FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hi. I am getting ready to setup an indoor grow room, and I've decided to light it with LEDs so that I can reduce heat, electricity consumption, and also due to having bad experiences with T5HO fixtures. I want to grow Highland Neps, Helis, Sundews, Brocchiana, and other plants. I don't plan to grow Sarrs, or VFTs, or any temperate species, because they already grow well outside.

I was looking at the ultrathin 225 LED 45 watt fixtures, and I was wondering if any of them are actually good. I know one person(smooter80) uses these in his growroom, but I was wondering if there are more people out there that use these for their main light in their growroom. Worse comes to worse I can make a bunch of diy fixtures using Cree Xmls for a cost of ~$120+ per shelf, which I prefer not to do if I can help it due to me hooking up multiple shelves for plants.

The fixture I was looking at is https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LY ... bw_c_x_1_w

If you can't recommend the 45 watt 225 led fixtures, what low cost LED fixtures would you recommend.

It looks like they drive those LEDs harder than is recommended (35W draw on 45W parts) though I'm sure it works alright. I much prefer the DIY route myself with customizable strips, though they make full board arrays too that would be easy to hook up, you just need a power supply for it: https://horticulturelightinggroup.com/c ... ntum-board

I use the 32W ones from eBay for around $20. I have a couple I've used for a year now. The only issue I've had was one was damaged in shipping. They do the job and color the plants well. I might try some 6500k or the 6500k and blue combo in the future.

a little (shock hazard disclaimer) hack I found to "increase" the intensity of consumer led bulbs: cut off the diffusion lense ( that white cover part over the leds). Leds are typically omnidirectional, and their intensity is halved by diffusion. They are insanely bright, and then act as a spotlight instead. Pot growing operations have brought up inovations in efficient, high intensity lighting we carnivorous planters can use (https://www.amazon.com/ALight-House-Pla ... lant+light ) I have a red/blue grow light, but it hurts my eyes and makes everything look green. Currently I use a 2900 lumen cfl bulb on a timer, and switch it to a hot, inefficient incandescent bulb in the afternoon to build up the humidity.
Hope I helped! -- T

Thank you guys. I'll be buying 2 of the QB120 Quantum Boards and 60watt drivers, and 2 of the kingbo 45 watt LED panels and then run a test on which is better... Thinking about it I wish I have a par meter, but I'm not going to drop the $200+ for a quality one...

I've been using 2 Kingbo 45 watt units for a couple of months. I use it on the top shelf of my plant stand which is also illuminated with a southern exposure window. I have an Apogee MQ-200 and can verify the PAR readings are the same as those shown on the printed insert that came with the units. I have these lights high because I have Phal orchids in bud/bloom under them, they are 15" above the shelf which puts some of the flower stalks within 2 " of the leds. Many more FC of light come from the sun than the Kingbo LEDs, I've got 3-sarracenia purpurea, 2-flytraps and a cape sundew in water trays directly beside the window and they are happy, new pitchers and new traps. I have a mini Cattelya and 2 dendrobiums that I physically move during the day to stay in the sun.
I will say that the Kingbo lights have contributed to various growth on the Phal orchids, new roots, leaves and bud growth. Existing blooms look great under the light and are maintained. I had a large hanging Nep off to the side of the lights and the sun that I've moved to another window. Another smaller nep (ventricosa?) that sent out a couple of new leaves but NO pitchers developed. This nep has been moved to the bottom shelf under a newly purchased agrobrite 4' 6 tube T5 fixture I also moved my rosette sundews and a couple of new Pings under this fixture. This light was hung up last Friday, to soon to evaluate.