Red, White, Blue Lights?

[Hamsnacks]

Another Bulb Question, just looking for personal experience stories, don't need to be very specific.

I am currently running 4 x T5Ho Bulbs 6400k at 55W each.
From an earlier post, was told that it is definitely enough for my set up. However I was able to find a Red and Blue T5Ho Bulbs also at 55W each, and from my research online, they should definitely help. Strong Healthy Plants is my priority before any fish come.

I have them going, Red in the Back, Whites in the Middle and Blue in the Front.
Only issue, the tank isn't as bright anymore and I think I preferred it with the 4 White lights lol.


However, is the value the Red and Blue bring to the plants far better than 4 White lights and the look?

Have you guys seen a big difference?

 

[Colin_T]

get another light unit and have 6 globes

light globes with a 6400K will have blue and red light.

have the white lights on the outside and blue/ red in the middle.

 

[Hamsnacks]

get another light unit and have 6 globes

light globes with a 6400K will have blue and red light.

have the white lights on the outside and blue/ red in the middle.

Lool 6 would just be too much for my set up haha. I was aware of the 6400k having blue and red but figured actually having a Red and Blue bulb would be more efficient, unless I'm wrong?

Could I ask why you say blue and red in the middle? No science behind this lol so don't judge me, the reason I went with the B/R on the outside was I didn't want them to be right next to each other and maybe cancel each other out. Lol it sounded right in my head.

 

[Colin_T]

Red and blue won't cancel each other out. They produce their own colour spectrum of light and that will travel thru the water just like the white light does. You can have the lights in any combination. If I run extra blue (on marine tanks) I stick them in the middle but it doesn't matter what order you have the globes in. I have white on the outside because it usually makes the tank look lighter but try the globes in different spots and see what it looks like.

 

[Byron]

I'm interested in knowing what exactly are "red" and "blue" T5 tubes?

 

[Colin_T]

maybe like this
https://www.alibaba.com/showroom/t5-red-fluorescent-light-28w.html

 

[Byron]

maybe like this
https://www.alibaba.com/showroom/t5-red-fluorescent-light-28w.html

Thanks...if by red and blue someone is meaning those coloured tubes, then no, I do not think that will work at all. You will be tinting the water and everything in the tank, and that is not what plants need. And to me anyway it would look hideous. And probably to the fish as well, as they can perceive colour very well. Cones in the eyes of fish and mammals perceive colours; while mammals (like us) have two types of cones, fish have three—one for each of the colours red, green and blue. These connect to nerve cells which transmit images to the brain, and the optic lobe is the largest part of the fish’s brain.

When we say that plants need red and blue light to drive photosynthesis, and primarily red, it refers to the wavelength in a basic mix of light. Green is also known to improve plant growth, even though photosynthesis is not affected by green light. The 5000K light tubes are higher in red, and that is beneficial; the 6500K is high in blue and red but not as much red as the 5000K, and we know these are very good for plants. I use a mix of 5000K and 6500K over my dual tube tanks.

The initial post was on light colour alone, but four T5 HO tubes is mega light; I assume this is a very large tank, 5-6 feet perhaps, and CO2 diffusion and daily nutrient supplementation is part of the programme. Most fish (freshwater) will have considerable difficulty under this light.

 

[Hamsnacks]

In regards to the Red/Blue tubes, they are not the tinted Chinese Ones that are simply normal bulbs with the casing being red. The ones I'm using are sold by Sunblaster, they are your standard White Tube, but when turned on give out completely red or blue light. But definitely got me thinking maybe they are just a gimmick after all. Either way, they are 55w so they give me what I'm looking for. The links I have attached give you the color they give off, but like I said the actual tubes are your standard white tubes.

http://www.tthydroponic.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=756
http://www.tthydroponic.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=758&search=sunblaster

I will probably be posting a picture of my complete setup tomorrow with all the details and pictures to get your final opinions on the complete setup.

Thanks for all the responses!

 

[Byron]

Those links confirm my previous advice that these coloured tubes are not going to help, and will create unusual hues. Good quality tri-phosphor tubes will provide better light.

 

[Hamsnacks]

Those links confirm my previous advice that these coloured tubes are not going to help, and will create unusual hues. Good quality tri-phosphor tubes will provide better light.

So Byron are you saying that in general Red/Blue lights are a gimmick? Or is there proper Red/Blue Light bulbs, do you have a link?

Very interested, just cause I read so many threads on using them but should someone just be looking for the Kelvins on a tube instead and ditch the colored ones?

Thanks!

 

[Byron]

So Byron are you saying that in general Red/Blue lights are a gimmick? Or is there proper Red/Blue Light bulbs, do you have a link?

Very interested, just cause I read so many threads on using them but should someone just be looking for the Kelvins on a tube instead and ditch the colored ones?

Thanks!

You want basically white light such as natural sunlight. This not only is best for plants, but it provides a natural colour rendition of everything in the tank. I have never messed with those coloured fluorescent tubes, but I know that when trying to find LED for a planted tank I came across red, white and blue LEDs and it was horrible. You get areas of red and blue in the tank, but if they did "mix" it wold not be "white" light. The so-called aquarium or plant lights that are very high in red and blue but nothing else make the tank look a goulish purple. It is comparable to that.

Light that is high in red and blue and green, such as "daylight" having a Kelvin around 6500K, is best for plants. The lower the K the more red and less blue for a warmer white, and the higher the K the opposite for a cooler white. Sunlight is around 6000K if memory serves me, so it is not surprising this provides the best light. I mix 5000K and 6500K when I have two tubes, otherwise I use one 6500K.

Remember this impacts fish too.

 

[Hamsnacks]

You want basically white light such as natural sunlight. This not only is best for plants, but it provides a natural colour rendition of everything in the tank. I have never messed with those coloured fluorescent tubes, but I know that when trying to find LED for a planted tank I came across red, white and blue LEDs and it was horrible. You get areas of red and blue in the tank, but if they did "mix" it wold not be "white" light. The so-called aquarium or plant lights that are very high in red and blue but nothing else make the tank look a goulish purple. It is comparable to that.

Light that is high in red and blue and green, such as "daylight" having a Kelvin around 6500K, is best for plants. The lower the K the more red and less blue for a warmer white, and the higher the K the opposite for a cooler white. Sunlight is around 6000K if memory serves me, so it is not surprising this provides the best light. I mix 5000K and 6500K when I have two tubes, otherwise I use one 6500K.

Remember this impacts fish too.

Thanks a lot for the information Byron! Really helps. Just kinda annoying now lol the Colored Tubes were more expensive and now they are pretty much useless.

Just had one more question, I do have 2 Extra White tubes that are about a few months old, they do have a slight blackening on their ends, nothing really noticable, and still give off a very strong light. Would that be fine or when you see that, it's time to throw them away?

 

[Byron]

Thanks a lot for the information Byron! Really helps. Just kinda annoying now lol the Colored Tubes were more expensive and now they are pretty much useless.

Just had one more question, I do have 2 Extra White tubes that are about a few months old, they do have a slight blackening on their ends, nothing really noticable, and still give off a very strong light. Would that be fine or when you see that, it's time to throw them away?

T8 and T5 fluorescent tubes do weaken in intensity the longer they burn; my T8 tubes darken at the ends as they age. You need to replace them long before they actually burn out, by which time they are useless as far as providing sufficient light intensity for plants. I replace T8 tubes every 12 months. I believe T5 can last a bit longer, but you might want to check that with others. It is for me impossible to see this weakening, until I put the new tube in and it is then noticeable that it is a bit brighter. The problem with weakening intensity is that plants start to struggle, and algae can easily take advantage. Some people say wait until you see algae increasing, then replace, but I don't like to get that far down the road; once started, algae is not always easy to eradicate. Of course, too much light can cause algae problems, if the 17 nutrients plants need are not available in balance.

 

[Colin_T]

T5 globes burn out just as quick as T8s, and possibly even faster than a T8 because they run hotter.

The cooler you keep the globes, the longer they last and the longer they produce good light. As fluorescent globes age (due to heat), the Kelvin rating and intensity on them drops. So globes that start at 6500K might only be producing 5000K after 6 months. And after 12 months they might only be producing light with a 4000K spectrum. This is one reason I suggest daylight globes. Because after 12 months they still have some blue light and red light. If you start with globes that have 4500K (typical Kelvin rating for triphosphor globes), after 12 months you might have globes with a 2500K rating, and this is basically useless for plants.

The end of the globes has a metal fitting and this gets hotter than the rest of the globe, and this is why fluorescent globes start going black at the ends. If you have globes in a light unit with a reflector, you can help the globes run cooler by drilling a 10mm hole in the top and side of the light unit at each end. Raising the light unit above the tank a few inches also helps with allowing air flow around the globes.

Having a small fan blowing air over the ends of the globes can help them last longer.

When you replace fluorescent globes, you should also replace the starters in the light unit. They wear out together and an old starter can prevent a new globe from working.