Re: Rip Van Winkle wakes up and is blinded by the light

["Robert H" <robertph3 at attbi_com>]

>>When did the Rule of Thumb (Lighting) go from "2-3 watts/gallon" to "2-4
watts/gallon"?  (Yes, yes, I know w/g sucks as a useful measure but, as
others pointed out, it's about the only thing most people can use).

Back in "The Olde Days", when there were no fancy fluorescent bulbs
available, one would strive for 3 watts/gallon with El Cheapo (tm) shop
lights in a cruddy non-reflector hood and 2 w/g when big bucks were forked
over for electronic ballasts or tri-phosphor bulbs or fancy mylar
reflectors.<<

Well I realize you are a bit older than me, but I don't know how far back
your "old days" are. I do remember four years ago attempting to make sense
of what the "right" light levels were, and having real difficulty finding
more than two people who would agree on a universal watts per gallon
rule...so I did my own polling of the experts of that time. From reading
material on your WEB site it appeared that 1.5 to 2 watts per gallon was
sufficient. It appreared Karen Randall generally recommended 3 watts per
gallon. According to Dan Quackenbushes articles on his WEB site at that time
he recommended 4 to 5 watts per gallon. There were several other people who
had numbers anywhere from 2 to 5 watts per gallon, depending on tank size
and depth. I took the numbers from everyone and sort of averaged them
togther, making a minimal level, a moderate level, and a bright to intensive
level, and used that as a watts per gallon rule.

I ran 4 watt/gallon on a 100 gallon tanks for two years before cutting it
back a little. I wouldn't say it was that outrageous.

For most people more is better, but the "more" for these people is usually
anything more than what came with their tank.  Fast or slow growth rate is
so relative unless you have something to compare it to. I have never been
happy with the growth I get at 2 watts per gallon, and I think anything
above 3 makes the system more difficult to manage, but not impossible. But
thats just me.

And George, I thought you used to run Metal Halides?

Robert Paul Hudson
http://www.aquabotanic.com