seraen Posted November 19, 2015 Report Share Posted November 19, 2015 Hello, I'm very new to the hobby and have just set up my 2.5g planted minibow. I figured I'd start small as that's what I can reasonably keep in the house at the moment. I don't really understand how to purchase lights. I hear the 2-4 watts/gal rule for healthy plants, but when I look for a small light that I can clip onto the tank or put inside, the ones that look like they'll fit, only give like 2 watts of power but will be in the light spectrum that is needed..Am I missing something here? For example. something like http://www.amazon.ca/Aquarium-Water-Lighting-Switch-Flexible/dp/B00UYMRO4E/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1447968437&sr=8-13&keywords=aquarium+plant+light+led would be great, but the output (according to the description) is 1.5w. Am I reading this wrong? Does anyone have any suggestions for something that might work? Right now I've got a desk lamp with a grow bulb in there that's pointed at the tank, but it blocks the actual tank and isn't very nice to look at. This is my tank so far. I had to move the light out of the way to get the shot and am just waiting on all the sediment to settle. http://imgur.com/ld95rL1 Thanks for looking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceturf Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 (edited) Hi, there are a number of knowledgeable people on the forum who can probably answer your question better than I can - so excuse any lapses in my explanation, 1. Chlorophyll located inside plant leaves, absorbs light energy more optimally for certain wavelengths. Colour temperature gives a 'rough' description of how the light energy emitted by the artificial source is distributed between different wavelengths. For example, I'm sure you have heard that plants absorb blue light. A typical light bulb, often orange in colour, is say ~2500k (k for kelvin). 2500 k refers to a light metric associated with sunlight, so you can ignore the specific meaning. For your purposes lower K = more red shift, higher K means more blue shift. Grow lights are generally more blue shift, ~6500k, than red shift. Being blue shift isn't in and of itself good. That is where colour rendering index comes in. You can make full spectrum light with different combinations of red, green and blue. CRI says of those wavelengths used, how do they match "real" sunlight. The theory is, the better the CRI or colour rendering index match, the better the light emulates natural sunlight, hence the better the light. In reality, plant chlorophyll doesn't perfectly match the wavelengths in natural light, so you could make a light source that is 'perfectly' suited for plants, but that is usually of diminishing value. What I've observed is 6500k good, CRI meh. Hopefully that gives you a little basis that someone else can build on to help you. Edited November 20, 2015 by Iceturf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seraen Posted November 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 Hi! Thanks for that info, it was very helpful. So now when picking a light I want it to be in that spectrum and then have to find a light that's what... Like 15watts ish? Everything I've looked at is so expensive (seems like more power output is more $$) :/ not sure I can afford to just drop that kind of cash. Or do I just need to focus on the spectrum? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 Go to Wal Mart and get a cheap desk lamp, and buy a curly fluorescent "Daylight" bulb in the wattage you're looking for. Done & done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmullin Posted November 21, 2015 Report Share Posted November 21, 2015 (edited) Seraen, greatly over thinking however the other side of the coin I commend in learning, keep it up! kudos. my 2c: - listen to the previous advice about wal-mart and grab a cfl lamp - source out a Sunblaster CFL ( http://sunblasterlighting.com/13-26-55-watt.php) These bulbs are meant for growing plants that have the right spectrum which you're talking about. They are in the 6000k range which the spectrum range we want. I use the T5HO technology mostly and all of my bulbs are sunblaster's and have no complaints...T5HO or CFL they produce a quality plant bulb. Any garden center or hydroponic shop should have this brand. added: Stay away from led's at the price point your thinking...they are just crap. For a planted tank, it's important to keep 'balance'. I'm a strong advocate of using a nutrient substrate and some sort of ferts even in the most basic level of a micro. Was that Flourite substrate? If not Flourite or a nutrient substrate you might have issues with what appears to be HC plant species at first look. On a brand new tank without some sort of nutrient within the system; nutrient substrate/root tabs/water dosing plants in general can have a very hard go. HC loves light...so again on a dim tank this might not go well or grow very 'leggy'. Do you have a HOB filter? If so, fold over some not ink printed paper towel over the filter insert and replace. The very fine suspended particulate in the water will be quickly trapped. Do that a couple times and all of that will not just settle to the bottom but be removed from the system. Edited November 21, 2015 by ckmullin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eugene Posted November 25, 2015 Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 Yup use CFL 6400k the best easiest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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