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| Tubes |
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| CFL |
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| Metal Halide lamps |
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| LEDs |
All the above options come
in different Color temperature (Kelvin) which can affect plant growth and look
of the tank. Lower the color temperature (K) warmer/yellower the light is while
a higher temp leads towards the cooler/blue spectrum of light. Color of sunlight
is around 5400K. In a planted tank, greens look good with a cooler temp (6-7000K),
while red plants get enhanced by a warmer light (3-4000K). Normally the lights we
buy tend to stick to a cooler temperature of 6500K. For a pleasant look its
best to mix diff color temperature evenly in the tank.
My
earlier tank setup had medium to high light with a total of 200watt with 5 x 40
watt Phillips ‘Trulite’; 3=Cool (6500k) & 2=warm (4000K). It gave a satisfying
result. Since then, LED technology has evolved into a high output light
solution with the cheapest operational/running cost with most longevity among
all lighting systems. The initial costs may seem a bit on the higher side
although rest assured, in the long run, it does compensate for its price by
drawing way less juice and thus saving a lot on electricity bills.
After
carefully considering all options I decided on high output SMD 5630 LED module strip(s)
which has 300 ready-to-use LEDs packed in a nifty 5meter roll.
For my
tank I have got two 5 m rolls (6500K) with a total of 600 LEDs. Each roll of strip
has a power output of 80watt and 8-9000 lumen, works on 12 volt and draws around
8A current. I plan to add some warm modules later for a balanced light color. These
LED strips will be mounted on a D-I-Y hood. More on that later. For now LED (single
module) details given below.
SMD LED (module) - 5630
Efficacy (max) (lm/W) - 90
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