Full spectrum PL Lights

[junyong84]

Hi guys, what are full spectrum PL lights?? Where can i get these tubes???

Any brands that u guys know or heard of??? or even used b4?

[Terryz_]

full spectrum PL lights... not white one mehs...

[roidan]

full spectrum may mean 10KK Pl tubes if i am not wrong..not too sure myself...aqualux and coralife makes these tube...coralife is more ex...and maybe better

[junyong84]

hw abt zoomed tubes????

[IcecruncherZ]

Dont bother with PL tubes. Use T5s instead. The difference is amazing...

[derricklaj]

just wondering are the end caps for FL and T5, etc the same?

i know that only FL dont need eballast the rest all need rite?

[junyong84]

Dont bother with PL tubes. Use T5s instead. The difference is amazing...

i dun even noe if my tank fits T5...care to show me pics?

[Tanggy]

From what I have read when I was researching the topic before I started the hobby, full spectrum lighting are lighting that has all the light spectrum required by corals. They are also refered to as 50/50. Coral life make tubes like these. Full spectrum are lights that simulates the light condition of the sun. The comprise of daylight (6500K) and blue antinic. You can get similar effect by using 50% of white light and 50% of antinic blue light.

Antinic peaks at 420nm. It is not just the color of light. As corals below 5m depth can only see blue light as blue light can penetrate deeper the rest filtered out, our water is not deep enough to filter out the white, which is why we still need antinic blue. Unless we are sure all our corals comes from shallow water. So even when people are using 10000k, they still suplement it with antinic blue which also make it more plesant to the eye (bluish). But some people using 20000k do not use antinic as the bulb is beri blue liao.

As for PL or T5 or MH, it all boils down to personal perference and the size of your pocket. PL obviously is the cheapest amount the 3 but cost bout the same in the long run as the tube only last 6mths. MH is expensive (need chiller) but is cheaper to run in the long haul as bulbs last a year and only one to change. As for T5, their start up cost very close to MH liao. So depends on individual. I like MH cos of the shimmering effect it cast on the water. Plus I using industrial housing (very cheap, cheaper then PL or T5 but need chiller) Cheers!