[fergo]

Hi Guys,

It only just dawned on me today that my brother is a neon sign bender and could make me a length of neon tube to make a light in my aquarium.

i was wondering what people though the light is very bright and i can have blue or white?

[charlie]

I am not real sure, but I would bet that we are not talking about the correct Kelvin rating that you would need to grow coral in your tank. Have you looked into either power compact or T5 lighting?

[fergo]

i have, and T5 seem possible down the track. just was wondering as it would diffinatly be the cheaper option. if anyone has difinitive information that would be great.

thanks for the imput thou

[charlie]

I have never heard of anyone using neon lighting for their tank, but I could be wrong. You might want to try a search on neon lighting and see what you come up with.

[fergo]

ok im doing some searching whats Kelvin rating should i be looking for?

[charlie]

personally I like 10K for my daylite bulbs. Also you might want to look for an actinic/blue color bulb.

[fergo]

it seems that the kelvin is basically what colour the light appears? so if i was to get a neon tube made that was blueish it sould be in the range???

does anyone know how to test it specifically?

[charlie]

I just spent the last hour doing searches for folks using neon type lighting for their aquariums, and you are going to have to trust me here, I found nothing. Neon lites are used for signs!!!!!
If you want some cheap type of lighting for your aquarium, use normal output fluorescent bulbs like you already have.
new to coral

I found this link on Sanjay Joshi's site That has some good info on Kelvin ratings used in the trade:
Aquarium Frontiers On-Line: Feature

Now, lets be honest. I have found in my experience in the hobby that if you look for a cheaper route, especially with lighting, you end up spending more money over time than you would if you had just bought the correct fixture to begin with. JMHO

[fergo]

yes i too have not found any reference to anyone using one in an aquairum.

it just got me thinking today, as i have a neon sign in my room and it is extremely bright and blue. so i wondered what people on the forum thought about it.

from the lots of looking i did today i seem to have found that the 20k or 10k bulbs in metal halides. the k is kelvin which is color temperature or basically the color of the light being ommited.

Now my reasearch into neon has found that the differnt metals on the inside of the neon tube create a different light color.

i have no plans ot buy this unit or anything, if it was cheap enough i might get a small one from my bro and test it on an quarantine tank while not in use?

i am having difficulties forgetting the idea as a few years ago no one used LED's either. My research has informed me that LED's are a cold cathode as is neon.

thank you very much charlie for your searching and information, as you stated i am new to reef tanks and so am listening to all the good advice and now after this topic have alot better idea about lighting reef aquariums as a result of your feedback.

What do people think about my trial idea?

[Reefland]

Neon lights are not used in the hobby at all. I can appreciate your interest and the fact that LED wasn't used a few years back either, however I think the development and testing of any new lighting system should be left to the professionals. They can test using equipment, and not corals as guinea pigs. I think you should look for an alternative lighting solution that is tested and provides results. As charlie stated, lighting is simply one of the most important aspects of a reef and there is no need to take a short cut here.

[fergo]

fair call..

just a thought, and i am glad i asked as now i know alot more about the lighting requirements of reef tanks. Now i can just keep going with my fluro as thats all i can do.

thanks guys

[charlie]

Originally Posted by fergo

fair call..

just a thought, and i am glad i asked as now i know alot more about the lighting requirements of reef tanks. Now i can just keep going with my fluro as thats all i can do.

thanks guys

Good things come to those that wait. Be patient and keep asking questions. I wished I would have had a source like this when I started.

[fergo]

Just for interest, i asked a neon sign maker what sort of Kelvin they can get and they are capable of 10K Kelvin light, HOWEVRER....

Neon is not recommended for aquarium use due to the high voltage that the light runs on. So there you go.

[charlie]

Good info, thanx!