Different types of T8 flourescent bulbs

[Aeropars]

Hello All,

I'm about to order some new bulbs from Lampspecs. My previous bulbs have lasted for years and I went primarily for 6500k daylight bulbs. I ran 4 x 30 watt T8s.

What would people recommend I go for? does it matter on the colour temperature? I'm sure I read ages ago about plants not caring about the colour temperature but I just want to be sure before I order.

All help appreciated.

 

[ceg4048]

No, they do not care mate, but you might. Check out the JamesC sticky at the top of the page.

Cheers,

 

[Aeropars]

I thought so, just wanted to be sure before I ordered.

I cant understand what the benefit would be of a specialist bulb which costs £9 to the standard T8 bulbs which cost £3. If the plants don't care then I'm baffled by the price difference!

 

[ceg4048]

Well, some feel that the more expensive bulbs look nicer and have a more pleasant color rendering of plants and fish, so it's worth it to them. kind of like the difference in beauty between costume jewelry and real diamonds. Ours is a visual art form, so light and color are the most important aesthetic element involved in our emotional response to the tank. This therefore is a legitimate reason for spending 3-10X as much for a bulb if one can actually see the difference. But bulbs are not marketed that way because it's very difficult to market an opinion or a subjective quality. Instead, they are marketed in terms of plant health, which is a more objective parameter, but which unfortunately, is complete hogwash.

Cheers,