T5 Colormax bulb not good?

[darsunt]

I have a T4 Colormax bulb, it gives off a pinkish glow. I've read that it has a K down around 4000. Since this is in the red spectrum, does it promote the same algae as incandescent lights do? Also it is supposed to help reds and orange but the reds and oranges on my neons and rasboros are quite flat.

[pjaldave]

In my tank, I use 1 10000k and one colormax for a few hours and just the LEDs the rest. I use it because it has a lot of red spectrum that might be beneficial for plants.

If you have red/orange fish, i say go with bluish light. Like the hagen aqua-glo (i think it's that).

Though. algae appears in a tank when you have either : too much light, no plants to compete, too much blue in the spectrum, or long lighting periods.

[Lady Hobbs]

I am so NOT a techie so bear with my feeble attempt here......

Pink bulbs are supposed to provide plants with what they need just as blue bulbs are for corals. Pink is supposed to provide the photosynthesis needed for plant growth.

However, unless you have high lights, you will not get the nice red color in some plants anyway. They may get red tops.....like Ludwigia.....but will be green futher down the stem.

Many replace the pink bulbs and just use the whites just as I did on my 29 gallon and it doesn't look a bit different to me.

I also have a pink bulb in my Nova fixture on another tank and that, too, does not appear pinkish at all. Some companies pink bulbs appear to put out more of a pinkish or purplish color than others and some just don't like the look.

To me, the total wattage promotes the algae growth. The more lights, the more ferts needed as well as CO2. I don't think the pink bulb promotes the algae but I am certainly no expert on lights by a longshot. If you don't like the pinkish color, just replace the bulb with a 6700K or a 10000 depending on your plants needs.

[Cermet]

It appears one can not win for losing ... plants want both red and blue/violet. Algae likes blue from what I understand but red must be part of the equation since both plants and algae share the exact same process to convert light to food - Photosynthesis.

So, while red alone would proberly hurt algae, it also hurts plants (which one the worse is an open but surely someone knows.)

If the red light works by providing good plant growth and algae isn't an issue - can't then argue with success.

Again, growing aquatic plants without algae is all about balance - nutrients, correct light spectrum, enough intensity and a green thumb ... or is that a wet green thumb?