JBL Solar Ultra Tropic 4000 Kelvin (T5)

JBL Solar Ultra Tropic 4000 Kelvin (T5)

Why full spectrum?
Aquatic plants and corals from the reef top are adapted to full sunlight. A look at the natural environment shows that aquatic plants are almost exclusively found in sun-drenched, clear waters in shallow depths (max. 3 m). Even most of the coral species kept in aquariums are from shallow depths where the penetration depth of light is not a significant factor. All visible elements of light penetrate with equal strength to a depth of 6m! Therefore plants and aquatic animals in an aquarium should have lighting which is as close as possible to sunlight. The JBL SOLAR fluorescent tubes (with the exception of the SOLAR MarinBlue) have the great advantage of having full spectrum light. A closer look at the spectrum shows that the individual spectrum sectors of the tubes do not drop back to zero between the peaks (lighting peaks) but display all spectral sectors over the entire range from blue to red. Scientific research institutes e.g. the Institute of Marine Sciences in Kiel (GEOMAR) work with the JBL full spectrum tubes in tests in natural saltwater into the global warming of the oceans. This is convincing proof of the excellent quality of JBL SOLAR tubes!

Lighting duration:
Lighting an aquarium for approx. 12 hours a day is considered the most suitable length of time for plants and fish from tropical regions. Any special requirements of individual species should also be taken into consideration. It is important to note that insufficient light intensity cannot be compensated for by extending the length of time an aquarium is lit. Taking a "lunch break" in the lighting exposure is unnatural and interferes with the biorhythm of the plants.

Lighting configurations:
In the case of an aquarium hood with only one tube, the requirements of the plants should always be the prime consideration, i.e. the best choice is JBL SOLAR Tropic. For hoods with more than one tube, the natural cycle of daylight can be simulated in both light intensity and colour temperature: e.g. starting the aquarium day with half or one third of the tubes switched on, switching the rest on after about 2 hours, and switching off again in the evening in reverse order.
Higher colour temperatures at midday can be simulated by combining the SOLAR Tropic and SOLAR Natur tubes, switching the SOLAR Natur tube on at midday as described above.
Installing the lamp with the highest colour temperature as the first tube behind the front pane of the aquarium increases the impression of depth in the aquarium.
For the reasons mentioned previously, we do not recommend JBL SOLAR Color as the sole source of light. It is only recommended for use in combination with SOLAR Tropic or SOLAR Natur.

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