Appropriate grow light?

[Dayners666]

So I'm trying bioactive for the first time with live plants and whatnot. I am super ignorant and a total noob when it comes to plants and using artificial light to help them grow. I went to Walmart tonight and looked at some inexpensive grow light bulbs and came across this thing. I don't know if it's decent or if it's suitable. Also, is it a color that won't disturb or stress my t?

 

[SpookySpooder]

Each plant has different needs, but generally you want something more like this.


As for spider eyes... I keep reading back and forth in this forum on the subject of color and light so I cannot answer that one.

 

[Dayners666]

Each plant has different needs, but generally you want something more like this.
View attachment 464759

Oh OK. Do you have any recommendations? Also the plants I have in there are 2 pothos and 2 wandering jews if that makes a difference

 

[SpookySpooder]

We call them wandering dudes in my part of the woods. Don't be like Kanye & Nick Cannon and get yourself oppressed, LOL.

Anything with a "full spectrum" output is fine. The plants you listed are low light anyway, so you don't need intense brightness, just a broad spectrum of usable radiation.

I can't recommend any low cost fixtures worth it for your purposes, if you wanted to grow plants with high intensity light underwater, or in a grow-tent, with expensive LEDs, I could advise you... But any of the basic ones online would do for you, granted their PAR readings are accurate to the charts on their ads.

 

[Dayners666]

We call them wandering dudes in my part of the woods. Don't be like Kanye & Nick Cannon and get yourself oppressed, LOL.

Anything with a "full spectrum" output is fine. The plants you listed are low light anyway, so you don't need intense brightness, just a broad spectrum of usable radiation.

I can't recommend any low cost fixtures worth it for your purposes, if you wanted to grow plants with high intensity light underwater, or in a grow-tent, I could advise you... But any of the basic ones online would do for you, granted their PAR readings are accurate to the charts on their ads.

Ok cool so the light I got will work ok?

 

[SpookySpooder]

Match the colors on the chart I gave you to the back of the lightbulb. While your bulb gives off a full spectrum, it's lacking in certain wavelengths. It might do the job, but also produce produce deficiencies over time. You can use multiple bulbs with different outputs if you like as well.

For example I am using my spare and old fish tank light for these plants, not just a blue or a red or purple led. Chihiro B60 specs:

• Light size: 22.68 x 2.2 x 0.47 inches
• 2214 lm
• 37.1 Watts
• Led source: RGB-W

 

[fcat]

It's been a while since I was into plants, but if I remember correctly the best bang for your buck in that type of fixture is the GE brand plant bulb, most Walmarts sell them, usually under $10.

If I may recommend the best bang for your buck under $30ish... Barrina. They are bar lights (T5), not bulb shaped, so you'd be ditching your fixture and using a 1”x1”x how long of a light you buy. They can be extended if you want to use multiple lights on multiple tanks. In your exact situation, you need to be most mindful about heat production first and foremost. Then you can worry if your plants are close enough to the light to reap any benefits.

You can download an app to measure for fun, PPFD meter, Photone, and Lux light meter should get you some good rated ones. Just measure light bulbs and windows around your house, and see how close you have to be to the bulb for the numbers to be significant. Or the plants will have to be.

Just remember in your case - watts = heat.

 

[viper69]

Each plant has different needs, but generally you want something more like this.
View attachment 464759

As for spider eyes... I keep reading back and forth in this forum on the subject of color and light so I cannot answer that one.

There’s some scientific data on T spectral sensitivity.

 

[Dayners666]

It's been a while since I was into plants, but if I remember correctly the best bang for your buck in that type of fixture is the GE brand plant bulb, most Walmarts sell them, usually under $10.

If I may recommend the best bang for your buck under $30ish... Barrina. They are bar lights (T5), not bulb shaped, so you'd be ditching your fixture and using a 1”x1”x how long of a light you buy. They can be extended if you want to use multiple lights on multiple tanks. In your exact situation, you need to be most mindful about heat production first and foremost. Then you can worry if your plants are close enough to the light to reap any benefits.

You can download an app to measure for fun, PPFD meter, Photone, and Lux light meter should get you some good rated ones. Just measure light bulbs and windows around your house, and see how close you have to be to the bulb for the numbers to be significant. Or the plants will have to be.

Just remember in your case - watts = heat.

Thank you

 

[SpookySpooder]

There’s some scientific data on T spectral sensitivity.

I think I read that, I believe it was either you or AphonopelmaTX that posted it.

The evolution of coloration and opsins in tarantulas

Tarantulas paradoxically exhibit a diverse palette of vivid coloration despite their crepuscular to nocturnal habits. The evolutionary origin and maintenance of these colours remains mysterious. In this study, we reconstructed the ancestral states of ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

I recall also, a wavelength and eye cell sensitivity study. Forgot to bookmark it. I'll have to dig it up again and reread it.

 

[Dayners666]

I think I read that, I believe it was either you or AphonopelmaTX that posted it.

The evolution of coloration and opsins in tarantulas

Tarantulas paradoxically exhibit a diverse palette of vivid coloration despite their crepuscular to nocturnal habits. The evolutionary origin and maintenance of these colours remains mysterious. In this study, we reconstructed the ancestral states of ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

I recall also, a wavelength and eye cell sensitivity study. Forgot to bookmark it. I'll have to dig it up again and reread it.

Ooof that's a lot of information to absorb. Just skimming through all of that made me feel like I'm a lot dumber than I thought lol. It also makes me wish I went through with getting a degree in zoology

 

[viper69]

I think I read that, I believe it was either you or AphonopelmaTX that posted it.

The evolution of coloration and opsins in tarantulas

Tarantulas paradoxically exhibit a diverse palette of vivid coloration despite their crepuscular to nocturnal habits. The evolutionary origin and maintenance of these colours remains mysterious. In this study, we reconstructed the ancestral states of ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

I recall also, a wavelength and eye cell sensitivity study. Forgot to bookmark it. I'll have to dig it up again and reread it.

That paper above is different- I know the author a bit. We’ve talked quite a bit discussing the findings.

The paper I referred to has been dropped by both of us

 

[Sugarpill]

Like spooky said pothos are pretty low light; I’ve found that esp golden pothos really hate extra light, the wandering will also burn with too much ligh but like a tad more than pothos in general, so you just gotta be observant. I have a lot of bright indirect light in my place so it works out fine, but I’ve found the cheap bendable neck LED grow lights help a great deal with smaller plants and terrariums. I get the ones with the ability to change from full white to different spectrums. They’re about $20 on Amazon and great because you can change the spectrum as you need. I grow small cuttings and seedling in the T room where I have red growing lights everywhere. They’re a bonus because my collection is always out if the red lights are on

 

[SpookySpooder]

That paper above is different- I know the author a bit. We’ve talked quite a bit discussing the findings.

The paper I referred to has been dropped by both of us

I'll find it eventually... unless you'd be so gracious as to search your bookmarks real quick

 

[viper69]

I'll find it eventually... unless you'd be so gracious as to search your bookmarks real quick

Not bookmarked here

 

[The Snark]

It's been a while since I was into plants, but if I remember correctly the best bang for your buck in that type of fixture is the GE brand plant bulb, most Walmarts sell them, usually under $10.

While keeping in mind there can be worlds of difference between GE manufactured bulbs and GE licensed production. Bulbs coming out of China must meet the rigid criteria that they produce light.
I've got two Philips bulbs in the stairwell that get used 14 hours a day and are still going after 3 years. And the same identical bulbs and packaging in the driveway that last on average 2 months. The former is made in Poland, the latter manufactured somewhere directly above the center of the earth. A sophisticated electronics lab check was required to tell the manufacturers apart.
The GE T8 UV bulbs from Poland produce 90% of OEM emissions and spectrum after 1 year continuous use. The 'Panasonic' versions are down to ~15% after 1 year.

 

[SpookySpooder]

Detail: AAS | American Arachnological Society

www.americanarachnology.org

R. Dennis DahI and A. M. Granda
Spectral sensitivities of photoreceptors in the ocelli of the tarantula, Aphonopelma chalcodes (Araneae, Theraphosidae)
1989 Vol. 17-2 Pages: 195–205

 

[ozzymandias]

Oh OK. Do you have any recommendations? Also the plants I have in there are 2 pothos and 2 wandering jews if that makes a difference

We call them wandering dudes in my part of the woods. Don't be like Kanye & Nick Cannon and get yourself oppressed, LOL.

My family calls them "inch plants," but recently I've started eschewing colloquial names altogether. Instead of inch plant or wandering Jew, I just say zebrina. I was calling "pothos" by the proper name of Epipremnum aureum, but my girlfriend got tired of me saying it so much that I just call it false pothos now lol

For my plants, I used the 9 Watt full spectrum grow bulbs from Home Depot. I get the adjustable bulbs which are more expensive, but allow you to select what sort of light it emits.

 

[Dayners666]

Detail: AAS | American Arachnological Society

www.americanarachnology.org

R. Dennis DahI and A. M. Granda
Spectral sensitivities of photoreceptors in the ocelli of the tarantula, Aphonopelma chalcodes (Araneae, Theraphosidae)
1989 Vol. 17-2 Pages: 195–205

My family calls them "inch plants," but recently I've started eschewing colloquial names altogether. Instead of inch plant or wandering Jew, I just say zebrina. I was calling "pothos" by the proper name of Epipremnum aureum, but my girlfriend got tired of me saying it so much that I just call it false pothos now lol

For my plants, I used the 9 Watt full spectrum grow bulbs from Home Depot. I get the adjustable bulbs which are more expensive, but allow you to select what sort of light it emits.

So I decided to try another grow light that may be a little more pleasing to the eyes, actually full spectrum, and a lot brighter

 

[The Snark]

You can make a light full visible light spectrum by shining a neutral white light on a full color spectrum surface. You won't get UV or IR of course.