email "light your reptiles" i got great info and 2 great units from them.
it's only been a short time but my hibiscus looks much better since
the new light fixtures!
Thanks!
Yes - now that ho t5 fixtures have come down in price- they are great because they are allot brighter (have much higher lumen out-put) than reg. t-8 tubes.
One thing we need to talk about.
However there are flo tubes commonly called "Grow Lights" for plants that are like the good old sylvania Grow-Lux bulbs.
These are not very natural lighting.
But Yep... you can use them, and things like them.
But you are not matching natural out door light with those.
You are getting a more
Pinkish purple light.
BUT they give off a more
purplish cast-
Due to the fact they have added spike sin the
RED and
BLUE parts of the spectrum to stimulate photosynthesis & plant growth.
(examples of products with similar light properties are Aquari-Lux flo. tubes for aquariums and Arcadia Plant Pro, and many other "plant" bulbs.)
So if you say:
"Give me a grow light" that is what you may end up getting.
Something with a spectrum with red and blue spikes in it.
I personally would not use
one Grow light all by itself in an array because to me they are pretty far off from the natural spectrum of daylight.
However, one of them mixed in an array of 6.5k DAY LIGHT and Arcadia 6% tubes is fine.
And they do punch up visual colors a bit... for humans anyway.
The 6.5k Economy "Day-Light" bulbs at HD and Lowes are not always marketed as "Plant Grow Lights."
They are marketed as simulating 6.5k "day-light" and that happen to work good on plants in part due to the tubes overall brightness / lumen out-put.
I have used the inexpensive 6.5ks in the past and been somewhat happy with them.
However,
the do not have a very high CRI.
COLOR RENDERING INDEX.
6.5k just refers to the KELVIN color temperature of the bulb.
(I know it is confusing)
Kelvin "K" rating means more like weather is is "warm looking" light like an incandescent bulb...
or "cool" to blue-ish white light.
Example - like a higher 10k++ K (kelvin) bulbs that are commonly used on reef tanks to simulate light as it passes through sea water (and thus has reduced reds)
6.5K has nothing to do with the overall quality of light.
Now One thing to know is there are FULL SPECTRUM Daylight bulbs that are around 6.5-sh K,
and cost more...
like Zoo Med NatureSun, Indoor Sunshine, Vita-lite / Ott Lite, or Arcadia Natural Sunlight Lamps:
http://www.arcadia-reptile.com/fluorescent-lamps/natural-sunlight-t8-fluorescent-lamp/
But there is a reason they cost more*.
All these all have a much higher "CRI" rating...
That is to say that
they show colors much more naturally and try harder and match the color rendering properties of Natural Clear Sky Sun-light.
And they grow plants fantastic.
Art museums, photographers, artists are all familiar with things like CRI and color rendering and color temperature....
because they all are looking for the TRUEST representation of the visual spectrum of natural sun-light.
Cheapie flo. tubes are usually those yellowish 4.5k ("warm" white tubes")
6.5k "Day-light" tubes may or may not have good full spectrum properties.
"Cool White" flo. tubes may be close to 6.5K -but they are cheapie and use less phosphors in their manufacture.
And the rest of the world....
outside of the Chameleon Forum
LOL
they tend to regard "Grow Lights" and "Plant Lights"
as lights that HAVE extra blue and red spikes in their spectral out-put to promote plant photosynthesis.
just see what I mean on a google search of plant light,
LOTS of lights with purple-ish cast come up.:
https://www.google.com/search?q=gro...Hbl4BQ&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAA&biw=1781&bih=723
So if you ask for a 6.5 light.... you may get one thing ...and asking for plant "gro" light you may get another.
The best thing is a FULL SPECTRUM (5.7K to) - 6.5K Day-Light Bulb.
Now...
*they can cost more.
Why?
BECAUSE to get a higher CRI (= color rendering index) and better quality light-
they use a wider variety of rare earth phosphors in them. and that costs more to make.
and lastly...
Nooooooo....
I am not trying to be a know-it-all @_$ - #_le.
well.... not too much.
LOL, remember ...
light afterall IS my job.
You know...
it took me FOREVER TO LEARN THE "NUANCES" of all this lighting stuff too!
(and I am getting OLD, I have been at it since the mid 70's when Vita Lites were all the rage.
)
I am always happy to freely share info.
Please note the natural spectrum of sun-light, below.
That is the template against what all vivarium light should be held up to.
word to ya' mother.
Sharing is caring.
Thanks!
Todd
lightyourreptiles.com
