# lighting for planted aquarium



## oyf709 (Sep 18, 2010)

Hi all you expert in planted tank, just wanna ask if you guys think those normal grow lights for regular plant be good for planted aquarium?

My understand those grow lights might have more red and green spec in there compare to the normal aquarium lights.
I was thinking if red/green helps flower plants, would that also help those aquatic plants that does have flower?

I am a total n00b in planted tank so any input would be great


----------



## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

You need to be more specific than saying normal grow lights. Are they cfl, metal halide, t5, t8? How many K's? watts?


----------



## bcorchidguy (Jan 14, 2011)

More information = better answers, what size of tank, what kind of plants, how deep is your tank. What lights do you mean as JB asks, CFL... compact fluorescents, Metal Halide or sodium vapour, T5, HO T5, T8, T12 (old so not worth it) K refers to colour but if you're talking grow lights I know what you mean, and finally, wattage... typically a 48in tube will be between 34-40 watts.

Douglas


----------



## oyf709 (Sep 18, 2010)

It is LED grow light, 132w in total

probly just a bit longer than 16inches long, I am not sure the color temp for the light. I assume ppl selling these for gree house plants

Similar to this one selling on ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HOT-Apollo-...122?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aba33b672

But instead of all red lights, it comes with 10% red, 20%blue and th rest are white LED.


----------



## bcorchidguy (Jan 14, 2011)

Light is made up of three different spectrums, red, yellow and blue, when you are looking at fluorescent higher priced day light tubes are tri phosphors which means they have 3 different phosphors that glow when current is applied and the combination of the 3 make the light look like sunlight. Lights are graded in their kelvin rating which means how close they resemble a carbon block that is heated to a specific temperature. IE, if you heat a carbon block to 3600 degrees kelvin the colour it glows is similar to how a 3600k fluorescent tube will glow. For our own eyes we tend to prefer 5000k-6500k as it resembles noon day sun (5000k is the colour daylight as it is as close to noon day sun at the equator at sealevel). Plants don't share our taste though and they respond best to light more in the red/blue spectrum which is why plant lights look pinkish purple. To much red though (if I remember right) your plants will grow tall and spindly, to much blue and they'll grow short and squat... or flip that around. Plant lights are designed to have a good balance between the red/blue so your plants grow fast. On an aquarium you may find it's best to have 20%-30% of your light come from grow or plant lights and the remainder of your light from daylight tubes so you can enjoy your tank to it's fullest.

Douglas


----------



## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

bcorchidguy said:


> Plants don't share our taste though and they respond best to light more in the red/blue spectrum which is why plant lights look pinkish purple. To much red though (if I remember right) your plants will grow tall and spindly, to much blue and they'll grow short and squat... or flip that around. Plant lights are designed to have a good balance between the red/blue so your plants grow fast.


Anyone know if its red or blue that makes plants grow short and squat?


----------



## Transposon (Sep 19, 2012)

"Red stimulates vegetative growth and flowering, However, too muchred will create a leggy plant. Blue regulates plant growth for a fuller stockerplant."

From: http://primexgardencenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/caresheets_ArtificialLight.pdf


----------



## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

That's a great article. 
Found another to supplement: http://www.ehow.com/list_7645179_effects-light-bulb-plant-growth.html
About lighting that simulates red coloring in plants? Red bulbs?


----------



## sunshine_1965 (Aug 16, 2011)

I use Daylight bulbs in all my tanks with plants. My plants grow nicely with them. They do not just shoot up in growth. They grow up and out at a reasonable pace. I have some plants that definitely do better than others but all plants have there issues and needs. CO2 will also help in plant growth. The other thing I do is use some Jobes Plant Food Spikes 13-4-5. Others on this site use excel or flourish. Good luck with your planted tank. Remember lights being on too long will cause algae growth on glass and plants.


----------

