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I just purchased the above bulb for one of my tanks, a 20L with some plants (echinodorus, anubias, java moss, rotalla rotundifolia, potamogeton gayii and sagittarias). The light bulb I replaced came with a used fixture and was too weak to even support java moss. Personnel in the store said the flora-sun would be perfect but the light is very appears as VERY red to my eyes. Is this bulb really so supportive of plant growth? Suggestion of alternatives very welcome.

that was the same with me when i put in a new buld and asked my self the same Q but i found the the redness went away after the light had been running for some time about 2-3 weeks and it became more white. Hope this helps

Hi.
Plants use the light in the red and blue parts of the
spectrum. The bulb you have has two spikes, one in the
red, and one in the blue. The failing red coloration is
called "burn in" and as the bulb ages it will loose its
redness and shift through pink to a white.

The "SUN" bulbs are designed to imitate the noonday sun
at the equator, and are generally 10,000K and above.
That high a "K" rating (10,000K) is considered by many
to be the top end of the range for freshwater
planted tanks. It is a harsh, bright, light and can cause
stress with shy fish. Unless you have very high light
demand plants, or a deep tank (24+ inches) most will find
a K rating of between 6700 and 8800K more reasonable.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

i noticed i had a similar problem. i had a coralife 24" t5 with one 10,000k bulb and one actinic it looked really white with a bit of blue from the actinic. but i traded it in for the same model light but the 36" size. the 36" has a one colormax full spectrum bulb, and the other bulb is a 6,700k. the problem was that it looked yellowish almost like an incandescent, but after a few days it ballanced out

*click *flash *click "whered he go???"

My understanding with lighting is that different setups require different frequency. Reds are more liked by plants that blues. Blues are loved by corals.
If this is true, why are PowerGlo's blue? LOL I have had great luck with PowerGlo bulbs and far less luck with FloraGlo in my tanks. It seems to me that red light helps algae grow that any other color.

"There is also a Clown Pleco in this tank some where. I am telling you, HE IS IN HERE."

Hi,
Actually, plants utilize the red and blue parts of the
spectrum. Red light is lower in frequency and easily
scattered and absorbed in the first few inches of water.
Blue is higher in frequency and penetrates deeper into the
water column. The intense light is needed by the reef
inhabitants (invertebrates) to manufacture the symbiotic
algae and vitamins necessary for their intense colors and
life.
In the freshwater tank we want to blend light for plant
growth with light for us to see with. That means white
light. Many find the 5000K bulbs too yellowish while the
10,000 to 20,000 bulbs take on a very harsh white light
(10,000K) or tinge into a bluish white light (20,000K).
Many of the ones rich in the red spectrum will appear
pink, while those with dual spikes (red and blue) will
appear purplish. These usually have the word "Glow" some
where in their names. The bulbs that mimic the sun will
usually have the words DAY, DAYLIGHT, SUN, or SUNLIGHT in
their names

Usually, especially with the Actinic Blue bulbs the light
is actually blue and there are nearly always a pair of
bulbs, one lower in K, around 6700-10,000K to "whiten" the
blue from the actinic bulb.

In deep tanks, (24+inches) one can try switching from a
6700-8800K bulb to a 10,000K bulb to get more energy down
to the substrate where the plants are. In the more shallow
tanks bulbs ranging from 6700 to 8800K give a nice, sun
like, white light that plants thrive on.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Thans everyone;

As several days hae passed I will not be able to return the "red light" . I will let you know what my experience is.