ajk Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 Hey all, I currently have a std 3ft x 14 x18 tank heavily planted with e. tennelus, anuibus, lilaposis novazalide, val, hygro, crypts, java moss, java fern, ambulia, l. repens etc. I have 4 x 3ft fluros on the tank = 120 watts. Should i leave this or swap to: - a 3ft compact fluro 2 x 36 watt with two fluros (one actinic) or any other suggestion! my tank is also CO2 injected Thanks in advance Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSMill Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 Not sure if I am confused, but sounds like you are decreasing light (120W to 72W?). If you are having problems with too much light, maybe change but otherwise why would you want to? Also, im not too sure that an actinic bulb will do much for plant growth. Cheers Troy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grungefreek Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 He would be decreasing light if u look at wattage, but CF lighting penetrates water better than normal Lighting so he may not be losing all that much,if any. Hmm not sure the actinic bulb will be much good either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett4Perth Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 CF lighting penetrates water better than normal Lighting Is this true, and if so why?? Cheers Brett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
punie Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 Actually, from experience and a discussion group, many argue that Floro tubings with their wide spectrums penetrate the water better than CF, the only thing is that due to its compact nature, CFs appear to be generating a higher intesity. I'd go for CFs if you've got space constraints. Cheers, Jerome P.s. Once again, sorry brett i really tried to make it for your talk on lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo Posted September 23, 2004 Share Posted September 23, 2004 I installed 6 x 55w CF over my 4x2x2 tank and the difference compared to normal fluoros was amazing. They make the plants grow heaps better and they actually penetrate to the substrate more effectively. I am currently waiting for some tubes from the US made by GE, they are 9325k, 55w and are supposed to be one of the best CF tubes around. You cannot get them over here. The price is $27 each and the shipping was $62. The shipping is not cheap but the overall cost is still about $20 cheaper than top line tubes over here. Another good thing about CF is that they last up to 2 years which is alot longer thatn your normal fluor. A big factor is what type of reflector you have over your lights. I shipped some amazing reflectors over from the US from a supplier called AH Supplies. They supply reflectors, tubes etc and the reflectors are rated as the best in the US bar none. They were $25 each and well worth the cost. I installed the reflectors and tubes into my existing hood and the electronic ballast are under the tank. If anyone need any info on how to DIY, PM me as it will save you heaps compared to buying the brand name CF setups. Dave, Mosman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grungefreek Posted September 23, 2004 Share Posted September 23, 2004 Im with Davo on CF's penetrating better. Thats what i found off discussion forums, namely www.plantedtank.net. Davo i would be very interested in a list of your sources for your lights you bought from america, and also your proposed DIY solutions to CF lighting. So if ya could list here, or make a new thread, im sure lots of people would benefit from it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajk Posted September 23, 2004 Author Share Posted September 23, 2004 Hey all, Lots of good info - i guess what my problem comes down to is space constraints. ATM i have four fluros on my tank that won't fit under the hood and im looking for the best possible solution to fit about the same wattage under the hood. I am currently looking at purchasing two of the Double Fluro Hagen Glo Mats. These retail for about $105 and can been seen on theAquaria Website Has anyone had any experience with these or are there any better solutions? Thanks Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted September 24, 2004 Share Posted September 24, 2004 Compact flouros have been proven to penetrate depth alot better than regular flouro's and not far off 150w metal halide penetration. They have a greater amount of lumens/watt than regular flouro's which means you will not need as much CF wattage than you would with regular flouro. I have heard suggestions of 0.6watts of CF lighting = 1 watt of regular flouro. That said, you will not get a great spread of light with a single fitting going accross a tank, unless you raise it above the glass surface and then you will lose some intensity. So from an efficiency point of view, CF's are better suited to deeper tanks, but will obviously still work on not so deep tanks. The Aust made Aqualina's seem to be a very efficient design and are reasonably priced. AOA are asking for $150 (less 10%) for a 120cm unit (2x55W). However, this does not include tubes which are around $20-25 each, and they last 2 years or even more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett4Perth Posted September 24, 2004 Share Posted September 24, 2004 have a greater amount of lumens/watt than regular flouro's Interested in the source of this info Dave, do you have any links?? Cheers Brett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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