Want To Use Cfl To Light My Plants

[symon_say]

Hi

I just started planting my tank, it'll be a low tech, but stock lights don't work even for this cause they are 2 15w T8 tube, my plan is to change both tube for 8 CFL bulbs, i found this 13W that are T2 and put about 62 lumens/watt i think this is enough for a low tech, what do think about this bulbs and about my project??

 

[RadaR]

Bit confused.
So, how big is the tank?
You want to use eight of these CFL bulbs?

i found this 13W that are T2 and put about 62 lumens/watt i think this is enough for a low tech,

Lumens are irrelevant to plant growth. Lumens are a measure of how humans perceive light.

Check this out

 

[symon_say]

I now PAR is more important than lumens, but IMHO lumens is a more accurate way to compare our way to see light with the way plants need it, cause different kinds of light do different with the same amount of watts, but lumens is a more constant way to compare then.

My tank is 55 gallons, and yes i install then, but haven't try it on the tank yet.

 

[RadaR]

No, lumens is only telling you how bright the tank appears to be in your eyes. Therefore has no bearing at all on plant growth and so you cant make any judgement with it in the context of plants.

cause different kinds of light do different with the same amount of watts

I dont follow.

 

[symon_say]

T12, T8, T5, T2 CFL, leds and all those kind of light put different ammount of light for watt, and i think is more appropriate use lumens instead of watts to subgest how much light somebody needs in their tank, for example the 1-4 watts/gallon is to inaccurate and can't be apply to a variety of bulbs, but lumens is a more consistent unit that doesn't matter the type of bulb.

If some should suggest lights it should be given in PAR but for that you have to do measures in the tank.

IMHO

PS: Sorry if don't explain myself in a better way, english is not my native language.