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More comments on lighting...
Subject: More comments on lighting...
YOU'RE BOTH RIGHT!!
> The phenomenon of total internal reflection occurs for the light
> passing directly from the light bulbs to the inside glass surfac
> aquarium. This light gets entirely reflected back into the tank
> it escapes the aquarium.
>
> The reason you can read a book by the light of your (well-lit) t
> whatever light strikes the plants, rocks, decorations, etc. insi
> tank gets scattered randomly. When this scattered light strikes
> glass surfaces of your aqaurium, it is no longer at an angle sha
> to provide total internal reflection. It passes right out of yo
> and lights up the room.
In which case, unless I'm missing something, it has left the
tank, and ain't coming back. Therefore it is, for all practical
purposes lost to the system. Which is exactly what I said. In an
EMPTY tank you might not lose any light, but in a PLANTED tank,
you most certainly do. And the deeper and more heavily planted
(or otherwise decorated) the tank is, the more light you are going
to lose.
Meaning, in essence, that this nonsense that you don't need more
light on a deeper tank is just that. Nonsense. Practical
experience has shown experienced aquatic gardeners that you _do_
need more light. Parlor tricks with empty tanks aside.