[APD] Re: Fluorescent lights close to the water surface -- or -Heated debate

["Giancarlo Podio" <gp at isaconsulting_com>]

If you're out of space for more tubes you might want to consider overdriving
your existing tubes. Good convectional venting or a fan is a good idea
however when overdriving the bulbs. The ballast stays cool but the bulbs run
quite hot, about the same as CFs at 2x.

Here's a link to the retrofit I did:
http://www.gpodio.com/overdrive_twin_strip.htm

Hope that helps
Giancarlo Podio

--- Original Message ---

Hi,

Thanks for pointing out the heat issue.

However my question was more focused on how to increase the intensity of
light provided that I use normal T8 fluorescent and that the aquarium cover
is closed. There's certainly a limit to the number of T8's that I can put
side by side if there's a reflector. I would say that for my 20 inch wide
tank I can stuff up to 6 such reflectors. Now the question is whether
lowering them would increase or decrease... Incresase because of the 1/R law
and decrease because light shall escape through the glass because of the
angle...

And yet another idea is to just put those FLs without reflectors and rely on
the fact that the hood is a white reflective formica.

VRK.

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