# BioCube light question



## ElissaBee (Sep 8, 2007)

Pardon my ignorance on the low tech tank. I've only ever done high tech so I don't quite know how to help my novice friend who just set up a 14g Oceanic Biocube for her son. 

She's got inert gravel, some java fern, and some crypts. Problem is the lights on the biocube are a 24w 10,000K and actinic. Will the 10,000K bulb do anything at all for those plants? Or should she get the 28w 6700K replacement bulb? That would bring her up to 2wpg--would she then need to add Excel and ferts? 

 Elissa


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

The color of the new bulbs might help, but the wattage will remain the same since those are power compacts. The ballast controls the wattage.

From what I have seen with the biocubes, she might be in a fairly high light situation anyway. Those lights are pretty effective.

Edit: when used with the appropriate K rating. 

I would imagine that the excel and ferts would be a YES, and some form as DIY co2 might help as well. That is assuming that you run both lights at the same time.


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## ElissaBee (Sep 8, 2007)

Thanks bicuit. So I guess the question is, if she doesn't go to the 6700K, if she keeps the tank the way it is with the 10,000K and the actinic bulbs, will the plants eventually die? Or will they just grow slowly? Will they look good or sickly?

She wants a low maintenance tank and I don't think she's up for CO2 in any other form except Excel.


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

Personally, I use a mix of 6700K and 10000K over my tank for a high tech setup. Since you are working with 50/50 bulbs, I am not really sure what to tell you.

I think if it were my tank and I was trying to achieve a low tech setup, I would leave the bulbs as is and experiment to see what happens. 

FWIW, I am in the process of building out a stand and canopy for either a 75 or a 90 gallon tank. I am going a high tech route with regards to lighting, but I am also going to include some actinics for fish colors and a dawn/dusk effect. I don't imagine that the actinics will do much for the plants, but I do think they look cool with regards to fish.

I wish I could give you a good answer with the plants. If it were me though, I think I would give them a try with some easy plants and see how they do. Can always change them if you don't like the look or if they aren't working. Or maybe just replace one bulb with a 6700K or a 10000K bulb.

I imagine running two regular daylight bulbs will probably either kick you into high tech or atleast put you right on the line.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I personally don't count the wattage on actinic bulbs when estimating wpg available for plants. If there's only 1x 24watt bulb and it's a 50/50, then I would estimate about 12watts from that bulb available for the plants. 

So 24 watts from the 10k bulb (which is probably OK for the plants, though different brand 10k bulbs have peaks in different areas...) + 12 watts from the 50/50 bulb = 36 watts, or approximately 2.5 wpg over a 14gal tank with the current bulbs. She's likely already to need either Excel or CO2 with that wattage, I personally would go with Excel since the cost would not be that much with a small tank like a 14gal.

If she were to swap out the 50/50 for a 6700k bulb then IMO she's more likely to need CO2.


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## Manda99 (Apr 30, 2008)

Hello, I'm the friend mentioned in the original post. =)

I've been only running the 10k bulb and dosing daily with Excel. Everything seems fine, but I'd really like to switch to a 67k bulb. The only problem is that it seems that only compact flourescent bulbs that fit my tank are 28w and my ballast is 24w. Will that work or will that explode or something? I'm not exactly an electrical engineer. I'm scared to put it in there without someone telling me specifically that it will be just fine.  

And am I understanding correctly that I don't really want to run both lights? I have no interest in any sort of co2 other than Excel. Would I be okay just running the one 24w ballast with a 28w 6700k bulb? The tank is roughly a 14gallon cube. From what I've been reading, that wpg calculation doesn't quite work out for tanks under 20 gallons?


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

The ballast controls the power consumption. If the 28W fits, then it should work at 24W.

An example is 55W and 65W bulbs/fixtures. The bulbs will work in either at the wattage supplied by the ballast.


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## lostreef (May 16, 2008)

plants and coral are very alike (light wize) both with peeks in the 430nm. (atinic) and 600nm (red) 6500k is just what they are ust to in the wild. the perfict mix of light is one 10k one antinic one 6500k and one red.


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## Sticky230 (Mar 30, 2008)

my2cents- i was using only excel first, but found dosing it every other day or so just annoying. i have recently hooked up the hagen/nutrafin system, and it is pretty easy. adding co2 scared me at first, but it is simple to do. i would recommend anyone with decent lighting to look into instead of excel. im using it on a 1.1wpg tank, just cause i want to see the effects. plus tom barr recommends it for low light.


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