Conversions please

[hilltop452]

I am trying to get a general idea of how many "K" a bulb I could get at Home Depot might have. I have a 175w MH fixture, but since most bulbs only have wattage and lumens on them, I don't know how strong the bulb is. Can someone give me a formula for converting what I have into "K" or give me a general idea of how many lumens from a 175w bulb would give me acceptable light for my 38 gallon tank?
Thanks

 

[mr . salty]

I have no idea how to get the k-value,but I can tell you that any bulbs at home depot are for household or industrial use.Not aquarium use.They are most likly less than 5500k.And would cause algae blooms and poor growth from anything in your tank.If you want to see results from your MH lighting,you should go online and buy aquarium bulbs.6500 or higher...

 

[hilltop452]

Thanks

 

[sonny]

There is no way to convert lumens and wattage to color temperature, since they are not related. Color temp is a measure of the color of the light. Wattage is power, and lumens is intensity. The color temp of the lamps you are talking about is around 4000 K. Specialty lamps like ones for reef tanks are very expensive. Bite the bullet!
Sonny