Has anyone heard of a north light

[Wishful]

Years ago, when I first kept fish in around the early 1980s, I started because someone gave me a tank they didn't want. One of the bulbs in it he called a 'North Light'. It had the effect of reflecting the ripples on the surface of the water onto the substrate causing a lovely play of light and shadow.

The sun was shines on our current tank for about half an hour each day (when it manages to be sunny) and much the same effect happens, the fish seem to love playing in the shadow and light.

Does anyone recognise this name/type of light, or can anyone tell me what the equivalent light bulb would be now? I've asked at my LFS and they just look at me blankly - perhaps they're too young to remember the name

 

[The-Wolf]

I remember them, they are mainly used in the printing industry nowadays
you can buy them here

 

[Wishful]

Thanks Wolf - it's good to know I'm not quite as mad as the people in the LFS thought.

Do you know why they aren't used more in fishkeeping now, or perhaps they never were? I see that on that site it says used for good rendition of colour, but do you know anything else about whether they are a bad idea for plants etc?

Thanks as always

Wishful

 

[The-Wolf]

no my memory is not that good (we're taking 20+ years here)
I just noticed on that site their min order is 6 tubes
I was going to suggest getting one and trying but 6 is too much

I see they do blacklights as well and I'm considering that as an option, but thats another post.

 

[Lateral Line]

I suspect one of the reasons things like NorthLights disappeared from the LFS was because the companies that supply lamps to the aquatic industry discovered people would pay more for a lamp which had a funky sounding name without having any different properties.

Why buy a Northlight when you can buy a Mega Lux Sooper Plant Power Grow Optimax Extra Plus Professional for only twice the price?

The Northlight, if you can get them, is notional 6500K an ideal CT for a planted tank, and a reasonably good choice for most situations. Different maufacturers produce different qualities of lamp - be aware that cheap lamps fade and discolour much quicker then lamps with high quality end electrodes.

 

[Wishful]

Perhaps if I sweet talk them they'll do me just one Wolf

I'll have a look at the blacklight thread. Am I right in thinking though that it was the north light that produces that real-life light and shadow thing? I'm almost sure, but not quite. My memory lacks a bit too!

Good point Lateral Line - but the thing is, in the absence of being able to obtain a north light (if it's the right thing) is there a Mega Lux Sooper Plant Power Grow Optimax Extra Plus Professional that produces the same effect? Someone told me that the Sun-Glo 'might' do, but might ain't good enough to go and spend that kind of money. And when you refer to cheaper types - do the 'Glo's fall into that category?

Off to read about black lights!

 

[Lateral Line]

>>> is there a

Yes! The Mega Lux Sooper Plant Power Grow Optimax Extra Plus Professional -Special Edition T5750 TriPhosphor Organic Celebration Edition XLS Exclusive.

You find a good quality bog standard lamp with a spectral colour between 5500K and 6500K, it'll do.

I'm afraid a lot of the expensive promise you everything lamps are no better then the regular DIY shop lamps.

 

[Wishful]

>>>>Yes! The Mega Lux Sooper Plant Power Grow Optimax Extra Plus Professional -Special Edition T5750 TriPhosphor Organic Celebration Edition XLS Exclusive.

LOL - that's excellent - where can I get one?

I shall have a look around and see what I can find. Thank you Lateral Line and Wolf for your help on this!