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Re: Lighting and Lux



Scott wrote:

As for energy efficiency ratings -- well, size matters too. T8s might
be more energy efficient than PCs, but if I can get enough light into
my tank with the latter and not the former, I'll use the latter.  Maybe
I will replace those incandescents in the rest of my house with
flourescents to make up for the being such an energy spendthrift with
my aquairum lights ;-)  Afterall, incadnescents are over 90% efficient
as heaters but consumate hogs as illuminators.  They are Edison's
revenge for the world not adopting his DC power system.

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Saving electricty is not really the point but it is a nice side benefit.
The point is that LER is calculated with data that is also required to
calculate light levels in an aquarium. Also fixtures with high LERs will
require fewer watts to acommplish the same thing. I am not talking about
a minor effect here. The fixture efficiency can conservatively mean the
difference between 1.5 watts per gallon and 4.5 watts per gallon for the
same amount of light. This sort of thing is very common in our hobby and
leads to wildly different recommendations as to the minimum watts per
gallon required to grow certain plants. Some people think they have a
high light tank and they don't while others think they don't and they
do.

Wayne