lighting ?'s

[nealplumbing]

Hi all this might be a dumb question but I wass wandering if anyone has tried to use halogen lighting. I can't seem to find bulbs with a high k rating but they definitly have wattage and they are a 1/4 of the price. If anyone has any input I would be very thankfull.

[thefatman]

the reason for the high k rating is to get away from yellow bulbs. corals need the bluer light, since that is what reaches them in the ocean, since the water filters out the yellow and green and red spectrums (well a lot of it anyway)

the lower part of the spectrum red,yellow, etc.. also helps feed algae.

if you are running a fish only tank, then normal florescents will work jsut fine, and will cost less than halogens.

but if you have a reef, personally i wouldn't recommend the halogens. the lighting over a tank, is about more than jsut the wattage. which is why bulbs should also be replaced at least once a year, as thier color starts to fade. sure they will still be the same wattage, but wont have the same spectrum.

hth - jay

[Geoff]

what Jay said!!

halogens are better at creating heat than light! there is a reason why you buy them in 500w versions. not very efficient as far as lights go.

G~