DIY Lighting 14000k

[maoripho3nix]

Just flicking through the SOG site, not sure if anyone has seen or posted this.

As a DIY enthusiast :lol: this is the best package ive seen yet considering the kelvin rating. Not sure how the $185 kit prices compare to fluorescent t5/t8 total setup or MH total setup prices, to this.....

Kit

Just Bulb

fitting

Maybe i could just buy the bulb for my lamp.....or would it burn it?? the cs is marine blue and aparently this bulb doesnt push out heat

any comments

[HaNs]

Over priced

[Nymox]

GES lamps put out very little heat and are recommended for propagation & breeding stock.

thats good news, I had an old grow light I used when I was into carnivorous plants, it was like having a mini sun in my shed, I had the police turn up thinking I was growing something I shouldnt, they said my shed showed up on the thermal imager in the helicopter.

$185 is a little steep though it is a very nice setup, specially that its marine blue. Im sure you could achieve the same or similar for less, with a lil more DIY.

[maoripho3nix]

Over priced

Thought so, havent really gone towards pricing a basic t5 setup at the same kelvin rating for my tank.

I had the police turn up thinking I was growing something I shouldnt, they said my shed showed up on the thermal imager in the helicopter.

:lol: :lol:

I still think its interesting that what seems to be a CFL has such a kelvin rating, couldnt find it stocked anywhere while searching for lights in my setup

[phoenix44]

and what will you grow under 14000K?

[maoripho3nix]

and what will you grow under 14000K?

Glosso :lol:

[maoripho3nix]

This was from a post about glosso and P44 was discusing evil_elmo's glosso tank light setup

The powerglo t5's are about $75 each for the 4ft lights, and the light fitting itself is about $250+ (those are the units I use on all my tanks).

I do not in my opinion think you can achieve those results with home made / powersaving tubes.

The other thing is that you will notice he said the results under the stock lights with the juwel did not cut it... the stock lights are 1x10000K T5HO and 1x6500K T5HO.

The powerglos are 18000K and HO in this case, and are specifically developed to propagate plants.

So am I right in saying that this comes close to t5HO but only about half the price of just the fittings you have?? Or is it better to just save up and stick with the t5s??

[phoenix44]

You wouldn't want 14000K unless you had corals.

[maoripho3nix]

Now Im confused :lol:

The bulb I have currently is 6500k, and supposively intense enough for my tank, but as a result the glosso hasn't carpeted. As there were apparently no such thing as a higher kelvin CFL I was stuck in saving for a t5 fitting and bulb, which has better spectrum and kelvin options.

And as evil_elmo had said his stock 10000k were not cutting it for carpet results in glosso tanks. So he upgraded to 18000k and all is better.

So in saying all that, is it not a good idea to get a 14000k cfl bulb? How does that differ from setting up a 18000k powerglo??? other than the extra kelvin....from what I can tell it comes close but only half the cost of the fitting to house t5HO

[phoenix44]

A normal 18000K tube would be practically useless for plants.

A powerglo tube is specifically developed to have extra red end and blue end spectra, for freshwater plants and fish. That is why I usually say 18000K powerglo and not just 18000K tubes.

A 14000K tube is one of the basic tubes you need in a marine tank. Then you add 20000K as well depending on what you have in there.

A 10000K tube is bright white and is used for plants and in salt water tanks - again depending what is in the tank.

Stock juwel lights are 1x 10000K and 1x 6500K t5 HO - although they do not call it HO

[maoripho3nix]

A normal 18000K tube would be practically useless for plants.

A powerglo tube is specifically developed to have extra red end and blue end spectra, for freshwater plants and fish. That is why I usually say 18000K powerglo and not just 18000K tubes.

So im guessing its better to just save for powerglo's + fitting? mainly because of the spectra advantages of both ends (red to blue)

At 14000k and by sounds of things only blue end of spectra, would that info alone render it useless in playing part for growing plants (glosso in my case) to its full potential (from a lighting POV)?

[phoenix44]

yes.