What is Reddit's opinion of MARS HYDRO SP150 LED Grow Lights 2x2 ft, 150W Full Spectrum Grow Light for Indoor Plant Veg and Flower, Bright Led Growing Lamp with 322 SMD LEDs, No Noise, Great Heat Dissipation Longer Lifespan?

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I’m a total novice, fwiw, and have been reading about this myself. Going to try a Mars hydro sp150 based on a bunch of research so far.

As best I can tell from research, citrus trees are similar to marijuana in their light needs…basically the more the better (assuming they’re accustomed to it).

It seems like the “ideal” setup would be one of those weed-focused grow lights inside a grow tent. Specifically I’ve read that a Mars hydro SP3000 inside a 2x4ft grow tent would be a great setup for a few small trees or a couple medium ones.

My Meyer is very new, so I’m gonna try their smaller sp150 on a wire wardrobe rack turned into a plant stand and see how it goes.

https://www.amazon.com/MARS-HYDRO-Coverage-Hydroponic-Spectrum/dp/B0855QW8FK

See, that’s how I know you’re just talking out your ass. Two of those are more expensive then a 600w HPS+ballast.

Here’s a link, so you can make an upgrade

MARS HYDRO SP150 LED: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0855QW8FK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_G2SNW8JPB735MP2N1F19?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I had the Barrina LED shop lights (T8) and they worked okay for most of my succulents but they had to be within 4-6 inches from the light. I use Mars Hydro SP150 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0855QW8FK?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share now and my succulents love it. PPFD (PAR) is more important I think than color but I’m not an expert. Here But Not has a great PPFD article for regular houseplants but you can use some of it for succulents and whatnot. :)

MARS HYDRO SP150 LED Grow Lights 2x2 ft Coverage Full Spectrum Grow Light for Indoor Plant Veg and Flower, Bright Led Growing Lamp with 322 SMD LEDs, No Noise, Great Heat Dissipation, Longer Lifespan https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0855QW8FK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_GbCHFb7QANED1

Hmm, that wouldn't generally be too far, but I think because those main colas are so much higher up, the lower ones are getting much less light. Is there any way you can bend the main stems and tie them down a bit? Even a few inches/10cm lower would make a big difference to the lower buds. Or like even tilt the tall colas towards the corners of your tent so they wont be right up to the light if you lower it a bit in the center.

The Mars Hydro TS series is kinda the bottom of the barrel for quantum board style lights. No real heatsink, cheap diodes, and a cheap driver. You'd need a larger size, at least the $150 TS1000, for your sized space. The TS600 would be less light than your V600.

If you are on a real low budget though, Their SP series on the other hand is pretty good, especially with the current pricing of the SP150 right now. It's down to $119 from $140 on Amazon if that's available to you. They still use less efficient Epistar diodes (still like 90% of the efficiency though) and have a pretty solid heatsink and good build quality, especially for how super cheap it is for the amount of light.

It's a bit less powerful than I would ideally suggest for your size of tent, but you'd have to get closer to $200 before it would make sense to go up a notch. It would be about the same overall amount of light as your V600, but in a better spectrum for flowering, running much cooler, and only drawing about 60% of the power (135 watts). I have one of them in my little 1.5' x 2.5' veg tent and it works great.

I would personally suggest waiting a bit longer and saving up a bit more to get something a bit more powerful (150-200 actual watts of QB) with the standard top quality parts, especially one that you can dim down which would be more like $200. Because if you plan to keep growing for a long time, it's better to have waited a bit longer and have a light that perfectly fills the tent and lasts 10+ years instead of a second light that you want to upgrade from in another year.

If you really want an upgrade soon or it would take forever to save up more, the SP150 is probably your best bet unless you find a great sale on something else.

Even more than the light though, the most important thing to do for a small grow is working to get a more even canopy with LST and topping. Doing so can double your harvest with the same light and make less leafy trimming work, for free!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0855QW8FK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_2SYC0WGXACP4AMJP9MH8?psc=1

> Do you think I should at least get a 400HPS bulb then? If anything?

Unless you happen to have a switchable ballast that is meant to accept both 250W and 400W HPS bulbs, then no it won't work.

Didn't realize they were still little seedlings, but that actually makes a better case for using LEDs. HPS lights produce plenty of red, orange, and yellow light, which works well for flowering, but very little blue light which is what all plants need more of in veg for growing healthy stalks and leaves. There's enough for vegging plants to grow, but they'll often end up stretching tall and lanky instead of sturdy and compact. That's why people would traditionally use Metal Halide bulbs for veg because they have a more balanced light spectrum that has more blue and green to it, but they have overall less light output per watt.

The newer type of LEDs with bright white light have a good overall light spectrum with plenty of blue and red light in there, AND are more efficient than HPS lights so they work great for veg AND flowering.

You can switch out different lights at any time as long as you don't change the light schedule. There's no shock or anything to the plants from changing lights as long as you don't go way overboard and give them way too much or too little light or heat. Switching to an LED with more blue light while still vegging will help your plants grow a nice healthy sturdy structure to flower on.

Personally, if I had your current setup, and were on a budget saving up money over time I would do the following: Get one Mars SP150 for $140, use that by itself for a little bit while the plants are still small, and when they get bigger add the 250W HPS to completely light up the whole tent area. Then down the line when you save up more (like maybe the next grow) get a second one and replace the HPS to have two SP150s in the tent, for a total of $280. This also gives you the flexibility to use only one of the lights in the middle of the summer and just do a smaller grow while it's super hot out, and use both again when it cools off. They're not the absolute most efficient, but are still good (a bit better than the TS ones), and have a high quality heatsink for a quite low price.

Or, if you had more money and wanted to fully replace the HPS right away with an awesome light, the FC3000 would work amazing for your tent's size, and you can dim it down in the summer, but it has a higher price tag of $360.

Like I said before, the TSW2000 would also work, but at its price of $260, I don't think its worth it for it's lower build quality, hotter running temperature, and lower efficiency.

The Spider Farmer SF2000 is a good option but might be a little less light than ideal for your tent, as it works best for a roughly 60cmx90cm area, and also would require spending $300 all at once. You could use it with good results, but if you were going to spend that much, it would be a better option to save just a little more and get the FC3000.

I know I've repeated myself a bit but I hope this helps.

Apologies... this is gonna be long.

Disclaimer: To all experienced, serious growers... please read my full comment before ripping it apart. Please and thank you. 🙂

I don't disagree with the recommendations from u/skkrn below. I actually own (and use) both of those lights, and a bunch of others, from cheap all the way up to big, professional-level quantum panels.

You should know that these cheap entry level LEDs do not put out near the amount of light they claim to, nor last as long as lights that have been well made. Their components are sometimes inferior and that's how they keep the price down. Many folks recommend these cheap fixtures right after purchase, without truly understanding whether they're going to deliver results. Most serious growers would sneer at these entry level lights, and rightly so.

BUT, even these cheap lights WILL grow things.

You should also know that the topic of grow lights gets complex, quickly. People drown in tech specs, questions of output and metering etc. The experts rant and rave about what's best. I personally think that's not good for beginner growers. I think that we should make recommendations which will allow a person to dip their toe in the water before making a big investment. People should find out whether indoor gardening brings them joy... while keeping in mind that when it comes to grow lights, you get what you pay for. If you get into the hobby at all, you will want to upgrade your lights soon.

BUT, cheap lights CAN help you get started.

Choosing the TYPE of light (spectrum, wattage, intensity, depends on what you actually want to grow. Choosing a STYLE of grow light depends on what kind of a set up you're prepared to rig. Some people need clip on lights, or standing lamps. Some people can hang them under shelves. Your setup plays a big part in what fixtures you can actually choose. A little planning goes a long way.

Cheap lights come in many types and styles.

For a couple small starter houseplants that tolerate lower light, the fixtures linked will help. If you want more plants or anything medium/large size, you'll need more power and more coverage.

To start a small produce garden with small leafy greens and herbs -- say some lettuces, basil, parsley, cilantro, chives -- believe it or not, they'll grow beautifully under a $30 LED or T5 fluorescent shop light from a home improvement store.

Upgrading: this MARS HYDRO SP150 or this Spider Farmer SF-1000 would dramatically improve results. They're still considered entry-level, but they contain very good parts, from reputable brands, for growing more. They will cover more plants (about 4 square feet) with better sunlight substitution.

Just get started. Just dive in. Get a small plant or two that grow quickly, or start some seeds (another reason I love herb gardens), and start learning.

If you're still reading this, wave at me.

Ahhh okay! maybe getting two of the [SP150's](https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0855QW8FK/ref=emc_b_5_i) is the better bet. How good was your yield?