Help choosing CF bulb

[clb2196]

I'm doing a DIy hood mod for my new tank using cfls. I want to have about 2..3ishWPG, since that's what my old tank had. It's 36 gallons, so I'm looking for about 80 watts. Would two of these bulbs (http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=62579-3-29786&lpage=none)work? It doesn't say what the color temp is.

Also, I'm confused about what wattage I want- the actual wattage it's using, in the above case, 40, or what it replaces, in the above one, 150 watts. If the latter, I would assume I'd need something like this (http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=296887-371-60054&lpage=none).

Help?

[Nolapete]

lightbulbsdirect.com there's a 9325K bulb that looks great and works well with plants.

[Slappy*McFish]

Here's another good one:http://www.catalinaaquarium.com/product_info.php?products_id=1450
...that 9325K that Nolapete pointed out is pretty highly regarded, however. You can't go wrong with either.

Edit: I just followed the links in your post and realized you're referring to the spiral bulbs. In that case, go with the 6500K Daylight bulbs. Two 40w or two 60W bulbs would work just fine. I'd probably go with 60W bulbs, myself.

[Bk718]

you would be going with the actual wattage not the equivalence..
And its better to get 4 bulbs over your tank, that way the light is distributed evenly.
Check out walmart/homedepot/lowes/walgreens for the bulbs
I suggest you use 2 27w and 2 14w bulbs (make sure all are daylight not soft white)

In homedepot you can find the 14w bulbs under the brand n:vision they come in a pack of 4 for $8-9

[bsmith]

It might be more expensive and seem like less wattage but believe me with the reflector your waay ahead of the game.

AHsupply kit (http://www.ahsupply.com/36-55w.htm)

[Bk718]

It might be more expensive and seem like less wattage but believe me with the reflector your waay ahead of the game.

AHsupply kit (http://www.ahsupply.com/36-55w.htm)

agree 100%

Think of it this way.. with the money you will spend on the ahsupply kit, you will save with your electricity bill since you will need less watts to get the results (as compared to screw in cfl)

[highgrovemanor]

AH Supply for DIY, for sure.

[mikeb210]

The AH kit is great, but if you already have the lights or fixtures, try to go for more than 4. WPG is a general rule of thumb, but what is important is lumens, which measure how much light is applied to a surface. In the case of CFL bulbs, much light is lost due to restrike, caused by the coiled shape of the bulbs. You will have to have more than x wpg in this case. Some others on here might be able to offer more experience based info on how many CFLs it takes to hit x wpg.

[SubRosa]

If you haven't bought the parts yet don't! I have no idea why people still waste their money on CF with all the good T5 HO stuff out there. You'll need less wattage to produce the same amount of light, will generate alot less extra heat and the price of replacement bulbs is alot higher for CF. I just retrofit 2 54W bulbs (4') into an existing AGA TwinTube fixture for about $70. And a big chunk was the waterproof endcaps that I needed because the tank is an open top. I could have saved $20-$25 if I used standard endcaps from the hardware store. When it comes time to replace the bulbs it'll cost about the same to replace both tubes as it would to replace a single CF of a wattage comparable to one of my tubes.