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Tubes T5

Deansie

Deansie

Member
Joined
25 Dec 2014
Messages
192
Hi all, I've recently bought the
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Boyu STS-350 for my nano tank.
With it you get a blue and 2x10000k whites.
I've replaced the blue with a 6600k/ 550km Arcadia tropical.
My question is about the 10K whites, as I have no info on them apart from the K value would I be better replacing them with more Arcadia tubes?
I just want to get the best possible start for the plants.
Tubes are 8" T5's


Many thanks
 
Thanks for the reply foxfish, when I read up it says the colour spectrum does as plants use the blues and reds and the green etc are wasted light really could you explain why it doesn't matter?
The tank is a 55l Aquaone Aqua nano 40 so when you factor in te rear filter chamber it's probably more like 45 litres.
I've got a C02 extinguisher setup to use and Ada Amazonia soil.

Thanks for your time!
 
I cant explain why plants don't mind about colour spectrum because I don't really know the scientific reasons but, I do know that there are multiple post on this forum explain why....
However I am confident enough to assure you that growth is effected by the intensity of light but not the colour.

So on that basis you must choose the light colour that suits your eye in preference to what you might believe is beneficial to plants.

You will also soon discover the importance of balancing light duration & intensity to match the amount of C02 you can accurately supply.
In other words light is secondary to C02 at least if you want to avoid algae.

I would guess that over 90% of algae issues are based around to much light for the amount of available C02.
It would be best to start with one tube for 6-7 hours & then after a week or so try two bulbs but whether you will ever manage three will depend on how well you can distribute the C02 or how much you can add without killing your fish.
 
Deansie said:
Thanks for the reply foxfish, when I read up it says the colour spectrum does as plants use the blues and reds and the green etc are wasted light really could you explain why it doesn't matter?
The tank is a 55l Aquaone Aqua nano 40 so when you factor in te rear filter chamber it's probably more like 45 litres.
I've got a C02 extinguisher setup to use and Ada Amazonia soil.

Thanks for your time!
Click to expand...
Have a read through this thread.
http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/lighting-in-the-planted-aquarium.2271/
 
Thanks Foxfish, So really just choose what ever light you want really? Bright/ intense being good.
I understand what you described about the the relationship between the C02 available & light, thank you.
I do find it odd that there is not a good sticky on the subject of lights by one of the knowledgable founders/ moderators with it being such a fundamental component.

...................
Hi
I've already read the link vinkenoog which didn't really clarify much, some say wpg some say it's pointless etc. read a lot of contradictions. Thank you for posting me the link though!

Maybe the topic just doesn't afford itself to a sticky.....

Thanks
 
Ceg explains it rather nicely on the first page:
Although full spectrum bulbs may be regarded as "best" light no data has been produced demonstrating this. Plants are adaptable and will change their pigment distribution and content to adjust to the available spectrum. It is this "widely regarded as best" label that emboldens vendors to charge scandalous prices for their bulbs. CRI is also completely irrelavent since this only applies to what humans percieve, not what plants need.

Additionally, very few if any aquatic plants ever see full spectrum midday sun, since they grow under the canopy shade and under murky waters in the rain forests of the world, thus rendering the value of Kelvin temperature or of full spectrum completely moot. In fact no bulb even comes close to the spectral distribution of the sun. Having a few peaks in a few narrow bands does not approximate the sun in any way shape or form. The term "Full Spectrum" is merely another marketing term used to suck people in. The Kelvin values of bulbs as well as the "best" term have only to do with what you like to see, not what the plant is capable of assimilating.
 
Hi, I've read both already.
I found the American article interesting but is irrelevant from what I've been told. The passage above and the link actually contradict themselves. Passage says it's not important it article says it is.
 
Ha ha plant police
Thanks foxfish, please don't mistake my reply as me being ungrateful for the advice as I am!
 
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