Incandecent lighing

[Max]

i have 60W over my tank of Incandecent lighing, i can bump that up to 120 if needed, or i can just go buy a floresent light, what do you think?

 

[Colin_BC]

I like the tube fluoro's and the compact fluoro's, personally. I find incandescents are quite inneficient for usable light relative to the wattage.

You don't mention the which tank you are using it for and what type of plants. Perhaps that info can help you with some more answers.

Colin

 

[Silly me]

If you want to use incandecent lighing for plant growth you'll need 8 watts per gallon for low light plants..
But you might find that 12 - 15 watts might be needed, as for any other plants, incandecent lighing wount do..

so two 60 watt lights over a 10g tank might grow lovely low lights plants.
I have seen tanks with incandecent lighing growing plant but has never been able to do so myself.

 

[Max]

ok... so ill make that 60W into a floresent (not make ill buy whatever... lol)

 

[Colin_BC]

Hold up before buying yourself a new lighting fixture. Is you current fixture one that will take your everyday household lightbulbs? If so, you can just but compact fluorescent light bulbs. They're fluoro's, but small and they screw into any standard household light outlet. The regular old 23W bulb would do for under $10, or 23W daylight spectrum for $15. I've also seen a single 42W CPF for $18 CAD. I just finsihed my new light hood using all CPF's here. I did this after spending over $200 ($Including $60 for the good bulbs) for 2 fixtures to fit over my 30G that would hold 3x 24" 20watt bulbs. Had the costs of all options dawned on me sooner, I could have saved more than enough cash to get a new 30G and stand like my current setup. D-oh!!!

Colin

 

[Colin_BC]

Oops...I may have misread your post. When you said "I'll make that 60W into a fluorescent" did you mean by actually buying a new tube fluoro fixture, or just switching bulbs to the compacts?

Colin

 

[Max]

Oops...I may have misread your post. When you said "I'll make that 60W into a fluorescent" did you mean by actually buying a new tube fluoro fixture, or just switching bulbs to the compacts?

Colin

i was just gunna switch the bulbs

 

[Colin_BC]

Cool. That's definately the cheapest way to go. I'm happy with how my tank looks under all the compact lighting. Now to see how the plants take to it.... Let us know what type and wattage of bulb you settle for.

Colin

 

[Max]

Cool. That's definately the cheapest way to go. I'm happy with how my tank looks under all the compact lighting. Now to see how the plants take to it.... Let us know what type and wattage of bulb you settle for.

Colin

k...

im not gunna get it till my plants come (tommarow or wed.)

 

[Max]

k...

im not gunna get it till my plants come (tommarow or wed.)

not till thursday (the guy e-mailed me and couldnt send them cause he had a tooth pulled (yeah right)

i have 120 watts incandecent lighing so thats... 120/20 so... 6 watts per gal.

is this med. lighing? its not floresent becasue my LFS didnt have bults that just screw in they only had strip lights

-sorry for spelling im sorta busy....

 

[Colin_BC]

I don't suppose you know the lumen output of your bulbs? If not, if you can give me the brand and model and any other info for your lightbulbs I can see what I can dig up. As you see on the chart here, the lumen output from incdst is much more inneficient than CPF's. Let me know what you have and I'll let you know whatever I can...

Colin

 

[Silly me]

incandecent lighing of 6 watts per gallon is very low.. for low light plant your looking 12 watts or more, you wount be able to get medium light with incandecent lighing due to the wrong spectrum is produce

 

[Max]

i have 1200 lumens (600 on each bulb) and 120 W

made by durmax (or somthing)

i have a fealing this isnt gunna work so im gunna try and make a strip light thing....

If you want to use incandecent lighing for plant growth you'll need 8 watts per gallon for low light plants

for low light plant your looking 12 watts

alright... so is it 12 or is it 8?

 

[Max]

ok i found somthing, think two of theise will work?

if you cant get to it its 27 W and 1750 lunems (so that is 54W and 3500 lunems)

so its about 2.7Wpg whitch is med.-high lighting, right?

 

[Lateral Line]

In the 1960's I grew plants with incandescent lights, it can be done. They have problems though, they are inefficient, they use a lot of power to deliver some light and a lot of heat. In the summer, they can drive the tank temperature up way to high. They also have a low temperature spectrum.

I can't see the link you posted, but if it is for "normal" household compact fluorescents, they also tend to have a low spectrum, typically 2700K. There are a lot of better spectrum lamps around however. As long as you are aware of the problem, you can buy to suit. Ideally you want 5500K - 6500K lamps, if you go for classic fluroescents, the same is true, don't be fooled by the fancy terms and promises of the manufacturers.