Re: [APD] A lighting and nutrient question...

["Jared Morris" <jared_morris at sbcglobal_net>]

> Compact fluorescents are a better alternative than metal halides in my
> opinion, and tha tis what many or most of us use. The lighting your 
> propose
> is not just a little high -- this is high light in a tank that size. Such 
> a
> setup will require much more care and experience to maintain than a lower
> wattage setup. George Booth, Tom Barr, Scott Hieber, Karen Randall and a 
> lot
> of other people can pull off setups like this -- they are very 
> experienced.
> I think such a setup would be a challenge for a person who knows so little
> that she would let someone else design her system for her.
> The relationship beween tank size and "ideal" lighting as expressed in
> watts per gallon is not linear. The watts per gallon rule doesn't work
> particularly well. See http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Tech/Lighting/ and
> http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Tech/Lighting/comments.html . With larger
> tanks a lower WPG works better.
> Liz

OK, I'll try not to take personal offense to your insinuation that I would 
have not done the reading myself.  Personally, I think saying "so-and-so can 
do this, but a newbie cant." is ridiculous.  I have setup hundreds of reef 
and freshwater planted tanks for people, and I always research them first. 
Admittedly, I asked a question which may have seemed to come without any 
research behind, but that was just poor wording on my part...oops.  I have 
seen many MH and many PC lit aquariums, fresh and salt, and honestly, I 
prefer MH in most larger systems.  I have PC on my 37 gallon, and love it, 
but 50 gallons and over, why not do MH?  heat is not an issue if you have a 
tall canopy and fan ventilate it, and the light intensity, and the ripples 
line that come with it, is beautiful.

Second of all, I don't think you realize how many hobbyists do their own 
research, and then come to a well educated and respectful LFS to put their 
systems together.  This lady is well educated, and on first visit to the LFS 
bought 3 books (Nature Aquarium World Vol. 1, Aquarium Plants Manual, and 
one other that escapes my mind right now).  She returned a week later having 
read them all. She has also been perusing www.thekrib.com herself on my 
recommendation.

Respectfully,
Jared 

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