can lights "go bad"?

[EvanDavidJones]

I was wondering...I have a 10 gallon and a 25 gallon, amd the plants in the 10 gallon grow awesome, then when theyre getting too big I move them to the other tank.....but then it will stop produceing chlorophil, wilt, and die.....The light tube im using is really old, like 10 years, could it mot be good anymore?? It was OK, last year this is sort of a new thing...
Thanks

[madmatrixz3000]

Yes you will need to buy a new plant bulb for probably both tanks. Drs. Foster and Smith suggests changing your plant light aroud once a year because they will lose intesity therefore a full spectrum light after a year of use may not put out the same quality of light it did when it was new!

[DavidDoyle]

For planted tanks you should change most standardfluorescent bulbs closer to every 6 rather than to ever 12 months. That is one reason I use Tritons o0n a number of my tanks- the bulbs cost 2.5 times as much as most decent plant bulbs but last til they burn out in about 18 months or so. They also make a tanke look awesome.

[DavidDoyle]

For planted tanks you should change most standardfluorescent bulbs closer to every 6 rather than to ever 12 months. That is one reason I use Tritons o0n a number of my tanks- the bulbs cost 2.5 times as much as most decent plant bulbs but last til they burn out in about 18 months or so. They also make a tanke look awesome.