best t8 bulbs

[2manyFish]

Wat are the best t8 bulbs to use for plants

 

[fort384]

You want to use a bulb that provides the proper spectrum of light. Generally speaking, if it has a color temperature between 6000-10000K, it will grow plants appropriately.

 

[candymancan]

Pink bulbs are the best... Floramax is one. 10,000k bulbs are too blue... 6500k bulbs have green in them which plants don't use, Full spectrum 8,000k bulbs have no reds just blue and green

 

[2manyFish]

Wat about zoo med flora sun?

 

[fort384]

I think those are 5,000 or 5,500K. A little on the low side, but they will work fine. They are a little more yellow/red and a little less blue than I like over a tank, but that is more personal preference and not practical to plant growth/health.

 

[candymancan]

IMO Floramax is better then Flora sun... Each bulb maker is different and according to the graphs the Aqueon Floramax has more reds then Flora Sun. It really depends honestly.. floramax has a high relative energy in the orange/reds but the flora sun is closer to a 660 wave length vs 640 on the floramax.. I personally use 2 T8 Floramax and 1 Fullspectrum, the full spectrum is white so it makes the tank look bright to my eyes.. without a white bulb your tank will look dim using pink bulbs.. But remember it doesn't matter what your eyes can see its what the plants see..

Petsmart sell the aqueon floramax and full spectrum im using, and petco sells those Zoo med lights

 

[2manyFish]

Wat about the 6500k? Is that considered medium light?

 

[fort384]

The color temperature does not determine the intensity of the lighting. It is simply the way the light appears, and gives some general idea of spectrum of light the source provides.