STUPID light bulb

kass03

kass03

New member
Ok apparently any light bulb that costs over 5 bucks is a big problem for me lol. If you don't know my 96 watt PC'S burn out all the time on my 150.
When I was at Jon's Tuesday he showed me the light he used for chaeto. I liked it cuz it's a flourescent flood so won't have as much heat. It's actually a coiled PC bulb inside a flood housing.
Saves energy too.

So easy enough he used an outdoor xmas tree socket and the bulb. He said he got it at Home depot. I had looked at Menards in GB before that but did'nt get any cuz was'nt sure what bulb at the time.
So ok go to home depot. They have the bulb but not the socket.
Had to go to Menards last night and had to look through about 100 bags of sockets to find the one I wanted that has a mount with screws. They were outa the 90 watt bulbs so got a 75 (its like 18 watts but equivalent to 75). They also make 120.

Are you still reading this? lol
So my hubby installs the socket this morning so I'm all set for the chaeto from Ron.
We get home and it works BUT I'm a woman so just wanted it moved a hair over lol. He unscrews the wingnut and the bulb burns out (which has nothing to do with the wingnut).
I paid 9 bucks for this STUPID bulb GRRRRR. It was lit for less than 5 minutes lol.

Of course Menards was closed when we got home so had to run to Walmart and they had a 90 watt for 7 bucks.
It's working fine now and I'm not moving it (yet) lol.

Anyway I know Briguy asked about the bulb and the one I got from wallyworld is a GE floodlight 90. Par 38 equiv. Outdoor flood.
light output 1300 lumens, energy 26 watts, life 10,000 hrs. Whew.

The outdoor was cheaper and has clear glass where the indoor was $9 and had frosted glass.
I think I got the last one though at Walmart in Appleton by the mall so try Darboy or call first.

Ohhhh if anyone is still reading.
Best part was my kid was with me and she begged to get her ears pierced (for the third time) so I decided to let her.

kass
 
10,000 hours or 1/12 of an hour and one nudge, which ever comes first lol.

Menards East had some flor. BR30 floods this past Friday. They are in the first row, just in front of the shopping carts. Believe they were 65 watt (15 watt usage), 750 lumens, soft white (at least that is the specs on the one I purchased a while back from nards).

Kass, I am looking into DIYing my own PC light hood. I will either use two REL-32 Ballasts (similar to the ones used in the old 9"/12" round kitchen lights) with 32 watt Coralights like this, with no reflectors (see link)

http://jean.yen.tripod.com/id63.htm

Or purchase a retrofit kit (with reflectors) that I found on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sunpaq-PC-64-Wa...hZ020QQcategoryZ46314QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

Also keep trying to bid on a used Current USA Orbit 2 x 40 watt that has been listed several times (too high of shipping charge) on ebay with 0 bids after two listings.

Lots of options.
 
Kass,
Sorry about the bulb but Menards will probably replace it when it opens up.
For those of you trying this bulb type, get the outdoor flood version as we are puting these bulbs near water. Secondly for a cheap mogul socket, just get an outdoor flood socket that is sold for Christmas flood lights (STeins should be getting Christmas stuff out soon, I mean we are at the end of summer). The socket comes with a six foot cord and is sturdy enough to hold the socket and bulb suspended over my sump like a pendant fixture. Mine has been functioning with different bulbs for about three years now.
Jon
jandlms
 
http://www.melevsreef.com/fuge_bulb.html

Check out the Kelvin test Melve did.....ill wait......I gained patients in this hobby......done yet........ok do you know the Kelvin rating for the bulbs you are getting (im guessing Kelvins and lumens are differant things? ya/no), I would like to shoot for something close to that 5100k bulb he was using.

I really like that the bulb is water proof and runs cooler that Inc. bulbs.

Hey Kass, I will need the 96w PC bulbs down the road (square pin) and even F+S wants $46 for them, have you found a cheaper place to buy them, (or is that why they burn out) the quote is for the coralife brand bulb
 
BriGuy,
RCS had a dry goods order and I got a couple of 96watt bulbs for around $20 each. I believe he went through Custom Aquatic.
Regarding the questions about the pc spots. Lumens and Kelvins are different. Kelvin is the color spectrum of the bulb (sometimes referred to as the heat color) and lumens are a measure of the light intensity.
The Kelvin temp (color of these bulbs is not listed on the package but I would guess it is a cooloer bulb of 5100K or even less as it promotes algae and plant growth (must have more of the red end of the spectrum).
jandlms
 
I saw melevs thread and I think he was compairing those bulbs which were all icandescent.
I was told at Menards in GB that the incandescent floods are 2700k. I dunno what the fluorescents are. I called GE to ask but they're closed for the holiday.

Yes I used the same socket as Jon the green xmas tree one but mine has a round plate with screws to mount it. It was only $3.50 at Menards. It says you can use up to 150 watt bulb.
Jon my hubby said he had to remove the rubber part inside for the bulb to fit did you have to?
I like this bulb because it does'nt throw alot of heat. My pvc pipe is right next to it and it doesnt even get it warm. I worried about heat cuz it's under my cabinet and did get the outdoor cuz it says rated for wet locations.
Thanks to Ron I put a filter sock on the return water so it is'nt splashing anymore.

I did find some cheaper pc bulbs for my 96 watt fixture. I think it's prolly my fixture that keeps burning the bulbs out but I dunno. They usually work for a few months and then burn out. They burn out on seperate ballasts so cant be the ballast. Could be the cheap bulbs dunno but they did'nt use to burn out that fast.
I just got 2 from a guy on ebay shipped for $33 but wont recommend him cuz when arrived 1 doesnt work. It cant be my fixture cuz the other one works.
He's being a real pita about the broken one and says if I leave him neg feedback he'll let me neg.
Yeah right I bought them now and paid right away lol I'm a terrible buyer.
In the past I used innovative lighting solutions and they are great. I had a bulb not work once and they sent me a replacement the next day no problem which did work.

I have a custom sealife hood on my 150 and would like to replace the sockets but dunno where to get them. It's 4 96 watt square pin bulbs.
I could write a book on that piece of crap light I paid $650 for when they first came out lol but won't.

kass
 
Maybe just my opinion, but I don't think it makes a differance if the bulb is Flo. or Inc. you would think that the Kelvin test is universal and wouldn't matter what the source of the light was, just the Kelvin put out by the source. And the 5100K was better growing than the 2700K

Custom Aquatics had a good deal on the 96watters $20-25 a bulb, not bad, better than $46 each!

Kass is that all the lighting on your 150, or just some? What types of corals do you have in there? How is the growth?
I have 2-96w CF on my 30g, and just wondering what would all grow under those conditions.
 
Bri Guy,
You said the 5100 was better at growing what? Corals or algae. I agree that corals would do better at 5100 K but am surprised that macroalgae grow better at 5100. I guess there is some kind of bottom limit for macros. I will have to keep that in mind when I buy fluorescents. I kind of just buy the cheapies for my fuge and its macroalgae. thanks.
Kass,
Yeah I had to take out the ruuber o-ring also. It has not effected performance of the socket though.
Jon
jandlms
 
Jon I wouldnt call a $9 bulb a cheapy when you can get some of those floods for like 2 bucks lol. The fluorescents were the most expensive floods but I wanted it cuz of heat issues and moisture. Thanks alot for telling me about that bulb cuz I had'nt seen those before. I might still have a problem with the chaeto cuz my PVC pipe is in the middle depleting some of the light.

Bri kelvin is the color of the bulb and in fluorescents they can make it diff. I thought by the gas they put in ( I just saw how they make them on tv lol).
I did'nt think inc. and fluo. had the same color/kelvin but could be wrong really depends on the bulb.
I'm going to call GE again when they're open to see what kelvin the fluor. is as none of them say it on the package.
I did see melevs test. Jon he grew cheato with a regular flood on 1 side and with a 5100k he found on another. The 5100k did grow it much faster but it's a special order bulb in most places.

Bri I only have the 4 96 watt fixture on my 150. No it is'nt good for corals except for some softies because it's such a big tank. Plus I have a glass top on there. The nitrates are high and I'm not really intending it for alot of corals. If I get the nitrates down a few softies would be ok. I have a few in there now but not doing to well except for the shrooms.

Your 30 should be fine with 2 96 watt bulbs except for the high light corals. It is'nt near as deep as my 150. Pc light doesnt travel deep like halides or T5's.
I can grow alot more corals in my 55 like my crocea clam since I switched to HO T5's from PC's.
I think pc's are ok for small tanks but would go T5's or halides on bigger tanks. It really depends on what you want to keep for corals. I wouldnt attempt a crocea with PC's.

kass
 
Kass,
I bet he can do most SPS corals even with the PC bulbs. The footprint of a 30 gallon is not very big and 192 watts is still a lot of light power.
BriGuy - Give SPS a shot if you are so inclined.
jandlms
 
Yeah I'm sure he can grow some sps. I have pocillapora in my 12 gal under 54 watts of pc's. Like I said it should be fine.
I still would'nt try something like a crocea clam in it though but most corals should be good.

Even in the 12 gal I'm having trouble with a multicolored yuma on the bottom. It was ok for like 2 weeks and it looks like it's bleaching now. I'm trying to shade it now but it still looks bad. Yumas are difficult shrooms. I did'nt think I could bleach anything with PC's lol.

kass
 
BriGuy,
This is what I was getting at (that is the floodlight bulb I am using by the way). The cooler Kelvin temperature has more of the red light spectra in it than the "bluer" 5700K spiral. Corals in general seem to need more blue light for their symbiotic zooanthellae. Macroalgae apparently are more similar to plants and need the redder, cooler, lower Kelvi light.
jandlms
 
Oh sorry I was just looking at his test, the cheato on the left didn't grow as much as the stuff on the right, with the two differant bulbs, according to his test cheato grows better under the 5100K bulb, so thats what I was looking to buy. For my refuigum, cheato.

What ever one works out will do just fine, i just thought since that test showed good results on the 5100K thats what I wanted.
 
Now I am confused. I thought he stated that the lower kelvin spotlight caused his chaeto to grow quite rapidly. I will have to check his article out a little more. He may be contradicting himself.
jandlms
 
Just finished the whole article. Apparently he has found a third bulb (another spotlight) that test out at 5100K that provides even better performance than the 2700 K bulb. He also lists a vendor.
Unless the growth is markedly different I may stick with my cheapy from Home Depot and not bother ordering the 5100 K bulb online. One of these days I will try the 5100 and see how much better it works for me, but fr now the HD bulb is satisfactory.
I am at HD every three days (or so it seems) anyway.
jandlms
 
I did call GE and they said all of there pc floods are 2700k so you were right Bri.
I thought flo. might be different but what do I know lol.

Jon if your at HD all the time you should ask them if they can get any of those 5100k bulbs.

Bri you could call Crescent electric I think it is in Appleton over by We energy. I use to special order 10k NO flourescents from them.
Maybe they could special order one for ya.

kass
 
These are what I use over my fuge. I've tried all four over the years and never did see much of a difference in cheato growth between them. I definitely like the look better with the 4100K & 5100K varieties better but any of them would do the trick IMO.

http://www.1000bulbs.com/products.php?cat=19-Watt-Weather-Proof-BR38-Compact-Fluorescent-Light-Bulbs

I just took apart a clip-on light fixture and removed the clip and reflector and hang them by their cord above the fuge tank (zip-tied the cord to an eye hook)

-Rob

BTW - a bulb I have always wanted to try and never got around to it - check out this monster screw-in http://www.1000bulbs.com/product.php?product=6726
 
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