[Floyd R Turbo]

Originally Posted by cmbspd

Why use 2700K bulbs? I'm just now setting up my ATS, but most of what I've read suggested >5000K so I'm assuming this is a relatively new innovation. Does the lower K favor green turf algae compared to the higher K bulbs for growing chaeto in a fuge?

From http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/...c.php?f=9&t=68

Q: What kind of light do I need?
A: Experience has shown that at least a 23 Watt Compact Fluorescent (CFL) bulb, of the 2700K or 3000K (“warm” or “soft”) color, works best. One on each side of the screen, about 4" from the screen, and pointed to the middle of the screen. And note that 23W is "at least", unless it's for a nano. These CFL lights have also shown to only last about three months before their power drops off, even though they "look" fine. T5HO bulbs have also shown tremendous scrubber growth, although they are more difficult to design and build; their spread of light from side to side is superior to CFL bulbs. There is an upper limit to CFL bulb size; CFL bulbs in the 45 watt range are at the top, whereas anything higher than that will tend to “cook” the screen in one spot. If you must have more than 45 watts per side, use two smaller bulbs instead. The lighting just needs to be spread out more evenly, and not so concentrated in one spot. If you use CFL bulbs and they are not floodlights (which have built-in reflectors), be sure to get "CFL reflectors" so you can reflect the light to the screen.

So I don't know where you read that 5000K is the proper spectrum, it will probably work and you will get algae to grow (BluScrnOdeth is getting algae to grow using 50/50 PC lamp!!) but the best type of algae that you want will grow best until 2700-3000K grow lamps, like the ones they use for hydroponics. That's how I came across those lamps from Avant Garden Hydroponics (in my build post)