Supplement Lighting

[wgama]

Hi I have a couple questions I was hoping some people with experience with artificial lighting could answer.

I was thinking of ways I could supplement some of my orchids and herbs for lighting in the winter and I thought of maybe using an aquarium led fixture. Something like shown in the link below. I have a similar one that grows the aquarium plants in my 8 gallon cube quite well.

NEW 48 LED Aquarium Fish Water Plant 3 Mode Clip White Blue Light Bulb Lamp ES | eBay

I was wondering if anyone had experience on using aquarium lighting like this on non-aquatic plants? If anyone has any input at all it would be greatly appreciated.

[naoki]

Wow, you are from Zone 1!

It should work (if efficiency isn't a concern). If you can find one with red+white instead of blue+white, it would be better. White LEDs have plenty of blue in general, so I don't see the need for extra blue LEDs. Most people using white LEDs want to add a bit of red LEDs. I know some people here is using the light designed for reef tanks (with lots of blue), and the plants seem to grow ok. Note that generally blue light promote more compact growth form (e.g. smaller leaf etc). If you try it, I'm curious to hear if this is applicable with orchids.

The site doesn't give any relevant spec. Did you consider Ray's LEDs?
LED-Vivarium-Grow-Lamp

It is probably a better choice.

[wgama]

Yeah back home is zone 1 haha. I am away at school in southern Ontario right now though, It was very pleasant gardening here last summer, the growing season is essentially doubled.

Thank you, Ill consider looking for one with red. I was kinda iffy about the fact that no spectrum was included for that product I linked.

That bulb from Ray's actually looks like it would do the trick quite well, I will consider it.

[DelawareJim]

Winston;

Naoki is right about leaning more towards the red end of the spectrum.

Aquarium LED fixtures won't have much red and have more blue light in them because red wavelengths don't penetrate water very well whilst blue travels very deeply (which is why things look more blue in deeper water).

I, and several of my fellow aquarium/aquatic plant club members have learned that unless the seller is an aquarium shop, or an aquariast selling a used fixture from a name brand, most of the fixtures on Ebay are cheap knock-off junk using the cheapest, lowest quality components available.

In my club (Greater Washington Aquatic Plant Association), almost all of us that don't build our own fixtures, buy either TMC AquaRay fixtures like the GroBeam 6500K from American Aquarium Products
LED Aquarium Light | Reef & Planted Lighting | AquaRay & GroBeam
or most recently, fixtures from Build My LED (BML)
Build My LED Custom LED Lights for DIY Horticulture Aquarium Hobby Lighting

The beauty of BML is that they specialize in both aquarium and horticultural LED grow lights and really stand behind their product.

So you could look for something like the Grow-Max or Start-Max (If you don't mind the red/blue glow), or View-Max if the red/blue thing bothers you and you still get plenty of red wavelengths.

I use lights from both companies and I'm very happy with both.

I currently use the BML Horticulture Start-Max fixtures on the orchids that are under LEDs as I'm switching from High Output T5 fluorescent fixtures to LEDs and the Start-Max do double duty. My orchids get evicted from the Start-Max in March and April so my wife can start her garden plants from seed.

As I buy more fixtures over time, I'll probably mix in a few View-Max fixtures so the whole house doesn't get that funky red/blue glow and I don't end up knowing the state police on a first name basis.

You'll find the prices are higher, but you get what you pay for.

Cheers.
Jim

[ALToronto]

Where in Southern Ontario are you? I will be organising a group purchase of LED lights for the Southern Ontario Orchid Society. These will be from a Chinese manufacturer from whom I've purchased before, and have been very happy with the quality.

I have Ray's lights, and I'm not impressed with them. You need to keep them no more than 30 cm from the plants, and they have too many cool white diodes. Plants grow well, but don't bloom.

[wgama]

That is good to know. Im in the Kingston Area. I am looking for something with a fair amount of white in it for display purposes but I would like it to grow whatever I want under it well. Who are you ordering from?

I am really looking for something that isn't too hard to install/ maintain and would have a color that looks a bit more natural to the eye because I would like to use it for a countertop display sort of thing.