$30 light vs $6 light

[benjamn]

Hi,
I have a 75g planted. I bought it used and it came with a bulb. It is a 40w, 48" standard light fixture which goes with the tank.

I bought a bulb from the hardware store for about $6, it is a sylvania 40w flouresent bulb that says it is for aquarium and plant use. It looks a little pinkish compared to the original bulb. The original was from Marineland.

So, what is the diffenrence between this $6 bulb and the ones I see at the petstores which cost $30? And more importantly will I see comparable growing in my plants with the more expensive petstore specialty bulbs?

I don't run C02 and I'm using sand substrate. I'm just wondering if there actually is a difference in bulbs and if anyone has had experience with getting better results with a pretty basic plant growing setup by switching bulbs.

Thanks.

 

[robott]

i was just looking at those bulbs. i'm very curious to see what people have to say.

 

[bs6749]

If you haven't used the bulb yet, DON'T! Take it back because those bulbs are worthless in my experience. I bought some for my 55g tank when I first started out only to find that they are of little benefit over regular bulbs. Your 40W fixture is going to limit you to very little with plants. You will be able to grow java moss, java fern, some crypts, and maybe some anubias and that's it. If you are looking for plants you will most likely have to spend $75-125 to get sufficient lighting for that tank.

 

[MichaelsLilGray]

when it comes to growing.. those lights arnt right for you.. They are good for lighting it up for our viewing pleasure.. but not what the plants need to do there planty things lol. Photosynthesis is required for any healthy planting.. the 6 dollar bulb doesnt have the peticular uv rays required.

 

[fort384]

It depends on what color temp and what spectrum the bulb puts out. It may be fine to grow plants.

However, with 40W over that big of tank, you are not going to be able to grow much. I doubt a T12 bulb with around 1500 lumens is going to penetrate to the depth of your tank, nor provide nearly enough wattage for what you would require to grow even low light plants. As mentioned, you may be able to keep java moss and ferns alive, but they aren't going to grow much, and that would be about it. If you want to have a planted tank, you should consider getting up to at least 75-100W to be successful.

 

[Purrbox]

The cost of the bulb doesn't determine how well it grows plants. There are some very good bulbs to be had from hardware stores which are inexpensive. Just because a bulb is labeled for aquarium use, doesn't mean it will be good for growing plants. What you're looking for is a bulb with a Kelvin rating between 5000K-10,000K.

As others have mentioned to have a better chance of growing plants you'll need to upgrade, add to, or modify your current fixture. Unfortunately 40 watts over a 75 gallon aquarium is very low light.

 

[benjamn]

Thanks for the reply's all very informative

 

[mgamer20o0]

when i used shop lights i used daylight bulbs from Philips got them at lowes.

 

[benjamn]

Would 2 40w bulbs be the same a one 80w bulb?

Does it work like this, can I add a box to house additional 40w bulbs or would I just be spinning my tires with no added beneficial results.

 

[fort384]

Would 2 40w bulbs be the same a one 80w bulb?

Does it work like this, can I add a box to house additional 40w bulbs or would I just be spinning my tires with no added beneficial results.

nope, that would be just fine.

 

[Purrbox]

It is the total watts over the aquarium that is important. It matters little the number of bulbs used to achieve the total. As long as the light is actually going into the aquarium instead of hanging over the edges, it counts towards the total.

 

[jsoong]

You can certainly build a box (canopy) & put more than one light in. I have 4 T8's (shoplights) over mine, and I use the Phillips Daylight bulbs ($3-4) at 6500K. Works for me so I don't think the $30 bulbs are needed.

 

[CTD]

In one of my tanks I use Two Philips bulbs as well, I bought them at Home Depot they are both 6500K I run these along with one GE 6500K and one GE 10000k.