Combo bulbs

[Paul]

Found a local fish store that has bulbs that look like would be a
replacement for my AH bulbs. However they are combo bulbs, one white and 1
blue bulb. Is there an advantage or a disavantage to these type bulbs over
the 2 white bulbs? Thanks.
--
Paul

"You can make it foolproof, but you can't make it Damned foolproof."

[Empty]

"Paul" > wrote in
:

> Found a local fish store that has bulbs that look like would be a
> replacement for my AH bulbs. However they are combo bulbs, one white
> and 1 blue bulb. Is there an advantage or a disavantage to these type
> bulbs over the 2 white bulbs? Thanks.

You are probably seeing the 50/50 6500k and Actinic combo 13w, if I had to
make a guess.

Your plants in general will be happier with just 6500k or anything between
500-700k. Those bulbs are made for reef tanks, where more blue light is
necessary. Most aquarium plants prefer a redder spectrum though.

~Empty

--
'You're not friends. You'll never be friends. You'll be in love till it
kills you both. You'll fight, and you'll shag, and you'll hate each other
till it makes you quiver, but you'll never be friends. Love isn't brains,
children, it's blood... blood screaming inside you to work its will. I may
be love's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it.'
Spike

[E. Mito]

In article >, "Paul"
> writes:

>blue bulb. Is there an advantage or a disavantage to these type bulbs over
>the 2 white bulbs? Thanks.

I believe these are actinic lights used in marine tanks. I had one over my FW
planted aquarium and the plants never thrived like they do in my normal
full-spectrum lights I have on my other tanks. I don't know if this was just a
happenstance event or if aquatic plants need balanced full spectrum lighting to
grow well. They seem to be doing fine since I replaced the bulb on that tank.

Aside from the condition of the plants, I have to say that I just didn't like
the blue cast the light had in the tank -- I think white bulbs are much more
natural-looking and attractive.


Erica
http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/mitoem/mitoem/index.htm

[Dave Millman]

Paul wrote:

> Found a local fish store that has bulbs that look like would be a
> replacement for my AH bulbs. However they are combo bulbs, one white and 1
> blue bulb. Is there an advantage or a disavantage to these type bulbs over
> the 2 white bulbs? Thanks.

Is there a reason not to order replacements from AH? They carry the right
bulbs for our plant tanks, which I have never seen in a local store.

LFS staff will often say things like, "the sun is the sun, this is all you
need". What they don't understand is that no bulb or fixture available for
aquarium use can replicate the sun in all frequencies of light. The 50-50
bulbs you are looking at are optimized for some type of coral. Great for them,
suboptimal for plants.