# planting bulb vs cfl help



## Gooberfish (Mar 27, 2012)

I would not use that Phillips plant light. I used it on some seeds and it only lasted me about 3-4 months being on about 12 hours a day. 

The CFL will last WAY longer than the agro light. I'm very confident that the CFL you got will work but don't take my word for it, I'm sure somebody else can chime in on that


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## Dugsul808 (Jul 30, 2012)

Gooberfish said:


> I would not use that Phillips plant light. I used it on some seeds and it only lasted me about 3-4 months being on about 12 hours a day.
> 
> The CFL will last WAY longer than the agro light. I'm very confident that the CFL you got will work but don't take my word for it, I'm sure somebody else can chime in on that


I was planning on getting the natural daylight light bulb but I had these laying around my house so I jut wanted to get an opinion. What's wrong with the Phillips bulb?


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## Gooberfish (Mar 27, 2012)

For me it just didn't last very long. It also gives off heat which will heat your tank water when it's on. 

I also think the CFL will look better. It will for sure last longer. I'm no expert in light either but I am damn certain that the CFL will be the real winner.


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## Dugsul808 (Jul 30, 2012)

Gooberfish said:


> For me it just didn't last very long. It also gives off heat which will heat your tank water when it's on.
> 
> I also think the CFL will look better. It will for sure last longer. I'm no expert in light either but I am damn certain that the CFL will be the real winner.


But your not sure if it will carpet my tank?


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## aweeby (Oct 1, 2011)

Are you doing a dry start? If so, then blast it with the highest wattage light. (but you need to try keep heat down somehow). If not, both are way too much for a 3g. I'd go w/ a 9w cfl. My high tech 5.5g has a regular 13w 6500K cfl (cost me 3$ at walmart) and that's just perfect. (i have crappy reflectors though.) If you need pics, the link is in my sig. I've been able to carpet HC in that tank. So yeah, you should def be able to get a carpet w/ something like that, assuming you have adequate NPK+trace coverage, (optimally) co2, etc etc.


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## Dugsul808 (Jul 30, 2012)

aweeby said:


> Are you doing a dry start? If so, then blast it with the highest wattage light. (but you need to try keep heat down somehow). If not, both are way too much for a 3g. I'd go w/ a 9w cfl. My high tech 5.5g has a regular 13w 6500K cfl (cost me 3$ at walmart) and that's just perfect. (i have crappy reflectors though.) If you need pics, the link is in my sig. I've been able to carpet HC in that tank. So yeah, you should def be able to get a carpet w/ something like that, assuming you have adequate NPK+trace coverage, (optimally) co2, etc etc.


Yes I'm doing a dry start. So should I try with a lower wattage or stick with 14?


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## aweeby (Oct 1, 2011)

For the dry start, you can do whatever. More is generally better, up until the point where the leaves start to get burned/dried out. During dry start of my tank, I had ~75w over the tank. When you flood, switch to something lower. You can use the 14w, but def raise it a couple inches above the surface somehow.


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## Dugsul808 (Jul 30, 2012)

aweeby said:


> For the dry start, you can do whatever. More is generally better, up until the point where the leaves start to get burned/dried out. During dry start of my tank, I had ~75w over the tank. When you flood, switch to something lower. You can use the 14w, but def raise it a couple inches above the surface somehow.


What will happen if I let it sit in the top of my tank?
Will it melt the Saran wrap?


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## aweeby (Oct 1, 2011)

1. if your tank is flooded, you'll prob. get algae if you don't raise it higher or reduce the wattage.

2. If the bulb touches, yes. But it's best to raise it some anyway, b/c you don't want to have the tips of the DHG to get burnt from the heat.


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## Dugsul808 (Jul 30, 2012)

aweeby said:


> 1. if your tank is flooded, you'll prob. get algae if you don't raise it higher or reduce the wattage.
> 
> 2. If the bulb touches, yes. But it's best to raise it some anyway, b/c you don't want to have the tips of the DHG to get burnt from the heat.


Raise it about how high above the tank?


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## aweeby (Oct 1, 2011)

When you submerse, i'd say at least 5-6" above the surface. For DSM, experiment. if the top of the tank is hot to the touch during photoperiod peak, then raise it some more. depends on the type of bulb you have, ambient temp in the room, length of photoperiod, toughness of the plants, etc.


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## Dugsul808 (Jul 30, 2012)

aweeby said:


> When you submerse, i'd say at least 5-6" above the surface. For DSM, experiment. if the top of the tank is hot to the touch during photoperiod peak, then raise it some more. depends on the type of bulb you have, ambient temp in the room, length of photoperiod, toughness of the plants, etc.


Okay man thanks for the help
Btw where did you say the links were?


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

That 14 watt CFL bulb should be about 20 inches above the substrate to get 40 micromols of PAR, which is as much light as you need, with CO2 to grow the carpet. Any closer to the substrate and you will very likely have to fight off algae attacks.


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## Dugsul808 (Jul 30, 2012)

Hoppy said:


> That 14 watt CFL bulb should be about 20 inches above the substrate to get 40 micromols of PAR, which is as much light as you need, with CO2 to grow the carpet. Any closer to the substrate and you will very likely have to fight off algae attacks.


How do you calculate the par?


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## Sethjohnson30 (Jan 16, 2012)

Dugsul808 said:


> How do you calculate the par?


You buy a par meter. Or just ask hoppy. He is the lighting god. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

Hoppy knows his math


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## Dugsul808 (Jul 30, 2012)

Hoppy said:


> That 14 watt CFL bulb should be about 20 inches above the substrate to get 40 micromols of PAR, which is as much light as you need, with CO2 to grow the carpet. Any closer to the substrate and you will very likely have to fight off algae attacks.


What about a 14 watt 6500k same brand bulb?
And I'm trying to grow it with the dry start method though


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

Sylvania makes 13 watt CFLs that are 6500K. I use their bulbs.

A 14 watt 6500K CFL should work great.


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

sorry, double post...


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

Dugsul808 said:


> How do you calculate the par?


I don't know of any way to calculate the PAR, but I may try to figure out a way to do it starting with lumens. I haven't tried that yet. You can buy a lux meter from Amazon or Ebay for around $15 plus shipping, and use that to measure the light intensity in lux at the same distance as your bulb will be from the substrate, with the light sitting across a couple of chairs. Divide the lux reading by 61 and you are very close to the PAR at that distance.

EDIT: No you can't calculate PAR. If you had a point source of light, mounted at exactly the focal point of a perfect and huge parabolic reflector, you could calculate the PAR. But, we never have either a point source of light nor a perfect parabolic reflector. The problem is that so much of the light is not directed to the aquarium substrate, and the light that is directed to the substrate isn't evenly distributed over a known area. No matter how much data you get you are always short of data to calculate the PAR or lux at all accurately. We are stuck with having to measure it if we want an accurate number.


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

I use 2 6500k cfl bulbs made by Sylvania in my bedroom 10g planted tank and they work great. Forgot to mention they are small so they're in a normal 10g hood.


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## Darreiamss (Aug 16, 2012)

i will certainely recommend 14 watt CFL LIGHT as no doubt it will last longer and will also consume less electricity than that philips bulb. and it will not heat up too much as the bulb gets heated as it makes water too much hot


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## Dugsul808 (Jul 30, 2012)

Darreiamss said:


> i will certainely recommend 14 watt CFL LIGHT as no doubt it will last longer and will also consume less electricity than that philips bulb. and it will not heat up too much as the bulb gets heated as it makes water too much hot


I'm using the 14 watt right now. Got some result seeking more runners but sprouting slowly


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## Dugsul808 (Jul 30, 2012)

kamikazi said:


> Sylvania makes 13 watt CFLs that are 6500K. I use their bulbs.
> 
> A 14 watt 6500K CFL should work great.


I seen some 13watt 6500k bulbs at long but they were 17$ for 1. So I'm trying to look for something cheaper


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## Kai808 (Jul 19, 2011)

Hey, I usually get the GE Daylight 6500K from Walmart for $6-8???. What kind of substrate are you using? I had DHG in my 10g first planted tank. It was sitting in an open garage with just ambient sunlight. It took about 3 months to carpet.


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## Dugsul808 (Jul 30, 2012)

Kai808 said:


> Hey, I usually get the GE Daylight 6500K from Walmart for $6-8???. What kind of substrate are you using? I had DHG in my 10g first planted tank. It was sitting in an open garage with just ambient sunlight. It took about 3 months to carpet.


I just get some ge day lights at Walmart for 5$. And I'm using ada substrate


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