Ok, I actually found this information when I whilst I was looking for something slightly different.
I was going to post this just in the 'planted' section of the forums, but people seem to ask about it here in the general discussion so much I thought it would be useful to post it here (if it's wrong to put it here please move it).
Firstly the website itself that I must accredit for this information is here:
ACF Greenhouses - Indoor Plant Growth Guide
As you might guess, it is not directly Aquaria related, but I think the information is still relevant and easily 'translated' to the Aquaria world.
In case the website disappears, moves, or you can't be bothered to read it though here are the key pieces I found interesting. I hope it helps some people, it certainly helped me
How do Incandescent bulbs, T12, and T5 tubes compare in terms of light output?
Fluorescent Plant Grow Lights
Until recently, fluorescent grow lights have had a low output and have been too big and bulky to be of much use as a grow light for anything more than starting seedlings. CFL and T5 full spectrum fluorescent lights have changed that. At 75 to 90 lumens per watt, these lights are energy efficient and extremely effective especially when used in numbers. Fluorescent grow lights also have better color rendering properties (more of the light emitted is used by the plant) and produce much less heat than incandescent and HID grow lights. This allows them to be placed closer to plants (within a few inches) greatly decreasing lumen loss from the bulb to the plant. It is recommended that these lights be placed no more than a couple feet from the plants for best results. 2700k to 3000k bulbs provide higher output in the red spectrum which promotes flowering. 5000k to 6500k bulbs are full spectrum with much of the light in the blue spectrum which promote overall green plant growth.
The standard T12 bulbs full spectrum tubes are great for starts and seedlings. They are also popular for growing low-light plants like herbs and African violets. These lights are low intensity and need to be placed within 6" (up to 12" for shade loving plants) of the plants to be effective. They are a poor light source for flowering and budding primarily because of their low lumen output.
Incandescent Plant Grow Lights
These lights are the most inexpensive to purchase but are also the most inefficient and a poor source of light for plants. At best they can provide supplemental light to individual house plants. Incandescent lights have a low lumen output per watt compared to HID and fluorescent grow lights. New smaller CFL grow lights produce as much light as a 150 watt incandescent bulb, and more of the light is used by the plant. This type of bulb will pay for itself in energy savings the first 60 days of use.
LED Plant Grow Lights
LED grow lights are the newest lighting option for plants. They are advertised to be the most efficient and coolest running grow lights available. We have tested several different types of LED grow lights and have found none that outperform much cheaper fluorescent grow lights of similar wattage. LED plant grow lights are also not recommended for use with plants that you want to be viewed, because they give plants an unnatural appearance when the light is on.
How the Light Effects Plant Growth
Edited to avoid direct linking
I was going to post this just in the 'planted' section of the forums, but people seem to ask about it here in the general discussion so much I thought it would be useful to post it here (if it's wrong to put it here please move it).
Firstly the website itself that I must accredit for this information is here:
ACF Greenhouses - Indoor Plant Growth Guide
As you might guess, it is not directly Aquaria related, but I think the information is still relevant and easily 'translated' to the Aquaria world.
In case the website disappears, moves, or you can't be bothered to read it though here are the key pieces I found interesting. I hope it helps some people, it certainly helped me
How do Incandescent bulbs, T12, and T5 tubes compare in terms of light output?
Fluorescent Plant Grow Lights
Until recently, fluorescent grow lights have had a low output and have been too big and bulky to be of much use as a grow light for anything more than starting seedlings. CFL and T5 full spectrum fluorescent lights have changed that. At 75 to 90 lumens per watt, these lights are energy efficient and extremely effective especially when used in numbers. Fluorescent grow lights also have better color rendering properties (more of the light emitted is used by the plant) and produce much less heat than incandescent and HID grow lights. This allows them to be placed closer to plants (within a few inches) greatly decreasing lumen loss from the bulb to the plant. It is recommended that these lights be placed no more than a couple feet from the plants for best results. 2700k to 3000k bulbs provide higher output in the red spectrum which promotes flowering. 5000k to 6500k bulbs are full spectrum with much of the light in the blue spectrum which promote overall green plant growth.
The standard T12 bulbs full spectrum tubes are great for starts and seedlings. They are also popular for growing low-light plants like herbs and African violets. These lights are low intensity and need to be placed within 6" (up to 12" for shade loving plants) of the plants to be effective. They are a poor light source for flowering and budding primarily because of their low lumen output.
Incandescent Plant Grow Lights
These lights are the most inexpensive to purchase but are also the most inefficient and a poor source of light for plants. At best they can provide supplemental light to individual house plants. Incandescent lights have a low lumen output per watt compared to HID and fluorescent grow lights. New smaller CFL grow lights produce as much light as a 150 watt incandescent bulb, and more of the light is used by the plant. This type of bulb will pay for itself in energy savings the first 60 days of use.
LED Plant Grow Lights
LED grow lights are the newest lighting option for plants. They are advertised to be the most efficient and coolest running grow lights available. We have tested several different types of LED grow lights and have found none that outperform much cheaper fluorescent grow lights of similar wattage. LED plant grow lights are also not recommended for use with plants that you want to be viewed, because they give plants an unnatural appearance when the light is on.
How the Light Effects Plant Growth
- 200 - 280 nm
UVC ultraviolet range which is extremely harmful to plants because it is highly toxic. - 280 - 315 nm
Includes harmful UVB ultraviolet light which causes plants colors to fade. - 315 - 380 nm
Range of UVA ultraviolet light which is neither harmful nor beneficial to plant growth. - 380 - 400 nm
Start of visible light spectrum. Process of chlorophyll absorption begins. UV protected plastics ideally block out any light below this range. - 400 - 520 nm
This range includes violet, blue, and green bands. Peak absorption by chlorophyll occurs, and a strong influence on photosynthesis. (promotes vegetative growth) - 520 - 610 nm
This range includes the green, yellow, and orange bands and has less absorption by pigments. - 610 - 720 nm
This is the red band. Large amount of absorption by chlorophyll occurs, and most significant influence on photosynthesis. (promotes flowering and budding) - 720 - 1000 nm
There is little absorption by chlorophyll here. Flowering and germination is influenced. At the high end of the band is infrared, which is heat. - 1000+ nm
Totally infrared range. All energy absorbed at this point is converted to heat.
Edited to avoid direct linking
/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...0&hl=kelvin
