(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best plant growing light bulbs

>What you have here is a cycle that's not complete. I know this can take a while (I actually just finished having my students run an experiment cycling tanks over a similar timespan, and not all the tanks finished the cycle). There's all the necessary bacteria there, they just haven't grown enough yet to process all the ammonia.

Phew! Good to know that this is probably incomplete cycling and not something else.

>You could change about half the water, but time and more plants are your best allies here.

I'll be patient and keep taking readings

>9 plant seedlings aren't going to eat all those nitrates, so that's why those levels are so high. Encouraging plant growth and adding some more plants will help. What's your lighting like? That's a mistake I've made before. You can also add more plants into your gravel to help get things rolling...pothos vines are a classic aquarist trick. Or just jam a ton more seedlings/seeds in there so they are crowded in. You can always weed out the spares later as some get bigger. And make sure they have enough light to grow...plants that aren't growing won't take up many nutrients.

I'll get to planting then! I have this LED light by the way.

>You are good, bacteria are tough. A bit of tap won't hurt them.

Thank heavens.

>It's almost never a good idea to screw around with pH. Just leave it be.
>
>Really, the best thing you can do is wait. I know it sucks to not have fish but at least you should be able to grow plants in there! So wait, but focus on getting good, healthy, vigorous plant growth. Once that's in place you should be good to go on the fish side of things.

Sounds good. I'm glad to hear this is a watch and wait situation.

Thanks for all your help!

I use plastic Rubbermaid storage containers and 2" net pots. I had room to drill 8 holes with enough spacing for plants to grow. It takes a minute for the plants to establish roots but once they do, its non stop productivity.

I start out from seeds using rockwool cubes. Soak the cubes in water, add a seed to each one. Place them in something like this with a heat pad so they germinate faster. http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-CK64050-Germination-Station-Heat/dp/B000HHO1RO/

I let the plants germinate and grow for about 2 weeks, manually watering the rockwool cubes, with the cover on them you don't have to worry about them drying out very fast. Then when they look good, i put them in the 2" net pots, add some clay hydroponic pellets as well.

Now in the Rubbermaid storage box, make sure its not clear, if light gets in, it will create algae. I just use regular tap water to fill it up. Then use a cheap air stone, connected to a little air pump. This will create air bubbles in the water, the roots need to breath, more bubbles the better.

Then I will add the nutrients, I paid 15 dollars for two bottles I use. Just cheap, vegetative solution. Its not very powerful because lettuce and herbs don't need to flower. Now for this part I have two devices I use. A pH pen, and a PPM pen. pH pen will tell you how acidic your water is, the PPM pen will tell you how powerful your Rubbermaid water reservoir is. I use this handy little chart to tell me what the pH as well as the PPMs should be for growing what. http://www.homehydrosystems.com/ph_tds_ppm/ph_vegetables_page.html

Those two pens costs about 15 bucks each on amazon, you don't HAVE to have them, but it makes things a lot easier. If the pH is too high or too low, they have bottles of pH Up and pH Down, a few drops will get it to where it needs to be.

So now that the water has the nutrients going, and air stone making bubbles, I put the lid of the Rubbermaid back on with the 8 holes I had previously drilled. Then add the 2" net pots with the plants growing. The roots will break through the rockwool and end up floating in the water, the more roots, the faster your plant will grow.

You can do this outside, but during the winter where I live inside is the only option. There are a ton of options, but I choose LED. Its the most expensive option, but they use next to nothing on your power bill, they also don't create much heat at all. The life span of LEDs are also incredible, something like running 24/7 for ten years.

Here is a cheap light that works good. Just hang the light up close to the plants, add a timer for 18 hours a day.
http://www.amazon.com/Galaxyhydro-Light-60x3W-Spectrum-9-Band/dp/B00NL9UZA2/

Check out http://www.reddit.com/r/hydro/

tldr - I trim off an entire head of "Gourmet Blend lettuce" each week, will grow back by in about 7 days, if you have 8 plants going it can be a lot of free, low maintenance food

> yes, the full spectrum diodes are just a red and a blue one in the same package



"Full spectrum" can be defined multiple ways but most certainly does not necessarily mean red/blue LEDs in the same package.

These junk LEDs are blue with a red/far red phosphor, for instance.

The LED dissipates most the heat. If you have a 50% electrically efficient LED at 100 watts on the LED then 50 watts is nothing but heat.

Quality dimmable power supplies like the HLG Mean Well series will be above 90% efficient. Other quality non-dimmable like the Mean Well NPF series may be upper 80's% efficient.

The dimmable LDD series Mean Well power supplies are about 96% efficient.

I asked a similar question the other day (sorry), but I don't feel like I have a good grasp on which light I should get... I've looked through the overwinter thread and tried to do even more research but I'm still feeling unsure.

Plan to get succulents for indoor. They won't get much light from the window that is nearby. Don't know what kind of succulents I'll be getting yet specifically, but hoping for pink. Out of these three LEDs, which would be best? They seem a bit similar to me but since I'm new and feeling overwhelmed with lighting, I would like some extra opinions.

Option 1 - 35w

Option 2 - 25w

Option 3 - 36w

Thank you!

Ok so here's my more detailed post like promised.

Generally I like to keep the grow room around high 70 F - low 80 F during the day and low 60 F at night with humidity around 70-75%. Most orchids and carnivorous plants love this setting.

This is my carnivorous grow area. There used to be a lot more fly traps here but since they are now in the fridge for winter dormancy, this has been turned into a nepenthes and orchids sanctuary. I take most of my pictures here simply because it has the best light. I used a fixture of 4 T5HOs Agrobite with 3 6500k and 1 2700k to cover a wider range of spectrum.

This is my display area. I like to put my blooming orchids on this stand which also is very close to my computer so I could catch the orchids fragrances occasionally. For this I use this stand and a grow light.

This is my regular phal rack. There are 3 like this one, where my non-blooming phals live (and blooming too if I run out of place at my display stand). I use this as my main light and extra supplement grow lights same as above.

They’re very basic gooseneck grow lights that I use for supplemental light. The room these are in is pretty bright without them but I find my succulents need a bit of extra light and these have been a perfect solution! I also have this growlight for my bottom tier succulents. They’re by no means the best lights but they work well for me!

u/lemonycrab u/globalcatterson

Excellent!

Right now they sit under an 18 watt LED: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZY7WSPS?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

I do have a more powerful LED light that is 80 watt: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07586GP6J?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

Any idea if this would be better? Or too strong?or maybe non-LED would be better? Now that it is getting sunnier up north again I can put it in the window, but it would be good to know about the bulbs.

Thank you!

So the one you see on the top is this one:


Winjoy Grow Light, 30W LED Grow... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JLJFWNY?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share


But my plants don’t love it, they kind of put up with it. They seem to do better with this light but they only come with two heads and the cart needs three for good coverage.


Grow Light, Ankace [2018 Upgraded... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H57K565?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share


The succs stress better with this second light than they do with the first one too! The third row I have this lamp for my light hogs.


50W LED Grow Light,Growstar... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LF21378?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share


I only keep one side on at a time because I’m afraid to melt my plants but I just got this one and am a novice user!

Hope this helps you decide on one! I know how tedious it is to pick some lamps out, especially online.

Your setup looks pretty good. I was wondering what zone you are growing in, or if you want to share your general geographical area? My climate is very dry and as soon as the vents kick on all of my humidity vanishes. I've concluded that I need to isolate a flow of air to only cool the lights, but I'm using Quantum board LEDs so they don't really rig up to existing inline fan housing for lights but if you are growing with HID, you can get your system into something like this where you can cool the bulb only and let your humidity from your machine remain unaffected.

What do you think?

Wow glad people like it! It's a pretty simple build. It's a 30 Gal bucket lined with aluminum foil (should probably switch to mylar). Then I just used a 36W red & blue LED bulb for lighting and 2 PC fans for a dual exhaust.

Here's the light for those interested: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0179C60DW/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2T4AC5HECXJLR

It was on sale for $21 when I nabbed one, but there's plenty of others at a better value now if you browse around.

Thank you! That bulb looks great, although i don't think i can handle the purple. I'll see what COB i can find in white. Is this similar? seems too cheap but....

https://www.amazon.com/MFXMF-Daylight-Vegetables-Greenhouse-Hydroponic/dp/B07RKTQ355/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=cob+led+grow+bulb&qid=1561993233&s=gateway&sr=8-5

​

For the lights i got, they are all 4 heads facing the 1 small Serissa about 4" away. Glad to hear that's not too close! I can still return them though cuz i just got them, so if that bulb is better then i'll get it if a similar one comes in white/yellow. Purple would make me crazy.

I'm shopping for an office setup for a couple of specimens of Stapelia: S. hirsuta and S.grandifola. Thanks to those who provided some early feedback on what I'd need.

Specifically, I'm going to be buying a grow-light for my office. I anticipate having a total of 3 succulents, each in 6" or 8" clay pots. Substrate will be Bonsai Jack Succulent Cactus Soil Gritty Mix #111 -- the relative high cost of this soil is OK since I won't need much, and I'm hoping for a good setup.

I'm having difficulty picking a grow light. For several reasons, I want to go with LED grow lights, and not fluorescent tubes. What I need help with is the wattage of lighting that I'll need; I want sufficient light, but don't want to fry the plants.

I'm thinking about this 100W grow LED bulb, which I'll mount over the plants. Is this a good wattage, or should I be looking at something like this 300W enclosed LED kit?

Thanks! -- Dan

Thank you for your answer.

>But loose, undense buds are a sign of not enough light.

My guy was sure it was the light and I trust him completely. He does not use a bucket though.

>2 on your list that specifically mentions the CREE CXB3590 is the only light that I would consider. If it really is running at 100 watts then that would be overkill for a five gallon bucket. Secondary optics on the COB really is not desirable for Space Buckets, though.

Thank you very much for your answer, the description in this one says:

>pcs 100W CXB3590 or Citizen ClU48-1212(wall draw power: about 50watts)*

And the cover can easily be removed by removing the four screws.

Would you recommend that one over the Niello UFO that you have? I do not use side lightning. What kind of harvest do you get with it? I'm leaning towards the UFO as it would be the easiest to install in my current setup. I found a bunch of very good reviews for this very similar one.

>A light that can not be beat otherwise would be a DIY COB. Growmau5 on YouTube has a bunch of videos on building COB LED grow lights that actually has a high amount of competence in this field.

I understand that, but I'm looking for minimum hassle.

>A major mistake that I see a lot of people making who build COB lights is that they will not spend $20 on a light meter to dial in the height of the COB from the plant.

Thanks again, I'll keep your guides in mind!

I paid ~90 for mine, but I only use about half the wattage with the plants getting a little bit of sun from my front window as well.

You could also try a Par 30 LED lamp but they are 35w and dont have the spread that the other fixture has. I think it would work great for a small grouping of plants with some window light.

https://www.amazon.com/Niello-5-Band-Spectrum-Indoor-5-Bands/dp/B071NWXK6R/ref=sr_1_6?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1502318489&sr=1-6&keywords=par+30+grow+lamp

What are you using now?

>Ok, so that one specifically says it’s for in-ground use. Since you are growing in containers, you should use a product that’s labeled as potting soil.

Well, shit. Maybe I can find a use for the two bags I still have...

>What specific plants are you growing that you are having trouble with?

My catnip in particular is the one that is being very fussy, for some reason. My basil and lemon balm sucks it up so far.

>The plants in your pictures look ok to me. You might want to pinch off the tops of your basil to encourage them to bush out a bit more, but other than that they seem to be doing ok. Do you have them under grow lights?

I do. This one. I am planning on adding this soon when I get a second clamp lamp.

Also, how far would you recommend pinching the tall basil plant?

Yeah... I get excited about lights sometimes. I am used to thinking in terms of my set up which has no natural light. And when I thought 'tree' I thought much bigger.

If you have some natural light you won't need nearly as much power as I suggested. I'd get the clamp light (or other lamp of your choice that can be aimed directly at the plant) and then either a CFL or if you want an LED, go up a couple sizes to be safe. Though, you might be able to get away with less depending on your windows situation.

I'm extremely green when it comes to grow lights so I really appreciate the knowledge and please forgive all the questions. Is any extra light helpful to plant health or should you try to stick to as much of a day/night schedule as you can? I assume 24 hours on would not be good but would an extra few hours of light here and there be beneficial? Is there a practical difference between "daylight" LED bulbs and something like this? Last one, could you tell me what the two circled plants are in your picture and is the highlighted missing leaf for a cutting to grow in water?

Amazon has a ton of them.

If you do go this route, make sure the fixture comes with a glass safety cover.

You don't want a bare bulb because the bulbs can break and the glass is extremely hot.

Also make sure the ballast and fixture is UL listed.

The bulb is from a company called HortiLux https://www.amazon.com/Hortilux-Daylight-Halide-Ballast-Compatible/dp/B00WV8XPBK

You can throw them under a grow light in that case. I would recommend an LED light, since it wont drive the temperature up as high as a T5 fluorescent. You want it down in the 40s if possible. Amazon has good, relatively cheap LED bulbs here: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0196JMJ36/

Here is an in depth article on lighting carnivorous plants, if you want to get into the technical details: http://www.carnivorousplants.org/howto/SoilsWater/Lighting.php

GrowLED Plant Grow Light LED Indoor Garden Light, Kitchen Garden with Timer Function, 24V Low Safe Voltage, Ideal for Plant Grow Novice Or Enthusiasts, Various Plants, DIY Decoration, White Grow Light https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077ZSQRW5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_qkvGDbKZYZTQE

Here is what I just bought yesterday and got it today.

Grow Light Strip Kit 45W Including Power Supply, 4 pcs 16 Inches LED Grow Light Strips with Extension Cables, Mounting Accessories for Greenhouse,Grow Shelf; Easy Installation-(4-Strip-Kit) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074Y32PFZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Vn-BDbTBVXDMK
Side
Mrhua 300W LED Grow Light, LED Plant Grow Lights UFO Series Full Spectrum with CREE COB More Higher Par Value for Indoor Plants Hydroponic Greenhouse Veg Bloom Flowering Seedling to Harvest https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077YL98KB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ds-BDbB86XSKQ
Main. Not too bad for a 300w ufo

Thanks! How much power does something like this draw compared to 2 of these? Also, what does it mean when it says “suggested veg area 3 x 2, suggested flower area 2 x 2”....Why are they different?

https://www.amazon.com/Light-4lamps-DL824-Fluorescent-Hydroponic/dp/B009GU4RMC/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=grow+light+t&qid=1567157547&s=gateway&sr=8-3

https://www.amazon.com/Daylight-Spectrum-Vegetables-Greenhouse-Hydroponic/dp/B07RKTQ355/ref=sr_1_28?keywords=grow+light+cob&qid=1567157598&s=gateway&sr=8-28#customerReviews

A T5 or LED setup like the ones in the links should work pretty well. There are definitely still other cheaper options out there, but I haven't done my research on that end of the market so I rather not give you possibly incorrect information.

Cacti need a lot of light. Like, a lot a lot. Outdoor direct sunlight is 100,000+ lux of full spectrum. 1 lux = 1 lumen at 1 meter. I usually derate bulb specifications by 50% when estimating. A bulb that advertises 500 lumen would be 500 lux at 1m, derated by 50% would be 250 lux, or 0.25% of outdoor light.

Here is an 80W LED bulb but I doubt that lamp is rated for this. That bulb is ~4500 lumen, so let's say 2000 lux of usable light at 1m. Placing the bulb very close to the cactus will greatly increase the lux, so I bet you'd get 20,000-30,000 of lux out of that if it's very close (and depending on breed, a cactus will probably enjoy the heat).

This is an awesome website that will answer most of your questions.

Soil

Pots

Nutrients

I bought this light

I'm getting these LED strips and I plan to keep the LED strips towards the bottom of the plant.

I have three of these guys.

Definitely not the cutest, but they get the job done, lol

What are you growing and what's your heat source?

For such a small greenhouse I'd just pick up an led grow light off Amazon. You can pick one up for under $100

You could also just grab a grow light with a standard Edison base like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Morsen-Spectrum-Indoor-Greenhouse-Hydroponic/dp/B075861YV2

Then just rig up a standard outdoor light bulb socket.

Depends on what your budget is and what you're growing

i checked it's an ipower not apollo i have, i did find an ipower cool tube version. https://www.amazon.com/iPower-GLCLTB6-Littlesun-Reflector-Hydroponics/dp/B00BDGHI82/

buying the cooltube would be much cheaper than buying an led, i'll have to research how much it helps with heat.

Little bit late but would 2 of these be good

Sure. This bulb is the one I have - it will fit into a standard housing. https://www.amazon.com/Litom-Latest-Growing-Greenhouse-Hydroponic/dp/B0179C60DW/ref=cm_sw_em_r_awdtod_T3bMwb10XCJMZ_tt

Hes talking about the hood for your bulb is it sealed and attached to your exhaust? I would recommend something like this if you dont.

Edit: First hood I linked would have been too big for his tent.

I’m using this light Mrhua 300W LED Grow Light, LED Plant Grow Lights UFO Series Full Spectrum with CREE COB More Higher Par Value for Indoor Plants Hydroponic Greenhouse Veg Bloom Flowering Seedling to Harvest https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077YL98KB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_5E9CDbXT39M3K
Along with 2 5630 side lights

I had to lollipop the bottom of the plant due to humidity and air flow issues. She was extremely bushy and she still is.

They live on my other work desk under a light with some other plants. I've started putting them by the windows at night now that it's getting colder at night, after reading about their growth cycle. They're about 1/4" across.

This light: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077ZSQRW5?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Even with something like this?

It supposedly only costs 3-6 cents per 100 hours of illumination(

Cheap CoolTubes use cheap materials. You could make that work for you, and buy a small CoolTube but cut off the bottom half of each wing. Sounds like you really only want this thing to keep light from going up, not so much directing it down (with a 7' spread to try and cover).

Growstar 300W UFO Led Grow Light, Full Spectrum UV & IR Plant Light with High Par Value Cree COB Grow Light for Indoor Greenhouse Plants Gardening, Flowering (300w) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07315FTRS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Xh4kDbFR6JD6Y

This mounted at the top of bucket. Will last longer than the CFLs produce more light with less heat. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077YL98KB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_LDaEAbQKA7VA3

https://www.amazon.com/Niello-5-Band-Spectrum-Indoor-5-Bands/dp/B071NWXK6R/ref=sr_1_6?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1502318489&sr=1-6&keywords=par+30+grow+lamp

I use this one and it works incredibly well but i do NOT have H. minor so buyer beware. it is an LED and never gets hot

Hello, r/microgrowery


First time grow.


I am having a hard time on keeping my humidity up to 50%+. I currently have a seedling (about 2 weeks from germ). It is currently in a solo cup with happy frog soil/perlite. The light I am using is a MrHua 300w w/ cobb light ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077YL98KB/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_NT-EDbCMR6H6W ) The light cycle is set to 18/6. The light hangs about 2 1/2 feet above the plant and the temp in the bucket states it gets to 95 degrees. I live in a very dry climate (desert). I also have the inside lined with 3M reflective tape. I'm not sure if I'm dealing with over watering, under watering, or it's heat stress.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00NL9UZA2/


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FGFW0XO/


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01MZ3JOM1/

I use 138w for Veg, 180w for Veg and Flower, and 270w for Flower.

I know this isn't DIY, so please forgive me for that, but have you seen these? http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002NGKITW

https://www.amazon.com/Roleadro-Hydroponic-Indoor-Patio-Plants/dp/B00NL9UZA2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1481066182&sr=8-2&keywords=180W+LED+UFO

https://www.amazon.com/iPower-Inch-Cool-Reflector-Light/dp/B00BDGHI82

https://www.amazon.com/Growstar-Spectrum-Seeding-Growing-Flowering/dp/B07315FTRS/ref=mp_s_a_1_cc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1543255238&sr=1-2-catcorr&psr=EY17&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=Ufo%2Blight&th=1&psc=1

This one

http://www.amazon.com/iPower-GLCLTB6-Cool-Reflector-Add-On/dp/B00BDGHI82/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1372473626&sr=1-1&keywords=ipower+cool+tube

tldr: 26.5 x 12 x 6 inches ; 6.6 pounds