# 6500k for growing



## Gts-ter (Jan 11, 2011)

Will 6500k light be able to grow plants? Or do i need a 10 000k?


----------



## COFFEE PLANS (Mar 5, 2011)

6500k light well，10000K is not good enough for fresh water plants


----------



## Gts-ter (Jan 11, 2011)

"6500 light well" i dont understand.

What would you recommend


----------



## bae (May 11, 2007)

6500K (daylight) works well, but so does 5000K (sunlight) and 3500K (cool white). Go by the numbers, not the names, which aren't consistent. Personally I prefer sunlight, which is less blue and warmer looking, but this is a matter of personal preference. The plants don't care.

10000K is for reef tanks and as well as being expensive (not stocked at Cdn Tire or similar), isn't noted for growing freshwater plants and doesn't look as good for a freshwater tank IMHO.


----------



## Gts-ter (Jan 11, 2011)

Ya i noticed the 10000k is pretty much blinding

so i'll try and find sunlight temp at canadian tire...they sell them for my 24 inch fixture?


----------



## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

Sunlight is 5000K and if they don't have it at CTC, Home Depot has them. Home Depot had a deal on 24" T12s in Ultra Daylight (6500K) @ 2 pack for $4.


----------



## Gts-ter (Jan 11, 2011)

Wow thats cheap


----------



## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

10000K bulbs are fine, if you wish to use them.

They are bluer than I prefer, but there is nothing wrong with using them.

Go with whatever colour temperature looks the best to you; plants will not care too much if you use 3500K versus 6500K versus 10000K.


----------



## Marowana (Jul 28, 2009)

can some please tell me what colour temperature is the ColourMax bulb?


----------



## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Here's a break down of temperature of the real sun and flourescent lights. This one is kind of reliable.

http://www.thelightbulbshop.co.uk/ColourTemps.htm

When we say Day-light bulb, manufacturers should try to match close to 6500K as possible. Some will fudge that to suit their pocket savings.

From my experiments, plants do grow better under 6500K over 3000K.

*Never pay again for live sex! | Hot girls doing naughty stuff for free! | Chat for free!*


----------



## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

I have had much better success with 500oK and 6500K tubes than the 3000K. One thing that isn't often discussed is the light intensity. With the availability of inexpensive good quality lights, we seem to have forgotten that light intensity is an important factor. That is why the plant lights, which are optimized in the red and blue wave lengths don't work that well. Their light output is very low. you could not light a room with them as an example. 
I had occasion years ago after much study of the subject of lighting to get some 5000k T12 Phillips Ultralume tubes. These particular tubes had about 800 more lumens of light per tube than similar color tubes of the same wattage. The effect on the tank was startling. Plants that had survived for a year suddenly started growing like mad. So, while color temp may have had something to do with it, I believe the intensity was the major factor. This idea originally came from FAMA magazine, that light intensity was more important than photo period.


----------



## AquaticPulse (Jun 19, 2011)

sorry to highjack this thread but which matters more, the amount of wattage/lumin or having 5000K to 6000K?


----------



## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

It is actually both. Lights in the 5000K to 6500K range usually have a high lumen rating. Lumen rating isn't a true intensity rating in that it is more a measure of what a light appears to be in terms of brightness to the human eye. As long as the tube has light of the wavelengths (red and blue) that plants use, they will grow. The wattage in any given tube family (T5, T8, T12) will give you an idea how much light a tube puts out relative to other tubes in that family. Lumen ratings are either on the tube or on the package, and will vary slightly between manufacturers. Tubes of the same colour temp from different manufacturers may have slightly different actual light spectrums, in terms of the blue and red and what wavelengths they spike at, as well as how much. The other consideration is CRI,, and while this won't matter to the plants, it will matter to you. I have a planted tank that right now has 2 T12 Ultra Daylight (6500K) tubes from Philips over it. This tube has a a mediocre CRI in the low 80s. While the plants are growing, they are a funny looking green color. The same tube in T8 has a CRI in the 90s and gives a different appearance. The higher the CRI, the more naturally colours will be rendered.
There are lots of plants that will grow with less light than you might think. They just do so more slowly. The tank above was normally run with one unreflected T8 Natural Sunshine tube in 5000K and grew lots of plants quite well. By unreflected, I mean the bare tube was lying on the tank with no fixture above it so the only light going to the tank is what came from the bottom of the tube.


----------

