Energy saving light bulbs.

[WonderKeeper]

Markado, I go with you 100% about "energy saving bubs". Check out Zoo Med a T8 48" Ocean Sun 10,000k only use 32W . My 540gal use 2 of this bulbs + 2 of other Zoo Med color bulbs also 32W each + 2 18w each 12,000k , so my 540gal use only 164 watts total for the lights. My friend has a 120 gal tank . He put on 2 of 48" Ocean Sun 10,000k and 2 of Zoo Med Plant grow bulbs. His tank energy use for the light just 120 Watts. I think his tank need just 2 or 3 bulbs just enough. He is growing some fancy stem plants so he got 4 light bulbs. (new bulbs will take few minutes to bright up from the first time you turn it on)

The bottom line is whatever company you pick for your aquarium light, always look for the Watts, K number ( K number should be between 8000k to 10,000k) with strong emissions of blue and red color that stated on the light bulbs cover. Also look at the cost of replacement of the light)

So far I like the T8 . Its fixture and bulbs are affordable to get.

I do agree with VNCNT about get reflector for the bulb.

Good luck.

 

[WonderKeeper]

Will these guys work for plants? I was thinking to "flood light" one will. What do you guys think?

The box on the left stated 4000k . It may works for some low light plants. Is it each flood light has 100 watts ? That is not energy saving bulbs. Regular house light may cause unwanted algae grow and the color may scare the fish. I tried it before. Did you find any light on the left in picture that has 7000k to 10,000k?

 

[verbal]

If you use CFLs make sure the color temperature is at least 6500K(daylight) and they are oriented downward. While it is simpler to buy a tubular set-up, DIY CFL can be a cost effective option.

I would not use the standard floodlight bulb, because it won't give you that much light and it will produce a lot of heat.

 

[Tropicalfishking]

I use these on 2 of my tanks (Growing java moss, frog bit, and hornwort. Easy plants.) I made there reflectors out of aluminium foil. They work great! They are GE 60w 6,500K.

 

[Lepisosteus platyrhincus]

iv used CFLs on my planted tank. i grew some plants that require on the higher end of light with no ferts and no problems. The super high light required plants didnt do well, but they lived.

Next tank will use the same bulbs but with ferts and DIY c02.


edit* they were 6500k if i remember correctly

 

[markado]

hey guys thanks for your good advise i understand this matter better now. so what if i use 2X 40k bulbs? will i need at least 10k per bulb?

Cheers!

 

[jschall]

hey guys thanks for your good advise i understand this matter better now. so what if i use 2X 40k bulbs? will i need at least 10k per bulb?

Cheers!

You're going to regret using CFLs. They're too inefficient for a number of reasons:
The spiral shape is bad for directing light downward.
The spiral shape causes manufacturing limitations, and the fluorescent coating on the glass pools in places, making the light less efficient.
The small form-factor is generally a design limitation that prevents the manufacturer from using better tubes and better ballasts.
The most efficient way to mount a CFL is vertically. This uses a LOT of space in your canopy.

The "k" rating is color temperature. It refers to how "blue" or "yellow" the bulb is. The higher the "k," the bluer the light. For a planted tank, anything 6500k or above is generally fine. I recommend NOT using "k" to mean "thousands" at the same time you use it to refer to color temperature. For example, a lot of people say "10k bulbs," when they mean 10,000k bulbs. Pedants like me don't take kindly to things like that.

The floodlight in the picture you linked is almost definitely an incandescent, which means that the VAST majority of energy you put into it will be dissipated as heat.

You're best off buying a t5ho fixture. Assuming your 120g tank is a 4' tank, I would look at this:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...+t5ho+freshwater&aq=f&aqi=&aql=f&oq=&gs_rfai=

I'd also argue against CFL being cost-effective. You have to do a DIY build to incorporate them into a canopy/lid. The bulbs are also almost certainly more expensive.
They're ok for nano tanks. They're NOT a solution for a 120 gallon tank.

 

[knifegill]

CFL is on my 125g. The housing is a punctured silver bowl with a $1 100 watt 6500k bulb. The light gets to the bottom of the tank. The coils face down but the bowl catches the light from the sides and throws it down as well. Aside from having a salad bowl on top of my tank, it's great. Lots of great light. Can't beat the price, either.

 

[markado]

thanks guys i got your point there sorry for such a late reply was out of town.