Flourescent Strip Light - Why so expensive?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
D

donthitmyhead

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 12, 2006
56
0
0
Ontario, Canada
Ok I was online looking on light prices and found flourescent strip lights go as high as $1000 Canadian dollars!:WHOA: What's so special about them? Can't I just attach two bulbs on my hood and watch my plants grow well? Thanks
 
Which ones?

Most probably water proof, salt tolerant, bulbs included (?) and pretty.

Shop lights $8 US at wally world :ROFL: . Just how many times could you replace them for the cost of one set of the 'good' ones?!

Dr Joe

.
 
Well for plants, you need lights that are the right kelvin temperature for plants. $1000 is more of a MH, LED, or possibly HO T5 lights.
 
Waterproofing and even salt resistance is about a 10 minute job on a standard dual tube 48" fixture. Daylight bulbs or in the case of plants...gro light bulbs are all you really need. It's cheaper in most cases to add an eatra fixture to the hood and double the output than it is to use 'specialty' bulbs. Most of these bulbs ammount to little more than high watt florecents with internal filters. The only thing 'special' or expencive about them is the limited market that drives up the price.

Increased wattage=larger power bills and more heat.
 
Wolf3101;831218;831218 said:
Waterproofing and even salt resistance is about a 10 minute job on a standard dual tube 48" fixture. Daylight bulbs or in the case of plants...gro light bulbs are all you really need. It's cheaper in most cases to add an eatra fixture to the hood and double the output than it is to use 'specialty' bulbs. Most of these bulbs ammount to little more than high watt florecents with internal filters. The only thing 'special' or expencive about them is the limited market that drives up the price.

Increased wattage=larger power bills and more heat.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily... Metal halides are extremely hot, but put off a lot of lumens, however High output T5 bulbs use a lot of energy, but are much cooler than a standard T12 or T8 fluorescent bulb. LED lights (which are seeing a rise in popularity) put out a lot of lumens, and use little wattage, but in high watt LED setups they can use a good amount of electricity and still be room temperature.
 
Point taken..however the main thrust of the thread was more towords the lower end of the lighting spectrum hence my comments. I've seen people put a combination MH dual T5 set up on a 75g non planted FW tank because they were told it was better for the fish...I can only assume that it's better for the fish because it keeps the manufacturers and LFS in buisness.
 
Wolf3101;831218; said:
Waterproofing and even salt resistance is about a 10 minute job on a standard dual tube 48" fixture. Daylight bulbs or in the case of plants...gro light bulbs are all you really need. It's cheaper in most cases to add an eatra fixture to the hood and double the output than it is to use 'specialty' bulbs. Most of these bulbs ammount to little more than high watt florecents with internal filters. The only thing 'special' or expencive about them is the limited market that drives up the price.

Increased wattage=larger power bills and more heat.
Click to expand...


10 minutes? Just set it on top of the glass cover...waterproofed :ROFL: .
 
Did a little research and found out normal bulbs are not enough for plants. So my next question is can VHO florescent bulbs be put into normal hoods? Sorry I'm noob at this stuff, thanks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom