Power Compact bulbs...

danpbmx · 12-15-2002, 07:10 AM

right now i have two 36 inch 30 watt bulbs, on my 38 gallon, that is just 1.6 watts per gallon...my plants are doing ok i would have to say but i was wondering if i could do this...i saw the power compact bulbs and hood from All-Glass (it comes with two power compact bulbs plus reflectors) it is a total of 110 watts, that is perfect, 2.9 watts per gallon,do you think this would be fine? i could always just get one of those 3 bulbed hoods if flourecents are better than power compacts...

by the way i would also get the smart lamp with it,which features a combination of true 10,000K Premium Daylight and Ultra-Actinic color temperatures good for photo syn. earth defining color and such...

m.lemay · 12-16-2002, 01:35 AM

Get the All-glass fixture. PCs are better than standard flourescents. They give off more light per watt than standard flourescents. One of my fixtures is an All-Glass 2x55 with the 9325k bulbs and the other fixture is a strip light converted with an AHSupply 2x55 kit and 5700k bulbs. Do not get actinic bulbs for a planted tank, they're the wrong spectrum for plants. You'll be very happy with the All-glass fixture. You can get it atBigAlsOnline for $99. Or check out the retro-fit kits atAHsupply.

danpbmx · 12-16-2002, 03:35 AM

so should i just keep the bulbs that come with the power compact??

SNPiccolo5 · 12-16-2002, 12:48 PM

Most likely they aren't right, but you can see how your plants do. If you want to swtich, go to AHSupply and get their 5300 K 93 CRI bulbs.

-Tim

m.lemay · 12-17-2002, 02:30 AM

Get the All-Glass fixture with the 9325K bulbs. The Plants will grow well with those bulbs. I'm using them on my tank and the plants are doing great. The light is a little on the violet side because they have a peak in the red and a peak in the blue spectrum, but not enough to detract from the tank. They actually highlight the plants quite nicely. They are far brighter than the 5700k bulbs I got from AHsupply. You may find ,once you set up the light, that you might want to mix it with a whiter light. Thats what I did and the mix of the 2 bulbs compliment each other.

danpbmx · 12-17-2002, 04:24 AM

thanx m.lemay, i was always worrying about watts per gallon and i was looking through my pet stores All-Glass book and i was like whoa im getting this, haha

12-16-2002, 12:48 PM	#4 (permalink)
SNPiccolo5 Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 859	Most likely they aren't right, but you can see how your plants do. If you want to swtich, go to AHSupply and get their 5300 K 93 CRI bulbs. -Tim __________________ Tank in transition! 55 gallons, hard water.

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12-15-2002, 07:10 AM	#1 (permalink)
danpbmx Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Illinois Posts: 88	right now i have two 36 inch 30 watt bulbs, on my 38 gallon, that is just 1.6 watts per gallon...my plants are doing ok i would have to say but i was wondering if i could do this...i saw the power compact bulbs and hood from All-Glass (it comes with two power compact bulbs plus reflectors) it is a total of 110 watts, that is perfect, 2.9 watts per gallon,do you think this would be fine? i could always just get one of those 3 bulbed hoods if flourecents are better than power compacts... by the way i would also get the smart lamp with it,which features a combination of true 10,000K Premium Daylight and Ultra-Actinic color temperatures good for photo syn. earth defining color and such...

12-16-2002, 01:35 AM	#2 (permalink)
m.lemay Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (9/100%) Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Naugatuck, CT. Posts: 2,647	Get the All-glass fixture. PCs are better than standard flourescents. They give off more light per watt than standard flourescents. One of my fixtures is an All-Glass 2x55 with the 9325k bulbs and the other fixture is a strip light converted with an AHSupply 2x55 kit and 5700k bulbs. Do not get actinic bulbs for a planted tank, they're the wrong spectrum for plants. You'll be very happy with the All-glass fixture. You can get it atBigAlsOnline for $99. Or check out the retro-fit kits atAHsupply.

12-16-2002, 03:35 AM	#3 (permalink)
danpbmx Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Illinois Posts: 88	so should i just keep the bulbs that come with the power compact??

12-17-2002, 02:30 AM	#5 (permalink)
m.lemay Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (9/100%) Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Naugatuck, CT. Posts: 2,647	Get the All-Glass fixture with the 9325K bulbs. The Plants will grow well with those bulbs. I'm using them on my tank and the plants are doing great. The light is a little on the violet side because they have a peak in the red and a peak in the blue spectrum, but not enough to detract from the tank. They actually highlight the plants quite nicely. They are far brighter than the 5700k bulbs I got from AHsupply. You may find ,once you set up the light, that you might want to mix it with a whiter light. Thats what I did and the mix of the 2 bulbs compliment each other.

12-17-2002, 04:24 AM	#6 (permalink)
danpbmx Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Illinois Posts: 88	thanx m.lemay, i was always worrying about watts per gallon and i was looking through my pet stores All-Glass book and i was like whoa im getting this, haha

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