55w CFL bulb question

Bk718

Bk718

No Monkey Business
Nov 29, 2007
7,148
1
60
Brooklyn, NY
I should be getting an ahsupply 2x55 kit later this week and got a few questions on the bulbs..

Does anyone have any good source on 55w bulbs for a low price??

Also my homedepot sells a philips 55w cfl bulb for $7 the box had no info on it.. so after doing some research online heres what i got..

"55 Watt - 4 Pin - 2G11 Base - 5300 Kelvin - Full Spectrum Compact Fluorescent"

 is this bulb good to use on a planted tank?? I know that the desired kelvin rating for a bulb on a planted tank is in the 5500-10000K rating. But how much different/effect is the 5300K??
 
I've never used anything below 6500k. My experience is with bulbs ranging from 6500k to 10000k. I have never noticed any difference with any of those bulbs in regard to plant growth. I think the same would hold true on down to 5300k.

However, I think you would be unhappy with the way the bulbs dipict color in your tank. Everything will appear very yellow.

On the other side, if you're just wanting to grow plants, this bulbs will work and be cheap. Other options are:

http://www.hellolights.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=539http://www.atspa.com/process673a.html?pageId=2161392210281151075439086
 
Thanks Jeff for the quick reply. I also thought that it would give me a yellow hue in the tank. But im curious how much of a difference it will be to my current setup which is 14w n:Vision CFL bulbs. I believe those are in the 5000K range as well.

I checked out hellolights before and I dont think their bulbs are the cheapest lol I found an AGA 55w bulb on bigals for $17, wonder if thats the lowest it goes, or is there perhaps a local store that might sell the better K rating ones.
 
Hey BK, Just keep in mind you get what you pay for.
I did a quick search for a color spectrum on that bulb, to no avail.
As you know plants do better in a spectrum with more red, I can only deduce that this bulb has very little, if any red or blue. I'm sure to the human eye it will look really green with a yellow hue.
Here is the best plant bulb I have used at a really good price.
http://lightbulbsdirect.com/Merchan...=PROD&Store_Code=001&Product_Code=F55BX-AR-FS


GE 9325K
GE9325KColorSpectrum-1.gif


Here's some more info...http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/science-aquatic-lighting/723-9325k-difference.html
 
Bk828 said:
Thanks Jeff for the quick reply. I also thought that it would give me a yellow hue in the tank. But im curious how much of a difference it will be to my current setup which is 14w n:Vision CFL bulbs. I believe those are in the 5000K range as well.

I checked out hellolights before and I dont think their bulbs are the cheapest lol I found an AGA 55w bulb on bigals for $17, wonder if thats the lowest it goes, or is there perhaps a local store that might sell the better K rating ones.
Click to expand...


I haven't seen a local store with higher K bulbs, except LFS with HIGH prices. Even with shipping, online is the way to go.

Yeah, hellolights isn't the cheapest. Actually, I would go 100% with FTM's 9325K bulb link. That's a great price and a great bulb. Sure, it's almost twice the price as the 5300k bulbs, but it's a good bulb.

Based on price vs spectru, it's a tough call.
 
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