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Lighting Questions
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 |
#2
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Lighting Questions
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 |
#3
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Lighting Questions
"pyrite" wrote in message news 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 |
#4
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Lighting Questions
"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 |
#5
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Lighting Questions
"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 |
#6
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Lighting Questions
"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 |
#7
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Lighting Questions
meybe this: http://koti.welho.com/ssaurama/Valot...uvat/index.htm
Slawek, Poland Użytkownik "Mort" napisał 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 |
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