Re: [APD] Re: Minimum light

["boolybooly" <boolybooly at ntlworld_com>]

strikes me that with with smaller tanks the angle subtended to the reflector 
is correspondingly smaller so you get a lower % of the light emitted 
striking the bottom - as the arc over which the light is emitted extends 
beyond the tank and is wasted through missing the target and attenuated 
through internal reflection. With a larger tank a lower percent of light is 
wasted because the bottom is bigger but the light is not that much higher.

Another factor is water depth and water colouration, I find I have to raise 
plants in the 24" tank I have in order for them to live. I stick them into a 
bogwood arch about 12" from the surface and they do much better. The water 
is coloured with tannins etc from the bogwood and I have 480 watts of MV but 
they still need to go nearer the surface. Amazons will survive and a 
speckled red sword Echinodorus (red) Rubin, but Creeping Jenny and Pink 
Myacca have to be higher up to grow, star grass will not survive in there 
possibly because it is a bit warm 27c, or maybe a reaction to the hornwort I 
grow to keep the algae down (alleged allelopathy). Floating frogbit does OK.

Its not much to look at but here is a photo.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/boolybooly/aquarium.jpg

I am gradually finding plants that survive and filling it up, in the middle 
is mexican oak leaf. I cant seem to grow lots of plants close together like 
some growers as they just wither if they get into the shade so I go for the 
open gravel stream bed look ;). CO2 is added by a rudimentary upside down 
glass & tube sytem (MIG welder supply!) I use greenline aquatic plant 
fertilizer bags as this is the most effective but it has to be done right. 
The stuff that grow grows like mad, but the stuff that doesnt dies.

Richard






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