6500 K power compact screw in bulbs

J

josh

wassup in the hood
Dec 2, 2002
35
0
0
Ann Arbor, MI
www.umich.edu
Hey!

how come I don't hear more about power compact screw in bulbs? The kinds you can buy at your local hard ware store. I bought some 19W pc 6500K bulbs from home depot a while back, and put them above my 10g tank. (that's 3.8 watts per gallon, yeah, with some CO2)

The first amazing thing is that I can fit two of them above my 10 gallon tank. I could fit four if I needed to!

Secondly they are so efficient, and put a great spectrum out . My plants love them.

third of all they are only like 8$ each which puts them in at one of the cheapest bulbs, in the cheapest light socets. (they have the balast inside the bulb so you don't need any extra stuff)

soooo is there something taboo about these things? How come people aren't more excited about them?

-Josh
 
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Once in a while the power companys run rebates on florcent bulbs too. Last time they ran around here, the 2300K bulbs were $2 and the 5100K bulbs were $3. I bought boxes worth.

Stias'
 
I think because most people don't have hoods that will fit the screw-in bulbs.
I have a 15g and a 20g both with hoods that started out as a 10g dual incandescent hood. Glass cover and two screw in CF's makes for some wonderful lighting! They even come on slowly (full brightness takes ~1min), not full brightness all at once, which the fish probably like (of course, that is kinda annoying sometimes with the ones lighting the room...)
 
Dude - power rebates

I wish my power company would start a power compact rebate program! That would be so great. They're a bit expensive still here. You can get a decent 2700 K lamp for about 4$, but the ones to use above a tank are still ike 8$ each...

do bulbs in the 2700K range still promote plant growth?

Oh, and I see your point blueyes - it takes a different system than most people have... However, maybe we could reccomend it to people who are asking how to light their tanks. It's such a modular system! You could build a sweet hood and use normal light fixtures. It'd be so cost efficient.

-Josh
 
I wish I could find the 19 watt bulbs. My Home Depot only carries the 13 watt and 16 watt varieties. Is the 19 watt one made by commercial electric? Also, how do you know they are 6500k? All the ones I have seen don't put a kelvin rating on the packaging.
 
19W

Yes, they are commercial electric. I believe they are the only bulbs that they actually do post the wattage on the packaging. It also says on the base of the bulb on the ballast. I think on all of the other bulbs it says so there as well.

praise the Lord for good things like power compact light bulbs

-Josh
 
Can you go into more detail about these bulbs?

heating?
do they just screw into a incandescent fixture?

etc.... thanks :)
 
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