Anyone Use Regular Bulbs?

[fishwatcher]

Just wondering if anyone here uses regular flour. bulbs that can bought from a hardware store, as opposed to "aquarium" bubls from lfs? If so, are your tanks planted and do the plants do well?
Just wondering, as I've gone through 3 different kinds of "aquarium" bulbs now, all expensive ($10-$18), all very dim looking and the plants not doing well. Thinking of picking up a higher wattage one up from the local WalMart or hardware store, if anyone thinks it'll work.
Thanks for any help!

 

[csr mel]

walmart has some nice cheap aquarium bulbs. mine has been going for atleast 6 years now.

 

[fishwatcher]

Ok, thanks. The one I got today for $12 is an AquaGlow. It is 15w, 18000k and is a very dim blue color. I can hardly see the fish, so I know the plants aren't going to grow in that. I guess I either don't know what I'm looking for, or something, bc I've yet to find ones that are bright (like the screw-in bulbs I have) and that the plants love too.
I'll be heading that way tomorrow, I may have to stop in and see what they have in.

 

[xoedusk]

It is 15w, 18000k and is a very dim blue color. I can hardly see the fish, so I know the plants aren't going to grow in that. I guess I either don't know what I'm looking for, or something, bc I've yet to find ones that are bright (like the screw-in bulbs I have) and that the plants love too.

I may be wrong, but plants look green because they reflect green light and absorb most everything else... including blue light. So the blue light will be good for your plants, as they use that for photosynthesis. They also use red light, if I remember correctly.

As for not being able to see the fish, is that because they are mostly red, orange, or green? Those fish won't reflect your blue light then.

 

[fishwatcher]

Really?!? Wow... I never knew that. My fish are mainly silver and orange that are in that tank.
Also, about once a month I've been having an outbreak of that diatom (?) algae... as soon as I get it cleared it up and cleaned up, it happens again. I've heard that it's bc there isn't enough light, but I keep the lights on for about 5-6 hours, then off for an hour or so, then on for another 6 or so hours.
I'm just lost, but hopefully another new light bulb will help.

 

[voo]

Plants like reddish light better. Blue is no good for them, it'll just encourange algae. You want a lightbulb with the temperature around 6000K.

If you look at the stickies in the planted forum they have an article on what lighting is best for plant growth.
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=96754