Tubes in My tank

[Sunny.C]

I think like you should ill stick to these lights and get some more low level plants see how i go. Ill start to add fish in a week or so.

 

[George Farmer]

Does that increase your K output aswell? BTW the tank pic is a sample pic not my actually tank.

SunnyC - K is short for Kelvin. Kelvin is a unit of temperature. Zero K is called Absolute Zero where no matter can exist. This equates to -273 degrees Celcius.

Anyway, its relevance to lighting; colour temp. is also measured in K. A piece of Iron that is heated by a given temp. (in K) gives off a certain colour. The lower the temp. the redder the colour, the higher the temp. the bluer. Normal Tungsten Light Bulbs give off a low colour temp. i.e. 2000K to 3000K and appears very orange/yellow, whereas a marine T5 tube designed to simulate deep light in the ocean can be up to 20000K and is very blue. Daylight is said to be around 5000 - 7000K and is generally suitable for plant growth but that doesn't mean to say ranges outside this won't work.

K has nothing to do with actual light output/intensity, only colour. Light output is measured in Watts, Lux or Lumens. A reflector will increase intensity, not K.

See my "Quick Rant" thread for more info on colour temps.

 

[Sunny.C]

So you think my tubes will do the trick with low level plants??? Also is my tube 7100k a side or 7100k 1 side & 14000k other side?

 

[Sunny.C]

I just notice that i don't need reflectors as my tanks top is painted white