Whats the Differences in Kelvin

[The Yellow Longnose]

What is the Difference Between a 10,000k 15,000K and A 20,000, Whats so great aboue having more Kelvin, Different look?
Joe

 

[Paintbug]

the higher the K number the bluer the light is the lower the number the whiter-yellow the light is. some is for looks, some is for function. corals need the blue light bandwith. if you dont want to use actinics to add the blue, then you can just use bluer(higher K) lights. also a bluer tint to the light will bring out the colors of your corals. its all about balance.

 

[aural]

also, a 10k bulb will be more intense light than a 20k.

You have 2 things to concider when you are choosing your bulb. Color and Growth. a 10k bulb will yield more growth where a 20k bulb will yield more color.... that is why a lot of people are using the 14k bulbs. they are a nice medium between the two.

 

[physicslord]

One way to understand the color is to realize that the temperature on the surface of the Sun is 5500 Kelvin. So a 5500 K bulb should match the color of the sun pretty well. That light is yellow as you may have noticed when looking at the sun (not reccomended.)
Some O and B stars are more around 10,000 - 20,000 K. These stars are very blue. For example, Sirius (the brightest star in the sky) is an O star and if you look at it it will appear blue to you.

Since corals live underwater, where many of the colors toward the yellow and red end of the spectrum get filtered out, then it is natural to expect them to see the sun in quite a different way. They see sun as if it were a different temperature star.
Hence the 20,000 K bulb.

I just taught you about blackbody radiation.

 

[tankslave]

...I just taught you about blackbody radiation.

That's Awsome.

You just got the definitive answer.