Brookster123
Aquarium Advice Addict
Operation secret supplies back on track!!! I'll send you one!!
Equipment Complaints
- Thread starter Delapool
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
OP
OP
Think I need it to pick myself off the floor after looking at prices. Some of the high end stuff! The quad t5 (very nice from Rivercats) or led under a hood seems the way to go.
OP
OP
Hmm, this is looking harder than I thought. The LEDs seem to be quoted sometimes as 10,000k whereas I thought 6500k was a good starting point? Help - what sort of lighting should I look for? The LEDs are getting grouped in as 'marine and planted' and I thought they were different?
The T8 lights are 4200k - will see if I can post a photo of the spectrum tonight.
The T8 lights are 4200k - will see if I can post a photo of the spectrum tonight.
Caliban07
Aquarium Advice Addict
Dela that wall deserves and even bigger tank!! If I had a wall like that in my puny typical English terrace if fill it! Lol
Lovely decor btw
OP
OP
Thanks - yes, great idea Should get a petition going!
I've found these two web sites which I was hoping were useful to me??
Lighting Spectrum and Photosythesis - Lighting - Aquatic Plant Central
Aquarium Lighting & Light Information | Reef & Planted | PAR PUR
So I understand that a 4200K light doesn't really say much (except it will show more yellowish than blue) but from reading it seems that 6500K are nice for planted tanks?
Hopefully I have loaded the bulbs for the T8. They seem to have the 430nm peak but I'm not sure about the rest....
The first link says "Plants will grow with ordinary bulbs as they tend to have both some blue and red emissions. The problem is that they also have wavelengths between 500 and 600nm, which algae likes. Green algae and green plants use the same pigments for photosynthesis (chlorophyll a/b & carotenoids). So, light that helps one helps the other. The algae that are different are the blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), which contain Phycocyanin and absorb light heavily in the low 600nm (orange-red), which is unfortunately present in most standard fluorescents. In the planted aquarium artificial light should ideally peak (or be stronger) in the red area of the spectrum."
Also "If you want to optimize plant leaf development (blue light) and stem elongation and color (red light) you need light in both the blue and red spectra for photosynthesis. You need a mix of blue and red for your plants, and green for you (brightness as perceived by humans). "
So I'm really confused if this bulb is useful or not. Help!
Edit - having trouble uploading picture..
Should get a petition going!I've found these two web sites which I was hoping were useful to me??
Lighting Spectrum and Photosythesis - Lighting - Aquatic Plant Central
Aquarium Lighting & Light Information | Reef & Planted | PAR PUR
So I understand that a 4200K light doesn't really say much (except it will show more yellowish than blue) but from reading it seems that 6500K are nice for planted tanks?
Hopefully I have loaded the bulbs for the T8. They seem to have the 430nm peak but I'm not sure about the rest....
The first link says "Plants will grow with ordinary bulbs as they tend to have both some blue and red emissions. The problem is that they also have wavelengths between 500 and 600nm, which algae likes. Green algae and green plants use the same pigments for photosynthesis (chlorophyll a/b & carotenoids). So, light that helps one helps the other. The algae that are different are the blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), which contain Phycocyanin and absorb light heavily in the low 600nm (orange-red), which is unfortunately present in most standard fluorescents. In the planted aquarium artificial light should ideally peak (or be stronger) in the red area of the spectrum."
Also "If you want to optimize plant leaf development (blue light) and stem elongation and color (red light) you need light in both the blue and red spectra for photosynthesis. You need a mix of blue and red for your plants, and green for you (brightness as perceived by humans). "
So I'm really confused if this bulb is useful or not. Help!
Edit - having trouble uploading picture..
Last edited:
OP
OP
It's a sun-glo by hagan for t8.
threnjen
Aquarium Advice Addict
Here's some more links about lighting and PAR:
Lighting an Aquarium with PAR instead of Watts
LED Lighting Compendium
If you're looking for the highest PAR, that's a Build My LED. I have the 10000k planted and the color is exceptional.
Your tank will probably look strange with a 4200, it's not a great color to be visually pleasing to us. If you're going with fluorescents I'd go a mix of 6500/6700 and 10000k bulbs.
When I had a 4-bulb setup I used 2x 6700k, 1x 10000k and 1x 4200k.
Lighting an Aquarium with PAR instead of Watts
LED Lighting Compendium
If you're looking for the highest PAR, that's a Build My LED. I have the 10000k planted and the color is exceptional.
Your tank will probably look strange with a 4200, it's not a great color to be visually pleasing to us. If you're going with fluorescents I'd go a mix of 6500/6700 and 10000k bulbs.
When I had a 4-bulb setup I used 2x 6700k, 1x 10000k and 1x 4200k.
OP
OP
Thanks for the links - yes, I switched it on and was like what the heck. Putting the LEDs at the front seems to work better and the hood is open at the back so I get more air on the T8 at the back to cool it.
I would like to go with led I think but still looking at options. Would you have a link for the LEDs build your own? It would be good tea search even if I can't order.
Edit - research I mean
Last edited:
Here's a link for BML fixtures, that I know does do some out of country shipping... Freshwater - XB Series (Very High Output) - Build My LED, LLC.
The difference between say the 6500 to 6700k spectrum compared to the 10k spectrum lighting is that 10k has less red spectrum and higher blue which can make red plants and some fish look washed out. It also looks brighter to the human eye. The lower 65-6700k looks less bright to the human eye but has a higher red spectrum which makes non-green plants look good.
The BML fixtures even the higher 10k spectrum one actually has added red spectrum and looks very bright along with making reds pop so you don't get the washed out red you get with most 10k bulbs. I have 4 BML fixtures and they are great. They also ship out of country but you'd have to email and ask if shipping to Australia is available and if so what would the cost be.
The difference between say the 6500 to 6700k spectrum compared to the 10k spectrum lighting is that 10k has less red spectrum and higher blue which can make red plants and some fish look washed out. It also looks brighter to the human eye. The lower 65-6700k looks less bright to the human eye but has a higher red spectrum which makes non-green plants look good.
The BML fixtures even the higher 10k spectrum one actually has added red spectrum and looks very bright along with making reds pop so you don't get the washed out red you get with most 10k bulbs. I have 4 BML fixtures and they are great. They also ship out of country but you'd have to email and ask if shipping to Australia is available and if so what would the cost be.
OP
OP
Many thanks for this, I will chase up. Very timely. I did a water change today and noticed the T8 light cord is somehow frayed through to showing exposed wires. Not sure how that happened - probably a bit lucky not to touch. However it does justify new lights I have checked all 5 lfs here and the choices are dreadful. Much appreciated.
I have checked all 5 lfs here and the choices are dreadful. Much appreciated.
OP
OP
The BML fixtures look very good. I went into a LFS across town on the weekend and their LEDs are still geared to saltwater. Their most suitable one looked close (on my limited knowledge) but not quite as good. The LFS were using them for their planted tanks but did say most people don't want to buy expensive LEDs for a planted tank.
I was talking about how I didn't want too much heat under the hood and got warned about 2 degree temperature fluctuations from a customer - eventually realised he had a saltwater tank and mine is freshwater lol.
I was talking about how I didn't want too much heat under the hood and got warned about 2 degree temperature fluctuations from a customer - eventually realised he had a saltwater tank and mine is freshwater lol.
