Angelwhispers

I want to upgrade my lighting in my 29GAL tank. Now I got rid of my Algae problem, I have quite a few plants in there. A couple of them have died, so I took them out already.

While out looking at Fish today, I happened to notice a light bulb called a "plant Bulb." I don't know anything about plant bulbs, whether they're any good, whether they'll be beneficial or not for my fish, or whether they'll encourage a growth of Algae (I hope not!)

Does anyone use these and are they any good? If they're good, I'll buy one, if not, I'll have to look into other options in order to keep my plants looking well and keeping healthy.

GreenMan13

Don't remember what the plant bulbs are for sure but I think they are a low color temp bulb. What would be best is a bulb with a color temp of about 5500K - 6500K. The box the light comes in should have this or the if not the manufacture's website should have it.

What kind of hood do you have on your tank now? Like what kind of bulb socket and wattage limits are there? That should have a label too.

Angelwhispers

I better check my hood then. Not sure if there's a label on there, but there should be somewhere. If not, then I may ask at a few LFS, see if they have any ideas for me.

I never used to worry about this kind of thing when I was in the hobby before, but it's been a few years, and things have changed a LOT since then.

Ghostfish

I have had a plant bulb in one of my hoods for a few years now. Its seems to do pretty good. I have a 3 bulb hood, so I have a couple different types in there. I think they give you a little extra hand on those plants that require high light levels. On the flip side, I had more spot algae problems with those bulbs too.

Brackish_zygote

That bulb should be fine. The kelvin temperature doesn't matter as much as the color breakdown does. As long as the bulb produces mostly red and blue light waves you should be fine, and plant bulbs are designed to do exactly that.

As for what Ghostfish said about the algae, he is right. Aquarium bulbs are designed to produce all the light your plants could ever want while eliminating the light waves that algae needs to grow. However, after about a year any bulb will start to grow algae, even the aquarium bulbs.

Buy one of the plant bulbs and try it out. For $15, you aren't loosing much if something goes wrong, and the plant bulbs are better than regular flourecent bulbs which I am guessing is what you use now?

GreenMan13

The kelvin temperature is a representation of what the color breakdown is. They are directly linked together.

This is slightly true. Plant bulbs are about 3000K which is mostly reds and yellows. This is the best for plants, but also for algae. The reason I suggested 5500K to 6500K is because this is more of a White color with the full spectrum (plants use the full spectrum just mostly red and yellows.). This will also have less algae growth since algae grow mostly off reds and yellows alone. This is one of the reasons that some Salt water tanks use high K temps like 10,000k since they have very little yellow and reds but this wouldn't work as well for fresh water plants since they need the reds and yellows.

Ghostfish put it very simple and correct with "they give you a little extra hand on those plants that require high light levels. On the flip side, I had more spot algae problems with those bulbs too."