# FINALLY! What is the best 55/65wt PC type bulb for plants?



## jdigiorgio (Jan 29, 2004)

Its time for me to buy some new 55/65wt straight pin PC bulbs. Right now I have 6 65wt 10000K and 6 55wt 6500K bulbs on my 150gal. The light are about 7 months old and my plants are not pearling anymore or growing as well.

What is the best MAKE, Color Temp PC bulbs in your opinion.

Tom Barr....What type would you use??


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## Gomer (Feb 2, 2004)

Easy. for 55w straight pin, GE9325K bulbs are the best! They have the most amazing plant growth associated with them. Reds really pop out. They do give a pink cast to the tank, so you might want to do a mix using them and a 6700K bulb.


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## jdigiorgio (Jan 29, 2004)

*BEST PCs*

Could you guys also state the best place to purchase these bulbs? Thanks!!!!!


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## tsunami (Jan 24, 2004)

Just so you know, 7 month old PC bulbs are hardly very old. I use power compact bulbs until they burn out (not one has burned out yet in all these years). Plants are still pearling.

I highly doubt your problem has anything to do with lighting.

Carlos


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## Steve Pituch (Jan 25, 2004)

Is it Tom Barr who has said anyone replacing their PC bulbs to mail them to him because they are still perfectly good? :wink: Same with regular fluorescents..... run them until they burn out.

You're running 4.8 Watts per gallon and running out of light? I believe its T.B. again who claims with the good AHS reflectors 2 WPG is plenty, sort of like 3.5 WPG old fashioned fluorescents without reflectors.

Steve Pituch


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## gpodio (Feb 4, 2004)

I'm with gomer and the GE 9325K on this one. Often also called AquaRays. This is one place to get them:

http://www.atlantalightbulbs.com/ecart/10browse.asp?search=F55BX/AR/FS

Otherwise contact All-glass for more sources. The hidden reef in NE Philly has the 32WT8 GE9325K in stock at the moment.

Giancarlo Podio


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## Raul-7 (Feb 4, 2004)

Personally, I hate the pinkish tint they give of. I would go with 6700k and 8800k..


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## gpodio (Feb 4, 2004)

They take a little getting used to if they are the only source of light on the tank, but if you balance them out with some colder tubes it's not that bad. As far as plant growth and color however I really do like them.

Giancarlo Podio


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

I'll take any of those old bulbs with 2 years or less time on them, this is a standing offer

I use a mix of 5000K and 8800K.
I like the 8800K color bulb itself.

I honestly like the 7200K temp from Triton bulbs. A mix of these and the 5000K are my personal favorite, they do make a 13w bulb in this same color temp mixture.

9325K, 10K, 8800K, 6700K are all good, the color might be a bit harsh for some, yet good for others. It's more a personal preference issue.

The plants themselves do fine at cool white temps(4100K) or at daylight temps(5000-6500K) and there is no significant growth differences.

Your preception might be different, but the plant's health is the same. 

I think a mix of some warm 5000K and something else, 6700, 8800K, 9325, 10,000K bulbs at 50/50 or 75/25 ratio works fine and looks good.

But none of this is going to make or break a tank. CO2 and NO3 etc are far more important. 

12 x 65w on a 150 gal? That's a lot of light. 1/2 that would be fine. I'd opnly use all 12 for 4 hours of the day for a high noon effect and then 1/2 that for 11 hours.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

BTW if the plants have stopped or slowed down the pearling, look to the CO2=then to NO3=> then to K+=>GH=>PO4=> Traces in this order.

Lights are often the last thing I will look at, plants have plenty espeically in this tank.

So look elsewhere for the plant growth issues.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## jdigiorgio (Jan 29, 2004)

So Tom are you saying 15 hours total for lighting? If you get a chance, could you chime in on my other post...plants not doing well. Thanks

Now I think that it is not the lights and is ferts!!


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## Raul-7 (Feb 4, 2004)

12 hours is more than enough. But you should have on/off cycle corresponding with your daylight hours. For example my lights come on at 7am turn off at 1pm, then come back on at 3pm and then turn off at 9pm.


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## Sir_BlackhOle (Jan 25, 2004)

Will that work? What about the fish? Doesnt that mess with them at all?


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## Gomer (Feb 2, 2004)

I have some plants that start to close up at 10 hours. some last through 12hours. I wouldn't want to do more than 12 when the plants are seeming to not want more light.


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## hubbahubbahehe (Mar 29, 2004)

Raul-7 said:


> 12 hours is more than enough. But you should have on/off cycle corresponding with your daylight hours. For example my lights come on at 7am turn off at 1pm, then come back on at 3pm and then turn off at 9pm.


Raul, why do you do this?


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## Justin Fournier (Jan 27, 2004)

It's called a Siesta period. Some people use it to break up the light cycle to extend the viewable hours of the tank without running them too long.

Other say it helps them get rid of algae.

Others say it does nothing for algae. My experiaments prove this to be true in my case, and seemed to upset the pH balance of my tank. Just my experiance though. As always, your milage may vary.


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## hubbahubbahehe (Mar 29, 2004)

Justin Fournier said:


> It's called a Siesta period. Some people use it to break up the light cycle to extend the viewable hours of the tank without running them too long.
> 
> Other say it helps them get rid of algae.
> 
> Others say it does nothing for algae. My experiaments prove this to be true in my case, and seemed to upset the pH balance of my tank. Just my experiance though. As always, your milage may vary.


I'm curious to know how it upsets your ph balance?


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## Steve Pituch (Jan 25, 2004)

It is supposed to simulate a tropical rainstorm at noon. It doesn't work. If the plants are shaded and stop photosynthesizing, CO2 and carbonate amounts in the water changes, and that will change the pH. If you really wanted to do this you would have to dim the lights slightly (not turn them off), but it still doesn't do anything useful.

Steve Pituch


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## hubbahubbahehe (Mar 29, 2004)

Well, ok, this is my understanding, correct me if I'm wrong, algae doesn't need a lot of light to prosper. So using siesta to battle algae is not the way to go, right?


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## Justin Fournier (Jan 27, 2004)

Thank you Steve.

Hubba, 

There is no 100% always correct answer to your question as everyones circumstances are different, but in most cases a Siesta period will not cure algae problems.


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## hubbahubbahehe (Mar 29, 2004)

Justin, you are absolutely right.

I just looked up my "Encyclopedia of Aquarium Plants" by Peter Hiscock and it, too, talks about having a siesta period. Raul, is this where you got it from?


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