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RE:Fluorex Lights



Giancarlo Podio wrote:


snip...
> While I was at HomeDepot getting some ballasts I found a 
> fixture called "65Watt Fluorex Fluorescent Outdoor 
> Floodlight". If you go to www.homedepot.com and search for 
> SKU# 343177 you can see it. It's a compact fluorescent bulb 
> and water proof fixture. The price was just under $30 so I 
> figured it was probably a 3000K bulb etc... etc.... I whent 
> home and looked it up and here is a link to the manufacturer: 
> http://www.lightsofamerica.com/products/Security1.htm (model 9027)
> 
> To my surprise this bulb is rated at 65000K color temp and 
> 8000+ lumens. I then found the same light being marketed on 
> eBay as a 500W hydroponics grow light with a "bargain" 
> starting bid of $45 and $14 shipping!! I've also seen others 
> sell it for $75+!! (Just search for Fluorex on eBay)
> 
> So has anyone tried these over a tank yet? The fixture is 
> small enough to probably light up a 10gallon tank with 65W!! 
> You can probably hang it from the ceiling too for open tanks. 
> I think for $30 I'll just pick one up next time I'm there and 
> find a use for it at home. They had one on display and it is 
> very bright! The price is great if indeed they can be used 
> for planted tanks.

I was excited, a while back, when I first heard of these. Unfortunately, 
reality intruded when I went to look at them.

They would probably provide less light than a couple of AH Supply 13W 
kits, at several times the electricity cost and mucho extra tank heating.

The reflector is just diffuse white, and they use multiple "U" tubes 
arranged in a very inefficient pattern. Restrike will be very high, and 
most of the light will never get into your tank, unfortunately.

Twisty tubes and triple or quad "U" tubes are really poor for tank 
efficiency, when compared to the AH Supply designs using single tubes with 
well-designed efficient mirror reflectors.

Wright

-- 
Wright Huntley -- 209 521-0557 -- 731 Loletta Ave, Modesto CA 95351

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