Best spectrum for growth

[thecichlidpleco]

Is there one, 10, 14, 20 better than another.

[InADream]

You are going to get a ton of people saying a ton of different things... First, are you running any supplements with those bulbs... Second, depends on the color you prefer... Third, which brand of bulbs are you looking at? I run 14K bulbs and love them for growth and color... Wait to hear from some more experinced people...

Dream

[Entropy]

The best spectrum for all out growth IMO is 6500k. It aint pretty, but nothing grows like the color of the sun. :) The Iwasaki 250w halide is probably still the king of growth, but you have to deal with the yellowness of the bulb.

[thecichlidpleco]

I have 70w MH for the sunpod, so I am kinda limited on choice I was thinking 14k ushio since I got the sunpod from a friend and the bulb will need replacing. But the 14k is a little too blue imo, at least compared to my 10k T5.

[Entropy]

10k is probably the best color to settle for. It is the whitest of the bunch with a hint of blue and very little yellow.

[RichConley]

The best spectrum for growth is whatever has the highest par, until you hit photosaturation.

There is a point where adding more light does nothing, and there is a point where adding more light will just kill things. Unfortunately, what that level is, is totally dependent on nutrient levels.