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Re: Lighting (getting very frustrated)
James wrote:
>
> O.K. - now how many tanks/lights are you talking about? Do you have one
tank
> with problem or a half dozen? Do you have one or more of those god-awful
> strip lights for each tank? What wattage/type of bulb is IN each strip
light
> and what kind of relector is in each strip light (I'm unfamiliar with the
> unit you have, so if you want help you are going to have to give specifics,
> not just vent frustration).
The problem tanks (which also appear, quite unattractively, in my living
room) are at http://www.home.earthlink.net/~sylkohler/lighting.htm
Basically, one 29 gallon with 4 NO 20 W flourescents, which IME should be
enough light and a 55 gallon tank with 2 NO 40 W flourescents, with a
raingutter thing lighting only the front left corner (which, incidentally, is
the best thing that happened to that tank, but it is problematic and slightly
unattractive).
The question is still unanswered (and I'm not venting here, just got a
question)--If I place these 4 20 watt flourescents in decent reflector(s)
spaced appropriately across the tank, will I get more light? I figure it may
be increased, but to what extent? I just don't know what to expect out of a
decent reflector. I figure there's lots of folks who don't have PCF light
strips on their tank and grow nice plants, including some light-demanding
reds. So, is it these cheap strip lights that are the problem, or do I need
to move up a notch and go to PCF?
> Let's be practical here..... if you are unhappy with the performance of the
> units NOW and can't find a retrofit kit which will physically fit into the
> emptied out shell, they are garbage..... you _might_ be able to put several
> of the stip lights over an individual tank (depending upon how many you
> have) to solve the lighting problem for _some_ tanks (if you have several).
It's not an urgent problem. But I started up with this line of questioning
for 2 reasons:
1) Perfecto SHO's are selling out, because they're discontinued
(and it could be easily placed directly on the opening of the Perfecto hood,
making life really easy.) If I did not get one, chances are, I won't find any
PCF strip light down the line to fit in this opening. They are all wider than
4-1/2"; and
2) All Glass pcf fixtures are on sale at Pets Warehouse.
> I think perhaps you are also worried about re-using the glass coverplate
> (you either want to or think that you have to). Unless your fish are
jumpers
> or you are worried about excess evaporation, a cover glass is not
essential.
I removed all my glass covers.
Sylvia