Coralife bulbs

[scarf]

Coralife 96W 17" square pin bulbs for the 20" unit

oh ok thx. I've just realised, no Coralife supplier around me actually supplies the type of bulb I need and I need to ship it from overseas. I was thinking, can light bulbs be "stockpiled"? (ie buying a few at one time and storing them for a few years to save on shipping cost from buying them individually)

Also, since I can't seem to find them at an aquarium store, do you think I would have any luck at a lighting store? or would these bulb generally only sell for aquarium use? Thanks

 

[malkore]

Yes, those are good Seachem ferts to start with. Don't bother with Flourish Trace though...use plain flourish as a trace. You'll probably need a little iron so that bottle will last you a while.

Never used Sera kits. The one Hagen kit I tried was junk. I'd stick with teh AP master kit, and get the AP nitrate kit (I think its the only one you'll need thats not in the master kit). its not perfect, but its accurate enough for our purposes.

However for a phosphate test kit, I highly recommend Seachem's phosphate kit. Its about $10 US, but its very accurate, and is about 50 tests worth.

 

[scarf]

Ok thanks. I wasn't intending to get Flourish Trace since you didn't recommend it in your sticky.

I might give the AP test kits a try then.

Also, I've been reading about people bufferring their water to raise their KH level with baking soda prior or during CO2 injection? From memory, I think my tap water is around 4-5. Should I be bufferring it to reach a target range, or should I leave it as is? I think I remember reading carbonates are used by plants for photo when CO2 is absent, and it's used to avoid big pH swings, but not sure.

And also, a slightly OT but related question. I have the 20" 96W QuadTube Coralife fixture. According to one website, it says they are Power Compact bulbs. After reading the sticky, I assume I should be looking to replace them every, say, 2 years. However, the Coralife rep told me I should replace lights every 9-12 months. I guess I'm asking: are they PC's? and should I be looking at replacing them every year or every 2nd year?

 

[gheitman]

That light fixture does use power compact fluorescent bulbs. I would recommend replacing them every 12 months.

I would also be careful dosing with Fluorish Phosphorus. It is very easy to over dose with this and that leads to algae problems in my experience.

 

[scarf]

Coralife 96W 17" square pin bulbs for the 20" unit

oh ok thx. I've just realised, no Coralife supplier around me actually supplies the type of bulb I need and I need to ship it from overseas. I was thinking, can light bulbs be "stockpiled"? (ie buying a few at one time and storing them for a few years to save on shipping cost from buying them individually)

Also, since I can't seem to find them at an aquarium store, do you think I would have any luck at a lighting store? or would these bulb generally only sell for aquarium use? Thanks

 

[gheitman]

Personally, I don't know how long they would last on the shelf. You could e-mail the manufacturer to see what they say. I seriously doubt you would find them any place but at an aquarium supply store.

 

[malkore]

Bulbs will last a long long time stored in a nice dry place taht doesn't get temperature extremes.

 

[scarf]

Thanks. I'm thinking about getting 3-4 bulbs considering shipping will probably get up to like US$30.

Also, I've been using the stock 50/50 bulbs supplied by the unit. I plan to buy a few 6700k bulbs for my planted tank. I'm just wondering, I've used the 50/50 for about a fortnight now. If I just pack it away now; when I go to open it again, say like after a few year's time, will the bulbs' effectiveness be as though it has been used for a fortnight, or since I've already begun using it, will its effectiveness erode during that time, since I've plugged it in already?

 

[malkore]

Oops, I forgot to mention too: you can run PC bulbs longer than 12 months. 12 months is the longest you can run NO tubes...PC's are different. Run them about 24 months then replace.

If its not a high light tank, and you're not keeping demanding plants, you can run the bulbs until they burn out completely (somehwere between 2-3 years lifespan at 12 hours a day use).