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Re: too much light



> Hello,
> I am stepping up to the power compact fluorescents, but was wondering if
> there is such a thing as too much light?

In some context, yes. If it's more than you need for the goal you have, then
that's too much. More is wasteful and simply adding more electric cost
that's not going to be utilized in the tank.

You are not trying to grow coral.

More light is like driving faster. At 25mph if you don't take care of your
tires and have a wreck things will not be too bad. If you are doing 50mph,
you could have some serious troubles and at 75mph perhaps worse.

You have more leeway at lower light ranges but not ones so low that plants
cannot grow. Many folks seem to have trouble at 3.5 to 5 w/gal of light
trying to keep up with the nutrient uptake and pruning.

> I have a 55 gal tall, and the 36"
> fixture is the exact length of my tank, but it has two 96w bulbs in it.  I
> thought the 2watts/gal ratio was best, but the aquarium store (Natural Life,
> in Sunnyvale, CA) tells me there is no such thing as too much light.  Is
> this true?

You'll be fine with a single 96 watt light in the 5000K to 6700K range.

http://ahsupply.com/96watt.htm

 Pass on any blue weird high color temp bulbs. Don't listen to any mumbo
about how it's better etc, it's not. Stick with 5000-6700K lights. They work
great and the rest is more marketing to sell you a more expensive bulb that
doesn't do anything different when it's all said and done at the end of the
day.  
 
> Also, is the AquaLight (made by Corallife) brand a good choice?  The 36"
> fixture comes with one white and one blue bulb, all for about $200 (ouch!).

That's about right cost wise.
A&H Supply sells a 96 watt light kit. Easy to add, real nice and you can get
the right bulb temps etc. Their reflector does very well on deeper tanks
also.

Adding two is a lot of light and you can swing it, but you really don't need
it and I'd suggest waiting till you can do well with 2w/gal first.

Understand and use CO2, KNO3, K2SO4 and such first, then maybe try more
later if you feel that's the only way to get what you want.
I find some of the nicest looking tanks often have less lighting.

Regards, 
Tom Barr

> Thanks! :-)
> 
> Over and out.... ... ..  .    .
> 
> _jason_
> 
> 
>