is a 10,000 -14,000k T5 fluorscent bulb 39 watts any good for a fresh water tank

Bryanmc1988 · 10-04-2012, 06:07 PM

well i just bought some 10-14,000k T5 39 watt bulb... are the K's any good for a fresh water planted tank?

Steve001 · 10-04-2012, 08:19 PM

That depends upon the spectral distribution output.

**Hoppy** · 10-04-2012, 09:12 PM

If you like how the tank looks with the bulbs lighting it, the plants will probably do ok. I suspect the tank would look weird to me, but I won't be looking at it. You will!

Bryanmc1988 · 10-05-2012, 02:34 AM

here is a photo of how the lights look like in my tank...

the top main tank look like a artic blue from my camra but it looks more like a sky blue in person.... the bottom tanks is running on a 36" 6500k single bulb....

top tank is running:
4 - 39watts T5 VHO bulbs - 2 10,000k and 2 artic bulbs rated at 14,000k i believe... powered by a ice cap 660

bottom tank is only running:
1 - 30watts T12 6,500k

let me know what you think.... also do you think the main tank has enough light to grow any high lighted plants?

no co2 just liquid fert compressive or something like that... would it be good enough to grown dwarf baby tears with no co2?

Mike1239 · 10-05-2012, 02:42 AM

Plants can grow in any color rang it will just affect the way the plant grows intensity is what is important. But more importantly where did that stand come from.

Bryanmc1988 · 10-05-2012, 02:46 AM

the stand was a custom DIY build... took me 3 weeks to cut measure and resize everything to fit right... its build specifically for my 40g breeder tank...

stevenjohn21 · 10-05-2012, 02:47 AM

Maybe take 1 of the tubes out and place a 6700k daylight tube to "soften" the blue a little. Like Hoppy said, its you thats viewing it daily so if you like it then go for it :-)

That stand is excellent btw !

Bryanmc1988 · 10-05-2012, 02:50 AM

when building the stand i didnt plan for it to come out like a ninja house style but ended up keeping it the way it was lol was going to go plane but ninja was nicer, trying to grow a group of ninja shrimps >=) better watch out lol

Mike1239 · 10-05-2012, 03:14 AM

That stand is really cool great job

Diana · 10-05-2012, 07:31 PM

Plants use a wide range of light, but do have some pretty high peaks in the reds and another in the blues which correspond to the best wavelengths for the chlorophyll and other materials in the plants.

People see yellows and greens better.

The K number is what the light looks like to us, no matter what the actual spectrum is.

Try to find a PAR value for that bulb. Or at least a chart that shows what wavelengths it puts out. I bet it is high in the blues, and almost no reds. You are looking for peaks in the areas that the plants use best for thriving plants, and enough all over for things to look good to you.

What to red or orange things look like in that bulb? If there is almost no red wavelengths then they probably look almost black.

I would mix-and-match bulbs to try to get a better distribution of colors. The blue looks OK, but makes some colors (reds, oranges) in the tank look weird.

10-04-2012, 06:07 PM	#1
Bryanmc1988 Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (10/100%) Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: San Diego - CA Posts: 502	is a 10,000 -14,000k T5 fluorscent bulb 39 watts any good for a fresh water tank well i just bought some 10-14,000k T5 39 watt bulb... are the K's any good for a fresh water planted tank? Last edited by Bryanmc1988; 10-05-2012 at 02:47 AM.. Reason: changed

10-04-2012, 09:12 PM	#3
Hoppy Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (54/100%) Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 17,215	If you like how the tank looks with the bulbs lighting it, the plants will probably do ok. I suspect the tank would look weird to me, but I won't be looking at it. You will! __________________ Hoppy

10-05-2012, 02:47 AM	#7
stevenjohn21 Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (10/100%) Join Date: May 2012 Location: Atlanta Posts: 1,014	Maybe take 1 of the tubes out and place a 6700k daylight tube to "soften" the blue a little. Like Hoppy said, its you thats viewing it daily so if you like it then go for it :-) That stand is excellent btw ! __________________ “We didn’t underestimate them. They were just a lot better than we thought.” -Bobby Robson “Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans win.” -Gary Linekar "Some people are on the pitch! They think it's all over! It is now, it's four!" -Kenneth Wolstenholme

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10-04-2012, 08:19 PM	#2
Steve001 Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Baltimore Maryland Posts: 1,029	That depends upon the spectral distribution output.

10-05-2012, 02:34 AM	#4
Bryanmc1988 Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (10/100%) Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: San Diego - CA Posts: 502	here is a photo of how the lights look like in my tank... the top main tank look like a artic blue from my camra but it looks more like a sky blue in person.... the bottom tanks is running on a 36" 6500k single bulb.... top tank is running: 4 - 39watts T5 VHO bulbs - 2 10,000k and 2 artic bulbs rated at 14,000k i believe... powered by a ice cap 660 bottom tank is only running: 1 - 30watts T12 6,500k let me know what you think.... also do you think the main tank has enough light to grow any high lighted plants? no co2 just liquid fert compressive or something like that... would it be good enough to grown dwarf baby tears with no co2?

10-05-2012, 02:42 AM	#5
Mike1239 Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: May 2012 Location: Baltimore md Posts: 174	Plants can grow in any color rang it will just affect the way the plant grows intensity is what is important. But more importantly where did that stand come from.

10-05-2012, 02:46 AM	#6
Bryanmc1988 Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (10/100%) Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: San Diego - CA Posts: 502	the stand was a custom DIY build... took me 3 weeks to cut measure and resize everything to fit right... its build specifically for my 40g breeder tank...

10-05-2012, 02:50 AM	#8
Bryanmc1988 Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (10/100%) Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: San Diego - CA Posts: 502	when building the stand i didnt plan for it to come out like a ninja house style but ended up keeping it the way it was lol was going to go plane but ninja was nicer, trying to grow a group of ninja shrimps >=) better watch out lol

10-05-2012, 03:14 AM	#9
Mike1239 Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: May 2012 Location: Baltimore md Posts: 174	That stand is really cool great job

10-05-2012, 07:31 PM	#10
Diana Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Contra Costa CA Posts: 5,013	Plants use a wide range of light, but do have some pretty high peaks in the reds and another in the blues which correspond to the best wavelengths for the chlorophyll and other materials in the plants. People see yellows and greens better. The K number is what the light looks like to us, no matter what the actual spectrum is. Try to find a PAR value for that bulb. Or at least a chart that shows what wavelengths it puts out. I bet it is high in the blues, and almost no reds. You are looking for peaks in the areas that the plants use best for thriving plants, and enough all over for things to look good to you. What to red or orange things look like in that bulb? If there is almost no red wavelengths then they probably look almost black. I would mix-and-match bulbs to try to get a better distribution of colors. The blue looks OK, but makes some colors (reds, oranges) in the tank look weird.