Lights

[kent1992]

sawcat said:

kent1992 said:

Most incandescent bulbs can be replaced with a compact fluorescent bulb that you can get at your local hardware store for very cheap. Compact fluorescent bulbs will provide the tank with very bright lighting and will also produce less heat. Make sure you get the bulbs labelled "Daylight", which will provide you with a very white light, as opposed to "Soft white" which replicates the yellowish light of an incandescent bulb.

Someone in another group mentioned that Walmart carries a 10watt mini flourescent aquarium bulb that fits the 2.5 minibows. Runs a bit under $5 us

There's no need to purchase a compact fluorescent bulb labelled for "aquarium" use. This would be the exact same thing as a household compact fluorescent bulb with "daylight" light. You would just be spending a few extra dollars for the bulb labelled "aquarium".

[amanichen]

kent1992 said:

sawcat said:

There's no need to purchase a compact fluorescent bulb labelled for "aquarium" use. This would be the exact same thing as a household compact fluorescent bulb with "daylight" light. You would just be spending a few extra dollars for the bulb labelled "aquarium".

Bulbs that are "aquarium" bulbs may have a different spectrum than those that aren't, which would explain the higher price.

However, if you want a specific type of bulb it's better to get a purpose built one for aquariums, rather than one buy one from a manufacturer that doesn't specialize in aquarium bulbs. Check the manufacturer on your aquarium bulb to see if you're getting a quality product.

[sawcat]

this is the info for the one sold by walmart Lights of America brand (only aquarium light brand they had)

2110AQ - Lights of America aquarium bulb
Watts Used: 10
Incandescent Equiv.: 35
Size: 5.7" x 1.4"
Lumens: 400
Efficiency: 78%
Life: 6,000
Color Temp: 6,500

[kent1992]

As expected, the aquarium bulb you described is exactly the same as most white light compact fluorescent bulbs. Really, there is no need to spend the extra money on an "aquarium" labelled bulb if you can purchase the same thing from your local hardware store. Most "daylight" bulbs will be around 6,500 K on the electromagnetic spectrum, which is also the standard colour for aquarium bulbs.