Lighting Decisions

I’ve discussed my lighting issues before on the forum and have been watching different lighting threads. I would love to build my own but it is out of my price range right now. This is my current lighting situation. I am using CFL’s 5 x 23w 5000 - 6500 k per plant for veg in my 5 gallon containers. I have 5 of these and the girls veg very well. I usually veg from 4 to 6 weeks in these containers. As the girls grow I add more spacers and the bucket gets taller.

Bloom is where I need some advice. I have a 2 x 4 tent for bloom only. Right now I have a variety of lights in there to get up to the 400 actual watts I need. I have 1-ufo led 37 actual watt, 1-ufo led 54 actual watt, a home made light similar to the pic above with 5 x 23 w cfl 2700 k actual watts 105, and a home made 7 x 15 w led 3000k 109 actual watt similar to the pic below but 7 bulbs instead of 5. Thus bringing my actual wattage up to 300 watts. 95 watts short of where I would like to be. Remember this is my flowering only tent.

20180104_075237

That’s a lot of light fixtures in a 2 x 4 tent.

My thinking is put the two ufo leds on each end. That’s 37 w and 54 w respectively and get a new led for the middle. I was thinking one of the following. Which do you think is better? Or should I put my home made lights on either end of the tent and a new light in the middle. Or should I scrap all the lights and just get two smaller LED’s. I want to keep it around the $250 Canadian dollar mark $190 USD. In hindsight I wish I would have saved all my money and just purchased a good light but like many other new growers you try to make do. Then in the long run you end up spending more money.

Which is better do you think for my setup? Which is the better light?

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01120QACI?tag=greenrel-20

https://www.amazon.ca/MarsHydro-Spectrum-Indoor-Growth-Flowering/dp/B0122VD5ZG?tag=greenrel-20

All opinions are appreciated. @dbrn32 @Donaldj

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I believe Donald found a couple of pretty reasonable fixtures that would be in your price range via amazon ca. I don’t remember which ones though, so hopefully he can help.

Not sure what you’re experience with the homemade fixtures using led bulbs has been? But. They appeared to be as good as any budget led panel on a per watt level.

I haven’t been over to par horta I’m a while, do they offer any single cob lights for you guys? One of them to supplement your other lights would be a really good start to heading in the direction you want.

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