lighting temperature (K)? for moss and hermies

[iofushi]

currently im using a CFL in the soft white (2700K) temperature range to light the tank during the day and also give the moss a little light to keep alive and repair any damage from eating the hermies might've done. normally i would've used a daylight (6500K) but i couldn't find my stash of them. im not used to growing moss but ive grown many other plants and seedlings under artificial light, and i know daylight is better for vegetative growth, but has anyone had better results for their crabs and moss with one or the other bulb temp?

the soft white is easier on the eyes, and i figure it might be too for the hermies, but im wondering if the brighter light from the daylight will make them more active? less active? moss will grow better, or no difference? thanks guys.

[piratetoothgir]

I have no experience with advanced lighting, so I will allow someone else to help.
I believe that GotButterflies may be able to help you with the lights!


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[GotButterflies]

Actually, @Wodesorel would be better for this question. I use UVB. As far as moss, I grow mine outside in the shade.

[AwesomeHermit]

Actually, @Wodesorel would be better for this question. I use UVB. As far as moss, I grow mine outside in the shade.

You can grow them?

[iofushi]

Actually, @Wodesorel would be better for this question. I use UVB. As far as moss, I grow mine outside in the shade.

You can grow them?

yup! im planning to start doing that soon myself, for one, i have orchids who need some new moss haha, and if i can cut down costs on buying new moss through the future, why not? ive done a little research via google for this, but the only site i saw had their info based off of the moss they themselves grow, and they called for 5k-6.5k bulbs, so if thats taken as a blanket statement, daylight trumps soft white for them?

my experience with shade grown plants is rather small, orchids and a few other succulents are the lowest light plants I've ever dealt with. for instance i tried growing some button mushrooms, and failed miserably, yet i grow garlic, and rather well, for a small side business, and i can get just about any fruiting plant to thrive.

maybe ill try setting up a test for this over the next couple months and see what happens.

[GotButterflies]

Yes, I grow my own moss

[aussieJJDude]

Kelvin is a measure for the colour temperature emitted, it rarely has anything to do with plant growth. For example, having a light thats lower than 5000K just means that it looks more red in appearance, and doesn't look like 'daylight' or how it would be perceived in sunlight.

Mosses could easily grow in most of the kelvin range thats in lights. And i personally crabs won't care less.

A more accurate depiction is to look at PAR - photosynthetic active region. This is what plants - and mosses, I'll refer to mosses as plants from here in - use for photosynthesis, aka: growth. Often to measure PAR it can be expensive, so many refer to the wattage, or lumens to give a rough estimate.

In saying that, mosses dont require a whole lot of light from my experiences - like leaving some moss in a closet for a couple of weeks... it survived and grew a bit. So most lighting units should handle the needs for moss IMO.

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[wodesorel]

I am not the best at indoor gardening and have never done live moss because it is such a pain!

When I start seedlings for my outdoor garden, I go as close to 6,000K as I can (natural sunlight) and as many lumens as I can possibly get. I had amazing growth the last two years using a 300W equivalent LED, the thing left me blind and was sold as a halide replacement! The seedlings grew at double the normal pace. I've also had great plant growth in my aquariums since swapping over to LED - more lumens per wattage compared to florescent.