Which bulbs should i use?

[jlk]

Hi everyone! I am very excited to have upgraded my lights on my 50gal (well, technically its 55 but the interior measurements filled with water & substrate hold 50g). It came with (3) 12k bulbs & actinic stock but i also ordered (4) 65k bulbs as well. For now, i replaced two of the 12k bulbs with 65k bulbs to see how this combo looks. So, my question is this- do the 12k & actinic bulb serve any purpose beyond just asethics? Are two 65k bulbs enough for low to medium light plants or should i replace the remaining 12k as well (esp if i want to try some more difficult plants)? Will the 12k bulb grow anything? I do not have a co2 system & will not be using one (my fish come first) but i dose flourish & excel with water changes (which are frequent). Should i just give the bulb combo i have in now a try & see what happens? Any advice is appreciated!!! Thanks!

 

[zach_1_6]

What kind of bulbs are they? T5, T8, T12, or PC? And really the actinic bulbs are for viewing purposes only. Plants typically use light from the 6500k to 10 000k range.

 

[jlk]

They are all T5HO bulbs.

 

[aqua_chem]

Beyond actinics = bad, bulb color has very little impact on light levels, growth, etc. It's largely an aesthetic choice unless you're going for something specific, and then it instantly become complicated and convoluted. Actinics are generally thought of as bad because the give off the most light in the low wavelength 'blue' portion of the spectrum, which both plants and algae can use (although in a diminished capacity), but it is largely believed (and supported by some literature) that some algae can better utilize this wavelength.

We can't really say much about light intensity without knowing the fixture type, as previously stated.

 

[aqua_chem]

Two T5HO bulbs will probably put you at high light if you have a decent fixture.

 

[jlk]

Its not a super high quality fixture (i purchased it off of ebay) & i dont see a name anywhere. It has four bulbs, fans, led moonlights, & 3 plugs/switches. The bulbs are all printed with the name 'Sea World' T5HO bulbs (65k, 12k, actinic) if this helps.

 

[aqua_chem]

Is it one of the odyssea fixtures?

 

[mfdrookie516]

I would replace two of the bulbs with geisemanns... one midday, one aquaflora... and leave the other two off. IME, that's the best combo for a nice visual appearance, and great plant growth (provided they have all the other nutrients they need).

 

[jlk]

Thanks for the input!! I honestly dont know if its an Odyssea- there isnt a name on it anywhere & the packing slip just lists it as 't5HO reef fixture'. Ill email the seller to see if i can find out anything more. I do like the look of the actinic bulb even if it serves no purpose for plants. The 65k bulbs have a definite yellowish hue to them.

 

[JesseMessykinn]

If you got it for around 60 bucks odds are its a odyssea.

 

[jlk]

The manufacter of the fixture is called 'Aqua Marine' if this helps.