refugium light?

[raw88gt]

Hi all, just wondering whats the best to use for a refugium light? hope fully not too much, I want to go pick it up today. thanks!

 

[moriartiholmes]

It really depends on what size fuge your trying to light.

You can use 65K lights for algae with good results.

 

[The_Boyz1]

I use 24" Aqualight 50/50 in my fuge.

 

[OracleOCA]

Please check out this website:

http://www.melevsreef.com/fuge_bulb.html

I use the TCP compact fluorescent R30 floodlight in the 5100k color spectrum for my 5 gallon fuge.

 

[dalbrecht]

I use a standard 10 gallon hood with 65k t8 over my hang on back fuge ( $20 for the full kit at walmart)

 

[GreyG35]

I use the bulb suggested by melev (5100K) over my 'fuge-- it seems to do pretty well growing cheato, coraline and pods...

 

[fat-tony]

I second what Oracle said. We did one of those bulbs on our work tank and the refuge growth just EXPLODED

 

[raw88gt]

i'm gonna have to order it as my local home depot didnt stock it i picked up a bulb for now tho

 

[chrisguy]

Ditto on the bulb from Melev's Reef site. I've been using one for almost 6 months (due for a change) and for the price they cant be beat.

 

[Nammy]

Same here, I use what Oracle said. The plants in the fuge are doing great. I bought it at Lowes, it came 4 in a pack.

 

[chrisguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6909949#post6909949 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Nammy
Same here, I use what Oracle said. The plants in the fuge are doing great. I bought it at Lowes, it came 4 in a pack.

Does Lowes have the 5100K bulbs in the store? Home Depot only has them as a special order item.

 

[spoon25]

i found some at our lowes, they didnt mention the Kelvin on the labels, but the aquarium bulbs matched my zoo med bulb color at 5100k...and they were so much cheaper than zoo med bulbs also..

 

[moriartiholmes]

Yeah, it really bugs me that it's so hard to find the Kelvin rating of a bulb. I spent awhile trying to figure out the spectrum of GE's reveal bulbs awhile back. All I could find was an article where they were tested and said to not be as close to natural lights spectrum as they appear. That was real helpful... I think someone should test the spectrum of commonly available bulbs. Sounds like a job for Sanjay

 

[spoon25]

they do test them, i think they call it lumens, not kelvin since its not bright enough..i really dont know the science of it but im sure you could find out if lumens and kelvin are basically just the intesities or something.to tell you the truth macro grows best under the lowest kelvin bulbs so that tells me that regular lumen bulbs like floodlights and flurescents work just fine with macro...they key is to keep the light running 24 hours a day with low heat to tank...mine is growing like crazy....ill send a link when photobucket is done updating

 

[chrisguy]

My understanding is that lumen's is the measure of brightness and Kelvin is the "heat" or spectrum of the light. You can have a high lumen red light that is in the wrong spectrum.

 

[spoon25]

ok, cool...well doesnt macro grow best under the more reddish lights? isnt that why they kinda want you to stay away from the 5100k MH bulbs cuz it makes your tank look brown....so for macro i think any aquarium bulb would work..i bought one from lowes for 3 bucks, and i bought 3 other zoo med bulbs for 25 dollars each and i swear they are the same color....

 

[Nammy]

chrisguy

Can't remember if the K was on the pack. I'm Near Rome and they have it in packs of 4.

 

[spoon25]

here at lowes they dont say anything k, its all labeled in lumens

 

[chrisguy]

I have a box in front of me for the TCP P38 Floodlight 1P3819. There is a sticker under the part # that reads 5100K. It appears that they use the same packaging for the 2700K and 5100K and add the sticker for the different bulb.

The base of the Bulb does have 5100K printed on it.