lightbulb

[nitrous]

well at the lfs today i bought the power glo light bulb its for my 20 gal tank and it is 15 watt 18 inch(no higher wattage) it also has 18,000 k, would this be a good bulb for my tank? it was from 18000 to 2800 k and so i got the 18000 what does k really mean and what is good?

it also says good for african chiclid tank, high blue spectrum and lux of 55
is 18000 to much becuase i read in the sticky that plants use between 5000 and 10000k

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

K is Kelvin, it's the temperature of the bulb (colour output).

the spectrum is the important part, I was growing some great anubias with powerglo's, but it's heavy in the blue so the plants tend to stay lower to the ground, at least IMO.

 

[nitrous]

ya but it only has alot of blues the other light at the lfs has alot of red/orange also and has the same k rating
if you had to pick from all these
http://www.hagen.com/usa/aquatic/sub_category_psubtype.cfm?CAT=1&SUBCAT=112&PSUBCAT=11204
what would u pick for somewhat planted tank with 2 african chiclids

 

[malkore]

and now you see why K rating is kinda useless in determining what makes a good plant bulb.

good peaks in the blue and red spectrum, make a good bulb.

 

[nitrous]

good think i didnt use the bulb yet so now ill take it back and find 1 with higher red and blues and does it matter if it still has a high k rating? bc the 1 with high blue and red is
http://www.hagen.com/usa/aquatic/product.cfm?CAT=1&SUBCAT=112&PROD_ID=01015820021001
and it has 18000k but the best red and blue

 

[Toirtis]

and now you see why K rating is kinda useless in determining what makes a good plant bulb.

good peaks in the blue and red spectrum, make a good bulb.

But, kelvin lets you know how it will look (I like 6500k for good, white light).

 

[nitrous]

ya ill try and exchange for a moderate k and high blues and reds but if i cant get a moderate k ill get a high k or a low k, is a low k or high k bad? what do they look like?

 

[Zezmo]

K is really just a rating of how the light looks to your eye. High K is a stark white to a blueish tinge - like winter morning on a clear day. Mid range (8k) is blended light, like summer sun. The lower K rating will give you a warmer, even yellowish/reddish light. Like late afternoon sun.

 

[nitrous]

ya bc i got 1 now with 2700k and it looks to dark so ima go back and exchange again and get 1 with 6700 k even tho the box says for terrariums but in a book it said enhances plant photosynthesis

 

[Simpte]

I find 6500K tends to be yellow and by itself washes out good greens in plants. 10000K gives me the best white. 8000-9325k is a nice pinkish that mixes well with 6400-6700K bulbs IME. 12000K bulbs are very blue looking.

 

[BillD]

Interesting. I find the plants look best with 5000K, and 6500K is bluish.

 

[nitrous]

dang well since my lfs only carries these
http://www.hagen.com/usa/aquatic/sub_category_psubtype.cfm?CAT=1&SUBCAT=112&PSUBCAT=11204
what ones would u choose if u were in my situation?
the 2800 was darkish and i think ima trade it in for a life glo thjat is 6800 and see if that is better

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Lifeglo and Lifeglo2 are both good. (2 is more expensive because of the integrated reflector.)

2800's are too strong in the reds. 6500k can be purchased at home depot (philips daylight deluxe) for less then 2$ if they have your size in a T8.. If you can get 2 in there, a daylight deluxe at the back and a powerglow at the front would work wonders (look into the price of a 2 light strip at the LFS or petsmart (35-38$), Allglass also come with Aquaglo equiv. bulbs which are decent for plant growth. (same purplish hue of a powerglo)

 

[nitrous]

so if i go to home depot just look for a floursescent light 18 inches any wattage(more than 15 i hope) and around 6500 watts hmm thats easier and i have the hood that came with the kit so it only has 1 slot
also why t8?

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

T8 because that's the style of bulb yours takes, the ballast won't drive any other style of bulb except possibly T6, but those are a bit more money (a bit more light output aswell) and are only available from a couple of stores.

I wouldn't pick up any bulb, try to find one that is 6500K (Philips Daylight), if you can't, they have a 5000K model. Don't bother with the "aquarium bulb", the temp is 2800K and too strong in the reds.

T8's get about 25% more light output/watt then a T12.. There is a lot to lighting, this is just the coles notes version.

 

[nitrous]

alright thanks ill go to the hardware store soon and check out some lights

 

[macfisto]

Any idea what the "K" rating of the 18" 15-watt All-Glass bulb that comes with their hood would be? Thanks.....

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

I believe they are 12000 or 16000. They are full spectrum bulbs and are good for growing plants.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I have a 6400k 65W on my 26G, and looks absolutesly great. My java moss is the nicest green ever, and the tank in itself looks more like sunlight, with a little to the yellowish side. But looks great.

 

[macfisto]

When I initially purchased my tank, it came with the All-Glass bulbs. For whatever reason, I didn't like those so I bought some of the GE Plant & Aqaurium bulbs. I've been using those since July, and some of my plants are just now starting to yellow a bit. I take this as a sign that the bulbs are going bad. If I put the All-Glass bulbs back in now, will the increase in color temp affect anything negatively? I know my tank will have much more of a blue-ish tint to it. From what I hear, this increase in color temp could actually show off my fish and plants a little better? Thanks in advance for your response!