Why can't I use a regular bulb again?

kathywithbirds · 08-28-2007, 08:16 PM

Next dumb question: Been scouting lighting for the 10g (other thread) but the question I keep coming back to is why can't I use a regular plant grow bulb?

I seem to see bulbs rated at 60 watts, 10K, which is pretty much where I could go with the 10g.

All that info out there but...??

DrHank · 08-28-2007, 08:57 PM

You might get away with the bulb (depending on what you want in the tank). Might even help the algae grow, but please don't add Miraclegrow!

BigAl07 · 08-28-2007, 09:10 PM

You'll have enough problems with that small volume of water (trust Me I know what I am talking about as I sit here and look at my 10g reef tank) that I wouldn't risk the stability by taking a short cut on this light. Go ahead and get a good light from coralife or someone like that.

Allen

sasquatch · 08-28-2007, 09:26 PM

These work well on small tanks and fuge's. Steve

BigAl07 · 08-28-2007, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sasquatch

These work well on small tanks and fuge's. Steve

That's pretty close to the bulb I have in the clip on desk lamp that's over my fuge. It made my macro kick in HIGH gear. I went from pruning to once a month to pruning at least every other week.

Allen

sasquatch · 08-28-2007, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigAl07

That's pretty close to the bulb I have in the clip on desk lamp that's over my fuge. It made my macro kick in HIGH gear. I went from pruning to once a month to pruning at least every other week.

Allen

Yup, and cheap too

kathywithbirds · 08-28-2007, 09:44 PM

AHA!!

Allen, I linked on your posts and THAT's what I think I need:

QUOTE //
I have a 10g tank (20" width) and I have had 3 different light fixtures on it. Currently I have
Coralife 24 Inch Aqualight With 1-65W Actinic / 1-65W 10,000K Lamp Straight Pin Base (with fans) (Saltwater Aquarium Supplies > Lighting > Fixtures > Power Compact > 24in Units )
and I freaking LOVE it! Yes it's 24" long but the bulbs on all fixtures stop considerably short of the total length so this gives me a full width light spread and it looks amazing! It's a total of 130w or light and it makes my tank really kick!! //QUOTE

Thanks for the info... BUT... again, how come the regular bulbs such as plant ones don't do the job? Are they just not reliable or don't provide a good spectrum?

addicted · 08-28-2007, 09:48 PM

I use regular bulbs in my ten gallon (like you would use with a freshwater) and they make my tank look so yellow and not very attractive at all. I'm looking into getting a new lighting system in the next week or so I'm going to order it.

flricordia · 08-28-2007, 09:48 PM

From what I under stand it would be OK for corals and plants that lived near the surface-first few feet-of the reef, though the intensity would not be near enough for most corals (macro and micro algeas usually can adapt to different light spectrums), but when you have deeper water corals you need actinic light (this is what zooxanthellae-the algea found living within a corals tissues, have adapted to). As you go deeper into the water on a reef the sun's rays are filtered out leaving the lower end of the light spectrum to reach the corals there, blue in the 420nm range. That is why with 10k bulbs you need actinics and why you really don't need actinics with 14k-20k bulbs,such as is most popular MHs. Just what I understand from info gathered over the years of reef keeping.

DrHank · 08-28-2007, 09:57 PM

Kathy, all kidding aside, I would strongly recommend that you listen to what Mike (flricordia) has to say. His tanks are killer and he makes it sound so easy. I do think he invests about half his pay on his tanks though (seriously). I've never seen a better collection of rics and zoas than in his tanks!

tbittner · 08-28-2007, 10:22 PM

Wow flricordia! I just checked out the picture of your tank.

B E A U T I F U L ! ! !

kathywithbirds · 08-28-2007, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbittner

Wow flricordia! I just checked out the picture of your tank.

B E A U T I F U L ! ! !

Oh, yeah, I looked too. Nice! (Pretty burdies too!!

About the bulbs, I figured it was something like that, although I was thinking more lack of spectrum than not penetrating. And I forgot about the yellow. The #$^% grow bulb (just for fun for now) burned out already!!!! rrr... Mike replaced it with a regular bulb just to see the computer by and it was very yellow.

Thanks!!!

flricordia · 08-28-2007, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrHank

Kathy, all kidding aside, I would strongly recommend that you listen to what Mike (flricordia) has to say. His tanks are killer and he makes it sound so easy. I do think he invests about half his pay on his tanks though (seriously). I've never seen a better collection of rics and zoas than in his tanks!

Please, please Doc! Thanks for the complements. You are too kind. But as far as spending 1/2 my checks on my reef, if I did that I couldn't afford a home to house the fridge that holds my all my beer.

BigAl07 · 09-03-2007, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flricordia

....as far as spending 1/2 my checks on my reef, if I did that I couldn't afford a home to house the fridge that holds my all my beer.

Good one...

08-28-2007, 08:16 PM	#1 (permalink)
kathywithbirds Social Darwinism victim Join Date: May 2007 Location: The Hood, NJ Posts: 5,749 View Gallery Karma Komment	Why can't I use a regular bulb again? Next dumb question: Been scouting lighting for the 10g (other thread) but the question I keep coming back to is why can't I use a regular plant grow bulb? I seem to see bulbs rated at 60 watts, 10K, which is pretty much where I could go with the 10g. All that info out there but...?? __________________ (\_/) (\__/) ( . .) (^.^) (")(") (> <) Bunny and Bunnina have worked things out. Bunny was mistaken after all, Bunnina was not having an affair. "Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials." ~Lin Yutang

08-28-2007, 08:57 PM	#2 (permalink)
DrHank Golden Moray Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Crestview, FL Posts: 2,284 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Why can't I use a regular bulb again? You might get away with the bulb (depending on what you want in the tank). Might even help the algae grow, but please don't add Miraclegrow! __________________ Doc Dr Hank's 210 Build: http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...nks-tanks.html

08-28-2007, 09:10 PM	#3 (permalink)
BigAl07 Reef Addict (hopeless) Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Waynesville, North Carolina Posts: 11,496 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Why can't I use a regular bulb again? You'll have enough problems with that small volume of water (trust Me I know what I am talking about as I sit here and look at my 10g reef tank) that I wouldn't risk the stability by taking a short cut on this light. Go ahead and get a good light from coralife or someone like that. Allen __________________ ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º> ·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.. >((((º> Allen Allen's testimonial . . ."Let Me help you help YOURSELF" (Click Here) with a SW set up there is one basic fundamental rule that we ALL should follow *When in doubt... wait it out. This means take it slow and let the tank "develop" and don't rush it. Time is your friend Ask me about how to increase your REEF budget without going without FOOD!!* Big Al's 10g Julie's (BigAl's Gal) 6g NanoCube BigAl's Slow 90g Tank Chronicle Allens OFFICE 12g Nano-Reef Reef Balls & Cakes Debt Free & Change your Family Tree!!

08-28-2007, 09:26 PM	#4 (permalink)
sasquatch Brunt of all Jokes~ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: the very farthest west coast of canada Posts: 8,917 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Why can't I use a regular bulb again? These work well on small tanks and fuge's. Steve __________________ castawayreefers.com Last edited by sasquatch : 06-15-2008 at 12:23 AM.

08-28-2007, 09:44 PM	#7 (permalink)
kathywithbirds Social Darwinism victim Join Date: May 2007 Location: The Hood, NJ Posts: 5,749 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Why can't I use a regular bulb again? AHA!! Allen, I linked on your posts and THAT's what I think I need: QUOTE // I have a 10g tank (20" width) and I have had 3 different light fixtures on it. Currently I have Coralife 24 Inch Aqualight With 1-65W Actinic / 1-65W 10,000K Lamp Straight Pin Base (with fans) (Saltwater Aquarium Supplies > Lighting > Fixtures > Power Compact > 24in Units ) and I freaking LOVE it! Yes it's 24" long but the bulbs on all fixtures stop considerably short of the total length so this gives me a full width light spread and it looks amazing! It's a total of 130w or light and it makes my tank really kick!! //QUOTE Thanks for the info... BUT... again, how come the regular bulbs such as plant ones don't do the job? Are they just not reliable or don't provide a good spectrum? __________________ (\_/) (\__/) ( . .) (^.^) (")(") (> <) Bunny and Bunnina have worked things out. Bunny was mistaken after all, Bunnina was not having an affair. "Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials." ~Lin Yutang

08-28-2007, 09:48 PM	#8 (permalink)
addicted Fire Coral Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 64 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Why can't I use a regular bulb again? I use regular bulbs in my ten gallon (like you would use with a freshwater) and they make my tank look so yellow and not very attractive at all. I'm looking into getting a new lighting system in the next week or so I'm going to order it.

08-28-2007, 09:48 PM	#9 (permalink)
flricordia Just Mike for short Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Pensacola FL Posts: 595 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Why can't I use a regular bulb again? From what I under stand it would be OK for corals and plants that lived near the surface-first few feet-of the reef, though the intensity would not be near enough for most corals (macro and micro algeas usually can adapt to different light spectrums), but when you have deeper water corals you need actinic light (this is what zooxanthellae-the algea found living within a corals tissues, have adapted to). As you go deeper into the water on a reef the sun's rays are filtered out leaving the lower end of the light spectrum to reach the corals there, blue in the 420nm range. That is why with 10k bulbs you need actinics and why you really don't need actinics with 14k-20k bulbs,such as is most popular MHs. Just what I understand from info gathered over the years of reef keeping. __________________ 75 gl corallimorpharian/zoanthid tank http://gallery.pethobbyist.com/data/8473121807-med.jpg

08-28-2007, 09:57 PM	#10 (permalink)
DrHank Golden Moray Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Crestview, FL Posts: 2,284 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Why can't I use a regular bulb again? Kathy, all kidding aside, I would strongly recommend that you listen to what Mike (flricordia) has to say. His tanks are killer and he makes it sound so easy. I do think he invests about half his pay on his tanks though (seriously). I've never seen a better collection of rics and zoas than in his tanks! __________________ Doc Dr Hank's 210 Build: http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...nks-tanks.html

08-28-2007, 10:22 PM	#11 (permalink)
tbittner Watch this Ma! Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northern VA Posts: 5,562 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Why can't I use a regular bulb again? Wow flricordia! I just checked out the picture of your tank. B E A U T I F U L ! ! ! __________________ Terry 150g predator tank full of killers. Soon to be upgraded to a 360g. 450g reef 300g sump.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)