What type of light do you use for your fuge

[coblerx4]

I started with a plant grow light but it got so hot I switched to a sunlight bulb 16w=60watt compact fluoescent. It has been 2 months and I have not seen any new growth with the cheato. Also it has not gotten smaller which is good. Is this working out perfect with no new growth to pull out or should I increase the bulb to a 75w or 100w CF to get more growth? Thanks

 

[flyingarmy]

The 6500K grow lights work best. They do put out some heat but the macro growth is amazing. Lowe's and Walmart I know sell the 6500K bulbs at a great price. I even use them to grow my phyto.

 

[haninja]

 

[jefft]

flyingarmy;70341 wrote: The 6500K grow lights work best. They do put out some heat but the macro growth is amazing. Lowe's and Walmart I know sell the 6500K bulbs at a great price. I even use them to grow my phyto.

Ditto, bought one from Lowes, the screw in florescent type and its working great.
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[coblerx4]

That is what I will put in. Thanks

 

[roundman]

Cameron posted about a bulb that with a lower color around 5500K that was better for growing macro but I can't find it. I got one and it is growing everything like crazy. It is the compact flourescent 23w > 100w full spectrum bulb. It said it was for crafts in a green package at Lowe's. He did post a picture and explained it.

 

[flyingarmy]

 

[sprayin70]

5500K bulb screw in powercompact 100Watt

 

[george]

I honestly don't think there's an appreciable difference between the 6500K and 5500K bulbs from spectrum. What I do think helps a great deal is that the 5500K bulbs have a nice shiny internal reflector that works far, far better than the usual clamp-on light reflectors.

The recessed light reflectors that are in the recessed lighting trim kits from the HD lighting department are mirror reflective and work extremely well if you want to add a reflector to the bare PC 6500K bulbs.

 

[budsreef]

flyingarmy;70341 wrote: The 6500K grow lights work best. They do put out some heat but the macro growth is amazing. Lowe's and Walmart I know sell the 6500K bulbs at a great price. I even use them to grow my phyto.

Mark, is that the bulb that is in the hood I got from you? [edit] Nevemind the bulb in the hood is a regular 2 pin flourescent.

 

[james s_]

Best bulb I have found was off of Melev's Site.I use the one on the left and will never go back.
site.

 

[flyingarmy]

I think the ones with a built in reflector are the PAR38s. I only have found them online,

 

[photokid]

just watch out for salt spray it will kill your bulb quick.

 

[james s_]

They have the Par38's at Home Depot up by my house.I think they are like 5 bucks.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

Ok here is what my tests show about lights. I have two tanks running right now with two different lights. One light (on my 55) is the TCP 5100K bulb that is shown on Melv's Reef. I like it, it grows Cheato like crazy but you can't really find it locally!. It has an internal reflector that works MUCH better then the stock reflectors on the clip on lights. The other tank (the 40 gal) was running the bulb that cameron posted. It was 5500K w/o an internal reflector, BIG DIFFERENCE! I am now running a 6500K bulb on the 40 with an internal reflector and it IS better then the 5500K w/o but not as good as the 5100K with. Does that make any sense?!?

So, if you can find it, go with an internal reflector AND 5100K, If you can't go with the internal reflector and the 6500K, if you still can not find them, go with the 5100K with a GOOD external reflector (like what George has put on his.)

 

[reefreaper]

My 6500K set-up has worked fine for years. You might want to choose a light and then experiment with changing to a different bulb every few months to see what works best for you.