Re: RM...........here are some links to some good sites that have the proper bulbs

"ginko" <g_i_n_k_o@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:13na03j6mc6fe5f@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> In rec.aquaria.freshwater.plants Reel McKoi
<dorundayREMOVE@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> 
> wrote:
> :
> : "TSJ of course" <eek.amouse@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
> : 
>
news:de5a386b-9faa-4aea-a7ba-dfaed2eb6eaf@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> :  By the way, unlike like lamps
> : > specialy made for aquariums, ordinary house lamps would not light up
> : > the whole aquarium the same way.
>
> There is considerable hype on aquaurium bulbs.  The T8 (8/8ths of an
inch
> wide) fluorescent lamps do pretty good job.  At some big bog hardware 
> stores,
> you can get a 6500K spectrum bulb at $5.00 per 4 foot tube.

Where I live the 6500K's are $10 and that's at Wal*Mart.

It grows plants
> really well for the money.  Pick up one of the new-style shop lights
with
> an electronic ballast and a half-decent gull-wing reflector for about
> $40.00.  This low budget system will do a pretty good job at raising
> plants.  You might do better by using one 6500K tube and one plant
> grow tube (Vitalight, GrowLux, ...) But this is still really cheap.

OK, we're talking two tanks = 4 reflectors and 8 bulbs. Ouch!

> You could get better results with fancy $30.00 aquarium tubes, but they
> won't be twice as good than the cheap $5.00 6500K and $15.00 plant
> tubes.

I've had no luck with plant tubes. The tanks looked dark and the plants 
stretched.

> I have a better luck with algae by using a 6500K bulb instead of 4100K
> "cool white" or the not-very-good 3500K "warm white" tubes.

I think I'll pick up a few 6500Ks.........

> : I was assured over and over that algae turns white and falls
> : off when FE is used. Although I found that almost impossible to
believe,
> : like a fool I bought the stuff.   I bought a lot of it, and it's
totally
> : useless.  Then the same man from the plant group tried to get me to 
> purchase
> : some other expensive crap from his friend who sells fertilizers.
>
> : spend well over $100 on bulbs and still have the algae problem.  So
you 
> can
> : see why I hesitate to start buying expensive bulbs when the FE did 
> nothing.


> I have had really good luck with Seachem Flourish Excel.  It helps keep
> my tank that tends to have a moderate algae problems to barely noticable
> algae here and there.  Please note that it does kill certain kinds of
> plants (Vallisneria, Elodia (Anacharis), and Saggiteria.  The product
> is way too expensive unless you buy it in bulk by the gallon jug.

It is indeed expensive and we saw zero difference in either plant growth
or 
algae.

> However, this product is not a cure-all.  It's optimal for planted tank
> that grows plants pretty well that also has pesky algae.  It won't
> transform an unsuccessful planted tank where the plants usually die into
> an Amano-style masterpiece.

Actually my plants do very well under the cool and warm bulbs, unless 
there's a serious algae bloom as I have now.
-- 

RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6.  Middle TN USA
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