Q re: bulbs "cheek-to-jowl"/ Mylar sources

• To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
• Subject: Q re: bulbs "cheek-to-jowl"/ Mylar sources
• From: "A. Inniss" <andrewi at u_washington.edu>
• Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 23:54:06 -0800 (PST)
• In-Reply-To: <199702192039.PAA25787 at looney_actwin.com>

> 
> Also, if you pack the bulbs in side by side, you are wasting lumens.
> FL bulbs emit light from all around their circumference. A proper
> reflector will direct the light coming from the top half back down to
> the water surface, adding to the effective lumens.  If the bulbs are
> cheek-to-jowl, there is no way for the reflected light to get to the
> water.  You will, in effect, have the same lame concept that Corallife
> has with their extra cost "reflector" bulbs - half the lumens
> disappear.
> 
> George
	
	Thanks, George, for answering my very similar question re: bulbs
packed in close (see #520). At what distance apart do we stop having a
significant lumen reduction?  My bulbs are 1/2 inch apart: is that
close enough to significantly reduce lumen output?  If so, I had the idea
of putting some thin strips of tin between them, which i think will also
help direct the light downward, right?   
	My other question in that post asked why a ballast approved for
two F30T bulbs (which evidently includes Tritons and Ultra-Trilux) will
not run two FL30 lamps (in this case, two Aquarilux).  The ballast is
running the Triton and Ultra-Trilux just fine...very strange

	Mylar sources:  Try hobby shops: many open-frame models of planes
etc. use Monokote, which can be abtained in the silver, mirror-like colour
we're looking for.  Craft shops also carry silver mylar.

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