and just hang bare bulb.

 

I didn't mean that you have to put your 1000's 2 feet away, I air cool mine too, and my plants are very close. I hang a 12" string from mine. The grow bible just points it out that if you do have your 1000 watters 2 feet away, you might as well have 400 watts at 1 foot away. They said it was better to have 3 400 watters together. I've never tried it, but I'm going to. I've always used 1000's.

 

I'm setting up a vertical grow with 1000w hps, and then going to hang the 400 mh around the plants in different heights. I'll have full spectrum lights, so I'm hoping this will come out bangin

[The Digital Nomad]

Folks regardless of wattages used keep this little gem in mind... The Inverse Square Law

 

 

According to the inverse square law, the intensity of light radiating from a point source (in this case a bulb) is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source. So if an object is twice as far away, it receives only 1/4 the light. Cheers Danxy

 

Good job Danxy,

 

to better explain this I use the 80,000 lumen bulb as an example. At one foot, the bulb does provide 80,000 lumens. But at 2 feet away, at 1/4th the lumens left due to distance - you have 20,000 lumens.

 

Considering that flowering plants can do very well with 10,000 lumens (per Jorge Cervante's book) you have a nice growing range - with an aircooled light - you have at least two feet of very quality light. (thats the two feet under the light) So you FIM and LST your plants to grow in this two foot area, lollipop the lower section that will be far under the 10,000 lumen range.

 

Do you get more yeild with a 1k system? The 1k system, running at say 100,000 lumens just means you get more lumen depth - so now you can grow bigger, denser bushes as the lumens will calculate into a three-foot optimum growing area under the light. But - if you don't have the room for the extra growth, and vent to displace more heat - its not worth adding the more powerful light. I prefer 600watt systems and use two.

 

Also consider you can still only fit so many plants under one reflector. 3- 4 plants under one light is the rule, regardless of wattage (HID). If you have so much money and space, you might be better off with 2- 600watt systems (bigger light footprint, more plants under them).

 

Plants seem to grow inches (or 1 inch even) under the aircooled 600watt just fine. Sunleave's Sun Spot 8" and Easy Cool 8" (love them due to the hinged glass door). I believe those distance rules (2 feet from a 600watt?!) applies to uncooled, exposed reflectors - aircooled is the way to go for small to medium grow rooms.

 

-DN

[+420Atheist]

I'm going to upgrade my 400 watt to 600 watts based on Jorge Cervantes book. Not only are the 600 watt lights more efficient (lumens per watt) but two points of light reduce shadows over a single point of light. Cervantes also shows in his book that a 600 watt can deliver as much light as a 1000 watt lamp using the same reflector. Now he uses the word "proves" it delivers as much light. I will not go that far since I think to prove it you must use a more scientific approach. None the less his arguments are convincing and I would recommend anyone interested in the subject get his book.

[PadroPadro]

Here we go: 2 WORDS- LIGHT....Rail.

 

one 1000 on a light rail will beat 400s and 600s. I read Cervantes multiple 400s being better explanation and it does make more sense unless you have a light rail. Also, for our patients with the 12 plant max, multiple small lights might not get the yield they need.

 

After talking to a local hydro store owner, I was convinced that for michigan the true best solution is a heated/cooled outdoor greenhouse