# How effective are roseate bulbs?



## VeeSe (Apr 16, 2011)

So my fixture came with a roseate bulb (bought the aquaticlife 2x T5HO fixture), which is pretty much a bulb that produces 620nm wavelength light. How effective have these kinds of bulbs been for people (you!) who have used them? 

I'm only running one 6500K bulb right now but I am thinking about adding a second when I convert to pressurized CO2 from yeast CO2 (or I could just leave it as one bulb to help avoid algae, not sure yet). The choices would be to run the 6500K and a 5000K FloraSun bulb (from ZooMed) or the 6500K and the roseate bulb, or a 6500K and a 10000K, which I don't think would be the best. Don't have any other bulbs on hand and would have to go out and buy anything else.


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## redfishsc (Aug 29, 2010)

I can't find a spectral graph of this lights output but the pics I see don't indicate that it's a purely red bulb, which is good. 

I have some pure red LEDs and they look AWFUL if they are run at a high current alongside whites, but at lower levels it does add a touch of warm color. 

If this bulb actually were a monochromatic 620/650nm bulb, it would look terrible with 1 other white bulb. 


If you are looking for good red pop and very high PAR output (in a T5HO format, not n.o. T5)----- get a UVL Aquasun. It's a VERY powerful 10,000K bulb that puts out a very lovely amount of red. Would look nice in combo with a 6500K.


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

i've asked the same question and found that coralife has a similar version which i have. its the colormax. it produces similar wavelengths to the other bulbs. its a full spectrum but peaks more red than other wavelengths. looks kinda pink when turned on. its helped bring out some of the richer colors of a few of my plants. its not neccessary to have one though


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## VeeSe (Apr 16, 2011)

Well I already have one because it came with the fixture. My real question is if I should use that as a 2nd bulb when I upgrade my CO2. Otherwise, I would use a 5000K or a 10000K (will probably go with the 5000K if not the roseate). So basically, will it be better than those two choices?


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

i would try it. you can always change it if you dont like it


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

HD Blazingwolf said:


> i've asked the same question and found that coralife has a similar version which i have. its the colormax. it produces similar wavelengths to the other bulbs. its a full spectrum but peaks more red than other wavelengths. looks kinda pink when turned on. its helped bring out some of the richer colors of a few of my plants. its not neccessary to have one though


Not to hijack the thread or anything but are you saying that the colormax promotes the true colors from the plant? Like the red from L. Aromatica?


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

i used to have 4 6700K's in my tank and under the suggestion of someone else who suggestion an aqua glo which is the same type bulb. i replaced two 6700ks with the colormax version. along with a good fert schedule my ludwigia repens broadleaf has significantly over the past 5 days turned more red the farthest its ever been red from the light source


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

So what about the t5 flora sun from zoo med? Would that promote plant color?


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

i believe that they are similar. i haven't seen one used. but i read quickly that it peaks in red a blue spectrums, which most lights between 5-7k will


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## VeeSe (Apr 16, 2011)

the 5000K bulb I have is the FloraSun, but I'm pretty sure it's the same as any other 5000K bulb you'll find anywhere else. If you use those bulbs though, your whole aquarium looks red. All your fish, the water, etc... everything just looks more red because the light has a reddish hue.


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

Yea I have other bulbs. What kind of spectrum of lighting do red plants use to reflect the red?


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

well a roseate bulb is predominantly red. but not true. most manufacturers have difference compounds and mixtures they use to make their bulbs, even the glass involved can change the CRI or color rendering index. so my suggestion is to try the bulb that comes with the Aquatic life and if you dont like it, you can change it!!! its beneficial to have but not neccessary. worst comes to pass is you dont like it and you change it  the 620nm will be close to the flora sun for sure though


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## redfishsc (Aug 29, 2010)

If you already have the roseate bulb, then definitely give it a shot. Use it in tandem with pretty much any other white bulb and stick with the combo that looks best to you. Plants wont' care much either way. 



jkan0228 said:


> Not to hijack the thread or anything but are you saying that the colormax promotes the true colors from the plant? Like the red from L. Aromatica?


My understanding is that red plants will reflect red light, not use it. Therefore you probably want a bit more blue to promote the plant's growth and overall health (and thus, richer colors), but having a red spike in light output may give the plant a bit more to reflect. 

I have a small red tiger lotus sitting under some pretty bright white and blue LEDs (Cree XPG and XRE) and the red is quite nice.


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

plants use two different types of chlorophyll. i cant remember which corresponds to blue or red, type a or b. but i know that the type that responds. to red is slower to photosynthesize, thats why blue spectrum lighting produces faster growth. it is necessary for healthy plant growth to have both. if you have more red light the plants will produce more of a different type of chlorophyll thus changing the color.. ITS NOT A HUGE CHANGE. but something that on some plants you may notice.


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## beedee (Jul 1, 2010)

bringing this thread back to life.

i just bought an AquaticLife t5HO 20" set up today, and swapped out the roseate bulb at the time of purchase for another 10k bulb. im currently doing a dry start with my hc, and figured the two 10k bulbs would be a good call to get the hc going.

however, once i fill the tank (11.4g mr. aqua) im afraid that having two 10k bulbs will be too intense, so my question is, should i get a 5k bulb to reduce the overall intensity once i fill it up? i will be using pressurized co2 once the tank is filled.


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## madness (Jul 31, 2011)

beedee said:


> bringing this thread back to life.
> 
> i just bought an AquaticLife t5HO 20" set up today, and swapped out the roseate bulb at the time of purchase for another 10k bulb. im currently doing a dry start with my hc, and figured the two 10k bulbs would be a good call to get the hc going.
> 
> however, once i fill the tank (11.4g mr. aqua) im afraid that having two 10k bulbs will be too intense, so my question is, should i get a 5k bulb to reduce the overall intensity once i fill it up? i will be using pressurized co2 once the tank is filled.


Holy cow.

It is going to be like the mid-day sun in the Sahara in that tank. I have the 20" AquaticLife dual bulb plant version fixture. I put it on a 16G bowfront with the roseate bulb still installed and it was glaringly bright in the tank. I didn't have CO2 running but I don't think that even lethal doses of CO2 and fertilizers would have stopped the algae. That tank has 4" more water in it than what you have.

I ended up putting in floating plants that block out a ton of the light and it stopped the algae.

I would not buy a roseate bulb specifically but since in most applications the dual T5HO on the AquaticLife fixture is going to be overkill I also wouldn't bother changing it out.


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## beedee (Jul 1, 2010)

what would you recommend then? right now it isn't insanely bright to be honest. but i definitely don't want two 10k bulbs going when it comes time to fill it up.


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## madness (Jul 31, 2011)

beedee said:


> what would you recommend then? right now it isn't insanely bright to be honest. but i definitely don't want two 10k bulbs going when it comes time to fill it up.


Just be prepared to raise it if need be.

You already have the fixture and the bulbs so there are limited options.

Floating plants will block some light. 

It probably won't 'hurt' anything but just expect some challenges keeping things balanced and fighting the algae.


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## 2in10 (Feb 8, 2011)

Changing bulbs will not reduce the intensity. Reducing bulbs will.


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## beedee (Jul 1, 2010)

thanks guys. 

hoppy recommended putting some screen in between the light and the tank. this seems to be the best option, and best of all, i can layer the screen to reduce the intensity. being that my fixture came with an acrylic splash guard, i can just lay the pieces of screen on top of that and be set.


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## Tmann77 (Oct 17, 2011)

I am still a newbe here so pardon my ignorance, when you say screen, are you referring to the type of screen that is on your windows?


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## Steve001 (Feb 26, 2011)

Tmann77 said:


> I am still a newbe here so pardon my ignorance, when you say screen, are you referring to the type of screen that is on your windows?


Yup. I would use nylon screening.


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