Hi , just starting out and learning a lot here ! Have a 4 x 4 x 8 ft tent ( 32sq. ft.) I currently have a one Viparspectra 900watt led light for 7 plants , I know I need another light to get around that 50 per sq. ft . mark , should I buy another 900 watt or 2- 450 watt led lights ? I’m thing of staying with Vipar line as good /bad or otherwise the light spectrum will stay the same . Have a small 2 x 4 grow tent for seedlings/clones and then move plants to this tent and hope to max out and utilize the full size of it . Thoughts ?
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4x4 is only 16 sq ft. So if you do the 50w per square foot then you need 800 true watts. Not sure but I believe the vipar 900 is only around 400w true, give or take. Me, personally would use more smaller units to spread out to Max out light coverage. I myself, have around 500 true watts in a 2x3 tent. With the viparspectras, I had a couple, heavy on the blue side. But they have a new 300w model with more red. So, if it was me, I’d put the heavy blue 900 in the middle and surround it in heavy red 300s. Just my take @baddog
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Sorry , 8 x 4 for 32 sq. ft . , my thoughts were somewhat the same that two smaller lights would spread the light more evenly . Not sure about Viparspectra new “par” line up , but this is just a starting and learning point for us so don’t want to get to carried away. Thanks !
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So your tent is a 4x4 area or 4x8 area? The height doesn’t really matter, that would be calculating cubic feet and not necessarily important for lights. Another thing you’re going to want to do if using that method to determine lighting coverage, is use the actual power consumption of the fixtures. Not the model.
4x8 , have plans to max the tent out in the future but this a stepping stone to hopefully going commercial at some point in the future so don’t want to get carried with top of the line equipment for now . Just thought wiih two smaller lights I could turn off lights depending on the number of plants in there at any given time .
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Well with going by Watts per square foot you need about four of 900w models to be in the neighborhood of 50 Watts per square foot. And based on the advertised par levels, you shouldn’t really expect each fixture to flower more than a 2x2’ well. The par 600 looks to perform a little better. As far as the performance per dollar, leaves a pretty big ? In my opinion.
There are times that I recommend the budget fixtures, if you’re hoping to go commercial definitely isn’t one of them. You’ll spend $1000 to get it kinda sorta decent, and then ditch it later? Doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. It’s your money though, spend it however you feel is best.
In my opinion you’d probably be better off going with two air cooled 600 watt mh/hps rigs for the cost. You’ll at least be inline with what the majority of commercial grows run. If you’re dead set on led, you’ll be $1000 ahead to just buy a commercial fixture now and get into a 2nd one later.
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A 4x4x8 with a 600w hps and a light mover would give you 2 pds of weed . The light mover will cut down on surface heat to a scrog and allow the light to be a foot closer. Then you only have one light and a lot of smoke. But just my thoughts 
Good luck 
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I agree with you dbrn32 … I’d like to buy it all the first time and do it " right" unfortunately where I live it may not be legal for another 3-4 years and with technology I can see the price of lights getting better and cheaper in that time period so I’m trying to buy decent stuff and hopefully resell later on .
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@baddog to answer your original question if it was me i would go with the two smaller fixtures set 900 center and flank both sides with a 450 watt fixture
That would give you a better light spread
You are using decent lights for plug and play set up
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I got you bro. I wouldn’t be real concerned with targeting a certain amount of watts per square foot then. Do something like @Countryboyjvd1971 suggested and get some coverage. It won’t be the most ideal intensity to flower a ton of plants under, but you can get a good chunk of your square footage in play.
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The proble is; You have the wattage but, not the footprint to cover 8’ Look into a 4’ light rail (mover) by hydrofarm. Maybe even a 6’. 4’ would still; cover the far edges of the ten fairly well.
You are on the right track either way. 2-450watters would be great
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“Light mover”???
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Thanks for the help ! I’ll probably go with two 450 watt led’s then .
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@baddog. Another way to help would be making a barrier of some kind, cut the tent size down. Get a sheet of mylar and tape up, make your 8x4 tent into a 4x4 tent till you get the hang of it. Best of luck to ya
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If you were going to do that. a 2-3’ section would be better to for a veg area, and use 5-6’ for flower. 
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Hornhead … I was thinking that or was going to ask as I have a few plants
a little farther behind but am close to flipping the switch to flowering
for the others . Get up and going I hope to not be in that situation …
but for now ?
Like latewood said, one for vegg one for flower would be ideal, but, you really have to make sure no light leaks thro
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Light rail light mover
Growsun Adjustable Indoor Moving Grow Light Mover Kit With Motor And 7ft Rail For Hydroponic Lighting System
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EC1Y7D8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_VqkFAbVDJTW1K?tag=greenrel-20
Double your yeild for half the watts and half the heat… cost about the same as any hps set up or ok led.
A good friend of mine is getting 2.5 pds dry , with a 600w hps on a light mover in a 3x3x6 tent useing only a/c from the house. Two setups like that and a veg room that’s about 5 pds a month dry weight.
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Is there a typo in last post? 2.5 units seems ridiculously high for 600 in any environment, especially a 3x3. And it doesn’t seem like a mover would make a lot sense in that application.
Yes sorry 3-6-6
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