> From: ntmanwaring9 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
> I had not heard about the Lumichrome requiring a different ballast...the
> Reptisun does not produce a very visible light.........whereas the
> vitalight gives you a light that makes the animals easier to see...
You might want to try Chroma-50 tubes, also sold as Sunshine, made by
GE. THe spectrum is very similar to Vitalight tubes, but they are much
cheaper. You can get them and a similar 5000k color temperature tube
made by Philips at hardware and building supplies stores. They are much
less expensive than vitalights - probably due to economy of scale. People
buy them mostly for room lighting, so they are in the general market.
If the color is too "red" or "warm" for your taste, you can try Chroma-65
or similar 6500K color temperature tubes. They are more "blue" or "cooler"
to the human eye. Both the Chroma-50s and Chroma-65s grow plants well,
and are bright to human vision.
Since you are planning to buy lots of tubes, check your yellow pages for
lighting distributors. You may want to buy a few of different types first
to see which you like. If there aren't any large distributors in your area,
you could ask your hardware or building supplies store if they have a
discount on case lots or can order a few cases for you. Last time I bought
a case of tubes I think there were 12 per case.
Let us know what happens.
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