Which Light Do You Like Best?

[AfricanCichlidOwner]

I'm stuck between LEDs and compact flourescent. I have both just don't know what to use, this is my 20 Long with both lights opinions please!

Picture 1: Compacts
Picture 2: Marineland LEDs

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Picture two puts off a more blue light and makes the tank look better and not look as cloudy to me. I'd go with those

 

[AfricanCichlidOwner]

Yea I like the way it lights it up, the others look more natural and not so blue. They also look different in person haha.

 

[blert]

Depends on the direction you are taking the tank. If you plan on going planted then go with the fluorescents. MarineLand LED fixtures are not capable of supporting any but the very lowest light plants.

IMO, figure out a way to use both. Put the LED fixture towards the front and the fluorescent behind it. Put decent 6500k-8000k bulbs the fluorescent. Should give you a nice color and allow you to grow a wider variety of plants.

 

[AfricanCichlidOwner]

Wow thanks! how fast should my plants grow with the led and the fluorescents? What's the difference?

 

[Bwiz123]

Atlantic 10000 kalvin light blue bright *** standard light ! Not h.o gives nice bright light

 

[blert]

Wow thanks! how fast should my plants grow with the led and the fluorescents? What's the difference?

They will grow as fast as they feel like. There are fast growing plants, there are slow growing plants and everything in between.
Light alone won't grow a plant. No amount of light will grow anything but nuisance algae unless all other needed nutrients are provided also.

As far as the difference between fluorescents and LEDs... A photon is a photon is a photon.
The biggest difference is efficiency and cost. LEDs cost more up front but have a much lower cost of upkeep. Fluorescents cost less up front but have a much higher cost of upkeep.
LEDs may not look as bright as fluorescents to human eyes but they produce more PAR so they can be deceptive.
LEDs also give that shimmer effect that fluorescents can't.
Of course, this assumes the use of good high power LEDs (3 watt). The crappy <1 watt LEDs are no good for anything other than seeing by and decoration. Even the 1 watt LEDs are pretty useless for growth unless there is a lot of them.