Refugium LED Light Temp

I am thinking about buying an LED light from Lowes to use as a light for my refugium. I know 6500K is ideal, but the highest I can find is 3700K. Will this work? Would any of these bulbs work (both are "soft white" which is 3700k)? Are there other LED bulbs that don't cost an arm and a leg that I should look in to?


SYLVANIA LED 13-Watt PAR30 Flood Bulb

http://www.lowes.com/pd_314146-75774-PAR30/L/HP/LED_4294935637_?productId=3111653&Ntt=led&Ntk=i_products&pl=1&currentURL=/pl_Lighting%2B_4294935637__s?rpp=30$Ntt=led

 

are you sure they are 3700k? All the ones i have looked into at my local HD are the cool white LEDs. they are around 5500-6500k so they are perfect

 

On the temp image on the box they show the bar at 3700. I'll stop by lowes again after work. no HD near me. I will be near one next week though.

 

Based on what I've read the algae in the fuge will pretty much grow under any lighting. 6500K is ideal but you should be fine with that lighting.

 

the FEIT bulb is actually 3000k

 

I actually saw both of those at home depot and found them interesting.. but I just stuck with the daylight spiral flourecent bulb.

My chaeto grows like wild fire so why change it..

 

The bulbs you are looking out will put out a lot more PAR than the ones that are closer to 6500k... however the ones closer to 6500k have a much higher output of blue to make them look whiter.

Idk if this is true or not, but I have heard that chaeto grows best at 5100k (I run a 23w 5500k CFL over mine and my chaeto literally grows out of the water). Now 5100k can be reached by many different combinations of colors but it generally has a higher red output than 6500k. I believe that most algae photosystems use red for photosynthesis? So it is a trade off here to figure out which bulb you want to use... The 3000k will put much more PAR/PUR into the fuge, while the 6500k is a more "even" distribution of spectrums and looks nicer to our eyes. Either bulb will give you growth though.

 

Thanks for the info. I guess my next step will be deciding between the par30 and the par38 bulb.

 

Led lights will surely be beneficial.you can give a check to the various products that will suit you the best.





led light bulbs