Compact Fluorescents

[Mzungu]

No matter how much I find to read about lighting and planted tanks, I'm still confused about some of the lighting issues. For instance, I have read that 10,000K and 6700K are both acceptable for freshwater plants, but has anyone had a better experience with one or the other? Or does it depend on the ferts, water, CO2, type of plants, etc? Also, once you do choose one or the other (or both?), are there huge differences between brands? I know one LFS that is selling some PC fixtures (with lights) for a great price, but I don't know much about the brand. I'm just wondering if that would matter at all. Thanks!

[Tiapan]

Re: Compact Fluorescents

10k typically is brighter then 6 k and brighter is better, but power compacts penetrate deeper then standard flourencence. and i know i mispelled that.  but a good rule of thumb is typically 2 to 3 watts per gallon of lighting. if you are going ot mix power compact with normal i would put the power compact in the front of the tank for shorter forground plants(its working great for me) but total wattage is a little more importance then kelvin rating of the lights. my power compact is a 50/50 salt bulb and my forground plants are growing very fast.

[Mzungu]

Re: Compact Fluorescents

Thanks!  8)  Are you having any trouble with algae using the 50/50? About 2 weeks ago I bought that fixture that I was talking about, however it's a 12000K PC bulb, and after about a week of my plants growing like crazy, now it's algae (brush or hair, I can't tell, I think the DIY CO2 is stunting it a bit...?) taking over my tank. I think I'll order some 10000 or 6700K bulbs, I have a 6700 on another tank, and it's working wonderfully.

[surlynkid]

Re: Compact Fluorescents

10k typically is brighter then 6 k and brighter is better, but power compacts penetrate deeper then standard flourencence. and i know i mispelled that.  but a good rule of thumb is typically 2 to 3 watts per gallon of lighting. if you are going ot mix power compact with normal i would put the power compact in the front of the tank for shorter forground plants(its working great for me) but total wattage is a little more importance then kelvin rating of the lights. my power compact is a 50/50 salt bulb and my forground plants are growing very fast.

this is wrong.  watts are watts.  10K is much whiter than 6K, but no brighter.  that is just how your eye perceives the color.  PC's do not penetrate deeper either.  watts penetrate deeper.  the wavelength only affects how it looks to you.  the fish and plants do not care.  i have been running lights on salt tanks for a long time.

[surlynkid]

Re: Compact Fluorescents

Thanks!  8)  Are you having any trouble with algae using the 50/50? About 2 weeks ago I bought that fixture that I was talking about, however it's a 12000K PC bulb, and after about a week of my plants growing like crazy, now it's algae (brush or hair, I can't tell, I think the DIY CO2 is stunting it a bit...?) taking over my tank. I think I'll order some 10000 or 6700K bulbs, I have a 6700 on another tank, and it's working wonderfully.

your old bulb could have been worn out appearing fine but not really putting out any lumens.  the new bulb probably jump started everything.

[Mzungu]

Re: Compact Fluorescents

Actually, I had a double NO fluorescent fixture over it in the past.

[surlynkid]

Re: Compact Fluorescents

better lighting = more growth including algae growth if you have too many nutrients in teh water.

[PhishPhreek]

Re: Compact Fluorescents

What voltage / current do these ballasts put out for the bulbs ?

anyone have a good source for parts ?

[surlynkid]

Re: Compact Fluorescents

the only parts you should need are new bulbs.  try www.marinedepot.com for those.

are you trying to build your own ballast?  i think some folks did that with some ballasts from homedepot that allowed them to run the 96W PC bulbs.  do some searches at www.reefcentral.com

[PhishPhreek]

Re: Compact Fluorescents

I have not had any luck finding a cheap 48" fixture
so I have been considering building a wood canopy and mounting
the lights in it.

[surlynkid]

Re: Compact Fluorescents

I have not had any luck finding a cheap 48" fixture
so I have been considering building a wood canopy and mounting
the lights in it.

that is what i did.  i bought PC retrofit kits and mounted them in my own canopy.

[Tiapan]

Re: Compact Fluorescents

as for mzungu, i am not having too many alge problems, a little brown but the tank has been up for only 2 weeks, i just cleaned it a little today and put in an o cat (otocinclus) the new pics should be up, but true be told the higher watts in a power compact would mean it put more lite in a smaller area so it should penetrate at least a little better, it seems to work great for the foreground plants i have and my crpts are growing like crazy, and i already have new growth on my dwarf anubias. and the 50/50 makes my red blue colombians shine out., i dont worry to much about my 29 its main light source is the sun because its in a big bay window, and all i have is a little green on the side, the alge eaters keep up with it well, plants do great too. the only light on it is an 18 inch 15 watt bulb so i can look at it at night.