SimilanRocks
New member
Anybody is using High Pressure Sodium in refugium? I heard it's the most energy efficient if you don't care about yellow/orange color. But the yellow spectrum is any good for marine algae?
High Pressure Sodium for refugium
- Thread starter SimilanRocks
- Start date
Tu Ku
In Memoriam
Unfortunately I don't have first-hand experience with high pressure sodiums, but I know it is the preferred type of light for indoor horticulturists. How that transfers to marine macroalgaes, I don't know. But I have always wondered why we utilize metal-halides for point-source-illumination rather than another type of light with the exception of power compacts.
MinibowMatt
Active member
hps would be fine for a refugium, with a bulb in the spectrum of 2300k to 6700k would be best. The thing about HPS is that they burn very hot, and are very inefficient.
SimilanRocks
New member
Found this one
http://www.gardenscure.com/420/920310-post22.html
Didn't read it all and not going to
He said HPS put more lumen but the spectrum may be useless for plants. He's still choosing MH over HPS for his vege.
http://www.gardenscure.com/420/920310-post22.html
Didn't read it all and not going to
He said HPS put more lumen but the spectrum may be useless for plants. He's still choosing MH over HPS for his vege.
Young Frankenstein
New member
and are very inefficient. Thats not correct, they are more efficient than any other light bulb in the market, with the exception of low pressure sodium. More candle power for the watt.
piercho
New member
Lumens is a measure of the brightness of light that is weighted for the human eye. PAR is a measure of brightness that is better applied to plants.
IMO a generic MH bulb will be better suited for growing marine plants than a generic HPS bulb. I say this because HPS puts out most of its light in yellow-orange-red, while MH is more spread spectrum. In water, red and orange get attenuated very rapidly, with yellow close behind. So, unless a marine plant typically grows right at the surface of the water, I don't think it will be able to adapt to make good use of the light HPS puts out. My 2cents.
IMO a generic MH bulb will be better suited for growing marine plants than a generic HPS bulb. I say this because HPS puts out most of its light in yellow-orange-red, while MH is more spread spectrum. In water, red and orange get attenuated very rapidly, with yellow close behind. So, unless a marine plant typically grows right at the surface of the water, I don't think it will be able to adapt to make good use of the light HPS puts out. My 2cents.
piercho
New member
FWIW a few months ago someone had a "best light" for refugium question. My answer was that a 150W, double-ended, 6500K Iwasaki in a PFO mini-pendant with an electronic ballast would get my vote. If you want to create a high-intensity light environment over a relatively small footprint tank, that is still my vote. If you can settle for a lower-intensity light and want an inexpensive light soure than the daylight power compact flood lamps so many people use would be acceptable. HPS would be near the bottom of my list. But I've never actually tried HPS so it would be an interesting experiment.
