I have been doing lots of reading and research but the more I do it seems the more I am getting confused. Can you guys throw out some good budget light and tent options for me to get me going on my first indoor grow. I am thinking either a 2x4 or 3x3 tent. I am not restricted on height. I would prefer LED lighting. I am located in Canada. Budget is 5-600 for lights, tent, and fans. I’ve got the pots and dirt ready to go.
Grow Room Build me a budget grow tent set up
- Thread starter Bard420
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I been running a vivosun 2x4 tent with vivosun carbon filter. I know 6 others who use this filter and like it. So far tent has went well. I ran bkurple leds cuz low budget. Dont make same mistake as me. I currently am upgrading to quantum boards. I got an HLG100. Gonna get a 135 next. Please go with a 3x3 tent because most 2x4 tents lack height. Mine is 5 feet tall and man do i wish i had another foot height.
Heres my opinions (if your not into DIY):
HLG 300 or 260 think are around 350 dollars or under. Vivoson tent for 2x4 is 76 and for 3x3 is 90. Vivosun carbon filter kit is 95. So total for this setup is abiut 535 dollars.
Othrr option is auto cobs. Cobshop has 4 packs of lights perfext for 3x3 area and afn members get 5 percent off which saves you 23 dollars. But using these lights adds an extra 100 with same tent and carbon filter so about 635.
Heres my opinions (if your not into DIY):
HLG 300 or 260 think are around 350 dollars or under. Vivoson tent for 2x4 is 76 and for 3x3 is 90. Vivosun carbon filter kit is 95. So total for this setup is abiut 535 dollars.
Othrr option is auto cobs. Cobshop has 4 packs of lights perfext for 3x3 area and afn members get 5 percent off which saves you 23 dollars. But using these lights adds an extra 100 with same tent and carbon filter so about 635.
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heya @Bard420 and
to afn! 
and well, ur gonna get a lotta suggestionz, lol 
but seriously, a lot of diff factorz come into play, like how many plantz ur wantin to grow, do u want variety, fast turnaround vs willing to bide ur time, etc...and of course, strain choice is a big part of it as well...some stay nice & manageable, otherz turn into monsterz 
haha...what knda soil u got so far & what size potz-? we'll help as best we can 
ppp &
I am thinking I will go with smaller plants to start so I can go with a bit of a variety to start but want to keep the option of growing a few bigger plants in the future. I currently have 5 gal smart pots with promix organic outside. I may use them inside but I am leaning towards an auto pot set up. I am gone for a few weeks at a time and don’t want the wife to have to water or do to much baby sitting when I’m not around.
Last edited:
Free Flow
Hydro Junkie
4x4 with 2 leds, if 600 is your budget you can build a powerful cob light for that, if diy isn't your thing look at 4 autocobs mars panels work well too.
A friend of mine runs 200w of cobs (4 clu048 1212 chips) and gets anywhere from 4-7 oz per plant running 4 rdwc buckets
My advice is invest in a good quality tent, a good quality light, and good ventilation. If you skimp from the start you will end up spending so much more in the long run. Good luck bro
A friend of mine runs 200w of cobs (4 clu048 1212 chips) and gets anywhere from 4-7 oz per plant running 4 rdwc buckets
My advice is invest in a good quality tent, a good quality light, and good ventilation. If you skimp from the start you will end up spending so much more in the long run. Good luck bro
What’s the general consensus on the mars TS 100, sp150, and sp 250? I might be Little short on change for the cobs or hlg. Is anything worth ordering direct from AliExpress? I am not in a huge rush as I don’t plan on using the tent until summer growing is done
AutoWonders
Adios People. AutoWonders Has Left the Building.
Yeah, the Autocob from www.cobshop.net is a great light. I own 6 of the 3500K, but only using 4 as yet again I moved down in tent size. They are bright lights, quiet, small and easy to move, .49 amp, low heat throw, no fans.
Mars sp250 is too big for a 3x3. Good for 2x4. If you can guarantee pkants will all be same height then this light will be fine. If noe then ir ecommend smaller boards for veratility. 2 sp150s would work. As far as ts1000. I would choose another route. If anything buy cobs as you go. Get 2 now for veg and purchase 2 more soon. As far as overseas lights they say just make sure they use the samsung chips but if anything look at the light you want then reviews based off aliexpress dhgate etc
I was in the same boat as you recently and i want to share what i got and why i got it...
Was initially planning on getting 3 or 4 COB's or an HLG QB for my 2x4 tent but my budget was limited so i ended up buying the Mars Hydro SP-250. I was a bit hesitant to go with the DIY quantum boards as i really don't like how everything is exposed on them(diodes, wiring etc.). The SP-250 is IP-65 water splash certified, has some sort of special rubbery layer over the diodes to protect them from water/humidity. And it's also plug and play which is another thing i like. That said i stilll wasn't convinced until i saw some reviews on it that confirmed how efficient the light is, the impressive results finally convinced me to pull the trigger.
I gotta say i LOVE this light, it's so damn bright and the coverage is absolutely perfect for the tent. This light is something else, still does well over 400 PAR at 30", it's white light QB technology so the canopy penetration is really deep. No more popcorn buds on lower branches for me, everything turns into very solid nugs and the frost level is insane compared to my previous outdoor grows(got a greenhouse i use during summer). For 250 bucks you won't get anything better, you have to spend alot more to match or exceed this. Or in other words, you'd have to get 4 60 watt COBs or something like the HLG 260 watt XL kit to outperform the SP-250(and even then not by much), i'll let you figure out the cost on that. If it's bang for your buck you are looking for, nothing beats the new Mars Hydro TS and SP ligths imo.
This is the coverage Migro was able to get in a 2x4 simulated tent area with reflective mylar walls, light was pulling 235 watts at the wall and i believe the hanging height was 16".
Not bad huh ?
If you want the latest and most efficient and don't mind paying extra(about 100 bucks more) and don't mind some DIY i'd step up to the HLG R spec kits or something like that, more efficent then any COB with superior spectrum, this would have probably been the route i would have taken if i had a bigger budget. Again like i said, not too excited about DIY or exposed boards. I do prefer pre-assembled COB's from that perspective.
As for the tent, i again went with Mars Hydro. I could not find any other tents with 1680D diamond mylar reflective interior for even close to the same price. The only complaint i'd have about that was the shipping on the tent was a bit high but that varies depending on the region you are in(i am in EU).
Hope this helps you out a bit.
Was initially planning on getting 3 or 4 COB's or an HLG QB for my 2x4 tent but my budget was limited so i ended up buying the Mars Hydro SP-250. I was a bit hesitant to go with the DIY quantum boards as i really don't like how everything is exposed on them(diodes, wiring etc.). The SP-250 is IP-65 water splash certified, has some sort of special rubbery layer over the diodes to protect them from water/humidity. And it's also plug and play which is another thing i like. That said i stilll wasn't convinced until i saw some reviews on it that confirmed how efficient the light is, the impressive results finally convinced me to pull the trigger.
I gotta say i LOVE this light, it's so damn bright and the coverage is absolutely perfect for the tent. This light is something else, still does well over 400 PAR at 30", it's white light QB technology so the canopy penetration is really deep. No more popcorn buds on lower branches for me, everything turns into very solid nugs and the frost level is insane compared to my previous outdoor grows(got a greenhouse i use during summer). For 250 bucks you won't get anything better, you have to spend alot more to match or exceed this. Or in other words, you'd have to get 4 60 watt COBs or something like the HLG 260 watt XL kit to outperform the SP-250(and even then not by much), i'll let you figure out the cost on that. If it's bang for your buck you are looking for, nothing beats the new Mars Hydro TS and SP ligths imo.
This is the coverage Migro was able to get in a 2x4 simulated tent area with reflective mylar walls, light was pulling 235 watts at the wall and i believe the hanging height was 16".
Not bad huh ?
If you want the latest and most efficient and don't mind paying extra(about 100 bucks more) and don't mind some DIY i'd step up to the HLG R spec kits or something like that, more efficent then any COB with superior spectrum, this would have probably been the route i would have taken if i had a bigger budget. Again like i said, not too excited about DIY or exposed boards. I do prefer pre-assembled COB's from that perspective.
As for the tent, i again went with Mars Hydro. I could not find any other tents with 1680D diamond mylar reflective interior for even close to the same price. The only complaint i'd have about that was the shipping on the tent was a bit high but that varies depending on the region you are in(i am in EU).
Hope this helps you out a bit.
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