Kelvin measurement of compact florescent lights
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You can get pretty much any Kelvin rating in any PC that you can get in a standard T-5, T-8, & T-12 bulb.
If you want a "plant" bulb, you really want something in the red wave lengths. Those wave lengths would be anything in the 5000K - 6500K range. Your "white" lights tend to be in the 10000K-18000K range and do little to facilitate plant growth.
The plant bulbs color will tend to look yellowish compared to the higher Kelvin ratings. If you want to use a plant bulb, yet have a color enhancing properties, add a actinic bulb. Adding the blue, in addition to the plant bulbs will actually give you a color closer to the "white" light, yet still produce the plant friendly wave lengths.
If you want a "plant" bulb, you really want something in the red wave lengths. Those wave lengths would be anything in the 5000K - 6500K range. Your "white" lights tend to be in the 10000K-18000K range and do little to facilitate plant growth.
The plant bulbs color will tend to look yellowish compared to the higher Kelvin ratings. If you want to use a plant bulb, yet have a color enhancing properties, add a actinic bulb. Adding the blue, in addition to the plant bulbs will actually give you a color closer to the "white" light, yet still produce the plant friendly wave lengths.
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2700 kelvin is roughly warm white, and simply is a yellowish colour...
IMO 2500-7500 range from pinkish to yellowish then coolwhite the higher the kelvin rating, and grow plants well,
10000-20000 coolwhite to blue and are mainly used in reef aquariums for corals...
actinic is simply blue and doesnt grow anything but does look good in conjunction with a cool whit in FW aquariums to give the fish a full spectum look (makes thier color pop :thumb: )
if your after a planted tank i would go with T5's over the T8's , they put out more lumens (light) than t8's and use a bit less power...
what size is your tank?
if its something standard you could use a twin bulb unit with a warm white + a cool white...
this will grow the plants and add white light so it looks good to view aswell...
:fish: :fish: :fish:
hope this helps :thumb:
IMO 2500-7500 range from pinkish to yellowish then coolwhite the higher the kelvin rating, and grow plants well,
10000-20000 coolwhite to blue and are mainly used in reef aquariums for corals...
actinic is simply blue and doesnt grow anything but does look good in conjunction with a cool whit in FW aquariums to give the fish a full spectum look (makes thier color pop :thumb: )
if your after a planted tank i would go with T5's over the T8's , they put out more lumens (light) than t8's and use a bit less power...
what size is your tank?
if its something standard you could use a twin bulb unit with a warm white + a cool white...
this will grow the plants and add white light so it looks good to view aswell...
:fish: :fish: :fish:
hope this helps :thumb:
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