Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V2 #390

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V2 #390
From: Edziu Iskra <edziu at gate_cybernex.net>
Date: Tue, 17 Dec 1996 17:47:25 -0500 (EST)
In-Reply-To: <199612170839.DAA04480 at looney_actwin.com>

> From: jphealy at SYSCONN_COM
> Date: Mon, 16 Dec 1996 22:08:32 -0500 
> Subject: re: Tungsten halogen
> 
> About a month ago I bought a 300W tungsten halogen "driveway" lamp at
> Home Depot. I took it apart and used the innards as a light under my
> tank's hood. Within minutes of turning it on, the plants start putting
> out streams of Oxygen. The only problem I have had is dispersing the
> heat that it gives off. If I leave it on for more than two hours it
> brings the tank up to 82F from its normal 78F.

If you inserted the bulbs under a standard fluorescent hood, that's your
problem.  Not nearly enough venting.  If you could raise the lights, even
a few inches, and give them some venting, the convection currents would
run the system much cooler.

Note for others playing with high-wattage bulbs: make CERTAIN no splash
can hit your bulbs, or they will crack.  A 300W halogen gets hot enough to
crack from such liquids on it as the oil from your skin, so keep 'em clean
and clear of the water.

                                       --  Edziu