# What is everyone's favorite color bulb?



## cramramdon (Jul 22, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Fender963_
> What is everyone's favorite bulb color to use on their planted tank?
> 
> I currently have 2 6500K and 2 5000K bulbs on my tank and I really like the color that the 6500K bulb puts out. It is my probably my favorite. Any higher is too blue for me.
> ...


I really like the color that compact flourescent lighting offers. Its very bright, but doesn't have that awfull yellow color that alot of other high intensity bulbs offer. The combination of aqua-glo and floura-glo bulbs from hagen offer a great color spectrum as does aqua-glo and power-glo.

cram


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## Steve Hampton (Jul 22, 2002)

Kyle, I too have always used a 5000K to 6700K bulb mixture, until Tula kept singing the praises of his GE Aqua Rays Freshwater and Saltwater bulb. It was a low CRI but the lumen maintenance is very good and the color is 9325K. I have a 55G with a 4X40W setup too. I exchanged one of the 5000K and one of the 6500K bulbs for two of the 9325K bulbs. As Tula predicted, I've noticed better more compact growth with smaller internodes and the red plants "look" redder and better. I had never liked the way my Rotala macrandra grew in my 55G, now it looks great under the new bulbs.

But, when the choice is between PC's and NO fluorescent fixtures and bulbs, then PC's win everytime in my book. I just can't afford them on all my tanks.


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## inxs (Jul 30, 2002)

Steve , I have read praises to the Aquarays too lately - where do you get them?

I use 5000KCF but will probably move up on at least a few of the lamps to higher temp.

I'm not crazy about the yellow pondlike light, although growth is good.


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## GulfCoastAquarian (Jul 30, 2002)

My 65 watt PC's have amazing output, but I supplement them with 40W GE Plant & Aquarium bulbs for their additional red spectrum output that tends to help with colors. When I watch a school of rasboras swim from the area in my tank illuminated by 6500K PC bulbs to the area illuminated by the GE P&A bulbs, the increase in color definition and intensity is awesome.

I almost would rather just have four 40W GE P&A bulbs. If the output was high enough.


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## Steve Hampton (Jul 22, 2002)

> _Originally posted by inxs_
> Steve , I have read praises to the Aquarays too lately - where do you get them?
> 
> I use 5000KCF but will probably move up on at least a few of the lamps to higher temp.
> ...


They are not the easiest lamps to find. Here's a site I'm sure you're familiar with, they are about the only mail order place I know of that carries this specific type fluorescent tube.


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## inxs (Jul 30, 2002)

Ahem Stevo , there is a site where?


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

You guys will probably think I'm crazy, but I like a colour temp above 10000k.

All of my tanks (with the exception of my 22 Gallon tank) have 18000k bulbs on them. It is a very intense light and look very blue/purple in contrast with a 6400k bulb. Surprisingly, I have not foudn this light to be any less effective in my plant growth, additionally it has really enhanced the colours of my fish.


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## Steve Hampton (Jul 22, 2002)

Yikes, it's not easy being me! Sorry INSX, try this.

GE Aqua Rays Freshwater/Saltwater tubes


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## inxs (Jul 30, 2002)

thanks


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## Jay (Aug 4, 2002)

I like the 6500K bulbs. I have 4 65watt PC's going on my 55. looks good, and my plants LOVE it!


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## bassjunkie303 (Aug 6, 2002)

:bounce: here's a nifty link i found on kelvin and atmospheric conditions: http://www.artzone.gr/zcoltheo.htm :bounce:


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## KyleT (Jul 22, 2002)

> _Originally posted by bassjunkie303_
> :bounce: here's a nifty link i found on kelvin and atmospheric conditions: http://www.artzone.gr/zcoltheo.htm :bounce:


NICE!! :hehe: another site to add to my bookmarks!

Kyle


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## Anonymous (Mar 2, 2003)

Hey, Kyle, it's me, 2la. I guess you know by now what color bulbs I like.  If you recall my "Vote on best lighting" thread at AoA, the first picture employed three GE Aqua Rays F&S plus one Coralife DayMax, the second used one GE and one DayMax, and the third used two GEs only. People seemed to prefer the first and third pics. I love the color of the GEs (especially their effects on red plants, as Steve mentioned), but I find that adding the DayMax enhances the greens just perfectly.


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## Flgatorguy (Sep 24, 2002)

ive seen colors ranges from 3000k to somewhere above 10000k.....my personal fav and what i use on my tank are 2 OD 6500k bulbs colors are great and it all seems to be working


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## bwiser (Nov 24, 2002)

came across this while searching, to see if I could find the 5000k/ 6500k #'s for these GE bulbs lol
"square lights" :hehe:
wonder if there are any around?
http://americanhistory.si.edu/scienceservice/025038.htm


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## PhishNeslo (Dec 20, 2002)

i like the way my tank looks with 350 watts of 10,000k MH on it. at first the blue was strange, but now i have another tank under it with about 6000k lights, and that one looks odd in juxtoposition. does anyone know if they still make that "Triton" bulb? i think that was a reef tube that put out about 10000k


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## ridns (Aug 9, 2002)

My favorite bulbs as of two days ago are the plant bulbs offered by Pet Supply Liquidators. Within two minutes of turning them on I had bubbles streaming to the surface. WOW is all I can say! The graff on the box isn't real impresive but the plants sure like them.


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## m.lemay (Jul 28, 2002)

ridns said:


> My favorite bulbs as of two days ago are the plant bulbs offered by Pet Supply Liquidators. Within two minutes of turning them on I had bubbles streaming to the surface. WOW is all I can say! The graff on the box isn't real impresive but the plants sure like them.


Which bulbs did you get ? And What bulbs were you using before?
I'm in the market for some new bulbs as you may already know.  

Marcel


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## SNPiccolo5 (Oct 6, 2002)

I would also be interested if you got the plant bulbs! The graph is not very impressive, so it is likely the pearling is due to the fact that old bulbs were going out. Is there anyway you can test?

-Tim


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## ridns (Aug 9, 2002)

The full name of the bulb is "Catalina Full Spectrum Plant Growth". No the previous bulbs were not old, they were T12 P & A bulbs ODNO 4x. Up to now I had been pretty impressed with them being able to make the plants pearl after about 3 hours. You have to e-mail Pet Supply Liquidators" and tell them that you want "Plant Growth Bulbs". I recently bought thier "special", "Solar Compact Hood" and had them ship it with 2 6500k and 2 Plant Growth bulbs. After seeing how they work (making the 6500k bulbs look weak) I will be ordering 2 more "Plant Growth" bulbs. Its unbelievable what a difference there is!


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## metsfan421 (Jan 23, 2014)

It's just about impossible for plants to grow in 18000k light in a freshwater tank, no?


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

I was a fan of 6500K until I switched to 5000K CFLs recently. They make my swords look almost neon green. It was a stronger light, so that could be the reason for better plant color. Who knows!


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Steve Hampton said:


> Kyle, I too have always used a 5000K to 6700K bulb mixture, until Tula kept singing the praises of his GE Aqua Rays Freshwater and Saltwater bulb. It was a low CRI but the lumen maintenance is very good and the color is 9325K. I have a 55G with a 4X40W setup too. I exchanged one of the 5000K and one of the 6500K bulbs for two of the 9325K bulbs. As Tula predicted, I've noticed better more compact growth with smaller internodes and the red plants "look" redder and better. I had never liked the way my Rotala macrandra grew in my 55G, now it looks great under the new bulbs.
> 
> But, when the choice is between PC's and NO fluorescent fixtures and bulbs, then PC's win everytime in my book. I just can't afford them on all my tanks.





















Interesting light..


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## GraphicGr8s (Apr 4, 2011)

12 years between posts. Talk about a resurrection.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

GraphicGr8s said:


> 12 years between posts. Talk about a resurrection.


Huh. I'm not sure how THAT happened.. LOL.. I'm getting old..


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## GraphicGr8s (Apr 4, 2011)

jeffkrol said:


> Huh. I'm not sure how THAT happened.. LOL.. I'm getting old..


If getting old is a problem for you old friend I have a final solution for you.:help:


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