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Fluorescent vs. Incandescent
Deansliger worte:
>Incandescent bulbs have a higher lumen output (watt per watt) and are higher
>in the red range of the spectrum compared to cool whites.
While it is true that incandecent bulbs have a much more limited spectral
range than fluorescents, and that it is mainly in the red area, it is _not_
true that they have a higher lumen output than fluorescents. Incandecent
lighting is extremely inefficient, and puts out more heat than light. The
lumens per watt are _much_ lower, and operating costs are much higher.
>In general, from my own experience, I'll use the standard trade groupings:
>sword plants, "bunch" plants (Hygrophila, Cabomba, Ludwigia, Hydrocotyle,
>etc.), and the floating plants for the most part all grow naturally out in
the
>open in bogs, backwaters and flooded meadows. They all prefer the highest
>light output possible,
That's true, and they won't get it from incandecent lighting.
>I've gotten blooms from Cabomba, Hygrophila, Hydrocotyle, Ludwigia and
>Limnophila all -- and only -- under incandescent bulbs.
I have bloomed most of the above under fluorescent lights. You can get
most any color temperature fluorescent bulbs that you want... but I haven't
seen that it makes much difference as long as you use enough. There _are_
some terrestrial plants that will only bloom with exposure to _far_ red
light. It's certainly possible that this is true for some aquatics too,
but I don't know that any have been specifically identified.
Karen Randall
Aquatic Gardeners Association