To settle an argument!

[CrazDevil]

Hi there,

My flatmate has been bitching to me about using normal flouro's (6500 Kelvin Ratings) for plant growth. He says that it doesn't help. I have a 360L tank, 6 floros (2x18000 K, 2 x 10000, 2 x 6500 K). Could someone help clarify whether I should just get rid of my 6500 K floros. Cheers. And thanks.

[antwan]

6500k is the "daylight" rating, and best for plants (from what I've heard). They look better under 8000k in my opinion, but 6500k is definitely better than 18,000k's (have never heard of a bulb with a kelvin rating this high on a planted tank before) and 10,000k's.

[CrazDevil]

Thanks antwan. Opps I might be wrong. Will double check when i get my butt off this chair

[fishboi]

yep 6500K is best for planted freshwater, quit hard to get hold of these days. 18 000 does nothing for plants but good for bring out the colour on the fish or use as night lighting. have ever seen up to 14 000 though so i am assuming the 18 000 is even darker blue?

[SpidersWeb]

It's Phillips Colour 86. Most tubes come in colour 33 or 86. 86 is 'Cool Daylight' and has a 6500 kelvin rating. The standard tubes used in offices etc are Colour 33 'Cool White' and has a 2700 kelvin rating (AFAIK). Both cost the same price, and the higher 6500 kelvin rating will be best for plants.

I paid $9ea for Phillips 4ft 36W T8 tubes in 6500K, got five straight off the shelf. Much much cheaper than the aquarium speciality tubes. Any electrical wholesaler who sells to the public should be able to help. Mine were from Advance Electrical here in Upper Hutt.

T5 is tricky to find, but if you've got T8, just use 6500K Daylight tubes (Colour 86 Cool Daylight).

[shiuh]

so anywhere around 6500K is the best? going way above like 18000 K, 10000 K is no good for plants?

[antwan]

that's correct shiuh.

[Caryl]

I have no trouble growin gplants using standard daylight and bright white fluoros.

[CrazDevil]

Thanks everyone. Helped a lot. Yea I have two tubes of 18000 which i bought especially for my marine tank eons ago (never used). It brings out the colour of my neons hence i thought I would just mix and match

[Warren]

It's Phillips Colour 86. Most tubes come in colour 33 or 86. 86 is 'Cool Daylight' and has a 6500 kelvin rating. The standard tubes used in offices etc are Colour 33 'Cool White' and has a 2700 kelvin rating (AFAIK). Both cost the same price, and the higher 6500 kelvin rating will be best for plants.

I paid $9ea for Phillips 4ft 36W T8 tubes in 6500K, got five straight off the shelf. Much much cheaper than the aquarium speciality tubes. Any electrical wholesaler who sells to the public should be able to help. Mine were from Advance Electrical here in Upper Hutt.

T5 is tricky to find, but if you've got T8, just use 6500K Daylight tubes (Colour 86 Cool Daylight).

You can also get colour 96 (still 6500K). These are higher colour rendering tubes due to a more even spectrum. They look exactly the same but have 5 spikes in the spectrum instead of three on the colour 86. Over-all, the colour 96 is a more even spread and plants grow noticably better under them.

Most electrical wholesalers sell them but they are about twice the price of colour 86. They may not stock them either but will be able to order them in.

I used colour 96 tubes for about 8 years before switching to metal halides.

Use Philips or Sylvania TLD96.