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Re: Philips AX and Ul




Bob Dixon asked;

> And if it is, what about the ultralume bulbs by Philips?

The 5000 K Advantage X tube and the 5000 K Ultralume tube have the same
spectrum.  I don't see a difference in their light output, but I do find
the smaller diameter Advantage X tube easier to work with.

The red component in both these tubes is actually a little lower
wavelength than the red sensitivity in most plant "action" spectra.  I
posted a couple years ago about the apparent problems that caused my
plants.  I don't think anyone else has had the same problem with those
lights.

In my original post, the retention and general condition of older leaves
improved drastically when I replaced the 5000 K AX and Ul tubes I'd been
using with a mix of Gro-Lux WS and GE Daylight tubes.

The change could also have been a delayed effect from a change I made a
couple weeks earlier in the fertilizer regime, so Paul Krombolhz
encouraged me to put the tubes back on the tank and confirm the results.  
I refused because I didn't want my recently revolutionized dining-room
tank to revert to it's previous, ragged state.

Last year when the Gro-Lux and Daylight tubes on that tank refused to
light I put the Philips AX and Ul lights back on the tank.  Within two
days my H. corymbosa lost half their leaves, the rotala indica started
shedding leaves fast and some of the other plants in the tank started
showing accelerated damage on older leaves.  I yanked the Philips lights
off the tank as quick as I could replace them, and the progress of the
damage stopped.  For me, that was adequate confirmation of my previous
results.

Noone else seems to have trouble with these tubes, so I have to guess that
the problem in this tank isn't straightforward.  My speculation is that
there is a relationship between the red light response of the plants and
the availability of one or more nutrients.  My tank was low in the
necessary nutrient so the incomplete red spectrum provided by the Philips
tubes caused the wrong response in the plant.

I think that's just a long way of saying YMMV.


Roger Miller

Who thinks that the AX50 and Ul50 tubes work just great over his work
bench.