Actinic Kelvin color rating

fishguy2727 · 09/03/2008, 04:03 PM

What is the kelvin color rating on actinic bulbs?

sbreefer · 09/03/2008, 05:02 PM

about 20k depends on who makes it i have a 420nm and and a 460nm

fishguy2727 · 09/03/2008, 07:12 PM

It is not higher?

The 20,000K lights I have seen looked less blue. Is it just that they also have other colors that help visually balance it?

ReeferAl · 09/03/2008, 08:07 PM

The Kelvin color rating doesn't apply to actinic bulbs. The color "temperature" refers to the temperature an object would need to be heated to in order to radiate light with a similar color.

The is no temperature that would result in an object radiating light that looks anything like actinic output. It just doesn't happen. As a result Kelvin color temperature cannot be applied to actinic bulbs.

The only bulbs I've seen called "actinic" are fluorescent and I've never seen actinic fluorescent bulbs incorrectly given a Kelvin rating.

MH bulbs sometimes will have some blue output and if they do they may elicit some fluorescence. The bulbs that have a strongly bluish output are generally labeled as 20,000 K or higher. When the spectrum of most of the so-called 20,000 K and higher bulbs are measured they too do not truly have a Kelvin rating for the same reason that actinic fluorescents don't. In the case of these bulbs, the K rating is just a marketing tool meaning "has a lot of blue output".

HTH

Allen

09/03/2008, 04:03 PM	#1
fishguy2727 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 93	Actinic Kelvin color rating What is the kelvin color rating on actinic bulbs? __________________ 45: 4x96watt compact, AquaC EV180 skimmer, 120 pounds live rock, zebra blenny, sm yellow tang, six line wrasse, pair clarkii clowns, zoos, shrooms, LPS, SPS, clams, sponges, scallop, and more...

09/03/2008, 05:02 PM	#2
sbreefer Afflicted Reefer Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Steamboat Colorado Posts: 490	about 20k depends on who makes it i have a 420nm and and a 460nm __________________ mixed bare bottom reef Current Tank Info: SPS dominated 300g

09/03/2008, 07:12 PM	#3
fishguy2727 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 93	It is not higher? The 20,000K lights I have seen looked less blue. Is it just that they also have other colors that help visually balance it? __________________ 45: 4x96watt compact, AquaC EV180 skimmer, 120 pounds live rock, zebra blenny, sm yellow tang, six line wrasse, pair clarkii clowns, zoos, shrooms, LPS, SPS, clams, sponges, scallop, and more...

09/03/2008, 08:07 PM	#4
ReeferAl Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Fond du Lac, WI Posts: 2,040	The Kelvin color rating doesn't apply to actinic bulbs. The color "temperature" refers to the temperature an object would need to be heated to in order to radiate light with a similar color. The is no temperature that would result in an object radiating light that looks anything like actinic output. It just doesn't happen. As a result Kelvin color temperature cannot be applied to actinic bulbs. The only bulbs I've seen called "actinic" are fluorescent and I've never seen actinic fluorescent bulbs incorrectly given a Kelvin rating. MH bulbs sometimes will have some blue output and if they do they may elicit some fluorescence. The bulbs that have a strongly bluish output are generally labeled as 20,000 K or higher. When the spectrum of most of the so-called 20,000 K and higher bulbs are measured they too do not truly have a Kelvin rating for the same reason that actinic fluorescents don't. In the case of these bulbs, the K rating is just a marketing tool meaning "has a lot of blue output". HTH Allen