Equipment - 10,000k tube lights -- translation???

10,000k tube lights -- translation???

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Topic: 10,000k tube lights -- translation???

Posted By: Riverton_Ten
Subject: 10,000k tube lights -- translation???
Date Posted: March 10 2008 at 3:29pm

I am looking at getting a 15gal tank and an Eclipse hood that has built-in filtration and lights -- the lights it comes with are 18" tube lights, but I need better lights than the standard fluor. bulbs if I want to keep anything like mushrooms or xenia or kenya tree alive. I found a listing on ebay for 10,000k tube light bulbs, and they claim they're good for corals too -- are 10k lights good enough for coral, or do they have to be 50/50 (I don't even know what that means), and what do 10k's look like? Can anyone smarter than I am explain, once and for all, the difference between the diff. light temps and what they're for and what they look like? Thanks.

Replies:

Posted By: kdinkel
Date Posted: March 10 2008 at 4:16pm

Again, beginners advice, but I am running 10K and my corals seem to like it. From what I have read it is a good color. Actinics (I beleive 50/50 are 10K/Actinic) from what I can find reading are for astetics only.

Posted By: CrimsRayne
Date Posted: March 10 2008 at 4:23pm

K is the color of the lights. 10k (10,000k) is usually really white light, 14k is a little blue, and 20k very blue.

The thing to look for is the wattage per gallon. Example: I have a 13W PC on a 5gallon nano and it's plently of light for zoos, shrooms, and other softies. But it wouldn't be so good for a bigger tank. Hence why many get into higher wattages for bigger tanks. It takes a lot of light to get through the water.

BTW I've seen softies and even LPS kept under N.O. (normal output) lighting. I have some Palys under standard lights and they are ok so far.

Maybe Lorraine (Bluespotjawfish) will jump in and give her advice for what bulbs work well on a standard florescent fixture. There is an awesome N.O. tank at her house.

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"What we know from this hobby is too hard to share with the people who just want to look and not get wet." -Rioreefer

"The Puffer Girl"

Zoo freak :)

West Jordan

Posted By: Fishfinder07
Date Posted: March 13 2008 at 6:01am

The only thing you need to be careful of on the eclipse hood is that you dont overload it those hoods are only rated for so many watts im convinced that unless you buy the one that has the power compact lighting those tanks are best suited for freshwater IMO. In my old 38 with basically perfect water parameters even zooanthids wasted away quickly. Also the salt creep on those is unbearable due to the hood that overhangs the tank edge. But if people have kept N.O tanks succesfully who am i to argue i just personally would stick to a A.G.A and stay away from the eclipse tanks.

Posted By: Riverton_Ten
Date Posted: March 13 2008 at 3:22pm

I have a ten gallon with ONE 16 watt NO tube light (50/50) on it. I've got ricordia sending off runners and splitting in that light. I've got xenia doing the same. The rock below them puts the corals within a few inches of the light. I've had mushrooms reproduce in that light as well. Now, in my new nano, there's 48w of pc light and the xenia pulses lots faster, and the little leather starts have better polyp extension, but for the most part, normal output doesn't seem to slow things down too much.

I like the run-of-the-mill and the uglies. I'm not picky on corals. I'll post some pics in corals one of these days from the N.O. lit tank.

Mostly I was just checking to see if 10000k lights would keep corals alive and wouldn't be too yellow or ugly of a light...

Posted By: PDoug
Date Posted: March 17 2008 at 3:55am

10,000 look excellent when mixed with a blue actininc and grow well not as well as 6500K's IMHO but yes I grew corals under them

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(307)679-7898 Phillip Douglass 75 Gallon Reef Tank