Review on Zoo Med 18-Inch Reef Sun 50/50 T8 Fluorescent Bulb- 15 Watts by Ashley Stolen

Luckily when I visited my pet store I was able to see what this light looks like. I liked the range of colors it gave off so I bought it for our 10 gallon tank. This lighting definitely has a blue cast. So it all depends on your personal taste. We have an entire aquarium filled with guppies that are all rainbow colors. Blue guppies look amazing in this light. However, the yellow guppies do lose some brightness compared to our old "standard" fluorescent light that came with our aquarium hood. Regardless, we think all the fish look great. If you have a pet store nearby that uses these lights (you can call ahead) you can better understand if this light is right for you. If you have a lot of blue fish, I think they will look extra bright with this type of lighting. I've noticed that Revain's price changes frequently. UPDATE 1/28/2015: We recently decided to add live plants to our tank. After adding plants I decided to try the Zoo Med lights which aim to enhance plant growth. I'll add my findings here so you can get an idea of what other types of lighting we have. maximum light for plant growth. While there was indeed a noticeable difference in terms of plant growth, the color was an unnatural pink that no one in our family found attractive (although the fish's red color was enhanced). Zoo Med Ultra Sun Trichromatic Super Daylight 6500K 15W T8 Fluorescent 18" - This light more closely resembles "sunlight" and is in the "yellow" light spectrum. This provides probably the most natural light of all. After some use, I noticed that Algae growth was stimulated Plant growth was also quite good UPDATE 11/24/2015: Everything has changed in our aquarium I have completely updated it with a dense concentration of plants I did a lot of research and spoke to a very reputable plant seller about the ideal one Talked about light for my situation. My best choice was the Ultra Sun Trichromat. Taking into account the natural colors of plants and fish, this light creates the most natural environment possible. The color contrasts are wonderful. Also, my plant supplier (sold here on Revain - SubstrateSource) has this Light recommended over two others 6500K output power is a big part this reason. When used with Seachem Flourish and Flourish Excel, plants get the nutrients they need. I have already mentioned that this light stimulates algae growth. I have found that Excel can help combat algae. My plant salesman recommended ten hours of this light per day plus two hours of flexible hours. OPTIONAL UPDATE: I'll try to capture the subtle differences between these lights by posting photos of our aquarium using each. Photo 1 - reef sun 50/50. Photo 2 - coral flora sun plant. Photo 3 is Ultra Sun Trichromatic Super Daylight 6500. Final Thoughts: If you just want to get a specific spectrum of colors, you have a few choices as to what hues you can achieve with these lights. If your goal is plant growth, you should omit Reef Sun 50/50 from the mix. Coral Flora Sun Plant's pink tones were unattractive to our family. In the end, the Trichromatic was our best bet. Of course, this is all subjective and based on our own tastes, so you may not agree with my opinion. In any case, you may now have additional information to help you make your decision. Be careful with the prices here at Revain. The prices for these lamps fluctuate quite a bit. Look for the best price (sometimes the best price is here at Revain).