What are the Kelvin measurements of the different kinds of compact fluorescent lights & what kind of compact fluorescent light is best for a planted tank? (cool white, warm white, etc.)
THANKS!
THANKS!
kelvin rating of compact fluorescents
- Thread starter Cichlasomaniac
- Start date
Swimfins
This is as good as it gets.
Anything over 5000k will do fine 5000k approximates the temp. of the sun at noon. Warm bulbs are higher in the red spectrum of color that plants like, but alot of successful planted tank people also use cool white that is more in the green spectrum. Diana Walstad, for example has had alot of success using plain shoplights with cool white bulbs.
I'm using compacts 4 x55 watt, 10000k bulbs and a sylvania gro-lux flourescent 40 watt in the red spectrum. My plants are doing well.
The 10000k are more in the blue range, but to the naked eye they are bright white. I haven't yet tried the 6700k bulbs, some people like them better. So, I may give it a try at next bulb change.
I'm using compacts 4 x55 watt, 10000k bulbs and a sylvania gro-lux flourescent 40 watt in the red spectrum. My plants are doing well.
The 10000k are more in the blue range, but to the naked eye they are bright white. I haven't yet tried the 6700k bulbs, some people like them better. So, I may give it a try at next bulb change.
I use many different bulbs, it's interesting to see how the same plants grow differently under different lighting intensities and K ratings.
Here's what I'm using:
65g - 110W 9325K, 96W 10 000K, 96W 10 000K/6700K ('dual daylight' bulb)
14g - 26W 4100K, 30W 6500K
10g - 30W 5500K
1g - 13W 4100K
Plants grow well under all of these lamps. Anything between ~5000K and 10 000K is great for plants, but people have success using lights outside this range as well. Plants don't worry too much about what type of light they're getting, as long as they're getting enough. They have little use for green light, using mostly light from the blue and red ends of the spectrum.
[edit] :OT: SF, your link didn't work for me - it says you need to be logged in [/edit]
Here's what I'm using:
65g - 110W 9325K, 96W 10 000K, 96W 10 000K/6700K ('dual daylight' bulb)
14g - 26W 4100K, 30W 6500K
10g - 30W 5500K
1g - 13W 4100K
Plants grow well under all of these lamps. Anything between ~5000K and 10 000K is great for plants, but people have success using lights outside this range as well. Plants don't worry too much about what type of light they're getting, as long as they're getting enough. They have little use for green light, using mostly light from the blue and red ends of the spectrum.
[edit] :OT: SF, your link didn't work for me - it says you need to be logged in [/edit]
Swimfins
This is as good as it gets.
Yep
Every single bulb I use is a compact fluorescent. They put out more light per watt than normal output (NO) or very high output (VHO) fluorescents, and they're great for plants.
Every single bulb I use is a compact fluorescent. They put out more light per watt than normal output (NO) or very high output (VHO) fluorescents, and they're great for plants.
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Here is a great primer on bulbs and lighting:
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/4742/lighting.html
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/4742/lighting.html