Does The Color Of Light Matter?

[daymine]

i was wondering if there was a certain color that plants, or fish, prefer more? does it matter?

 

[JenCliBee]

i was wondering if there was a certain color that plants, or fish, prefer more? does it matter?

In general no, the colours are more atheistic for us rather than what a plant really needs.. alot will have different preferences in regard to what colours they prefer..for instance... i like a clinical white where as some prefer more of a warm white... some even like the pinker colours that come with a low kelvin and then you get some that will have a mix of a couple to get there desired colour and look for there tank.

I personally like 10000K with maybe 65000K to give that balance.

 

[flix_cw]

Does that mean tubes like GroLux that claim to be the ideal wavelength for enhancing plant growth are just a waste of money?

 

[SuperColey1]

Does that mean tubes like GroLux that claim to be the ideal wavelength for enhancing plant growth are just a waste of money?

If oyu ask me...yes. If you ask someone with one they say........no.

Very hard to get any discerning info on something from a person who has it. Placebo effect maybe or in most cases people not wanting their equipment to be a waste of money.

There are a lot of defensive people in this hobby. 'Boys and their toys'. The posers and the show offs etc. Some do not like something said about what they have that renders their outlay a little pointless.

So if you are asking me then I would say the Grolux are a waste of money unless you like their colouration. My opinion though. I can't give someone else's opinions

AC

 

[flix_cw]

Nice one thanks AC. I'm thinking of upgrading my lighting but that's for another thread.

 

[Geoff-]

It's well documented that green-leaved plants use primarily red and blue parts of the spectrum for growth. The only part of the spectrum they actively reject is green, that's why they are that colour you are seeing the reflected light and the other wavelengths are absorbed.

Therefore it's only logical that a fluoro with high output in the red and blue is going to be more efficient for growing plants. That's not to say that you won't get any plant growth with standard lights, but standard fluoros are mostly green in their output (just think of how photos sometimes turn out under fluoro - green tinge!) which is useless to plants so you are just burning dollar bills using those lights to try and grow plants.

 

[roadmaster]

I personally use three Full spectum 32 watt T8 bulbs, with 6000K rating over low tech, 80 gallon planted tank NonCO2.
Bulbs are easily and cheaply found at local hardware store for around eight U.S. dollars per bulb.

 

[ian]

I'm also in the school of 'any light' will grow 'any plant'. Kelvin ratings are really not what grows plants, as we know PAR is the most important factor. I have seen plants grown under a Tube from Lampspecs that cost £2.99 (T8 - Kelvin rating of 4000). However i have also seen plants grown under a Grolux bla bla bla (T5 - 9000k), also healthy, but nearly £25 more expensive. We have had quite a lot of discussions regarding K ratings and plants growth of late...anyone fancy doing a article on it?

 

[KittyKat]

Does that mean tubes like GroLux that claim to be the ideal wavelength for enhancing plant growth are just a waste of money?

If you ask me...yes.

+1, which is why I have been using normal, cheap tubes for years. I prefer colour 865 from Philips/Osram/etc, it works for my plants.

 

[SuperColey1]

It's well documented that green-leaved plants use primarily red and blue parts of the spectrum for growth. The only part of the spectrum they actively reject is green, that's why they are that colour you are seeing the reflected light and the other wavelengths are absorbed.

Its well documented that phosphates cause algae problems. It is also the 'up to date' thinking of many government's environmental departments. However we know it is untrue.

There is a lot of myth that is 'well documented' and remains that way. Always going to be a multitude of older 'out of date' articles than new 'up to date ones'.

Many of the most respected people in this hobby will quite simply agree that forget the K rating and forget the colour.

If you want to apply some logicto this then we can. Logically daylight is 5500K. shaded daylight is 6500K. That would mean that pure white to green lights would be the best to emulate natural growing conditions, not pink. So we should really are green lights best? Are pink lights best? Do they make any difference? I suggest not!!!

AC