# Red light for growth



## NE (Dec 10, 2004)

Today i found this article in a magazine lying around here at work:

http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/print/1293

Do they use red because the red LED's are the cheapest? or is red superior to blue? The spectrum curve for the general photosynthesis seem to be about equal for blue and red light.

I have had some growth problems with my tank and I have a 13000K MH, could this be to blue to promote good growth?


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

It is true, what you say, that chlorophyll abosrbs about equally well in the red and blue regions. They undoubtedly use red because red LED's are the cheapest and the most efficient at converting electricity to light. They could grow lettuce with blue light, if they wanted to. Even LED's don't last for ever. I wonder how much work it is going to be to chnge all those LED's when they wear out. It will be a lot more than changing a few fluroescent bulbs!

Most likely, your growth problems are not related to the light spectrum. What are your growth problems?


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## NE (Dec 10, 2004)

Thanx for your answer HeyPK.

I have also heard that red and blue light would make the plants grow in different ways, width or hight, does anyone have any facts about this?


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