11W Pl Bulbs

[Assaye]

Looking to replace the bulbs in my 65 litre tanks but don't want to pay Aqua One £10+ per bulb. Can you recommend a decent supplier of 11W PLs? I know I can get them online and such but I wouldn't know what lighting spectrum and such to go for. They need to be able to support plant life and give the tank a nice look.

Also - does anyone know if I could use any other bulbs in an Aqua Start 500 (by Aqua One) using the standard fittings? I want to see if I can crank the wattage up in one of the tanks but don't want to faff around with mods.

 

[cybergibbons]

You are fairly safe if you go for any daylight (6000K +) bulb with a high CRI (80+). Plants aren't that picky about light, as long as it isn't pure green.

I've used lampspecs.co.uk before, and this bulb would probably do the job for you:
http/www.lampspecs.co.uk/Light-Bulbs-Tubes/860-865-Daylight_3/Biax-S-2-Pin-11-Watt-865-GE

 

[OldMan47]

As CyberGibbons has already said, a lamp in about the 5500K to 6000K temperature range is your best bet for a planted tank. Higher values tend to give you out of control algae problems while lower energy spectra are not as good for the plants themselves.