Lighting Questions

[Mort]

Hi all, I am pretty much a newb when it comes to lights.

I have 2 tanks that I want to redo the lighting for as I am unhappy with
what I have now.

in my 180 I am using 2 "Reef Sun" 50/50s. It's a combo of 6500K
trichromatic daylight phosphor and actinic 420 phosphor. Can someone
explain to me what this means?

Then, I have regular lights from home depot which are too yellow for my
taste. They are Phillips F30 Home light.

The Reef Suns are very blue which I think would be okay if the other lights
werent so yellow. I want something more white. Blue/White is ok but I dont
like this blue/yellow.

I dont have anything as of yet on the 90 gallon but I was gonna get those
cheapy 7.29 fixtures from home depot...

Also, is my understanding correct that the 6500k number is a representaion
of the color? Like 10000-18000 is very blue where lower numbers are yellow
and red?

TIA

~Mort

[pyrite]

In article >,
"Mort" > wrote:

> Hi all, I am pretty much a newb when it comes to lights.

> I have 2 tanks that I want to redo the lighting for as I am unhappy with
> what I have now.

> in my 180 I am using 2 "Reef Sun" 50/50s. It's a combo of 6500K
> trichromatic daylight phosphor and actinic 420 phosphor. Can someone
> explain to me what this means?

The 6500k side has a color that is somewhere around evening daylight.
The actinic side produces virtually no light with a wavelength longer
than blue. Many marine organisms have adapted to a blue environment
since blue light penetrates a little deeper into the ocean.

> Then, I have regular lights from home depot which are too yellow for my
> taste. They are Phillips F30 Home light.

> The Reef Suns are very blue which I think would be okay if the other lights
> werent so yellow. I want something more white. Blue/White is ok but I dont
> like this blue/yellow.

> I dont have anything as of yet on the 90 gallon but I was gonna get those
> cheapy 7.29 fixtures from home depot...

They work. With a four foot four tube standard t-12 fixture you would
have 160 watts over the 90g tank. This is about 1.8 wpg, plenty of light
for many of the less fussy plant species but not enough to require you
use co2.

> Also, is my understanding correct that the 6500k number is a representaion
> of the color? Like 10000-18000 is very blue where lower numbers are yellow
> and red?

The k number stands for degrees kelvin. It is the standard way to
describe the average frequency (color) of light or other electromagnetic
radiation. You are correct about the color temperature increasing as you
move up the spectrum towards blue. A cloudless blue sky is about 12000k,
an incandescent light buld may be as little as 4500k.

An important thing to remember is that the color temperature represents
the average frequency. Most light sources will provide light at a number
of frequencies. The distribution of them will affect your perception of
the light.

It may take a little trial and error but eventually you should be able
to find a lamp or combination of lamps both you and your plants find
pleasing.

--
First sniggle: Feb 13, 1996

[Mort]

"pyrite" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "Mort" > wrote:
>
> > Hi all, I am pretty much a newb when it comes to lights.
>
> > I have 2 tanks that I want to redo the lighting for as I am unhappy with
> > what I have now.
>
> > in my 180 I am using 2 "Reef Sun" 50/50s. It's a combo of 6500K
> > trichromatic daylight phosphor and actinic 420 phosphor. Can someone
> > explain to me what this means?
>
> The 6500k side has a color that is somewhere around evening daylight.
> The actinic side produces virtually no light with a wavelength longer
> than blue. Many marine organisms have adapted to a blue environment
> since blue light penetrates a little deeper into the ocean.
>
> > Then, I have regular lights from home depot which are too yellow for my
> > taste. They are Phillips F30 Home light.
>
> > The Reef Suns are very blue which I think would be okay if the other
lights
> > werent so yellow. I want something more white. Blue/White is ok but I
dont
> > like this blue/yellow.
>
> > I dont have anything as of yet on the 90 gallon but I was gonna get
those
> > cheapy 7.29 fixtures from home depot...
>
> They work. With a four foot four tube standard t-12 fixture you would
> have 160 watts over the 90g tank. This is about 1.8 wpg, plenty of light
> for many of the less fussy plant species but not enough to require you
> use co2.
>
> > Also, is my understanding correct that the 6500k number is a
representaion
> > of the color? Like 10000-18000 is very blue where lower numbers are
yellow
> > and red?
>
> The k number stands for degrees kelvin. It is the standard way to
> describe the average frequency (color) of light or other electromagnetic
> radiation. You are correct about the color temperature increasing as you
> move up the spectrum towards blue. A cloudless blue sky is about 12000k,
> an incandescent light buld may be as little as 4500k.
>
> An important thing to remember is that the color temperature represents
> the average frequency. Most light sources will provide light at a number
> of frequencies. The distribution of them will affect your perception of
> the light.
>
> It may take a little trial and error but eventually you should be able
> to find a lamp or combination of lamps both you and your plants find
> pleasing.
>
> --
> First sniggle: Feb 13, 1996


Thanks for the help!

I remember seeing a web page that should the various colors at different
wavelengths but I am unable to find it now. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks!

~Mort

[Sandy]

"Mort" > wrote in message
y.com...
>
>
> Thanks for the help!
>
> I remember seeing a web page that should the various colors at different
> wavelengths but I am unable to find it now. Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks!
>
> ~Mort
>
>
>

Is this the page you mean?

http://www.culbertfamily.com/jenya/aquarium/lights/

--
Don`t Worry, Be Happy

Sandy
--

E-Mail:-
Website:- http://www.ftscotland.co.uk
IRC:- Sandyb in #rabble uk3.arcnet.vapor.com Port:6667
#Rabble Channel Website:- http://www.ftscotland.co.uk/rabbled
ICQ : 41266150

[Mort]

"Sandy" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Mort" > wrote in message
> y.com...
> >
> >
> > Thanks for the help!
> >
> > I remember seeing a web page that should the various colors at different
> > wavelengths but I am unable to find it now. Anyone have any ideas?
> Thanks!
> >
> > ~Mort
> >
> >
> >
>
> Is this the page you mean?
>
> http://www.culbertfamily.com/jenya/aquarium/lights/
>
> --
> Don`t Worry, Be Happy
>
> Sandy
> --
>
>

No Sandy that wasnt it exactly but that was much more helpful =)

Thanks!

~Mort

[Mort]

"AC/DCdude17" > wrote in message
...
> X-No-Archive: Yes
>
> pyrite wrote:
>
> > > I dont have anything as of yet on the 90 gallon but I was gonna get
those
> > > cheapy 7.29 fixtures from home depot...
> >
> > They work. With a four foot four tube standard t-12 fixture you would
> > have 160 watts over the 90g tank. This is about 1.8 wpg, plenty of light
> > for many of the less fussy plant species but not enough to require you
> > use co2.
>
> Actually, your math is too optimistic. Avoid Lights of America shop
light. They
> have a mediocre ballast that tears up your expensive bulbs REAL fast.
>
> Different brands of cheapo shoplights are to be avoided as well. They
only
> operate the lamps at 50-70% the power. If you get a fixture with
commercial grade
> ballast, it will give out 95% output and full lamp life even though the
fixture is
> more expensive. You can tell a commercial grade ballast from residental
grade by
> its length. Commercial grade is ~10", residential grade is about 2"
shorter.
>
>
>


Good to know. I may be able to score some commercial ballasts from an
electrical supply store. I will look in to it. Thanks.


~Mort

[S³awek Szczud³owski]

meybe this: http://koti.welho.com/ssaurama/Valotesti/kuvat/index.htm

Slawek, Poland



U¿ytkownik "Mort" > napisa³ w wiadomo¶ci
y.com...
>
> "AC/DCdude17" > wrote in message
> ...
> > X-No-Archive: Yes
> >
> > pyrite wrote:
> >
> > > > I dont have anything as of yet on the 90 gallon but I was gonna get
> those
> > > > cheapy 7.29 fixtures from home depot...
> > >
> > > They work. With a four foot four tube standard t-12 fixture you would
> > > have 160 watts over the 90g tank. This is about 1.8 wpg, plenty of
light
> > > for many of the less fussy plant species but not enough to require you
> > > use co2.
> >
> > Actually, your math is too optimistic. Avoid Lights of America shop
> light. They
> > have a mediocre ballast that tears up your expensive bulbs REAL fast.
> >
> > Different brands of cheapo shoplights are to be avoided as well. They
> only
> > operate the lamps at 50-70% the power. If you get a fixture with
> commercial grade
> > ballast, it will give out 95% output and full lamp life even though the
> fixture is
> > more expensive. You can tell a commercial grade ballast from residental
> grade by
> > its length. Commercial grade is ~10", residential grade is about 2"
> shorter.
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> Good to know. I may be able to score some commercial ballasts from an
> electrical supply store. I will look in to it. Thanks.
>
>
> ~Mort
>
>
>