A question about fluorescent tubes for use in a Marineland Eclipse3 hood. The
lamps supplied with the hood are Eclipse Natural Daylight F18T8 24". This is over
a planted, community 37G tank, 22" high.

I don't find the color of the lights to be all that appealing - they remind me of
the old standby "cool white" phosphor. Has anyone tried an alternative replacement
?

It would be great to find something that actually put out a bit more light. The
hood says anything goes up to 18W, so perhaps there is not much room for
improvement without wholesale change to increase the power.

It would also be nice to have a more pleasing color. Another tank with a "Deluxe
Full Hood" from AGA has a T12 bulb simply labeled "20W Aquarium Lamp ... Made in
Germany". It has an actinic component in it that looks good, adds some interesting
emphasis. I don't know if this would compromise the plant lighting, or even what
readily available tube would be equivalent.

Any suggestions ?