Light Bulb dilemma

[Floyd R Turbo]

I'm upgrading my lighting for my 55g FW planted from 2x18" 15W Tropic Sun 5500K bulbs to a fixture I bought at the hardware store that takes 2x32W T8 or 2x32, 36, or 40W T12s. I opted for the 40W T12s.

Here's the dilemma

I got 2 Verilux Instant Sun 40WT12s at Menards for like $12.50 each. They are:
6280K
lumens not listed
26,000 hrs
color rendering index (cri) 94.5

I then found a 2 pack of GE Daylight 40WT12s at Wal-Mart for $9.50. They are:
6500K
3050 lumens
20,000 hrs
cri 75

If someoner could please decipher this code for me and tell me which is better, or if there is another bulb I should be getting, I would appreciate it!

 

[BillD]

If you had the option for T8s, you should have gone with them. Home depot and probably any similar store will have 48" tubes of 5000K (Natural Sun) or 6500K (UtraDaylight) for around $4.00. Up here they carry Philips tubes. All major manufactureers make similar tubes for around the same price. The 2x T1240 watts Ultra Daylight at HD are around $6.00, but the T8's are more efficient. The higher the CRI the more accurate the colour rendition. Natural sun is 100, and the other numbers are a percentage of that. Tubes in the 5000K to 6500K range will grow plants nicely.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

Thanks! I think I paid too much for those bulbs, $12.50 each, but they are the tri-phosphor bulbs. I may look around and find some good T8s and return these T12s. I also just found a great thread on this subject

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f24/updating-the-wpg-rule-theory-69964.html

That REALLY helped explain it. The WM bulbs I got are not full spectrum, and one didn't even work, so those are going back regardless.

 

[jsoong]

Definitely go for the T8's ... puts out more light per watts.

From what I read, the champ in this area is the Phillips Advantage line (full spectrum T8 ). It is almost as good as the power compacts in terms of usable light for plants. I have not seen those up here, so I am using the ordinary full spectrum Phillips UltraDaylight (6500K) ... I paid maybe $6 for 2.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

Definitely go for the T8's ... puts out more light per watts.

From what I read, the champ in this area is the Phillips Advantage line (full spectrum T8 ). It is almost as good as the power compacts in terms of usable light for plants. I have not seen those up here, so I am using the ordinary full spectrum Phillips UltraDaylight (6500K) ... I paid maybe $6 for 2.

Well, I couldn't find any T8s for anywhere near that price - where did you get those?

The best I could find were a couple of Phillips Natural Sunshine F32T8 4' ones for $7.50 each. These are 5000K, 2950 lumens, 86 cri which gets me to the medium light level at 5900 lumens over 576 sq in, or just over 2 l/sq in, which was my goal.

 

[jsoong]

I got mine from Home Depot .... But I am in Canada, US prices might be different.

<Mine came in packs of 2 for $8 Canadian ~ $6 US. They also sell the tubes singly at $6 or so. I used the UltraDaylight, but they have the Natural Sunshine for the same price.>