Recommend Me A New Bulb

[mata]

Hi all, I'm looking for a new bulb for my tank as the tank was used for about 2-3 years (about 8ish years ago) and now up and running again on the original.

At the mo its a 15watt (I think) T8 bulb that came with it. Im looking to be growing some basic plants... Java Moss and Fern and maybe a few others. What are my options/prices/where online?

Thanks Recommend

 

[RadaR]

Pretty much any 15W t8 bulb on the aquarium market will do the job. Whether it's 15000Kelvin or 6500Kelvin, the plants dont care.
The kelvin is all down to your personal preference. Daylight bulbs are popular such as Hagen Lifeglo..

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

www.lampspecs.co.uk gets a regular annual order from me, for replacement S.A.D. bulbs, they charge less than a third of the price of the lightbox suppliers!

 

[OldMan47]

With your low light plants, almost any regular bulb will do from a warm white at around 2700K to a daylight at 5500K to 6500K in spectrum. The extremely high temperature spectra are another matter. They don't provide light that common plants can use but many algaes can make good use of any spectrum over about 6700K. I would choose a tube that you like for aesthetic reasons and leave the extreme spectrum tubes on the shelf.

 

[RadaR]

The extremely high temperature spectra are another matter. They don't provide light that common plants can use but many algaes can make good use of any spectrum over about 6700K.

Sorry but this is an false illusion.
OldMan, I'll PM you a reference as it would be against the rules for me to post the link here.

 

[mata]

Thanks again for your advise and help, and again to you Oldman keeping me on the right tracks

I think i did read somewhere I have to buy a Bulb from Juwel as they specifically fit Juwel Hoods and standard bulbs don't, something to do with the connections. Is this true?

 

[OldMan47]

I have never had or even seen a Juwel hood so I will take your word for it. Anyone who forces me to use them for replacement parts does not get my business to start with. I buy hoods, etc. that take standard T-5 or T-8 tubes or even T-5 HO tubes, but I will not buy one that forces me to go back to the original manufacturer for new fluorescent tubes. Have a look at the pin spacing on the ends of your existing tube to see if it matches commercially available ones.