Guys, I need your help, basically a few weeks ago my lights needed replacing I'd had them on for near enough a year and read somewhere they should be changed every 6 months especally if you have plants which i do, so I bought 2x 7000k bulbs for my Rio 180 aquarium, and I also bought 2 light reflecters one for each light. At first the aquarium seemed nice and bright and the fish seemed perfectly happy, i.e. not running for cover or anything. But now about 2 months on the aquarium seems duller somehow, so I took the reflecters off and one of them was caked in green slime which I managed to clean off, the other refelecter was fine. I then put it all back together and the light level seems a little better but not great. Which is a pitty because when I first replaced the lights the fish looked great there colours were amazing, now its just not quite as good. So I'm now thinking the bulbs I bought were crap I only paid about £7 for each bulb. Anyway if I do replace them can I use marine 10,000k bulbs on a tropical freesh water setup ?, my tank has mainly gouramis and platinum tetras in it.
How can I increase my light level ????
- Thread starter Vyper
- Start date
the "marine" bulbs your talking about just have a little more of the blue spectrum to them, which will penatrate the water deeper than your yellow / orange / red spectrum. the higher the kelvin rating (10,000k, 11,000k, etc...) means the more on the blue spectrum your going. They call 6000k - 6500k Daylight or midday bulbs.
I might be wrong here, but i'm thinking the perfect light for freshwater plants are 6500k 8700k or some where in that range. I prefer the blue spectrum myself. I have a reef tank and when i turn on the antinic (really really blue light) i get a "blacklight" glow to my aquarium, super deep light penatration.
LOL this is probably more "blue" than you want, but don't worry 10,000k looks NOTHING like these. but to answer your question, i would think the 10,000k is going to be more of a "whiter" light then what you have and would give a better overall lighting to your tank.
I might be wrong here, but i'm thinking the perfect light for freshwater plants are 6500k 8700k or some where in that range. I prefer the blue spectrum myself. I have a reef tank and when i turn on the antinic (really really blue light) i get a "blacklight" glow to my aquarium, super deep light penatration.
LOL this is probably more "blue" than you want, but don't worry 10,000k looks NOTHING like these. but to answer your question, i would think the 10,000k is going to be more of a "whiter" light then what you have and would give a better overall lighting to your tank.
ok dug up some pics of different kelvin bulbs.
First pic is a 6500k bulb
2nd pic is a 11,000k Aquablue plus
yes two different tanks, but the 11,000k bulbs look so white compared to the 6500K, when i was setting up my tek light (6x54W T5 HO) I added the 6500K midday bulbs and they looked white, then i added the 11,000k bulbs and WOW the 6500k bulbs themself looked yellow compared to the 11000k bulbs. I think you would be much happier with the 10,000k HTH
First pic is a 6500k bulb
2nd pic is a 11,000k Aquablue plus
yes two different tanks, but the 11,000k bulbs look so white compared to the 6500K, when i was setting up my tek light (6x54W T5 HO) I added the 6500K midday bulbs and they looked white, then i added the 11,000k bulbs and WOW the 6500k bulbs themself looked yellow compared to the 11000k bulbs. I think you would be much happier with the 10,000k HTH
Do you have plants in the tank? If you do, 10k bulbs will not work for them and you need something in the 6700K range. If you don't, then it doesn't matter.
Roan
Roan
Sorry guys, I think I've got you all barking up the wrong tree, I'm not after a blue light effect I'm actually after a white light effect. Basically I thought the 7000k related to the brightness not the colour of the actual light. Basically I'm trying to ask can i stick marine white bulbs in my freshwaer tank as I'm disappointed with the current light level in my tank, it just doesn't seem very bright even with reflectors. I've attached some info on the lights i was considering buying, would these be suitable for the fish I have, i.e. gouramis and platinum tetras. And yes the tank has plants.
BTW guys thanks for uploading your pics there some really gorgeous setups you have there.
See below for the technical info on the bulbs I'm considering.
Arcadia T8 Marine White Lamp
Superb light output
Powerful penetrating white light
Accentuates natural fish colours
Colour replicates reef environment
The Arcadia Marine White lamp has a colour temperature of 9,500K (Kelvin)and an exceptional lumen output combined with very good colour rendition. The tri-phosphor formulation provides consistent long life and stability of output at these high levels of performance.
These factors make it the ideal choice for the serious marine aquarist, with excellent levels of light throughout the aquarium and extraordinary clarity for viewing the constantly changing marine environment.
A high proportion of light energy is concentrated in the area between 400 and 480nm, which also assists in the promotion of zooxanthellae production to encourage coral and invertebrate growth.
The other peaks across the spectrum allow the true, vibrant and natural colours of the fish, corals and invertebrates to be enhanced and to really stand out.
To really achieve the best results for marine aquariums, we recommend the combination of Arcadia Marine White and Marine Blue Actinic lamps. This will provide the benefits of excellent light output levels coupled with the correct spectrum to support symbiotic algae, allowing good growth of the corals and invertebrates whilst greatly improving the overall lighting and appearance of the aquarium, with fluorescent effects as well.
BTW guys thanks for uploading your pics there some really gorgeous setups you have there.
See below for the technical info on the bulbs I'm considering.
Arcadia T8 Marine White Lamp
Superb light output
Powerful penetrating white light
Accentuates natural fish colours
Colour replicates reef environment
The Arcadia Marine White lamp has a colour temperature of 9,500K (Kelvin)and an exceptional lumen output combined with very good colour rendition. The tri-phosphor formulation provides consistent long life and stability of output at these high levels of performance.
These factors make it the ideal choice for the serious marine aquarist, with excellent levels of light throughout the aquarium and extraordinary clarity for viewing the constantly changing marine environment.
A high proportion of light energy is concentrated in the area between 400 and 480nm, which also assists in the promotion of zooxanthellae production to encourage coral and invertebrate growth.
The other peaks across the spectrum allow the true, vibrant and natural colours of the fish, corals and invertebrates to be enhanced and to really stand out.
To really achieve the best results for marine aquariums, we recommend the combination of Arcadia Marine White and Marine Blue Actinic lamps. This will provide the benefits of excellent light output levels coupled with the correct spectrum to support symbiotic algae, allowing good growth of the corals and invertebrates whilst greatly improving the overall lighting and appearance of the aquarium, with fluorescent effects as well.
:OT:
Should be up later today.
Roan
Hubby is upgrading the hardware to what's in my sigPufferpoison said:bowhead server timed out
Should be up later today.
Roan
No, you can't use marine bulbs in a FW tank if you have plants. Unless you want them to eventually die.Vyper said:
Plants need light in the red spectrum, not white or blue.
Roan
Surely these lights have the required spectrum of light needed by plants otherwise how do coral and such like surviove in a marine tank. I've got 2 T8 white lights now and a blue T8 and all my plants are lovely and healthy, so this red spectrum must be coming off my white light ?, surely the marine light provides this too just more intesly ????? or have i got this wrong ?
Marine algaes have evolved over millions of years to use the blue spectrum of light..which is the only available light in deeper water habitats. Most freshwater plants grow in shallow water where a full spectrum of light is available. Plants need red. Just go with a full spectrum light for your plants. 5000-6700K is the norm.