# 9325/5000/6700 k



## rickyt (May 5, 2005)

9325/5000/6700
which is best?


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

9325 - best for plants

5000 - best for someone who doesn't mind a slightly yellow tint

6700 - best for me

:wink:


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## dewcew (Aug 3, 2004)

I agree with Wasserpest. Some of the decision is going to be based on what looks best to you. I currently have a mix of 10,000K and 8,000K lamps in my set up. 

Dan


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## rickyt (May 5, 2005)

Isn't 6700k and 5000k about the same? Is 9325 brighter than 10000k?


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## bharada (Mar 5, 2004)

The 9325 is the one bulb that does not follow the typical "higher K = whiter light" rule. It is a very pink/purple light...like using a Gro-Lux plant bulb.

Aside from that it's generally the lower the K, the yellower the light. As the K goes higher the light gets whiter. Soa typical 6700K bulb will have a slight yellow/green tint, while a 10000K will be a very stark white.

My favorite is an 8800K bulb which is still a bright white, but with a very slight tint of pink (as opposed to the slight blue tint of a 10000K bulb). It gives me a clean, mid-day sun look without washing out the colors of plants and fish.

I should probably ask what type of bulbs you're planning on buying...NO fluorescent or Power Compact. As far as I know the 8800K is a PC bulb only, and it seems to only come in square pin [::] configuration. This becomes an issue if you need 24" fixtures as most all of those come with straight pin [....] endcaps.

Also, the GE 9325 (AquaRay) bulb only comes in a 55w (22") PC form, though it's available in all the typical NO fluorescent sizes.


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## malkore (Nov 3, 2003)

Assuming the same wattage, they're all equally bright in terms of output (give or take a few lumens)
however to the human eye the 10,000K will probably look brightest since it's closer to white light than the others.


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## briandmiles (Feb 23, 2005)

I've got one 9325k and one 6700k over my 29g and it looks spectacular. I thought just the 6700k looked good until I added the 9325k and I really like the way it punches up the color on everything. Also with the mixing of bulbs you don't get the problem of it looking too pink or too green.

Brian


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## figgy (Feb 27, 2005)

Brian, 

Can you tell me exactly what fixtures you're using? I'm looking for lighting for my new 29 gal and need some clues. My tank is 30 inches long...

Thanks, Fig


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## Anthony (Jan 11, 2005)

I'm using a 55 watt 9325k, and a 65 watt 6700k/10000k and the color is awesome.


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## m.lemay (Jul 28, 2002)

I'm running 6-9325k bulbs in my 75 gal tank. IMO nothing else even comes close for plant growth and color accentuation.

Marcel


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## George (Sep 11, 2004)

Excuse my ignorance but who manufacters 9325K tubes - are they T8?

I always thought 5500K to 6500K was "best" for plants. Can anyones explain or direct me to an article to explain the science behind the apparent great results of higher K?


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## malkore (Nov 3, 2003)

GE makes the 9325K's. http://www.lightbulbsdirect.com/page/001/PROD/Aquarium/F55BX-AR-FS

They don't get any cheaper than this.

George: kelvin has zilch to do with plant growth. kelvin temp describes the color of the light on a special black background. CRI is a better gauge.

GE does make a normal output fluorescent that seems to be the same phosphors used in their power compact bulb.
The light is VERY pink/purple, so some people like myself mix them with other kelvin temps so the color inside the tank is more pleasing. Others like the pink color, and it does make some fish colors really stand out. I just don't care for it much.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

CRI has nothing to do with plant growth either. What matters for plant growth is the light output and spectrum. Unfortunately, the spectrum can not be expressed in one number.


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## George (Sep 11, 2004)

Wasserpest said:


> CRI has nothing to do with plant growth either. What matters for plant growth is the light output and spectrum. Unfortunately, the spectrum can not be expressed in one number.


So when people talk about 6700/9235/10000K being the "best" are they referring to particular manufacturers whom spectral outputs are known - as prevously stated a K rating is irrelevant on its own?


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Correct. The "9325" bulb is one specific bulb made by GE, and everyone just uses the Kelvin number as reference, although the K isn't the reason why it is a good bulb for growing plants. Some plant specific bulbs don't specify their K values, some list kinda irrelevant values, like 18000K. CRI will not be great for them either. You have to decide for yourself if you want the pinkish look that comes along with those dedicated plant bulbs, or if you prefer a whiter tone. As long as you stay away from actinics and such light output (watt/lumen/lux/good reflector) is more important than the exact spectrum.


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## George (Sep 11, 2004)

As I thought - thanks for clarifying.


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## rickyt (May 5, 2005)

actenic's help certain colors but dont add any light; Is there a good blue bulb out there?


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## briandmiles (Feb 23, 2005)

Figgy, sorry it took so long to post on your question. I've been busy studying for National Boards- only the biggest test in my life (so far). I'm using 2 AH supply 55w bright kits in a custom wood hood. It's on a 29 gallon so it's also 30 inches wide. They work great and they're easy to install. I'll try to post some pictures of my setup.

Brian


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## mikey (Mar 14, 2004)

I just got a coralife 30" lunar aqualight (black raingutter fixture) chucked the actinic, saved the 10,000K and bought 2 GE 9325s. Can be had for $139 at several places online. 3 switches (one for the 2 moonlights) for those who want that much control. Nice for the price and fits that odd 30" length.


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## rickyt (May 5, 2005)

what about cool white's?


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## aquaverde (Apr 15, 2003)

Cool whites are a poor choice for planted tanks because they have a big spike in the green. Our eyes are most sensitive to green, so for the purposes of lighting so that we can see, this makes sense. But for the purpose of growing plants, green is pretty useless. Photosynthesis primarily has been identified to occur in the blue and red parts of the spectrum. This is the reason some plant bulbs seem dim to our eyes. They look really bright to plants, to put it euphemistically.

There's more info on this somewhere in this forum. Sam (GulfCoastAquarian) posted extensively about different lighting issues, and I seem to remember him discussing PAR and PAS. I just did a search for PAR (photosynthetically available radiation), but can't seem to find the threads. Will post back later if I find it.


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## rickyt (May 5, 2005)

*6700/9325k*

which is best for plants?


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Again, you are referring to an artificial category, there is no single "6700K" bulb, but for simplicity's sake, everything else being equal, the 9325K bulb will be better for plant growth than a 6700K bulb.


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## rickyt (May 5, 2005)

who makes the 6700k


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## rickyt (May 5, 2005)

what about the trichamatic


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