FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

It arrived today. The one I was looking at wasn't going to be in for a while, so I got this one. I'm impatient. Pretty stoked. It's got a dimmer. It gets very dim and then very bright. Let me know what you guys think. You think it'll get me excellent coloration?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08CHCFC ... 1032e4.jpg[/IMG]

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Looks good imo i use 17w leds in desk lamps and get decent colors.

It’s relieving to know that using normal incandescents works it makes me feel much better about my led plant light bulbs lol

Savethetrees4life wrote:It’s relieving to know that using normal incandescents works it makes me feel much better about my led plant light bulbs lol

They do work to an extent. I keep my plants indoors and I had good lights. But after a while, they just weren't good enough. Regular lights will be okay. But it's like feeding someone good food vs only feeding bread, in my opinion. To watch them really excel, you'll stare at them in amazement. My lights grew them better than the sun did oddly enough. They'll work, but definition look into getting something better. I can link the light I just ceased, if you'd like. You want, ideally, somewhere around 2500 lumen and 5k Kelvin, as a minimum. That'll sustain them long term. It'll help them to survive better during dormancy and produce leaves and flowers better and healthier in spring. Just my two cents worth, as an amazing grower here days. I'm not sorry that I stole your ending shadowtski lol.

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I've grown plants under many different types of lights over the past 20+ years. I started using CFLs in the 90's. The plants were not happy under them. Switching to T5's worked much better. I tried out some LEDs back then, which were nothing like what exists now. They were really expensive, and if the plant wasn't within 1" of the LED, it would die. Even with it that close, no plant really took off. HPS and MH always ran too hot to do anything meaningful with under small spaces for me.

With the advancements that exist now, it's almost impossible to go wrong. I tried out a Par38 bulb a few years ago and was really impressed with it (https://www.amazon.com/GE-Lighting-9310 ... RydWU&th=1). Put off a ton of light, and plants really thrived under it. Really good for the price. Only downsides are (1) you need to keep the bulb about 3' away from the CP or they'll burn, and (2) it doesn't have that big of a footprint (maybe 2'x2' max).

A few months ago I tried upgrading to one of the Florawave lights (https://www.carnivero.com/collections/f ... 9095087217), as they're specifically designed and built by someone who knows CPs inside and out. Really nice light. Gives you a much greater footprint than the Par38 (I have 4 10x22 trays under the light, and could probably put more), but distance away from the light seems really narrow (no ability to dim). Two feet away and some plants get burned, three feet away and some plants seem to be starving for light. So you need to fine tune it.

But largely it depends on the plant you're trying to grow. I have all kinds sitting under my florawave. The cape sundews could care less what type of light they get, and grow like weeds regardless. Oddly enough, the cephalotus is the same. But under identical conditions, a nepenthes vogelii is blushing while a nepenthes hamata x edwardsiana is happy as a clam, while a nepenthes maxima x edwardsiana and a nepenthes ampullerria appear to be looking for more light.

Generally speaking, I find it easiest to put the light at the furthest distance any of your plants prefer, then raise each plant that wants more light to get closer. A little challenging sometimes though.

I use 17w and 30w Feit plant LEDs and my plants look like this. I think they work pretty well. I certainly get nice colors and new growth on my VFTs I’m quite happily surprised overall.

I should say I Don’t At All Understand the science of light bulbs.

Savethetrees4life wrote:I use 17w and 30w Feit plant LEDs and my plants look like this. I think they work pretty well. I certainly get nice colors and new growth on my VFTs I’m quite happily surprised overall.

I should say I Don’t At All Understand the science of light bulbs.

I don't understand lights at all either. That's why I have to ask others lol. But I heard and read really good things about the vipar I got.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08CHCFC ... asin_title

You do get a full spectrum and it's got a dimmer so you can adjust brightness for acclimatizing young plants.

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Great light with good components and a big grow area, congratulations good choice!

If you don't understand the science or specs behind most grow lights (like most of us) Carnivero has a good series (if you want to learn):
https://www.carnivero.com/pages/ultimat ... row-lights