Re: Lighting Question

["Madan Subramanian" <madans at satyam_net.in>]

Dupla insists that Fluorescent Lighting is good only for tanks up to 20
inches or 50 cm depth.
My tank is 21 inches in depth, and has 3 inches substrate, I keep my water
level about 2cm below the top. At this water level, I have noticed no
pearling from my Tellennus and Lileopsis, as I lower the water level to do a
water change, I notice the above plants pearling only when the water level
drops by 2 inches, and never otherwise, the plants do ok but not great and
growth is slooow.
In the case of a tank 21 inches deep with metal halides and 3 inches of
substrate, the growth of Tellennus and Lileopsis  is much better, and I
regularly see pearling.

>Is the 22 inches from the water surface to the >substrate or from the light
itself to the substrate or >what???

Me thinks IME the 22 inches or 20 inches as per Dupla is the depth of the
tank without the substrate.

>If there is a different requirement for depth over >22 inches, what is that
requirement?

Again IME the requirement is MH lighting. Fluorescents just are not enough.

My fluorescents did not have a reflector, just the white paint inside of the
tank cover.

Madan Subramanian
Bangalore, India.

> Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2002 16:34:13 -0400
> From: Jim Story <jestory at citcom_net>
> Subject: Lighting Question
>
> I've seen references to the effect that lighting requirements are
different if the tank is in excess of 22 inches in depth.  I need some
clarification on this.  Is the 22 inches from the water surface to the
substrate or from the light itself to the substrate or what???  If there is
a different requirement for depth over 22 inches, what is that requirement?
> Thanks
> Jim