# t5 and 6500k bulb the same?



## phaz3boy (Feb 28, 2012)

Okay I read some other post and I'm just confused can you use a 6500k bulbs that u can buy at any store for your tank. Or is 6500k a t5 bulb? If not can you just use a 6500k bulb for your tank and just add uvb bulb and that's it? (uvb 13watt)


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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

t5 is a kind of light bulb and 6500k is the color of the light emitted. you can just use a bulb that's 6500k color. i'm not sure about the uvb tho


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## MikeM670 (Feb 3, 2011)

T5 is a type of light bulb. There are many styles such as T8, Compact Fluorescent. The 6500K refers to the Kelvin rating of the bulb. Otherwise what you see as the visible light. A 6500K bulb is considered to be midday lighting.


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## mordoria (Jan 28, 2011)

You don't need a UVB bulb for most dart frogs.


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

T = the diameter of a florescent tube in 8ths of an inch, so a T5is 5/8" dia. and a T8 is 1" dia. thats all it means.

6500K is a kelvin reading. its the color temperature of the bulb. (it has nothing to do with temperature in F or C)
to put it simply it's the color of the light produced by the bulb. 

james


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## phaz3boy (Feb 28, 2012)

So you guys are saying I can use any type of 6500k lighting. And I can get it from where exactly. And its okay not to use t5 exactly.


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## RarePlantBroker (Aug 3, 2008)

Correct. You can use any size bulb that is 6500K color temperature. The bulb can be a T5, T8, T12, compact fluorescent, etc.

I know that Lowe's and Home Depot carry 6500K in T8 and T12 size.


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## Erikb3113 (Oct 1, 2008)

Don't bother with uv (which IS actually beneficial in doses) unless you can shine it through your screen vent. Glass blocks very nearly ALL of the UV output. There is a great (ongoing I believe) discussion about the benefits and application of UV lighting.


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## jeeperrs (Jan 14, 2010)

Most people have already explained that T5 only means the diameter of the actual bulb. I do want to make a quick clarification about the 6500k. 

Aso you know, light has a color spectrum. The color spectrum ranges from reds to blues. People who grow plants need lights lower in the "k" rating. 6500k is a standard color spectrum that vegetation plants do well with. Depending on how fancy you want to be, you can use other color spectrums to aid in plants flowering. To do this you will want more 3000k (which is more red) but that bulb does not do well with vegetation plants. 

Now, a lot of people will say the bulb is "6500k" or "3000k" by changing the color glass tube. This does not help the plants much because the color spectrum is not the same as "6500k" and "3000k" bulbs that get their rating by the gas inside the bulb that creates a true color spectrum. 

If you want all the fancy information I would recommend reading forums that specialize in indoor gardening. You will learn a lot about lighting in those forums.


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## jacobi (Dec 15, 2010)

jeeperrs said:


> If you want all the fancy information I would recommend reading forums that specialize in indoor gardening. You will learn a lot about lighting in those forums.


There are several forums devoted to growing only one species of plant. The knowledge some of those guys have about lighting is ridiculous. You wouldn't think it just by looking at them... 



Jake


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## phaz3boy (Feb 28, 2012)

What about a 2700k it seems to be bright enough when I tried it out.


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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

not gonna work that well. the plants grow best under 6500k. it doesn't matter how bright the light is. what matters is what color of the light


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## jeeperrs (Jan 14, 2010)

jacobi said:


> There are several forums devoted to growing only one species of plant. The knowledge some of those guys have about lighting is ridiculous. You wouldn't think it just by looking at them...


HA HA! That is very true. However, they are looking to max out the vegetative growth and the blooming bud growth. So, I would listen to the hours they have devoted to their business plan LOL.

Phaze...2700k has nothing to do with the brightness. The number is the Kelvin temperature at which the light is emitted. So, 2700k will look just as "bright" as a 6500k. The difference is that the 2700k will have a much more red color to it. This is because the lower the kelvin rating the redder the light. So, saltwater aquarium people use 10,000k-20,000k. That light is VERY blue and gives the water a blue color. That light frequency is important for corals because red light cannot travel through water very well, so corals have learned to use bluer light. 

Now, plants that live in freshwater or on land like more red light (freshwater plants are never very deep in the water, unlike corals). So, the color light that works best for vegetative growth is 6500k. However, if you want blooms (flowers for us and buds for those other indoor growers) you want to have more 3000k. Since plants bloom in "season" you have to change the amount of 3000k. I am not super serious like other people so I do a 50/50 mix. I have 2 6500k bulbs and 2 3000k bulbs. I like this combination and it works well for me. However, it is all about what you want to grow


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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

so 2700k will help the plants bloom, but it won't help them grow. 6500k will help the plants grow, but not bloom, right?


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## jeeperrs (Jan 14, 2010)

goof901 said:


> so 2700k will help the plants bloom, but it won't help them grow. 6500k will help the plants grow, but not bloom, right?


That is the gist of how it works. I have even read that 3000k helps keep the plants from stretching toward the light...but I don't know how true that is. I have see some plants stretch and other not. I am still trying to figure out if that is true or not.

So, if you want to run one bulb you should get 6500k. If you want two, maybe you will want one of each or two 6500k. If you want to run 4 bulbs you could do three 3000k and one 6500k, or two 3000k and two 6500k, or three 6500k and one 3000k, or all 6500k. The list goes on and on.


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## jeeperrs (Jan 14, 2010)

I posted this a couple years ago but it may help you too. So, instead of typing it all over I am copy/pasting it.

I would like to clarify this statement. The Kelvin rating is related to the color of the light. Remember, when you use a prism to break the light you will see colors from red to blue. The higher the Kelvin rating the more blue the light. They get the idea of "temperature" for color based off of the colors heat makes. Think of it this way, "colder" fire is more yellow/red but "hotter" fire (as in a blow torch) is blue. So, the temp is really focused on the color of light.

Now, the reason 10,000K and up work for marine tanks is because water is very hard for some colors of light to pass through. Since it is hard for the reds/yellows to make it through water, you see the blues. The deeper the ocean floor, the bluer it appears. Through evolution corals (actually an algae that lives in the corals) have a need for a specific temp of light (10,000-20,000K). 

Plants on the other hand respond to different color temps. Even though the forest floor has more "shade" the temp of the light is still the same, except it is indirect light. The standard 6500K is good for plants because it has a range of colors plants need. There is some debate over what temps are best for plants. Some articles state that the 3000K lamps are best for plants, as the chlorophyll has a better reaction to those temps. This reaction supposedly will allow the plant to bloom and not stretch for the lighting. The down side is that the 3000k temp has a red hue. Beware, cheap bulbs tend to use coloring in the glass to make it appear a certain K, but the light (energy being emitted) is not really that rating. If you take a poor quality 3000k and put it next to a high quality 3000k, you might think the high quality bulb was 5500K. Look for quality light bulbs for premium plant results. The safe number for plants seems to be 3000-6700K. If you doubt this, go to your local hydroponics store and ask what they use and why they use it. I hope this helps you understand light better


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## phaz3boy (Feb 28, 2012)

Alright then. Thanks for helping me get all of this cleared up. Now I was wondering if they sell these bulbs at ace hardware? It closer to my house in fact down the street.


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## EvilLost (Jan 10, 2011)

phaz3boy said:


> Okay I read some other post and I'm just confused can you use a 6500k bulbs that u can buy at any store for your tank. Or is 6500k a t5 bulb? If not can you just use a 6500k bulb for your tank and just add uvb bulb and that's it? (uvb 13watt)


Jeepers beat me to it....thanks mate


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## jeeperrs (Jan 14, 2010)

phaz3boy said:


> Alright then. Thanks for helping me get all of this cleared up. Now I was wondering if they sell these bulbs at ace hardware? It closer to my house in fact down the street.


I would give them a call


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