Can the flourescent lamps used for aquariums double as plant grow lamps? I am thinking about using two of my aquariums to house my seedlings this spring and if I don't have to go out and buy an additional lamp that would be great...
I used the GE reflections (or something like that) bulbs for my winter bulbs- paperwites, amaryllis & they worked great. They are inexpensive plus, you do not need a special fixture for them. Livvie~~~~~~~~~~~6b, mattituck, ny
On that note: For those who have successfully used grow lights, how many hours each day do you leave the lights on? Around the clock, or do the seedlings get a "night-time" rest? (they will still have the heat-pad underneath them all the time) I've just gotten mine set up, but want to make sure I do it right!
You should buy a timer and set it up to give your seedlings light for 12-14 hours a day at least. Yes, you definitely want to give them a few hours rest each day. Good luck!
I read once in an old Rodale OG magazne, plus from other reliable website sources, that you can make cheap, good grow lights from fluoresent bulbs.
All plants love the high reds and high blues from sunlight for good photosynthesis. The middle range of colored light is not really useful to plants.
You can easily mimic this effect by using one warm-white bulb (reddish light) and one cool-white bulb (blueish light). Hang these fluorecent bulbs 4-6" above your seedlings.
For the last few years I've used the cheapest warm flourescent lights I could find. Also very simple housings without reflectors attached. I do think it could be beneficial to mix warm and cool colored flourescents up, but you don't need to purchase expensive grow lamps. I keep them very close to the small plants, 2 inches away, and move them up as the plants get taller. I keep them on 12-16 hours, legnthening the time as it gets closer to planting and the plants get bigger. I attach the lamp housings to a cart with thin chain, and S hooks. That way I can raise and lower them as needed. Good luck!
I don't use grow lights per se...I use flourescent and halogen shoplights in the basement for my seedlings and tropicals. And I leave them on almost all the time. I kept forgetting to turn them on, and had terrible luck, so I just stopped turning them off. It seems to work just fine for me, though having my basement windows glowing like a nuclear reactor tends to attract attention from local authorities...
