Is full spectrum lighting just a 'fancy' term for UVB? I should probably know, but just wondering 
Full Spectrum Lighting
- Thread starter Yellow Turtle01
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Full Spectrum lighting as used by those who sell tubes and bulbs usually refers to a 'color rendering index' or CRI and the degrees kelvin for the light source. Mid day sun is used as the standard.
Mid day CRI is "100" and full spectrum tubes can be found as high as 96, which means the distribution of visible light as it illuminates is very near that of natural light. This may or may not include parts of the spectrum not visable to our eyes. Some full spectrum tubes have some UVA in them, but that is not an advertised or stated quality of the tube being sold. People with those handy UV meters have told me.
Degress Kelvin is also a color/energy measure http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_temperature for science mumbo jumbo expalination. 5500 to 6000 is a good target.
Plant grow lights tend to be heavy at the blue end of the spectrum and the amount of UVA is more based on the quality of the glass than the phosphors in the tube to some extent, and what you get is not an intended aspect of these tubes. Light used for people with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) are also good lights with the same potential to get some little UVA.
The fixture and tube type play a large role in this, T5 HO are the best as far as I have found for tube type applications whether you are getting specific UV producing tubes or illuminating tubes. BlueMax are great aftermarket illuminating tubes for T5 HO fixtures with a very high CRI and a degrees kelvin that allows as much "natural" artificial light as you can get.
Mid day CRI is "100" and full spectrum tubes can be found as high as 96, which means the distribution of visible light as it illuminates is very near that of natural light. This may or may not include parts of the spectrum not visable to our eyes. Some full spectrum tubes have some UVA in them, but that is not an advertised or stated quality of the tube being sold. People with those handy UV meters have told me.
Degress Kelvin is also a color/energy measure http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_temperature for science mumbo jumbo expalination. 5500 to 6000 is a good target.
Plant grow lights tend to be heavy at the blue end of the spectrum and the amount of UVA is more based on the quality of the glass than the phosphors in the tube to some extent, and what you get is not an intended aspect of these tubes. Light used for people with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) are also good lights with the same potential to get some little UVA.
The fixture and tube type play a large role in this, T5 HO are the best as far as I have found for tube type applications whether you are getting specific UV producing tubes or illuminating tubes. BlueMax are great aftermarket illuminating tubes for T5 HO fixtures with a very high CRI and a degrees kelvin that allows as much "natural" artificial light as you can get.
So it has UVA but not UVB?
Right.
Disappointment!
they are having a great sale on fish lighting at my local petco (AKA, full spectrum lighting) and I was thinking of stocking up if they provided UVB.I might be wrong but I'm pretty sure they don't have any UVB. Sorry.
They should still have UVB, if it's full spectrum. What brand name is it?Disappointment!
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