# Aqua-Glo Bulbs



## SNPiccolo5 (Oct 6, 2002)

18,000 K?? That bulb is much more suitable for a reef and your plants will not be able to use much from it, but it will look nice for now...! Try to get something in the 5000-6500 K range.

-tim


----------



## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

This bulb will work just fine! This is one of Hagens "plant optimized" bulbs and works very well.

I use a combination of Aqua Glo and Power Glo Bulbs over my tanks and they work extremely well.

Take a look at my 135 gallon, 45 gallon, and 32 gallon, they are all using 18000k bulbs are varying intensities.


----------



## Flgatorguy (Sep 24, 2002)

Hmm 18,000k?....thats blue!......do they look good on planted tanks?....like REAL good....if so i might have to think about that too hehe


----------



## SNPiccolo5 (Oct 6, 2002)

That is odd that an 18,000 K bulb would work! But if it works, and you like the look, I don't see why you couldn't use it!

-Tim


----------



## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

The bulbs look very good, but I ahve found that the power glows can be too intense if you use a lot of them and can make fish colours wash out.

However if you balance your light well, like mix these bulbs (power glo and aqua glow) they work well.

I recently set up a 27 gallon tank for my mother using 2 20watt aqua gows and the plants are so thick it makes my tanks look terrible by comparison. I'll post some pictures the next time I'm over visiting


----------



## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

> _Originally posted by SNPiccolo5_
> That is odd that an 18,000 K bulb would work! But if it works, and you like the look, I don't see why you couldn't use it!
> 
> -Tim


It isnt that odd when you think about it....

When a bulb has light output that high into the blue it doesnt mean that the light sprectrum below 18000k isnt being output, it simply isnt evident to the human eye because of the higher intensity of visual blue light.

Appropriate levels of "red" and "low blue" light are being output like you would find in other bulbs.

Now not all bulbs are created equal, you need to know what the lightwave pattern looks like when you buy the bulbs. If you do not see a peak in the red and blue spectrum then they may not have boosted the appropriate colours for plants.

Here is a good example of this, below is the lightwave for a Hagen Life GLow (a 6400k bulb). Notice where the peaks in the spectrum are;










Now compare this to the aqua glo (18000k bulb)










Now the aqua glos are definately not as efficient as the Life Glo's, however they are still very reasonable for plants.

Take a look at the Power glo now, 18000k high intensity light.










As you can see, this is much more balance between red and blue (you want peaks around 525 and 625)


----------



## Left C (Nov 15, 2003)

Sometimes you can't go by the K values. I don't know how Hagen came up with their 18,000K rating for some of their bulbs. Also, the GE 9325K bulb is another oddball where you wonder how they came up with its K value too.


----------



## GTR (May 27, 2009)

Old or new... I just bought one last weekend. It's not blue but on the other hand it's not very bright looking compared to 6700 or 10000k bulbs. That's fine though. I have it paired with a 10k for evenings when I'd prefer the room wasn't so bright.

I think they pulled that 18000K number out of a hat. 

SteveU


----------



## Riiz (Apr 30, 2008)

Nice, necro'd post, but the info is still useful and still hotly debated. Since most newcomers adhere to the 6700k is the bulb to rule all in the planted tank.


----------

