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Re: Light Intensities
Early on I used to save $ by matching a "cool-white" light with a Chroma 50
bulb. Later, I used 2-chroma 50's figuring if one is good, two is twice as
good. Walstad's book Ecology of a Planted Aquarium, suggests that
submersed plants are better adapted at absorbing the spectrum of cool white
bulbs (compared to terrestrial plants) because this part of the Sun's
spectrum happens to penetrates water better. She cites a study from FAMA
[Richards K. 1987 "The effects of different spectrum florescent bulbs
on the photosynthesis of aquatic plants" FRESHWATER and MARINE
AQUARIUM magazine (July pp 16-20)] clearly illustrating the growth rate of
Elodea to be faster under a pair of cool white lights than under a pair of
vitalights or a pair of daylights. Growth rate was yet faster still, when
a full spectrum bulb was mixed with a cool-white!
Could it be that the reason why some people are able to wide varieties of
plants with light wattage of 1.4-1.5 watts per gallon is more due to
spectra than to power intensities?
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