Home Depot bulbs
- Thread starter mr limpet
- Start date
Hello; Pretty much as long as they fit you should be able to use them. I am assuming you have standard size tubes. Without plants there is not really anything special to look for except for the "color" (warmth) of the light.
I have a preference for the look of bulbs in the 5000 to 6500 K range sometimes called "daylight" or cool white.
Bulbs in the 2000 to 2500 K range are sometimes called "warm white". They are fine for lamps but I do not happen to like the look on a tank.
It may be possible to replace the fluorescent tubes with LED tubes that work in the same fixture. I have seen such at big box hardware stores but have not as yet tried them. I got in too much of a hurry and took out the fluorescent guts of my aquarium hoods and replaced them with standard screw in sockets. I have been running LED bulbs with the standard screw in base on a few tanks for a couple of years or so.
I have a preference for the look of bulbs in the 5000 to 6500 K range sometimes called "daylight" or cool white.
Bulbs in the 2000 to 2500 K range are sometimes called "warm white". They are fine for lamps but I do not happen to like the look on a tank.
It may be possible to replace the fluorescent tubes with LED tubes that work in the same fixture. I have seen such at big box hardware stores but have not as yet tried them. I got in too much of a hurry and took out the fluorescent guts of my aquarium hoods and replaced them with standard screw in sockets. I have been running LED bulbs with the standard screw in base on a few tanks for a couple of years or so.
I have lights from Menards in my fixtures. I don’t keep plants so I don’t think anything special is necessary.
I prefer the 6,500k bulbs which are 'cooler' and look sharper. That's what comes with many of the fixtures. 5,000k bulbs will appear 'warmer' with a yellow tint compared to 6,500k but are still fine for aquariums. I wouldn't go below 5,000k though. Bulbs in the 3,000k range are too 'warm'.
I know nothing about what lighting is best. Can any fluorescent light strip made for aquariums take any type bulb? So instead of watts used to measure power of incandescent bulbs, fluorescent bulbs use Ks ? In other word is is ok to use a 6500 fluorescent bulb( even from Home Depot ) in any light trip made for fluorescent bulbs as long as it fits? Without worrying about ooverheating light strip? I hope I explained it right?
No worries about over heating anything, long as it fits and is the right size (T5, T8, T12) then you are fine. All my floro fixtures have bulbs from Lowes in them. The lower K range such as 2800k are too warm looking for some tanks but they do look good over some SA & CA style tanks. I have them over my bichir tank and it looks good with them. Plants are even doing really well under them.
Hello; Steve C. has it right.
The size of the fluor tube is basically the length. So match the length. If you have 18 inch tubes then get 18 inch. Replace a 24 inch with a 24 inch and so on.
The kelvin (K) unit refers to the color of the visible light spectrum the bulb is tuned to. Lower numbers (2000K or so are toward the redish) (6000K or so are toward the blueish). They are still mainly white light but with a slight tint one way or the other. I like the light more toward the blue end (6000K ) because it looks more like natural sunlight. When you get in the store check the displays, there may be examples.
I have grown plants under all of the color ranges for that matter. There are some "plant" bulbs which are color (frequency) tuned to slightly enhance plant growth. They work well.