A great refugium lightbulb, IMHO! - Page 5

jrausch · #**101** 04/14/2004, 02:44 PM

FWIW, here's another link about people having success growing macro with different type bulbs.

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...ghlight=par+30

Marc-
Is the bulb you're using a type of PC bulb or is it incandescent?

melev · #**102** 04/14/2004, 02:46 PM

It is a PC bulb. The ceramic base is visible under the glass reflector section.

jrausch · #**103** 04/14/2004, 07:17 PM

Cool thanks. Just got back from HD(gotta love that place) and saw the bulb there. I've never seen them there before. Are they new? Maybe I just missed them before. Just under $10.

melev · #**104** 04/14/2004, 10:15 PM

jrausch, they are relatively new. I found them in early January.

Dag · #**105** 04/15/2004, 01:08 AM

Melev, where did you get your mangroves from?

BlackGrouper · #**106** 04/15/2004, 08:24 AM

I just bought this bulb at my local costco. 3 pack for $14.99

Would this work?

Specs are:
Model BPCE23PAR38/3
23 Watts (120V Replacements)
1300 Lumens
6000 Hours Avg Life

http://www.feit.com/par38.html

melev · #**107** 04/15/2004, 09:08 AM

Dag, a club member was selling them.

BlackGrouper, I've got no idea. Contact that vendor and ask them what "Kelvin" spectrum they are. More importantly, let us know how they work out for you!

maffs · #**108** 04/15/2004, 07:03 PM

Mark et al,

thanks for a very helpful discussion. Like a previous poster, I'm from the UK. The nearest equivalent I can find is a 18W PAR38 claiming to be 100W output. The problem is the Kelvin is 2700. Is that too low for caulerpa?

Thanks,

Matthew.

melev · #**109** 04/15/2004, 09:40 PM

I guess you'll have to tell us. That sounds very yellow to me.

headshrink · #**110** 04/16/2004, 12:20 AM

Marc, I just got back from HD and it looks like I brought one home that is a little different.... It looks ALMOST exactly alike but it is 19W=85W. Also the top of the light is frosted.sku = 773-239
Think it is basically the same?

melev · #**111** 04/16/2004, 12:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by headshrink
Marc, I just got back from HD and it looks like I brought one home that is a little different.... It looks ALMOST exactly alike but it is 19W=85W. Also the top of the light is frosted.sku = 773-239
Think it is basically the same?

It is hard to say. However, in this month's club newsletter, I went ahead and wrote an article about it, and included the SKU numbers. Here's the link to that article (at the base of the newsletter). Btw,the lens on my light is not frosted, but it looks like a typical floodlight bulb - it has a little texture to it on the inside to probably create stronger intensity?

http://www.dfwmas.com/newsletters_ht...MAS_apr04.html

Btw, this thread and the current interest from y'all is what gave me the idea to do a product review for our club. THANKS!

headshrink · #**112** 04/16/2004, 01:12 PM

I just called the company... Grrrrr.... Aparently he says they don't have a 5100K in HD CA. Mine is a 2700K. He did tell me how to get it though. It is sold under a different manufactorers name (Home Depot Supply - 1800-431-3003). It is called the TCP Flood Light - 51K IR4019 (they also have a 65K). Unfortunatly I already opened mine.... I don't know if I can take it back. I hope this helps someone.

headshrink · #**113** 04/16/2004, 01:15 PM

https://secure.tcinternet.net/buylig...cflfloods.html

melev · #**114** 04/16/2004, 05:28 PM

So try yours out and see what it does. Or take it back to Home Depot and tell them you hate the color. They won't complain as long as you have the receipt.

The ones on that website cost more, but they are the same. I noticed they call 5100K "daylight"...wierd.

Snausages01 · #**115** 04/16/2004, 11:57 PM

Well after reading this thread last night I decided I was either going to get the two flood lights that melev was using or the one flood light by LOA. I looked around at home depot for a while and just decided to try the LOA light because it was the easiest to mount in my situation and had the cheapest replacement blubs. I thought about getting some NO tubes too, but again the LOA light was the cheapeast in the long run (if it works). I had some macro in there for about a week under 18w PG 6700K and it didn't seem to grow much at all...Well now I have that and the mangroves under the 65w LOA (6500K) and the kinda under the 18 PC, and will see how it does. I'll keep you all informed.

Attached is a picture of the sump/refugium.

headshrink · #**116** 04/17/2004, 12:42 AM

I returned the bulb and found one that looks like Marc's - but it comes in a double pack ($15). It has a different SKU and I called the company on my cell, but they where closed. I will try it ouver the weekend and if I find out they are the wrong color I will return it.

mpdharley · #**117** 04/19/2004, 08:54 PM

Just wanted to give everyone an update on how the bulbs are working for me. For a recap, I ran the following bulbs for two weeks each. Some other info first. The VHO bulbs were in a DIY wood canopy with parabolic reflectors covering about 80% of the length (100% of the width) of canopy. My fuge is 4'x2'x2' and the VHO bulbs were 3' 95 watt bulbs and I had two of them installed at any given time. The photo period for each set of the bulbs was the same - 10 hours:

- Coralife 6500K: The growth was okay, but I was hoping for more. Even with the reflectors in the canopy, it seemed that a lot of light was lost.

- URI 10,000K: Better growth than the Coralife bulbs. Don't know if this was because of the internal reflector in the bulbs getting more light into the tank or because it was a 10,000K

- PC Bulbs recommended by Marc: Note that I am running three of these bulbs to get the same coverage as the VHOs. After only one week, the growth is as good as the URIs, if not better. Plus, I'm burning a lot less electricity (57 watts instead of 190 and cheaper to replace!). So, for me, these bulbs are what I'm going to stick with. And, with the money I save on the electricity, I can up the photo period!

Well, that's it, it's not scientific, but it's what I saw on my fuge.

Marc -- Thanks for the tip on the bulbs!

melev · #**118** 04/19/2004, 11:31 PM

mpdharley, that is awesome news! I was a little nervous you were going to prove my estimation inaccurate.

I'm still running a 6500K spiral compact over my other refugium, and growth is very slow. I just haven't had the desire to drain and remove the refugium/sump just so I can access the hole in the woodwork above it. I have the metal reflector screwed into the wood, and the only way to get it out is to get the 'fuge out of my way.

I better make some time to deal with that project, after reading your results. I'd like to get phenomenal growth so the nitrates in my 29g will drop finally. (They were 0 in my 55g last week, and I ran the test twice!)

Cappy · #**119** 04/19/2004, 11:54 PM

Nice thread keep it up. I to have the spiral with the reflector, and suffer from space I gotta try it out thanx

fish @ chips 29 · #**120** 04/20/2004, 12:06 AM

I have the Home Depot bulb from the 1st post, All i have to say is my cheto has gone from one sandwich bag to 2 sandwich bags seens i put it in. It's been in there for like 10 days. And also looks more green than when i first put it in. Sweet can't wait untill i have to prun it lol.
Thx. *****Melve*****

joe...

melev · #**121** 04/20/2004, 12:20 AM

That is great, Joe.

Kutter · #**122** 04/20/2004, 06:26 AM

Similar to fash@chips29, I also put in the Home Depot bulb last week. I had been using a 18watt JBJ clamp-on power compact prior to this. I too noticed the change to a brighter green color of the chaeto and it is definitely growing.

It hasn't double in size in 3 days or anything like that, about the initial response to the light seems to be very good.

husker267 · #**123** 04/20/2004, 09:50 AM

How is everybody setting up the electrical to run these? Since it's a screw bulb, could I just use a lamp-type base that is rated for the correct wattage to avoid having to do a bunch of hand wiring - which I'm not good at?

reefer20G · #**124** 04/20/2004, 09:57 AM

Marc, I just got a softball size chunck of chaeto on sat and added your lightbulb on sunday with a clamp on style fixture (that is what I had for the moment). Things are looking good so far, I will let you know how it grows for me.
Thanks again for the suggestion.

mpdharley · #**125** 04/20/2004, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by husker267
How is everybody setting up the electrical to run these? Since it's a screw bulb, could I just use a lamp-type base that is rated for the correct wattage to avoid having to do a bunch of hand wiring - which I'm not good at?

I'm using the clamp-on light holders from HD. I then have those going to a 3 to 1 outside rated extension cord. The extension cord then plugs into my timer.

Quote:

Originally posted by melev
mpdharley, that is awesome news! I was a little nervous you were going to prove my estimation inaccurate.

I wasn't nervous at all. I have never had "explosive growth" from any of the chaet that I have had in my fuge. This last batch is the first time I was able to at least get a little growth. With the new lights, I get the best growth I've ever had for less electricity!

Now I just need to work on keepin the caulerpa pruned back so that it doesn't out compete the chaet.