Sylvania Full Spectrum Fuge Light

[cameron]

This isn't the best bulb out there, but it is one of the few I could find at Lowes/HD that was in the 5000k to 5500k range which has recently been shown to grow chaeto the best. Anyway, it is about $8 found it at Lowes. I also spend $5 on a clamp on reflector. Again not the best setup out there but for a sub $15 dollar fuge lamp it is some great bang for the buck.

Brandon and I went through a ton of bulbs from GE and a couple of other manus before running into this one.
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[linda lee]

You really need to change your screen name to:

Cameron;59500 wrote: great bang for the buck

thanks for all the helpful info!

 

[cameron]

I try to spend less on equipment so I can spend more on tank critters.

 

[nishant3789]

the problem wiht these screw in pcs is that they get overheated VERY easily. If you want to get any sort of lifespan out of these things, figure out a way to keep them well ventilated.

 

[cameron]

At 23w they overheat? I can touch mine when it has been on for hours and it seems fine.

 

[nishant3789]

well, from what i understand since its the ballast that overheats since it is essentially inside the unit. maybe it doesnt happen with only 23 watts, but when people attempted to do the whole lights of america 65 watt outdoor floodlight fixtures this was a problem. i have personally used a daylight screw in (6500k) on my planted tank for years before without problems, but they would occasionally go out if i placed them improperly.

 

[cameron]

Hmmm... sounds like a bulb design quality problem. I haven't noticed any problems with mine so far, but I have only been using for a couple weeks or so. Truth be told even if I have to replace these annually it is still a great deal and I would be suprised if I have to do it under 1.5-2 years. Life span is 8000 hours which means should be able to squeeze years out of the bulb and suffer a color shift long before it burns out even if it is being over driven.

I can tell you that switching down 1000 to 1500k to the 5000k range will likely give you a 25-50% jump in chaeto growth. Some unscientiffic tests done by some guys over at reef central show that 5000-5500k beat the crap out of the 6500k bulbs and the bulbs less than 4000k weren't even in the running. It was scary how fast the same chaeto in the same tank grew under the 5500k bulbs versus the 6500k bulbs.

 

[dough]

Timely post Cam. Going to Lowes to by the bulb was on my to do list yesterday before............

Sounds like your using the old aluminum reflector clamp light that has been around for years. Go on of those with a black light in it in garage. That will save me $5.

I wonder what a black light would look like on a tank.

Doug

 

[circlek]

It used to be that not all compact flourescent bulbs were approved for use in sealed fixtures. I believe that this was due to ballast cooling. I had several that were installed in cans (recessed) blow out. This was probably 2 years ago. They are more popular now, and may have improved.

 

[nishant3789]

hmmmm yes, thats true, my information is pretty old and things probably have gotten better seeing as how the overheating issue wouldnt only affect us reefkeepers, but anyone seeking to use them for their home.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

Ya I think the lights with the internal reflectors (flood lights) might still put out a bit more light due to the reflectors being internal and not the cheap ones that come on the clip on lamps but that is an easy trade do the the convience of being able to go to lowes instead of having to order the TCP bulbs online!

 

[cameron]

Agreed and I would have bought one if there was one in the k range I wanted. If somebody finds one that is 5000k or 5500k locally at a chain let me know. As it stands now, this bulb is going to grow my chaeto just fine and since you can pick it up around the corner the hassle factor is pretty low.

 

[photokid]

i have had trouble with these bulbs in my sump/fuge. make sure you have enough air circulation because if its too humid you really shorten the life span of the bulbs.

 

[cameron]

This bulb or a bulb like it?

 

[blind1993]

can u show me a pick of the reflector.

 

[photokid]

i think it was that bulb.

 

[blind1993]

no he said eh got a $5 clamp on reflector.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

I do not have a camera handy... but the reflector and lamp is $5.50 at HD. It is a clip on shop light reflector that can be found near the power strips and extention cords.

 

[blind1993]

ok because i think i might do that.

 

[cameron]

I will watch the bulb and see what it does over the coming months. So far I have noticed no abnormal heat coming from the unit and my sump is not ventilated at all. I do wonder if you guys were getting a lot of salt spray build up on the bulbs which may have been a problem though.