# 10,000k/6,500k dual spectrum lights



## akamakaveli (May 4, 2005)

i am interested in getting the cf satellite 1x40 watt fixture but it is made as a reef light and only comes with a 50/50 i believe. this would be the perfect fixture for me if it were made for freshwater plant keeping so i emailed an online retailer of this light and they told me that they could replace the reef bulb with a dual spectrum 10,000k/6,500k bulb. i know the ideal range would be 6500-6700k, but how would this kind of bulb work? sorry if this topic has been brought up before but i am almost done with the hardware on my 10 gal. planted tank.
thanks for the help


----------



## boozehound420 (Apr 18, 2005)

well using some indoor "tomato" growing techniques, metal halide is good for the veg period, and hps is good for blooming peried

now experts say having both throughout the entire grow is ideal because it gives the plants a whide range of the spectrum wich is more like the sun then anything else

so go with the duel spectrum light, it'll be great


----------



## zombie (Apr 14, 2004)

tomato plants my arse :rasp:


----------



## boozehound420 (Apr 18, 2005)

zombie said:


> tomato plants my arse :rasp:
> [snapback]1070057[/snapback]​


SHHHHHH :laugh:


----------



## harrykaa (Jan 10, 2005)

akamakaveli said:


> i am interested in getting the cf satellite 1x40 watt fixture but it is made as a reef light and only comes with a 50/50 i believe. this would be the perfect fixture for me if it were made for freshwater plant keeping so i emailed an online retailer of this light and they told me that they could replace the reef bulb with a dual spectrum 10,000k/6,500k bulb. i know the ideal range would be 6500-6700k, but how would this kind of bulb work? sorry if this topic has been brought up before but i am almost done with the hardware on my 10 gal. planted tank.


HI akamakaveli,

In Finland, where I live, lfs (Pet Stores) sell commonly dual fluorescent bulb fixtures. They include in it one 10.000 K (floralux or corresponding) bulb for "good plant growth" and an other one 6.000-6.500 K for "color balancing".

I have tested this kind of systems many times. All I can say that 10.000 K lamps do not boost any special water plant growth. Instead some algae like very much of it. And of course that kind of bulb distorts colors (they usually have high blue and red peaks). So stay away from them.

It is better to use two wide spectrum bulbs: something like natural day light or warm white. Their color temperature is usually 6.000 - 6.500 K.

BTW the 10.000 K fluorescent bulb emits much less light than a broad spectrum bulb although its energy consumption is the same (for example 40 W). This is because the color temperature is accomplished by suppressing green light not by increasing red/blue light. Usually a 40 W 10.000 K fluorescent bulb emits 2.000 lumen but a broad spectrum 40 W bulb something like 2.800 - 3.350 lumen.

This lumen figure shows the real efficiency of a bulb for plant growth. The consumption figure (40 W) shows only how much you will pay for the electricity.

Regards,


----------



## akamakaveli (May 4, 2005)

Thanks for the help.

The reason that I was interested in this light is that the Satellite pc (sold as reef fixtures) can be replaced with the 10k/6,5k bulb for the same price. I was comparing this to the coralife cf 1x28w fixture which only comes with a reef light, so another bulb would have to be bought and would come out to the same price as the satellite fixture.

Another one that I've found is a 36w pc that can come with a 6500k bulb made by a company called Catalina. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...3980162648&rd=1


----------

