Is this a good light?

[Donkey Gun]

ello!

I'm shopping around for a new light for my 10 gallon and came across this one:
http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/view...cmd=VIDESC&index=0&nav=SEARCH&nid=91535443478

Is this a good light for a planted aquarium?

Right now I have 2 socket coralife 50/50 10w and I'm looking for something more powerful.

Please check out my 10 gallon photo album to see all the plants I'm trying to provide enough light for!

Thank you!

 

[Donkey Gun]

I notice the link used a mobile URL, so here's a photo of the details for the light.

 

[Donkey Gun]

Can any of the plant experts please get back to me?

 

[aqua_chem]

These are the odyssea fixtures from aquatraders.com:

LED/ Underwater Lights

They have .06w LEDs.... meaning they put off very little light... I would say that they are probably about or below T12s.

Fish lights, but not plant lights.

 

[aqua_chem]

Found this: New Odyssea LED fixtures


Kinda suck.

 

[Donkey Gun]

So I guess that's a no... These would not be good for plants...

bummer.

What do you recommend for a 10 gallon?

Or are the ones I have strong enough?
2 - coralife 50/50 10 watts.

 

[aqua_chem]

Replace the 50/50 with 10k or 6.7k bulbs and you'll actually have a good light level for many plants.

 

[jnizzle]

^+1 on the bulb replacing, id go for one 10,000k and one 6700k to give it a nice contrast!

 

[aqua_chem]

I really dont think that there is a significant difference between 6700K and 10000K as far as photosynthesis is concerned. Its largely an aesthetic choice.

On second thought, most 10g have a left bulb and a right bulb rather than a front and a back, meaning that one side of the tank will have one hue, and the other will be another.... that would drive me insane.

 

[Donkey Gun]

And these are just regular bulbs I can pickup anywhere?

Just make sure they are at least 6700k.

 

[Donkey Gun]

All the bulbs I've looked at are around 2900k. Is a 6700k something you can get at home depot, or do I have to buy it at the LFS?

 

[aqua_chem]

My local walmart only has he soft white bulbs too... but you can find daylight bulbs at home improvement stores as well. I got mine at Ace.

 

[mfdrookie516]

The walmart 'Cool daylight' bulbs work well IME. I've got some in a shop light over a 20 long right now and have kept many plants under them. They're also a fraction of what those 'aquarium' bulbs cost.

 

[adadkins1]

The walmart 'Cool daylight' bulbs work well IME. I've got some in a shop light over a 20 long right now and have kept many plants under them. They're also a fraction of what those 'aquarium' bulbs cost.

Couldn't agree with you more. Just the 6,500K Daylight CFL bulbs is the same thing I have started using. They are very cost effective and the plants love 'em.

 

[Fdsh5]

+1 on the daylight bulbs. That's all I use in my t8 and t5 no lights. My plants are doing just fine too

 

[Donkey Gun]

I'll keep an eye out, all I've come across so far at CVS and Home Depot are cool white. The highest I found I think was around 4800.

I did find some GE reveal incandescent bulbs. They range up to 100 watts, and advertise on the box as full color spectrum, but no info as far as kelvin rating.

 

[aqua_chem]

No incandescents. That's not what you want.


They might be marketed under some derivation of "daylight". Cool daylight, warm daylight, etc.