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Re: Testing lighting



>> Now, if Tom Barr, who seems to have at least one of every plant known to 
>the 
>>  hobby and then some, had a lux meter (or borrowed mine) and took readings 
>in 
>> the 
>>  dozens of tanks he owns or maintains, maybe we could create such a table. 
>>  
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>This sounds like an excellent idea. To be thorough, though, you'd have to 
>observe the plant at different light intensities, and drop the lighting until 
>the plant shows signs of demise, which would give the minimum. Note the 
>changes in the plant coloring & growth at different intensities. (I do want 
>those reds & pinks!)
>
>And it would be complicated by the fact that in different substrates/water 
>conditions it may vary. (Wouldn't it?) Higher light could require the plant 
>have access to more nutrients, but it may also just mean that the plant would 
>be more effective at utilizing what's available.
>
>Sylvia

Not really if you do a good design. By using the same tank (say a 55 gallon
tank) for example and adding say 24 inches of CP FL's on one side half and a
T-12's etc on the other side all other components will be the same because
the nutrients/substrate/Bio cycles/CO2 levels will all be the same and be in
the same tank etc.
Lighting is the one issue that we can test well I think with some degree of
absolution.
I tried some of this method on lighting but the plants need to be the same
also. I didn't do that part<G>. I really don't want a 55 gallon full of one
species! But it would work and even without the same species I think for
many of our purposes here this would be an good test nevertheless.
To be scientific and all it would be nice to do a good test with several
moncultures.
FWIW, 
Regards, 
Tom Barr