[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Compact fluorescents



At 03:48 AM 12/28/99 -0500, you wrote:
>From: MarsalaSix at aol_com
>Subject: compact flourescents/VHO
>
>Hi, it's the browned plant person.  Thank you for all of the help and 
>response, I'm very grateful, heaps of thanks.  Right now I am attacking my 
>situation via lighting, before I get a fresh batch of plants.  I went and 
>read about a general rule, "2 to 5 watts per gallon."  I have 29 gallons so a 
>20w flourescent (what I have) seems low.  My hood is a full top (I can't do 
>metal halide) and the most I can fit is two 24" flourescents, which would be 
>40w.  But after studying I have discovered HO and VHO and compact 
>flourescents, the latter where apparently I can cram 2-55watt bulbs in the 
>light strip (a good 110w right there.)  So that's what I am looking at doing, 
>but I haven't found high-quality lighting available for sale locally and have 
>had only two successful searches on the net.  And I am not totally sure what 
>the net companies are selling would fit over my tank.  Plus the prices were 
>definately not compact.  If anyone has experience with these types of bulbs, 
>or VHO's for that matter, and knows of a good place to get them, once again, 
>heaps of thanks.

I'm in the exact same boat, I have a 29 that came from a garage
sale with two incandescents. I stuck two 20W fluorescents in those
sockets - the ones meant for light bulb replacements. The light
was too concentrated in the middle and the plants didn't do
that well. I put them in a hall light fixture.

Next I tried a single 20W chroma 50 abd the plants took off - too
well - I think all that blue was stretching them a bit (blue elongates,
red makes more compact) and the red and brown pigents were diminished
in various plants so I switched to a 20W "plant and aquarium light"
which brings back the red/brown and less elongate growth but is too
dim in there - plus I'm getting a trace of brown algae. Under
stronger light this would be green and the endlers livebearers
in that tank would eat it instantly.


So, Next I think I'm going to try compact fluorescents after discovering -
ironically
only 5 minutes ago that it's possible to get bulbs which tend towards the
red not just blue (6700K) bulbs. 

I doubt it possible to find stuff as good as ahsupply.com or for as cheap.
They seem expensive on first glance, but regular hoods aren't much cheaper
the the difference in light is phenominal.

I'm thinking of using one "beast" and as many 13W red ones as I can fit;
if that's not possible I'll mix as many 13W red and blue as I can fit.

Plus, ahsupply answered my mail promptly. A rare occurence.

>Return-Path: <ahsupply at ahsupply_com>
>Delivered-To: aquaria at vrx_net
>X-Sender: ahsupply at ahsupply_com
>Date: Tue, 28 Dec 1999 09:17:32 -0500
>To: "Richard J. Sexton" <richard at aquaria_net>
>From: A H Supply <ahsupply at ahsupply_com>
>Subject: Re: Lights
>
>Hi Richard,
>
>Thanks for writing.
>
>At 02:02 PM 12/27/1999 -0500, you wrote:
>>I was poking around on your website (nice, BTW) and looked
>>at your tubes. Are you able to get any with more red in
>>them?
>
>If you like the results you get from the plant-style tubes, you can
>probably duplicate those results in the compact format by using a setup
>that includes 13w red supplements.  The 13w red compacts we carry, while
>intended primarily as a night viewing light, have a spectral output very
>much like the plant tubes.
>
>These 13w red lamps (item #11134, $6.99 ea.) are not listed at our website
>yet, though we are selling them.  They can be used with our standard 2x13w
>Bright Kit.  We will list them at the website when we add some forthcoming
>13w Kits.  The new 13w Kits now being planned will be designed for direct
>installation in full canopies and will include 3"x7.5" reflectors
>(specifically designed for 13w lamps) and power cords with in-line switches.
>
>We have not seen the predominately red phosphor lamp available in a compact
>format at higher wattages.
>
>Regards,
>Kim Bryant
>A H Supply
>

--
Richard J. Sexton                                         richard at aquaria_net
Maitland House, Bannockburn, Ontario, Canada, K0K 1Y0       +1 (613) 473 1719