# GE 10k bulbs



## MStars30 (Oct 20, 2006)

Hear quite a few people talk about preferring the GE 10k bulbs or the *9275* or somewhere in there. Question is, where do you all find these bulbs. Home Depot carries only Phillips bulbs with 6500 being the highest rated bulb and Lowes carries GE bulbs but also only up to like 5k or 6500k daylight bulbs. Are you all ordering these bulbs or are they commonly found somewhere? I need a few of them in 4 foot T8s. Instead of 4 6500 bulbs I would like to make 2 of mine the GE bulbs.

Thanks,

Matt S


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## Rex Grigg (Dec 10, 2002)

Ok. To start with you might want to take a few minutes and read my Guide. If you had done so you would have saved asking this question.

The GE 9325k bulb comes ONLY in a 55 watt PC bulb. They may come in some shorter lengths of NO bulbs but I'm too lazy to look up that info right now. They don't come in 4' bulbs.


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## MStars30 (Oct 20, 2006)

don't specifically need the 9325 bulb, was just a # near the 10k area that I have read many people use. I have read your guide top to bottom in the past. I haven't been in the market for bulbs in a while so didn't even realize you had referenced that 9325 bulb in your guide. Pardon my mentioning that one specifically. My question is simply where might I find higher k (10k) bulbs? The 6500k bulbs I have in there now work fine, would just like to try out the look of a higher K bulb. Thanks for the quick response Rex

Matt


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## dhavoc (May 4, 2006)

hd or lowes will only carry what people would use for shop lights or general room lighting so that means mostly 3500k or less, highest k i have seen is the 6700k at hd, which i use myself for my low light shrimp tanks. if you want 10 or 12k, i think you would need to check out the hyroponic (pot growers) supply houses, they have all kinds of cool lighting for growing plants (not neccessarily aquarium though).


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

May I ask, why would you want bulbs at 10,000 K? I thought plants needed light at or near the 6500K range?


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## ummyeah (Jul 8, 2007)

That's not true. HD and Lowes carry the Plant and Aquarium bulbs. They have a temp around 9325.


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## eyebeatbadgers (Aug 6, 2007)

Please re-read Rex's guide. Bulb color is quite unimportant when growing aquatic plants. You obviously don't want an actinic bulb in your freshwater tank, but I'm speaking generally here.

I have a 9325K bulb in my tank. It is pink. It brings out the red color in my plants. A bulb "in the neighborhood" of 9325K will not look anything like my bulb. Why? You cannot judge the color of a bulb by it's color. Most 10000K bulbs are whitish blue. A 6700K bulb is yellow. Kelvin rating is only marketing hype. 

You could do a search on this forum and similar other ones for "color temp bulbs" or "kelvin rating" etc. This has been debated hundreds of times.

Also, I order all my bulbs online. Check out a google search for "cheap 9325K bulb" or something similar. That's how I found the site where I bought mine from.


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## MStars30 (Oct 20, 2006)

I have read Rex's guide and have an understanding that the color temp of the bulbs doesn't matter regarding the plants usage as long as they are within the 5k-10k range. Wasn't debating anything regarding temp of bulbs. I know the range in which the bulbs should be for aquatic plants, however I just wondered where to buy some higher K bulbs as my nearest HD and Lowes do not carry them that high. I was not "debating" anything. Rather than suggest I "re-read" Rex's guide and try to put me in my place maybe re-read my original question as it had nothing to do with the debating or questioning of which bulbs to get or which bulbs the plants can use. I simply wanted to try some 10k bulbs to see the different appearance of the light in the tank. Thank you for all your suggestions and I will do a search for them online as you suggest.


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## Tdon1md (Jun 3, 2007)

This is about as cheap as I've seen them.

10000K Flourecent

HTH
________
Og kush seeds


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## MStars30 (Oct 20, 2006)

Perfecto, just the link I was looking for =). Thanks, I appreciate it.


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## Will91 (Oct 15, 2007)

Hi all:

New member here and I found this site from a Google search. Please forgive my very basic questions regarding lighting. 

I have a 26 US gallon bowfront tank with the standard hood (15W). I have rather large epoxy coated gravel (about 1/4" to 3/8" diameter) so I don't have the proper substrate for plants but I have heard plants like anubias nana or java ferns can do well simply tied to rocks or wood. I have a few in my tank already and am considering upgrading my light strip to the 24" 55W compact fluorescent strip light made by All Glass. 
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsU...lglasscompactfluorescentstriplight2455wattoak
It comes with the GE 9325K bulb discussed here. I have a few questions:
1) If I boost my light level to 2W/gallon with this light, will I have to get into CO2 injection and fertilization? 
2) Can someone clarify the perceived color this lamp will impart to the tank? EyeBeatBadgers mentioned above the tank takes on a pinkish hue which I don't believe I would like.
3) Will a 55W light strip raise the tank temperature? I understand these strips can be raised off the surface of the tank top but I would like to have it set flush with a new All Glass Versatop I would buy.
4) Is it OK that the description mentions use for saltwater tanks too? 

Thanks for any help.


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## Tdon1md (Jun 3, 2007)

Welcome to The Planted Tank. Your questions are all very good ones and I'll do my best to stumble through my experience with them.

1) 2.3 wpg (watts per gallon) I would consider high light. That being said, I've found it very difficult to prevent algae take over and promote plant health in a high light tank w/out CO2 and fert dosing. Your anubias and ferns can take their nutrients from the water column rather then from roots which is why they're great plants to tie to wood. If there is no nutrients in the water column naturally, then yes you will have to subsidize them with ferts. Just a thought too, these are both low to mid light plants so you may want to consider a lighting fixture in the 1 - 1.5 wpg range. Also, check out the low tech section of this forum. There are lots of folks there with tons of experience with these plants as well as general practices of low tech (no fert, no CO2, generally low light) tanks.

2) It's hard to clarify one's perception. I don't mind the look of the 9325K bulbs although my plants pearl better with a 30W 10000K vs the 9325K 25W bulbs I have, but I'm fairly certain that has more to do with the wattage difference then the K rating. The 10000K does seem to give off a more "true white" hue then the 9325K but viewing opinions are all personal preference. Unfortunately, I believe you'll just have to either commit that you're gonna like whatever it looks like once you get it and stick with it so you don't know what you're missing, or do like I did and buy lotsa different K rating bulbs between 5000K and 10000K and decide which one you like best.

3) Any time you add wattage to your tank, there is going to be some inherent temperature hike to go along with it. In some cases, it's minuscule and I believe that's what you'll find to be the case w/ the 55W fixture your looking at. This normally becomes an issue only when you get into Metal Halide lighting or big tanks with extremely high wattage pc light fixtures. I've got 110W total above my 30G tank and the temperature increase isn't significant. Mine don't rest immediately on top of my tank. They're mounted 3 or 4" above in my diy hood but I don't believe that will make a difference for your purposes. The reason they are now mounted in my diy hood, btw, is because I could never keep the mineral deposits off of my glass top well enough for the light to actually enter the tank. It kept getting "crusted" over with a white water stain looking film that blocked the lighting. So, I built the hood, removed the glass top and never looked back.

4) You should have no concern whatsoever that Al's mentions fresh or salt water apps.

HTH. I'm sure someone with more experience will chime in and repute most of my testimony. Just remember that these have been my experiences given in good faith with the sole intention of being helpful.
________
HotYoana cam


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## Will91 (Oct 15, 2007)

Thanks very much for your detailed reply Tdon1md.

You have given me lots to think about here. One question that now comes to mind is the following. I really don't want to get into CO2 or fertilization but would rather like to increase my light wattage to give the low light plants a little boost and to enhance the visual look of my tank. That being said, is it possible to purchase this light strip and then to use other light strips in it? I believe the GE 9325 light is a 4 pin light. Are there any other lower wattage light bulbs I might want to consider?

One of the most frustrating aspects of considering the All-Glass light strip is that apparently they have been bought by Aqueon Products. Their website is terrible. They have NO product information on this light strip and the e-mail customer support is less than desirable.


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## Tdon1md (Jun 3, 2007)

That's the down side to a pre-made hood with only one light bulb. 55 watts is what you have, like it or not. The hood I made has a total of 4 36" fluorescent strips. I've seen either 25 watt or 30 watt bulbs for them. I can run anywhere from 25 watts to the full 120 if I wanted to and there are lots of stops I can make in between. With CF fixtures, from what I've seen, the wattage you get with it is the wattage you have to stay with. Lots of K ratings to choose from, but the wattage is fixed.
________
MARIJUANA CARD


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## eyebeatbadgers (Aug 6, 2007)

Also, CO2 and ferts are easier than you think. They will make a big amount of difference at any level of light, and will help stem off any algae problems associated from having a lot of light alone.

Your Co2 system can cost as little as 10 bucks ( for a yeast based DIY system). Dry fertilizers will run you about 20 dollars for a year's supply. Just something else to think about.

Also, 9325 is a pink bulb, it gives off a pinkish light, but the tank itself doesn't really look pink. It brings out the red color in certain plants, noticeably so. Check out this link to see the difference.


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## Will91 (Oct 15, 2007)

A little searching on Big Al's site turned up these two options. I don't know how many watts total the All-Glass dual bulb model has but the Coralife is 28W total and uses a 6700K bulb and a Colormax Full Spectrum (whatever that exactly means). That would put me at just over 1w/gallon. I sure do like my All-Glass tank but why oh why is it so hard to find specifications on their other products? 

Opinions on these choices welcome ..

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsU...4/cl0/coralifefwt5aqualightdoublestriplight24

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsU...l0/allglassfluorescenttwintubestriplight24oak


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## eyebeatbadgers (Aug 6, 2007)

I have a unit similar to the t-5 unit you have linked over my 10 gallon tank, and I don't think it would be bright enough for you on your 26 gallon. I'm assuming your tank is similar in dimension to a more standard 29 gallon tank, so the light fixture you have now might be ok. If I were you I'd go for it, add some DIY CO2 and dose dry ferts, and see what happens. If you're dead set against using CO2 (which you shouldn't be, it's easy !!) you may be able to reduce algae growth by a very short photoperiod.


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## Will91 (Oct 15, 2007)

Thank you.

I have heard back from Aqueon (they apparently have acquired All-Glass). They tell me the All-Glass double tube strip I linked above comes with two 15W 8000K lamps. Is this a good K value and what sort of perceived color would this impart to the tank.


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## eyebeatbadgers (Aug 6, 2007)

8000K is fine. Kelvin rating is mostly marketing hype. It's hard to predict exactly what the bulb will look like, but it will likely be a whitish color.


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## Reeferton (Aug 16, 2007)

Well since this thread has already been hijacked...

I have a mini-aqualight freshwater, with the 2x 6700K bulbs.

My tank has ember tetras, scarlet badis (dario darios), and RCS, all being red. If I swapped a 67K for a 10K would ithe 10K help bring out the reds like the 9325k GEs do or is that a special ability only the 9325K GEs have?


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## eyebeatbadgers (Aug 6, 2007)

The reds will only come out with the 9325K. 10000K is just white/blue.


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## Will91 (Oct 15, 2007)

Hi everyone:

First of all, sorry...I didn't mean to hijack this thread. As a newbie to lighting I thought my search for hoods that came with 9325K lights came under the general thread subject of 10k bulbs.

I have found out from All-Glass that the twin tube option has two 15W 18" 8000K T8 bulbs. Will the T8 style in 15W offer me other bulb selections in different K ratings - such as the 9325 or will I be stuck with 15W 8000K bulbs?

As far as the Coralife product, I found out they 14W T-5 bulbs. Is this a more versatile bulb format for other K temperature choices?

Thank you.


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## Tdon1md (Jun 3, 2007)

In either T-5 or T-8, you'll have a whole host of K ratings to spend money on testing them all out to your liking!
________
Head Shop


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## Will91 (Oct 15, 2007)

Thanks Tdon1md

Are my choices fairly equal with either the 14W T5 or the 15W T8?

What would be my best on-line source for previewing some options?


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## alohamonte (Jul 25, 2006)

*Coralife*

Will, I have that T5 24" 2-bulb coralife fixture that provides 28w total (over 6.6 gallons). One bulb is 6700k and the other is the corallife full colormax which glows pink. The pink is what everyone is talking about in regards to bringing the reds out in fish. This is a very nice fixture and i recommend it for smaller tanks. 

if you're looking for strong lighting in a 24" fixture look at Very-High-Output T5s bulbs. At this size, one T5 bulb puts out 14w while the VHO T5 puts out 24w. 

Reeferton, if you go from 67k to 10k, you're going to get more blue spectrum and nothing extra on reds. 10k is better for marine but does little for fresh. 10k wont hurt, but it doesnt help. If your eye likes the bluer look, then go for it. One option to try the redsea sun floramax bulb (T8)which is heavy on the reds. 

T5 and T8 bulbs are not interchangeable! Bulb diameters are different (T5 is much skinner). 

Also, T8 lighting puts out less lumens (brightness) than T5. T5 is preferred for this reason.

A four-foot 54W T5HO lamp is 5,000 lumens, compared to 2,900 lumens for a 28W T5 lamp and 2,850 lumens for a 32W T8.


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## Will91 (Oct 15, 2007)

Thanks Alohamonte.

What are your thoughts on the All-Glass twin tube fixture I linked above? It has two 8000K 15W T8 bulbs. I like this one because it is oak colored to match my All-Glass oak trim color tank AND it was available from Petsmart online for only $33. The only thing I don't know is if there are many other 15W T8 bulbs with different K ratings in case I don't like the 8000K.

Thanks for any input.


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## alohamonte (Jul 25, 2006)

*T8*

T8s have been used for a long time and bulbs are readily available through a number of retailers. 

I've never used the hood you're looking at so can't comment specifically. 

Nothing wrong with 8000k, it will grow plants all day long. If you want more blue, go 10k or if you want more yellow/green go 67k. Whats fun about a 2 bulb fixture is that you can mix and match and see what you like. 

Monte


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## Will91 (Oct 15, 2007)

Thanks Monte:

Do you have a favorite site that would offer T8 bulbs in 15W but different K ratings? I checked lightbulbsdirect but it seems the choices were limited.


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## elvisr29 (Sep 21, 2013)

*Perling*

I have a question sir. I used to make my baby tears pearl with (2) 26w 1600 lumens and 6500k CFL daylight bulbs. NOW I got the solarmax HE t5 10k daylight lamp. Why is that they don't pearl now??? Is it really the wattage like they say? Shouldn't I stick with my CFL bulbs? 



Tdon1md said:


> Welcome to The Planted Tank. Your questions are all very good ones and I'll do my best to stumble through my experience with them.
> 
> 1) 2.3 wpg (watts per gallon) I would consider high light. That being said, I've found it very difficult to prevent algae take over and promote plant health in a high light tank w/out CO2 and fert dosing. Your anubias and ferns can take their nutrients from the water column rather then from roots which is why they're great plants to tie to wood. If there is no nutrients in the water column naturally, then yes you will have to subsidize them with ferts. Just a thought too, these are both low to mid light plants so you may want to consider a lighting fixture in the 1 - 1.5 wpg range. Also, check out the low tech section of this forum. There are lots of folks there with tons of experience with these plants as well as general practices of low tech (no fert, no CO2, generally low light) tanks.
> 
> ...


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## elvisr29 (Sep 21, 2013)

*Lighting*

Can you send me a link to your guide for lighting...? 







Rex Grigg said:


> Ok. To start with you might want to take a few minutes and read my Guide. If you had done so you would have saved asking this question.
> 
> The GE 9325k bulb comes ONLY in a 55 watt PC bulb. They may come in some shorter lengths of NO bulbs but I'm too lazy to look up that info right now. They don't come in 4' bulbs.


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## AGUILAR3 (Jun 22, 2013)

Good luck with getting a response from these 2 guys. You do realize the topic is 7 yrs old right? 

tdon hasn't been active in 3 yrs and Rex in 4.


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